Integrating traditional Indigenous knowledge in perinatal health is crucial for improving the well-being of Indigenous mothers and babies.
As a part of Burnet Institute's dedication to health equity, we have sponsored Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, who work in perinatal health in Australia to attend the 2024 Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) Congress in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Stacey Butcher, a proud Dhungutti/Gomeroi woman and midwifery lecturer at Charles Darwin University, said the scholarship allowed her to meet Indigenous peers from diverse backgrounds to share knowledge, skills, and expertise in a culturally supportive and safe environment.
"Research shows First Nations women having First Nations midwives will have better outcomes," she said.
Ms Butcher said it was important to address the social determinants of health and the systemic barriers that Indigenous women faced in accessing healthcare.
"If we have safer spaces, we're going to have healthier mums and healthier babies. Those are the kind of relationships that a midwife and a woman can develop," she said.
