Child and Maternal / Women’s Health

Our Child and Maternal / Women’s Health Program is funded by the Federal Government through the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health as part of the “Healthy for Life” initiative, and the Northern Territory Government through the Department of Health and Community Services.

The Program is staffed by three specialist clinicians: a Child Health Aboriginal Health Worker, an Enrolled Nurse, and a Registered Nurse (Midwife).

In relation to Child and Maternal Health, there is a strong focus within the Program on the preventative aspects of health, such as childhood immunisations, growth assessments, and child health checks, while health promotion and education emphasise the dangers associated with substance misuse during pregnancy, and the importance of the role of nutrition in early childhood development.

Ante-natal and baby clinics operate regularly, and these are attended by one of our General Practitioners.

More generally, visiting Paediatricians and Gynaecologists conduct specialist clinics about 4 times a year, and the Program is active in the use of PAP screening as an effective means of detecting early cervical changes, and places great importance on the availability and use of female contraception.

Ultimately, our aim is to have healthy women and children. More specifically, we want babies to be born within a healthy birth-weight range, as we believe this will assist in securing their future health and well-being, and will give individuals the best opportunity to reach their full potential.