Research summary
Evacuating First Nations women when they need maternal medical care has been a common practice in Canada for decades. But this policy contributes to a range of negative cultural, health and social consequences. Adequate and appropriate support is one way to ameliorate some of these negative outcomes, particularly when that support is culturally based.
Dr. Jaime Cidro, Canada Research Chair in Health and Culture, is examining how an Indigenous doula program could address this issue. She and her research team are working with the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba and the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre to determine whether such a program could improve health, social and cultural outcomes for Indigenous women and their children.