With the new National SUDI (Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy) Prevention Programme underway, workshops are being held across the South Island and a regional coordinator has been appointed. Organised by national providers Hāpai Te Hauora, the programme aims to reduce the SUDI rate from 0.7 to 0.1 in every 1,000 births, by 2025.
The South Island SUDI workshops will be held over the next two months, where representatives from across the sector will explore what’s happening in the South Island in terms of SUDI prevention and where improvements could be made.
The three-hour workshops are being run by the South Island Alliance and funded as part of the Ministry of Health’s National SUDI Prevention Programme. They will be held in Timaru, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Nelson, Blenheim, Cromwell and Greymouth.
Ann Shaw, the newly appointed SUDI Prevention Programme Coordinator for the South Island, will lead collaboration, implementation and monitoring of the SUDI programme. Working closely with key stakeholders to ensure the programme’s success, Ann begins the role in November for the South Island Alliance and will be based in Timaru.
The national programme will target the two key risk factors for SUDI, which are exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy and bed sharing with a baby. Hāpai Te Hauora will provide support and guidance to the regional coordinators and DHBs to ensure the investment in SUDI prevention aligns with best practice.
Hāpai Te Hauora is also coordinating the annual Safe Sleep Day (SSD), held on 1 December. The intention of SSD is for health providers, community groups and other organisations around the country to promote the message ‘make every sleep a safe sleep – for every baby’, and to be local champions to raise awareness of safe sleep practices.
To enquire about spaces left to attend the South Island workshops, contact Anna Foaese, WCTO Quality Improvement Project Manager: anna.foaese@siapo.health.nz or 027 435 9905.
