Alukura, Congress women’s only health service, is celebrating 30 years.
Alukura was established in 1987 following a comprehensive and participatory consultation with several hundred Aboriginal women on their ancestral lands across 60 Aboriginal communities and 11 language groups in Central Australia. Consultations discussed traditional grandmother’s law and birthing practices as well as the western birthing and medicine approach with Aboriginal women opting for their own birthing service.
Alukura women’s health services are guided predominately by traditional Aboriginal grandmothers and aim to preserve and recognise Aboriginal identity, culture, law and languages, as they relate to birthing, pregnancy, childbirth and the care of Aboriginal women and our babies.
Alukura services has grown from a small team of three staff in 1987 to a staffing compliment of 30 in 2017. Today, over 1900 unique clients including 400 visitors access care from Alukura services and 7,629 episodes of care are provided annually. Alukura delivers maternity care to more than 300 women each year as well as women’s health and the Nurse Family Partnership program, with all services supported by other Congress services and programs which are all part of the comprehensive primary health care model and under the strong cultural guidance of grandmother’s law.
Alukura will celebrate 30 years of this unique and culturally strong women’s health service on 27 September with a women’s only community event. The celebration will acknowledge the vision and determination of founding members and the success of the Alukura service over 30 years.
Congress Alukura is a women’s only health service, delivering holistic and comprehensive women’s health and maternity care to Aboriginal women and women having an Aboriginal baby.
Media Contact: Kate Buckland 0408 691 741
