Cambridge, Mass. – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced it is working with the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), as part of a joint mission to ensure that high-risk racial and ethnic populations and communities receive increased access to quality healthcare. NMQF uses evidence-based, data-driven initiatives to guide programs and deliver educational and advocacy programs, a national health index, research and community-based programs. In collaboration with Philips, NMQF will work to raise awareness and support of key issues such as maternal mortality among Black women, leveraging Philips resources and technology to help close the healthcare disparities gaps.
While the U.S. leads the globe in many areas of healthcare innovation, it also lags behind much of the industrialized world in improving care for some of its most vulnerable populations, issues that were made more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Black, Latinx and indigenous communities in the U.S. suffer tremendous healthcare disparities – a greater burden of illness, disability and mortality, relative to other groups. A clear example of this disparity in the U.S. is the high maternal mortality rate for Black women. They are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than other women.1