Australia gets first cross-sector coalition to push for improved early pregnancy loss care
Australia’s first cross-sector coalition of organisations and individuals seeking better care for people who experience early pregnancy loss will push for research funding, improved best practice care guidelines and a wider understanding of the effect of miscarriage on patients, their partners, families, peers and others.
The Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition (EPLC) was founded by Dr Jade Bilardi of Miscarriage Australia and Monash University, Associate Professor Melanie Keep from the University of Sydney and Isabelle Oderberg, author of Hard to Bear: Investigating the Science and Silence of Miscarriage. It aims to address the significant gaps in care, communication, data, and research in this area.
"Miscarriage affects up to 150,000 Australians every year, yet related care, support, and research are grossly underfunded," says Dr Bilardi. "We are committed to lending a collective voice to the government, advocating for the critical changes needed to better serve these families."
The four key goals of the EPLC are to:
Enhance health service-based care for people who have experienced early pregnancy loss
Improve communication about this issue to ensure it is supportive and does not compound trauma
Advocate for data-driven decisions regarding early pregnancy loss support
Secure adequate research funding to reflect the impact of early pregnancy loss on our communities and health and social systems.
The EPLC is geared for broad representation. Its structure consists of a Management Committee, Organisational Members and Policy Advisory Group Members each with specific roles and responsibilities.
There are currently 13 Organisational Members (see full list here) but we invite any organisation with an interest in this area to join us as a collective voice for change.
"The EPLC's structure enables us to include various perspectives, from medical professionals, support services and researchers to those with lived experience," Associate Professor Keep explains. "Our collective expertise will guide policy positions, and help us drive real change."
Among the EPLC's initiatives is a submission to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) requesting the collection and production of statistics on early pregnancy loss. "Currently, one Australian family experiences this loss every five minutes," Dr Bilardi states. "If the ABS collects this data, it could significantly enhance our understanding of the issue and help us tailor more effective solutions."
It is currently seeking funding to enable a study into the cost of miscarriage to the Australian economy, to be conducted with Health Economists from the University of Melbourne.
The EPLC invites any individuals or organisations interested in this issue to join the coalition, while members of the public can subscribe to the EPLC newsletter, follow EPLC on social media platforms or volunteer.
"We hope our membership base will grow in coming months," says Oderberg. "Together, we can shed light on early pregnancy loss, improve care for those affected, and bring about lasting change. We don’t want any more generations to have to suffer through this the way we did.”
To get involved, please visit eplc.au.
ENDS
For interviews or further information, please email: info@eplc.au
About the Early Pregnancy Loss Coalition (EPLC)
The EPLC was founded in 2023 to advocate for improved care and support for people affected by early pregnancy loss (miscarriage) and their families. The coalition seeks to address gaps in care, communication, data, and research in this area, striving to provide a collective voice to the government and push for critical changes. www.eplc.au
