Edith Cowan University’s Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet in partnership with the Aboriginal Maternity Services Support Unit (AMSSU) from Women and Newborn Health Service, and the Collaboration for Evidence, Research and Impact in Public Health (CERIPH) at Curtin University, have today launched a new portal to address Aboriginal maternal smoking issues in WA.
The online portal can be accessed here: www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/pamswa
The yarning place can be accessed here: http://www.yarning.org.au/group/18
In 2012, almost half (48.2%) of Aboriginal women and 9.7% of non-Aboriginal women reported smoking tobacco during pregnancy in Western Australia (WA).1
The free to access portal will provide coordinated access to information, resources, tools and training on preventing maternal smoking for those working with pregnant Aboriginal women, new mothers and their families.
A free online yarning place is also available to encourage ongoing discussion and knowledge sharing between health practitioners who work in this area. The HealthInfoNet will provide training in how to use the portal and yarning place as a part of the project. The project was funded by a Healthway health promotion project grant.
HealthInfoNet Director, Professor Neil Drew, said ‘It is very pleasing to have the opportunity to be part of this very worthwhile project and support the efforts of the workforce in tackling this important issue to reduce the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy’.
AMSSU Senior Health Promotion Officer, Alexa Wilkins, said ‘This project is an excellent example of working in partnership to support health practitioners with their work which aims to improve the health outcomes of pregnant Aboriginal women and their babies in WA’.
The online portal can be accessed here: www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/pamswa
The yarning place can be accessed here: http://www.yarning.org.au/group/18
- Hutchinson, M. (2015) Western Australia’s Mothers and Babies, 2012: 30th Annual Report of the Western Australian Midwives’ Notification System, Perth, WA: Department of Health, Western Australia.