Helping hand for African mothers in New South Wales

An important information resource for women refugees from Africa was launched today by the Chair of the Community Relations Commission For a multicultural NSW, Stepan Kerkyasharian.

The DVD available in Somali, Dinka and Arabic aims to improve antenatal health and subsequent births for women from small and emerging African communities, and to safeguard the health of their babies. In particular, it urges refugee women to seek early antenatal care and make full use of services offered by antenatal clinics.

The resource was launched at the International Diversity in Health conference at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre.

“I feel privileged to have been asked to launch this valuable resource and I warmly congratulate the organisations who worked collaboratively to produce it – Sydney West Area Health Service, NSW Refugee Health Service, Multicultural Health Communications Service, Auburn and Blacktown Migrant Resource Centres and SESIAHS.

“It is a heartening sign that women who have come to find a new home amongst us after horrible experiences on the African continent are now starting new families here or expanding the families they brought with them. These women deserve the very best attention we can give them.

“However they may have no idea of the kind of services that are available to them during their pregnancy. Health agencies have reported that African women were not accessing antenatal services, so the delivery of information to them is paramount. Presenting the information in their first language can only make this work more effective.

“The Community Relations Commission has been concerned with the unnecessary hurdles faced by refugees and humanitarian entrants from Africa for a number of years and we are delighted to see this kind of outreach by State and Federal government agencies to help women during their pregnancies”, Mr Kerkyasharian said.

The Diversity In Health Conference 2008 - the major event in diversity health in Australia this year - is being attended by more than 1,000 national and international health experts to address the health needs of Australia’s diverse communities.