Published in News
Researchers working on a Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases-funded project have made significant progress in improving care for women with diabetes in pregnancy in Australia’s Northern Territory and Far North Queensland. By prioritizing community voices and working collaboratively with Indigenous leaders and healthcare providers, they have developed a valuable model for addressing healthcare challenges in Indigenous communities.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it is crucial to remember that access to healthcare should be equitable, regardless of gender. We must also recognize the vital role that women are playing in the field of global health research to build the evidence needed for equitable healthcare.
To get a deeper understanding of this, we spoke with three remarkable researchers, Prof Louise Maple-Brown, Sian Graham, and Dr Diana MacKay, who worked on a Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) funded project aimed at addressing diabetes in pregnancy in Australia’s Northern Territory and Far North Queensland.
Diabetes in pregnancy is a significant health concern in this region, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Fortunately, the Diabetes across the Lifecourse: Northern Australia Partnership (the Partnership) is working diligently to improve the care that women receive during and after pregnancy complicated by diabetes.
However, providing care to women in these regions comes with its own set of challenges, including geographic remoteness, cross-cultural communication, and complex networks of health services involved.
To overcome these challenges, the Partnership has provided education to health professionals and resources to assist them in discussing Diabetes in Pregnancy (DIP) with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. The Partnership has also established a DIP CLINICAL REGISTER for women with diabetes in pregnancy to assist with quality improvement and improved communication between services.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group which has been active since 2017, was established to advise the GACD-funded project and related work, and has been instrumental in providing advice to researchers and supporting the best outcomes when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Advisory Group, chaired by Sian Graham, is made up of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living and working in Darwin and Alice Springs. The Group’s contributions within the Partnership is becoming increasingly evident, with the development of videos in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages to aid communication, creating a more patient-centred approach to care, and building strong relationships with women in remote communities to create a culturally safe space where they can engage and set priorities.
The Partnership’s work has made significant progress in improving care for women with diabetes in pregnancy by increasing access to screening and care, improving communication and cultural safety, and prioritizing community voices and lived experiences. “We have conducted multiple qualitative studies and a current co-design study to ensure that the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are privileged in our research.”
However, more work needs to be done to ensure that all women receive the care and support they need. By continuing to prioritize community voices and lived experiences, the Partnership can create lasting change in the care and treatment of diabetes in pregnancy, improving health outcomes for women and their families across Northern Australia.
The Partnership’s approach is a valuable model for addressing the challenges of providing healthcare to Indigenous communities worldwide. By prioritizing community voices and working collaboratively with Indigenous leaders and healthcare providers, the Partnership has been able to make significant strides in addressing health inequities faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Investment in research and community-led approaches to healthcare is essential for addressing the many health challenges faced by Indigenous communities around the world. By learning from the experiences of the Partnership, we can develop new strategies for working with Indigenous communities that prioritize their needs, perspectives, and cultural values.
The success of these efforts will depend on our ability to listen to and learn from Indigenous communities, build meaningful partnerships that prioritize their perspectives and values, and invest in approaches to healthcare that are grounded in the cultural and social realities of the communities we serve. Through these efforts, we can begin to create a more just, equitable, and healthy world for all.