The Morrison Government is investing $3 million through two organisations to improve community education and awareness about stillbirth.
Tragically, six babies are stillborn every day in Australia, with 2000 families affected by stillbirth every year.
Red Nose Limited and the University of Queensland, Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (Stillbirth CRE) will each receive $1.5 million to implement an awareness campaign to demystify stillbirth, educate pregnant women and improve national awareness of stillbirth.
Red Nose Limited’s campaign will focus on three key risk factors for stillbirth:
- Reducing smoking in pregnancy.
- Sleeping on your side during pregnancy.
- Fetal movements.
Stillbirth CRE will deliver a range of education and awareness activities as well as strategies to target women with the highest rate of stillbirth in Australia. This includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, certain migrant and refugee women, women from rural and remote communities, and women with low literacy levels.
Red Nose Limited and Stillbirth CRE will work in partnership with several other organisations including SANDS Australia, the Stillbirth Foundation, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
The $3 million education and awareness initiative is part of the Morrison Government’s $88.4 million investment in perinatal services and support. Our investment comprises:
- $1.2 million for a research project to minimise preventable stillbirth.
- $1.3 million for Sands Australia to provide an intensive support service for families following stillbirth.
- $3 million through the Medical Research Future Fund for the Safer Baby Bundle research project led by the Stillbirth CRE.
- $36 million over three years to establish a new Maternity to Home and Wellbeing Program – ‘Mums, Dads and Bubs check’ – to ensure every Australian mother, father and baby has access to perinatal support.
- $43.9 million for perinatal mental health.
The Government is developing a National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan in collaboration with state and territory governments, and in consultation with bereaved parents, health professionals, researchers, advocacy groups and other stakeholders.
Reducing the rate of stillbirth in Australia, including providing the best possible support services for families living with the tragedy of stillbirth, is a Morrison Government health and well-being priority.
We understand the importance of this issue not only for the women affected, but for their partners, families and the broader community.