The Gomeroi Gaaynggal Breastfeeding Study
The Gomeroi Gaaynggal team are deeply committed to strengthening health outcomes for First Nations women and their families. Based on Gomeroi land in Tamworth, New South Wales, the Gomeroi Gaaynggal Breastfeeding Study is dedicated to empowering and supporting maternal and child health while uplifting the community’s breastfeeding traditions. This project is designed to extend breastfeeding duration among First Nations mothers by designing and implementing culturally safe supports for mothers and their babies. This will transform the health landscape for our community and ensure a brighter, healthier future for generations to come.
The Gomeroi Gaaynggal Breastfeeding Study aims to create enduring, positive health outcomes for First Nations mothers and their babies by restoring positive breastfeeding narratives within the community and promoting collaboration among First Nations women, local health services, and the local Aboriginal Medical Service. By working closely with our Advisory Committee, which consists of First Nations Elders, Aunties, and women from the community, the Gomeroi Gaaynggal team ensures that all research is community-led and conducted in a culturally safe and respectful way. The study is motivated by a strong commitment to building local capacity and empowering First Nations women to guide and mentor future generations of mothers in the region.
Research Team: Ashley Bullock, Amity Smith, Dr Reakeeta Smallwood, Prof. Donna Hartz, Dr Saije Endacott, Prof. Kirsty Pringle and the Gomeroi Gaaynggal Advisory Committee (Chair: Lisa Shipley).
Associate Professor Julie P Smith
Julie P Smith B Ec (Hons)/B A (Asian Studies), PhD, ‘Scaling up the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in support of maternal and newborn health’.
Dr Julie Smith is an Associate Professor at the Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Sydney and the Australian National University. Her ARC Future Fellowship research focussed on the economics and environmental aspects of breastfeeding and markets in mothers milk. She presently leads an economic study of maternity care support for breastfeeding in Australia, funded by a grant from the Medical Research Futures Fund.
She has advised the US Surgeon-General Office and WHO on the economics of breastfeeding, and conducted evidence reviews for WHO and the Australian Department of Health. She has also worked with international civil society organisations such as IBFAN and WABA, and co-founded WBTiAUS. She led development of the Mothers’ Milk Tool and the Green Feeding Tool in a research partnership with Alive & Thrive Southeast Asia Pacific.
Dr Smith was previously a senior economist in the Australian and New Zealand government departments of Treasury, Finance, and Environment, working on development assistance and international finance, national accounting, taxation, and water markets.
She has published over 65 peer-reviewed articles, including recently in The Lancet, and is an Associate Editor for the International Breastfeeding Journal.
Dr Nina Chad
Dr Nina Chad, PhDBA/BEd(Hons1) GradDipArts(Phil) CertIV TAE40110 CertIV 10280NAT
Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Food and Nutrition Action in Health Systems at World Health Organization
Dr Nina Chad is an interdisciplinary health social scientist, focused on prevention of infectious disease and malnutrition in children. Her research centers on developing effective behaviour change communication to improve vaccine acceptance and infant and young child feeding practices. She developed a communication package to support parents’ vaccination decisions. Her professional experiences in education, behaviour change counselling, and mother-to-mother breastfeeding support in the community inform her approach to child health research. She is the Infant and Young Child Feeding Consultant to the World Health Organization’s Food and Nutrition Actions in Health Systems Unit. She has worked with the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and as Infant and Young Child Feeding Consultant to Save the Children in Myanmar in 2008. She also volunteers with ABA.
