The Greens have pledged $144 million to fund five dedicated birthing on country hubs across Australia in a bid to improve culturally appropriate healthcare for First Nations parents and babies.
The funding would be used to support the already successful Birthing in Our Community (BiOC) centre in Salisbury, Brisbane, and Birthing on Country at Waminda in the Illawarra region, and to establish new birthing on country centres at Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, and East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
In 2013 BiOC was launched In a partnership between the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Community Health Service, and the Mater Mothers' Hospital.
The Indigenous-led program meant women at the service were less likely to give birth prematurely, less likely to need a caesarean section and less likely to have their baby admitted to the neonatal care nursery, according to a 2019 study in The Lancet.
'Key' to closing the gap
Deputy leader Senator Larissa Waters said birthing in community and birthing on country initiatives were key to improving outcomes for First Nations parents and babies.
"We know that First Nations parents can experience trauma when forced to be away from country when giving birth," she said.
Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe said First Nations people living on country or on homelands are often forced to give birth away from their families, cultures, and communities for a whole range of reasons.
"When First Nations people are free to choose our own path, on our own terms, our physical and mental health improves and everyone benefits," she said.
"Birthing on country will return the power to First Nations people to ground our babies into the strength and beauty of our cultures from the moment they’re born."
The Greens said the pledge is part of their election policy platform which was costed by the Parliamentary budget office, and includes revenue-raising measures such as removing the private health insurance rebate to allow $59.4 billion to be reinvested into public health.
In February, the ALP's incumbent candidate for the seat of Gilmore Fiona Phillips pledged $22 million to support the existing Waminda Birthing On Country facility.
An ALP spokesperson said Labor, "as the party that introduced the Closing the Gap framework in 2008", was committed to progressing and raising the ambition of the targets, including the target to ensure First Nations children are born healthy and strong.
"Labor will also invest in upgrades to improve the delivery of pregnancy, maternal and child health care at Aboriginal community-controlled health services across the country, including at the Southwest Aboriginal Medical Service in Bunbury, the Kambu Aboriginal Medical Service in Ipswich, and a new Central Australian Aboriginal Congress health hub in Alice Springs," the spokesperson said.
Federal LNP have been contacted for comment.
