PRESS RELEASE: Safe Bubba: New Project by Still Aware Empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families and Communities with Stillbirth Awareness and Prevention Resources

Still Aware, Australia’s only not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness about stillbirth, is excited to announce the launch of Safe Bubba – a groundbreaking project aimed at addressing the rates of stillbirth among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This project marks a significant effort to co-design culturally relevant resources to improve stillbirth awareness and to reduce stillbirth rates.

In response to the concerning statistics that reveal Aboriginal women experience stillbirth at 2-3 times the rate of non-Aboriginal women, Still Aware embarked on a mission to co-design culturally appropriate stillbirth awareness and prevention resources. Our dedicated team travelled over 90,000 kilometres, engaging with nine diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. The collaborative effort led to the creation of Safe Bubba, a suite of resources – co-designed with mob, for mob and by mob – to provide vital information and practical steps to keep bubbas safe and strong.

Key Features of Safe Bubba:
• Website: A new central hub for stillbirth information and resources, offering guidance on stillbirth prevention and safe practices.
• Brochure: An informative and easy-to-understand guide available for free, outlining practical steps and tips to a safer pregnancy.
• Fridge Magnet Insert: A handy and accessible reminder of key safe pregnancy tips, designed to be placed on the fridge for constant visibility.

The Safe Bubba brochure and fridge magnet insert are free and can be ordered through the Safe Bubba website, https://www.safebubba.com.au/. These resources are designed to be accessible, practical, and most importantly, relevant to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

“By working closely with communities across Australia, the Safe Bubba resources ensure that the information co-designed is not only helpful but also culturally sensitive and tailored to the unique needs of Indigenous women and their families”, said Associate Professor Jane Warland, WINDS Project Lead. “We are proud that these resources have been co-designed with mob, for mob, and most importantly, by mob”.

For more information visit https://www.safebubba.com.au/ or https://stillaware.org/.

Media Contact
Maria Angus, Marketing and Communications Manager, Still Aware
[email protected] | 0415 887 316

Available for Interviews
Associate Professor Jane Warland
WINDS/Safe Bubba Project Lead and Still Aware Board Member
[email protected] | 0409 678 172

About the WINDS Project and Safe Bubba:

The WINDS (Working with Indigenous Nations to co-Design Stillbirth awareness resources) project was funded via a grant from the Australian Government, Department of Health and Aging. The aim of the project was to co-design stillbirth awareness and prevention resources; in true collaboration with mob, for mob, by mob.

We aimed to work with different regions across Australia, starting with the Pilbara region as the ‘Pilot’ region for this project. Other communities included Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Mildura, Mittagong, Darwin, Campbelltown (NSW) and Bamaga in the Cape York region of North Queensland. For more information visit https://stillaware.org/about-stillbirth/winds-of-change-project.

About Stillbirth in Australia:

• Every day in Australia, 6 babies are stillborn. Over 2,150 babies are born still every year.
• This statistic is higher than the national road toll and has not changed in more than 20 years.
• Stillbirth is the leading cause of infant death in Australia.
• Up to 60% of stillbirths occur at term or in the third trimester.
• Did you know? Many of these deaths are preventable.

About Still Aware:

• Still Aware is Australia’s first not-for-profit stillbirth awareness charity solely dedicated to ending preventable stillbirth, through awareness and education.
• 2024 marks Still Aware’s 10 year anniversary. Still Aware has been working to end preventable stillbirth, since 2014.
• Still Aware is aimed at ending preventable stillbirth by raising awareness and providing education about stillbirth and its risk factors to expectant parents, clinicians, midwives, obstetricians and health care providers across Australia, providing FREE information for all, including FREE education programs for care providers and expectant families Australia wide.
• Still Aware was founded in 2014 by Claire Foord after the stillbirth of her daughter, Alfie Foord-Heath. Claire was driven by wanting to ensure others did not experience the same fate, dedicated to raising awareness of stillbirth and sharing information that could have saved her own daughter.