Improving outcomes for First Nations mothers and babies in Australia

On 15 August 2024, the Australian Parliamentary Group for Maternal Health hosted a session on Improving outcomes for First Nations mothers and babies in Australia.

The session was hosted by co-chairs Alicia Payne MP, Llew O’Brien MP, and Helen Haines MP. Assistant Minister Ged Kearney MP and Shadow Minister Anne Webster MP also spoke and their commitment to First Nations health is appreciated.

First Nations women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than non-First Nations women, and their babies are almost twice as likely to die in their first year of life. Despite numerous government recommendations urgently calling for strategies to improve health outcomes for First Nations mothers and babies, as well as a national ‘Close the Gap’ strategy aimed at reducing neonatal and child mortality, to date there has been little improvement.   One strategy that has been effective, and that has demonstrated improvements in health outcomes for mothers and babies, is midwifery continuity of care.  Numerous studies have found that midwifery-led continuity is associated with substantially better perinatal health outcomes and cost savings to the health system.  Despite these findings, and the substantially poorer health outcomes experienced by many First Nations women and babies, few women having a First Nations baby have received culturally safe continuity of midwifery care.

The group heard from Professor Helen McLachlan, Aunty Gina Bundle OAM and Ms Kelsey Muhl about an innovative program implemented in three major health services in Victoria called ‘Baggarrook Yurrongi’ that has had substantial impact on the care experience and birth outcomes for First Nations mothers and babies. The presentation covered key outcomes found and focused on key critical elements and resources needed for program implementation and scale-up in order to continue to close the gap for First Nations peoples.

The importance of culturally appropriate care for First Nations families cannot be underestimated, for its positive lifelong impacts on babies and mothers.

We thank our sponsors – Canberra Mothercraft Society and La Trobe University for helping us to make this event a success.

Thank you to all involved.