New report calls for immediate systemic change to improve the birthing journey in rural and remote First Nations communities.
The First Nations Health Authority's (FNHA) Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) has released a new report that calls on health system partners in British Columbia (BC) to bring culturally safe pre- and post-natal care closer to home for First Nations Lifegivers living in rural and remote communities. It also calls for an immediate end to Indigenous-specific racism, discrimination, and coercion.
“First Nations people living in rural and remote areas face numerous barriers in accessing health care," says Dr. Nel Wieman, FNHA Chief Medical Officer. “These barriers can cause financial and emotional strain for families. What's more, First Nations Lifegivers have the right to receive culturally safe, trauma-informed care that is free from racism and discrimination. It is imperative that we create an equitable and fair health system in BC – one that respects and serves the needs of all people."
Answering the Call is so titled because it focuses on remote/rural First Nations Lifegivers' birthing journey experiences and calls to action. While lifting up these voices is a good first step, much more engagement is needed by health system partners to build relationships with First Nations communities and transform the system. To that end, the OCMO gathered health system leadership for a Forum on First Nations Birthing Sovereignty earlier this year.
The report notes that more Indigenous health care professionals are needed to help strengthen the capacity and safety of care in rural and remote First Nations communities. It also notes that First Nations Lifegivers have the right to determine their own birthing journeys. For generations, First Nations women, including Elders and matriarchs, passed down sacred knowledge around pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. However, historic and ongoing settler-colonial systems and decisions—including the closure of over 20 maternity units in rural BC over the past two decades—have undermined First Nations' ability to practise and share this knowledge.
“We hear from communities that services need to be closer to home, which is why initiatives like our First Nations Primary Care Initiative are so important," says Richard Jock, FNHA Chief Executive Officer. “Answering the Call provides an opportunity for all health system partners to hear directly from communities in ongoing engagement to provide quality, culturally safe services to First Nations clients in underserved areas of BC."
Answering the Call also highlights the great need for policies that address the social determinants of health including safe housing, food security, and access to health services to improve maternal and infant health outcomes, particularly for Lifegivers who use substances and/or have substance-use disorder. The goal of reducing maternal and infant mortality should remain a key priority in all work related to birthing.
The FNHA joins its voice with the First Nations Lifegivers' voices in this report to call on system partners to engage, collaborate and move forward with First Nations people in a good way. Provincial leaders must commit to making measurable improvements that enable equitable, culturally safe, and trauma-informed birthing experiences for all First Nations Lifegivers in BC.
Read the full report here.
