Rochelle Humes has taken to Instagram to announce her plans to release a documentary centred around the disparity black women face during childbirth and labour.
In the UK, black women are four times more likely to die during childbirth (or shortly after) than their white counterparts.
In the caption on her grid post, Rochelle said:
“Hey gang…I’m currently making an investigative documentary, looking behind the shocking statistics that in the UK, black women die during pregnancy, childbirth, and shortly after – at a rate of more than four times that of white women.”
“I want to find out why this is, and have met some incredibly brave women as part of my investigation into what’s going on. This is a very difficult and sensitive issue, but I think in order to make a change it’s really important to give a voice to families that have lost loved ones in this nature.”
She added, “I’m hoping in making this film, it leads to tangible changes and solid commitments to bringing these rates down… that’s my goal.”
The attached images show Rochelle on set and provides a visual representation of what the documentary is set to look like.
Addressing the disparity Professor Maggie Rae, president of the Faculty of Public Health told The Guardian in January, “This year’s coronavirus pandemic has brought this disparity even more starkly to the fore, and we must not lose sight of the actions that are required to address systemic biases that impact on the care we provide for ethnic minority women.”
Beginning her entertainment career as a member of S Club Juniors and pop group The Saturdays, Rochelle is now a critically-acclaimed host and presenter with stints on Heart FM, ITV’s This Morning and more.