ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Health officials are concerned about high infant mortality rates among African-Americans in Winnebago County.

According to the Winnebago County Health Department, for every 100 births to Black mothers, 13 babies die, compared to 5 deaths per 100 births to White mothers, and 4 per 100 births to Hispanic mothers.

The health department and the Winnebago County Action Team are working together to address the issue by starting a monthly podcast that hopes to bring the challenges to light and opens a discussion on what to do about them.

WCHD director Dr. Sandra Martell said, “It’s our role in the community is to help each other, right? So I think that the connection between all of our community-based organizations and our faith-based organizations, we’re also engaged. You know we often get calls or referrals? One of the clinics that we do operate here at the Health Department is the Family Planning Clinic, where women can have a pregnancy test so that we can engage them in that discussion about early and ongoing prenatal care.”

The podcast will stream live on Facebook, and is called Keeping Moms and Babies Alive. The next episode will air on May 26th, on maternal safety while giving birth.