"Awareness is the key": reaching out to CALD communities about stillbirth

While not all stillbirth can be prevented, many can be, simply through having better awareness and education about the risk factors surrounding stillbirth. Providing such information in a language that is easy to understand and is culturally sensitive, is crucial in multicultural society such as Australia.

Gagan Kaur Cheema is a Punjabi and Hindi speaking health educator, who runs sessions with her community about stillbirth. Source: Gagan Kaur Cheem

According to stillbirth CRE（Centre of Research Excellence）, 20-30% of stillbirth that occur in late gestation can be prevented with better care. 

But how we "care" for these women, is not as simple has having one template that fits all.

For many cultures, stillbirth is still considered to be a taboo, unspoken of and hidden away, such that there is little awareness surrounding the facts and figures of stillbirth.

To reach out to these communities, one must understand the cultural context of these parents, and deliver the important message about prevention in a sensitive, and acceptable way. 

On the anniversary month of the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan, we look into the needs of migrant and refugee women when dealing with such tragedy, in the three-episode podcast series Stillbirth: Prevention and Aftercare.

For those who need support:

Red Nose Australia 

Stillbirth Australia Foundation 

Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health