Memphis, TN. -  On Tuesday, February 25th, Mayor A C Wharton, Jr. will join with the March of Dimes Tennessee Chapter in launching the Community Voice Project, an initiative geared toward raising community awareness and action around the issues of premature birth, preterm labor, and infant safety.  This program is seen as another step in the fight to address the local infant mortality statistics that have gained widespread attention in recent years. 

The March of Dimes funded and implemented the Community Voice program in Lynchburg, Virginia - the program's native city - in an effort to reduce disparities and improve birth outcomes.  Employing already existing social networks, the program seeks to emphasize the "...benefits of action, the consequences of unhealthy decisions, barriers to action, cues to action and self-efficacy or empowerment (my personal action will have an impact)."

Mayor Wharton remarked on the Community Voice Project, "Given its proven record and our interest in addressing infant mortality locally, partnering with and supporting Community Voice's presence in Memphis was pretty much a no-brainer."  Both Shelby County and the State of Tennessee have been financially supportive of this program.  The program will operate through an agreement with the state.

Mayor Wharton further commented, "In any problem solving scenario, I think it's often important for us not to become too focused on any one program or one effort as the panacea or cure-all.  Nor can we discount the importance of the individual components that create the safety net of services in a particular area."  He continued, "Community Voice is another important weapon in the arsenal as we seek to improve outcomes for every baby in Shelby County and this region." 

Housed at the Urban Child Institute, the Shelby County Office of Infant Mortality continues to take a leading role in providing programmatic approaches to the challenge of infant mortality while also pushing for policy changes and collaborations that would be supportive of the Administration's overall emphasis on healthy babies and youth.  This office's creation grew out of a Spring 2006 summit on infant mortality hosted by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Mayor A C Wharton, Jr.