Attendees at one of the South Island SUDI workshops
Brainstorming and sharing ideas for improvement was the theme at the recent South Island SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) Prevention Programme workshops.
Almost 150 representatives from across the sector, including health providers, community groups and other organisations, attended one of the 10 workshops held across the South Island over the past two months.
The three-hour workshops were run by the South Island Alliance and held in Timaru, Christchurch, Dunedin, Cromwell, Invercargill, Nelson, Blenheim, and Greymouth.The workshops were funded as part of the Ministry of Health’s National SUDI Prevention Programme (NSPP), which aims to reduce the SUDI rate from 0.7 to 0.1 in every 1,000 births by 2025.
Hāpai Te Hauora will coordinate the programme nationally and provide support and guidance to the regional coordinators and DHBs, to ensure the investment in SUDI prevention aligns with best practice. Hāpai Te Hauora Operations Manager Selah Hart says the organisation was happy to connect with members from The South Island Alliance team. “Hāpai Te Hauora also participated in a South Island SUDI workshop and engaged in discussion relating to the complexities and experiences of many healthcare and community workers across the district. The workshops facilitated dialogue across stakeholders, many of whom were SUDI prevention advocates and provided invaluable knowledge to inform our service.”
South Island SUDI Prevention Coordinator Ann Shaw was one of three workshop facilitators, along with Well Child Tamariki Ora Quality Improvement project manager Anna Foaese, and Child Health SLA facilitator Jane Haughey. Ann says the workshops were a fantastic way to listen to the stories from the people on the ground working in SUDI prevention. “It enabled us to acknowledge the excellent work being done, but also to hear a grass roots perspective of what they believe the gaps, barriers and challenges to be and their ideas to address these, as well as identify opportunities for SUDI prevention activities going forward.”
