Grant: Project Grant

Indigenous women in Canada's north can face healthcare challenges including limited access to affordable healthy food, inadequate social supports and difficulty accessing maternal healthcare services which may complicate maternal and neonatal health care and outcomes. A healthy start from conception to a child's second birthday is important for a mother and her child, and it has a lasting impact on the well-being of individuals, families, and entire communities.On average, Indigenous women become mothers at a younger age than non-Indigenous women, and Indigenous women of childbearing age may feel overwhelmed with the limited availability of healthcare services and supports. Healthcare professionals and decision makers in the Northwest Territories and the communities of Fort Good Hope, Yellowknife and Inuvik, requested that Dr. Sharma and her team work with community members and health professionals to develop and evaluate culturally appropriate evidence based programs to improve maternal health. The communities will work with the team to document the availability of, utilization of, and experiences with maternal healthcare services during pregnancy through one-on-one interviews with Indigenous women who are currently pregnant or have given birth in the previous 3 years. The team will also talk with key informants to identify barriers to, and opportunities for, improving maternal health outcomes. The findings will be shared with the communities who will then identify community specific priority areas. Based on the findings, a series of educational materials, including videos will be developed covering topics such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy, seeking maternal health supports, and what to expect when travelling to another community to receive care. This project will guide personal health practices and healthcare services with Indigenous women in the Canadian north and inform maternal healthcare policies.