Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears on Pix 11’s “Pix11 News At 5”

July 7, 2025

Kori Chambers: Well, Mayor Adams touting the success of the city's doula program with more than 3,200 mothers benefiting.  

Shirley Chan: Yeah, the initiative protects mothers of color and their babies during childbirth, providing free access to doulas to expecting mothers and their families in underserved neighborhoods.  

PIX11's Nicole Johnson has been covering maternal disparities, including the mortality rate among Black and brown mothers. And she spoke, one-on-one, with Mayor Adams about why the program is so important and whether it's important enough to save lives. 

Nicole Johnson: In 2025, Black and brown mothers in the city are still dying during childbirth at alarming rates, something Mayor Eric Adams has been trying to change. 

Mayor Eric Adams: Black women are nine times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women in New York City. 

Johnson: Mayor Adams says he had to find answers. Three years ago, Adams launched the citywide doula program, and so far it's seen some success, providing free access to doulas. So far, the program has helped more than 3,200 mothers. The city partnered with community-based doula organizations that provide training and the access.  

Do you think the doula program will be enough to leak into the medical system to make sure that doctors do what they're supposed to do? 

Mayor Adams: So, there are a lot of biases in medicine, and we have to dismantle them, and I think programs like the doula program is a way to do that and get that quality of care inside our hospitals. 

Johnson: Adams also signed seven new bills hoping to make the city a leader in maternal health. The bills will help expecting mothers avoid discrimination in the workplace, have better access to education and programs, as well as add more doula training and increase access to midwives, just to name a few, especially in communities that have been ignored for too long.  

We asked the mayor whether or not it's too early to call the doula program a success. He assured us that this is only the beginning. 

Mayor Adams: We're looking for zero death throughout our city. Now we're pleased that everyone that participated in the program had no birth-related deaths. So, we know we're on to something, now let's expand it. 

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