A new digital pregnancy education app, Dangudbila, is set to transform how maternity care information is delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across Australia’s Top End.
The app was developed by Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) in partnership with the Avant Foundation, Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance and Monash University Action Lab – co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women from across the region, ensuring it reflects their voices, experiences, and needs.
It brings together a range of content designed to support women throughout pregnancy, including animations in local language, podcasts featuring Top End women and healthcare providers, as well as culturally designed resources.
Culturally appropriate
Menzies Clinical Research Manager, Maternal Health Program Jess Murray said, “When we first sat down with women, we set out to understand their experiences of preterm birth. But what they told us was much broader.
“They spoke about the lack of consistent, culturally appropriate pregnancy education, and how access depended on where they lived, and whether the information felt safe or relevant to them.
“We spent years working to secure the funding needed to go back to Top End women and involve them in designing something new. Something that truly reflected their needs.”
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