The New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services

This article discusses The New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services program, funded by the Australian government, which aims to provide healthcare services to the Aboriginal community in Australia. It explores the services offered, the factors that influenced its establishment, and its impact on the health and well-being of Australian Indigenous people.

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THE NEW DIRECTIONS: MOTHERS AND BABIES SERVICES
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The New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services profile
As per the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019), persistent complications in the
pregnancy and disparities in the birth outcome among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders has indicated towards the requirement of healthcare services that could target these
complications. Further to overcome these limitations, development of a healthcare service
namely The New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services program and funded by the
Australian government so that aboriginal community could avail the healthcare service for
neonates, and mothers without any complication (Health.gov.au, 2019). In the year 2007 and
2008, more than 85 healthcare organizations were asked by the Australian government to
include this service in their facility and they were funded by the Australian government.
Hence, the primary aim of this service tried to achieve is providing the aboriginal community
with the opportunity so that they could utilize the maternity and child care services available
in Australian healthcare facilities. Further as per the Australian Ministry of Health (2019), the
type of services this healthcare service offers the aboriginal community are antenatal and
postnatal care, continuous healthcare check-ups for indigenous children, monitoring and
developing the healthcare milestones for the infection control of aboriginal community,
immunisation, malnutrition, breastfeeding and parenting related educational and training care,
and information about the child and maternal care to the community (Australian Government
Department of Health, 2019). Further, the commencement of this service in healthcare
services started in 2007 when only 6 organizations accepted this service, and within four
more waves more than 85 organizations implemented this service so that aboriginal
community could be provided with maternity and neonatal care interventions (Australian
Bureau Statistics, 2019). Health.gov.au (2019) mentioned that the gap rate of child mortality
among indigenous and non-indigenous death was 85% in the year 2014, more than 26% of
aboriginal children were not able to come to the healthcare facilities and due to the lack of

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healthcare service, the mortality rate increased. Hence, these are the complications due to
which the healthcare service was strongly implemented in the healthcare services around
Australia.
The external factors that have influenced the establishment of this health service
The New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services was developed to increase the
number of aboriginal people, especially for the maternal and child care so that they could
utilize the services and develop a healthy future (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
2019). It was seen that aboriginal communities participation in maternal and child care
services were very that and this was the primary reason behind their increased maternal and
child death. As per the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019), the rate of child death within
the age 0 to 4 was 146 among 100,000 children compared to 70 children in the non-
indigenous community, hence the gap of death among the indigenous and non- indigenous
was more than 50% due to which it was important to close the gap for the healthcare
improvement of the community (Australian Bureau Statistics, 2019). Hence, this was one of
the critical aspects due to which the Australian government determined to develop this
healthcare service program for the aboriginal community. Besides this, self-determination or
the right and ability of the aboriginal community regarding maternity and child care should
be managed. As per the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019), inequality is one
of the crucial aspects that is affecting the healthcare condition in Australia. Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (2019), the rate of indigenous child check up in 2013-14 was
around 194 among 1000 children (0 to 14) and the rate of hospitalization was only 4.2% of
total hospitalization. Hence, this indicated that maternity and child care for aboriginals is a
crucial factor and should be implemented critically. This is the primary reason for which the
Australian government determined to develop and implement The New Directions: Mothers
and Babies Services among the healthcare facilities of Australia. Besides these, the United

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Nations (2019) it was observed that in an antenatal trimester, Australian aboriginals are less
likely to visit the healthcare facilities. Further, the rate of maternal mortality during childbirth
or afterward in aboriginal Australians were twice than the rate among the non-indigenous
population and due to these the Australian government was unable to achieve the sustainable
development goals for this community. Hence, these facts and loopholes were the primary
reason for the development of this service for the maternal and child care for Australian
aboriginal community in Australia (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2019).
Particular healthcare practices with their impact on Australian Indigenous people’s
health and wellbeing
As per the TAIHS (2019), the healthcare professionals conducting these services in
hospitals nearby the aboriginal communities aim to provide pediatric services, immunization,
prenatal and postnatal care for women and providing them their diet and nutritional
knowledge. Besides these, advisory for substance abuse, breastfeeding, the importance of
water and nutritious food for mother and child were informed to the community so that their
healthcare advocacy could be conducted (Australian Government Department of Health,
2019). The service contributed to the community development by arranging more than 250
health awareness campaigns were arranged so that the challenges and barriers in the care
process could be overcome and the number of aboriginal individuals could be connected with
the healthcare services in Australia (Australian National Audit Office, 2019). The barriers
that are associated with the loopholes in the maternity and childcare were associated with
lack of funding, staff and employees, transport, the birthing services in the locality with the
aboriginal community, and the complex needs of the community. It was seen that the
majority of the women of the aboriginal community did not prefer to reach to healthcare
facilities during pregnancy that increased their complication level and hence it was important
to employ skilled and trained staff. The New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services

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employed healthcare professionals who had multiple skills related to the broader aspect of
women and children needs. Besides that, professionals involved in this service provided the
effective ability to conduct the culturally competent care which is one of the important
aspects for the aboriginal communities in Australia (Australian National Audit Office, 2019).
Further, another barrier associated with lack of funding was also eliminated through this
service and it was seen that the Australian government directly funded this service in five
different phases for more than 100 healthcare facilities in Australia (Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare, 2019). Hence, these are the particular services so that Australia
aboriginal community especially the mothers and children’s healthcare needs could be
fulfilled.

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References
Australian Bureau Statistics (2019). Indigenous health. Australian Bureau Statistics.
Retrieved from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/ViewContent?
readform&view=productsbytopic&Action=Expand&Num=5.7.10
Australian Government Department of Health (2019). Child and Family Health. Australian
Government Department of Health. Retrieved from:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/indigenous-maternal-
health-lp
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019). Maternal deaths in Australia 2012-2014.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Retrieved from:
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/maternal-deaths-in-australia-2012-
2014/contents/table-of-contents
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2019). New Directions: Mothers and Babies
Services—assessment of the program using nKPI data—December 2012 to December
2013. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Retrieved from:
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/indigenous-australians/new-directions-mothers-
babies-services-2012-13/contents/summary
Australian National Audit Office (2019). Indigenous Early Childhood Development. New
Directions: Mothers and Babies Services. Australian National Audit Office. Retrieved
from: https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/indigenous-early-childhood-
development-new-directions-mothers-and-babies
Health.gov.au. (2019). Descriptive Analysis of New Directions Mothers and Babies Services
Program. Retrieved from

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https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/6004A632C0A1429
DCA257F37000AE260/$File/Final%20Report%20-%20New%20Directions
%20%20Mothers%20and%20Babies%20Services%20Program%20Descriptive
%20Analysis.pdf
TIAHS (2019). Mothers and Babies New Directions Services. TIAHS. Retrieved from:
https://www.taihs.net.au/taihs-services/health/mothers-and-babies-new-directions-
services/
United Nations. (2019). Indigenous Women’s Maternal Health and Maternal Mortality.
Retrieved from: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-
content/uploads/sites/19/2018/04/factsheet_print_Mar27.pdf