Despite major investment in maternal and infant health, Aboriginal families in Australia continue to experience higher rates of stillbirth, preterm birth, and perinatal mortality than non-Aboriginal families. These persistent disparities reflect a complex interplay of factors — including unequal access to high-quality care, cumulative exposure to social and economic disadvantage, and system-level barriers that compromise cultural safety.
Emerging evidence demonstrates that culturally safe, Aboriginal-led models of care can transform these outcomes by strengthening trust, continuity, and empowerment throughout the reproductive journey. This presentation explores how community-driven approaches — grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and supported by robust data — are aiming to advance equity in perinatal health.
Drawing on examples predominantly focused on Noongar Boodja in Western Australia, we highlight initiatives spanning culturally safe maternity care, pregnancy support, and community awareness of pregnancy risks. These include Aboriginal-led projects such as Birthing on Noongar Boodja and culturally responsive doula programs, alongside population-level and community studies such as Jinda Maawit, which illuminate the pathways to safer pregnancies and the importance of approaches that resonate with Aboriginal families. Together, these initiatives show that bridging biomedical and Indigenous worldviews — through Aboriginal leadership, data sovereignty, and culturally grounded public health — is key to improving outcomes for mothers, babies, and families across generations.