On World Health Day (Monday 7 April), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) continues to urge all political parties to prioritise maternity care in their election commitments, ensuring women in rural and remote communities can access safe, high-quality care close to home. 

The World Health Organisation’s 2025 campaign, Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures, highlights the staggering global toll of maternal and newborn deaths—nearly 300,000 women die each year due to pregnancy or childbirth complications, and more than 2 million newborns don’t survive their first month.  

While Australia’s healthcare system ranks among the best in the world, rural, remote and First Nations women face increasing barriers to maternity care as services are closed or downgraded, forcing them to travel long distances and putting their and their babies’ health at risk. 

Recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that nearly 80,000 women give birth outside major cities each year. 

ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin says we’ve seen growing political recognition of women’s health, but there is still no clear plan to reverse the decline of rural maternity services. 

“We’ve recently seen rural and remote maternity units close or downgrade across services in Tasmania, Far North Queensland, and New South Wales.  

“Every closure makes it harder for women who are most at need to access safe, affordable care. “We cannot wait for a tragedy to spur action.” 

As part of its election priorities, ACRRM has outlined three key priorities to strengthen rural, remote and First Nations maternity care: 

  • Stopping rural maternity service closures. 
  • Committing targeted funding to attract and retain Rural Generalists (RGs) with obstetrics and anaesthetics skills where they are most needed. 
  • Establishing an intergovernmental taskforce to ensure sustainable funding and continuity of services at risk of closure. 

Dr Martin says evidence-based models that integrate RGs, midwives, and other health professionals have already demonstrated their success in delivering high-quality maternity care in rural areas. 

“RGs play a crucial role in antenatal and postnatal care, planned deliveries, and emergency obstetrics, but they need long-term investment to continue providing these services,” Dr Martin says. 

“This election is a critical moment.  

“We need all parties to commit to sustainable, high-quality maternity care for rural, and First Nations communities—because no mother or baby should face greater risks simply because of where they live.”