Story: Pacific Island health

Drop-in maternity centre (1st of 3)

Drop-in maternity centre

In late 2009 the West Fono health clinic in Henderson, Auckland, introduced a drop-in centre to encourage Pacific Island women to see midwives earlier in their pregnancies. The idea was that pregnant women would combine a doctor's visit with seeing a midwife. Many Pacific women found hospital visits threatening, so they stayed away until late in their pregnancies. The clinic's informal atmosphere was designed to put them at ease and improve their maternity care and birth experience. Here midwife Mary Anne Penberthy (left) poses with West Fono Health Trust chair Rita Harder.

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New Zealand Herald
Reference: 251109AKLKBmidwife.JPG
Photograph by Kellie Blizard

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How to cite this page:

Colin Tukuitonga, 'Pacific Island health - Risk factors and health service delivery', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/27769/drop-in-maternity-centre (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Colin Tukuitonga, published 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 9 Jan 2019