David Tipene-Leach
Professor Tipene-Leach is a general practitioner and public health physician. From his original work with the wahakura (a bed-sharing friendly, Maori safe sleep device) the wider Safe Sleep Programme was developed which, over a 6 year period, led to a 30% drop in post-perinatal mortality. He developed and led a number of projects and collaborative studies pertaining to SUDI prevention with numerous publications and continues to work in community circles with weavers, mothers and midwives. He is now applying the 'wahakura lens' to the 'other SUDI risk' - smoking in pregnancy.