Voice: The difference 1000 days make in the life of a child
International research shows that early intervention programs during pregnancy and in the early months and years of a child’s life have great positive impact on later health. However, for some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, early intervention support for mother and baby is not always possible, and the child can be subject to poorer health and cognitive development than non-Indigenous infants.
Professor Kerry Arabena, Chair of Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health, and Director of the Indigenous Health Equity Unit (a group committed to community-driven research and partnerships to improve Indigenous health outcomes), is coordinating a comprehensive approach for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants and their parents.
Professor Arabena has called on health care workers, community organisations and all levels of government from more than 30 institutions to address the growing gap in infant and parental health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.