As Aotearoa prepares to mark Safe Sleep Day 2026, Hāpai Te Hauora is strengthening efforts to reduce Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI), with a renewed focus on education, awareness, and whānau-led approaches to keeping pēpi safe.
Leading the campaign is Hāpai Te Hauora SUDI Lead Fay Selby-Law, who says safe sleep practices remain one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of infant deaths, particularly during the critical first four months of a baby’s life.
Health experts continue to encourage whānau to follow key safe sleep recommendations, including placing babies on their backs to sleep, ensuring they have their own safe sleep space, keeping their sleeping environment smoke-free, and supporting breastfeeding where possible.
Despite decades of public health campaigns, Māori and Pacific pēpi continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of SUDI compared with other groups. Advocates say this highlights the need for prevention strategies that better reflect the realities, strengths, and cultural practices of the communities most affected.
Selby-Law says culturally grounded approaches are essential to achieving meaningful and lasting change. Programmes that are designed and delivered by Māori and Pacific communities are helping to build trust, improve understanding, and empower whānau to make informed decisions about infant care.
One initiative gaining national recognition is wahakura weaving, which combines traditional Māori knowledge with practical safe sleep solutions. Wahakura provide a safe sleeping space for babies while also strengthening cultural connections and creating opportunities for education and discussion among whānau.
Community-led safe sleep education programmes are also playing an important role by delivering information in culturally relevant ways that acknowledge the diverse experiences of Māori and Pacific families.
This year’s Safe Sleep Day campaign coincides with the rollout of the new Foundations for Safe Sleep learning modules, designed to strengthen knowledge and consistency across New Zealand’s health workforce. The modules aim to ensure health professionals are equipped with the latest evidence-based information while supporting culturally responsive engagement with whānau.
Hāpai Te Hauora hopes the combined impact of Safe Sleep Day and the new training resources will increase awareness, strengthen safe sleep practices, and ultimately help reduce preventable infant deaths across Aotearoa.
As communities come together to support Safe Sleep Day 2026, the message remains clear: every whānau deserves the knowledge, resources, and support needed to ensure every sleep is a safe sleep for their pēpi.
