Rohan D’Souza took part in a knowledge exchange hosted by Dr. Janet Smylie at the Well Living House in Toronto, where Canadian and Australian colleagues met to discuss Indigenous-led approaches to perinatal loss and bereavement care.

Smylie, a Métis physician, public health researcher, and Director of the Well Living House Action Research Centre for Indigenous Infant, Child and Family Health and Wellbeing, hosted the exchange with Genevieve Blais, Research Program Manager at the Well Living House, and members of the Well Living House team. The meeting also welcomed Australian Churchill Fellows Drs. Bernardo Dewey and Caroline Lewis, who are visiting Canada as part of a consultation on culturally safe models of bereavement care for Indigenous families following perinatal loss.

The conversation focused on what health systems can learn from Indigenous-led care, particularly in supporting families through pregnancy and infant loss. Participants shared perspectives from Canada and Australia on perinatal health, bereavement care, community leadership, and the need for services that are grounded in cultural safety and shaped by the people they are intended to serve.

D’Souza shared the work of the Canadian Obstetric Survey System (CanOSS) and discussed the importance of meaningful Indigenous representation in maternal health surveillance, research, and quality improvement. For CanOSS, the meeting offered an opportunity to listen, learn, and consider how surveillance systems can better reflect the experiences and priorities of Indigenous communities.

CanOSS hopes to continue conversations with the Well Living House and partners on work that addresses critical issues in maternal mortality and morbidity among Indigenous communities, while supporting approaches to research and quality improvement that are collaborative, respectful, and community-informed.