In overseas service communities, women’s health support often spans different healthcare systems, expectations and cultural contexts. For families living far from their usual networks, access to clear, consistent advice can play an important role in helping women feel informed and supported during pregnancy and beyond.
Through its Community Health Team, SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, provides women’s health support overseas that complements local healthcare provision and adapts to the realities of service life. This includes in-person midwifery and health visiting support, alongside collaborative pathways that help families access remote provision where appropriate, helping provide continuity and reassurance for families living abroad.
Kerry Riley, SSAFA Public Health Engagement Manager says,
“When families are living overseas, health care can feel unfamiliar and sometimes overwhelming. Having a consistent point of contact who understands both the service context and local systems can help provide reassurance and continuity at a time when families really need it.”
A key part of this work involves creating space for questions, discussion and clarification. Rather than replacing host nation services, the role focuses on helping women understand their options, prepare for appointments and make informed decisions about their care, while working alongside local providers.
Women’s health support often extends beyond formal appointments. Community-based sessions and informal touchpoints give women opportunities to ask questions, share concerns and build confidence outside a clinical setting. These spaces can be particularly valuable overseas, offering continuity, reassurance and peer connection alongside professional support, and helping women feel more comfortable engaging with care over time.
Continuity across changing circumstances is supported through collaborative working. SSAFA’s Community Health Team works alongside host nation services and partner professionals to help ensure women have clear pathways of support, including access to remote provision where appropriate. This approach reflects the realities of overseas service life, where coordination across services is key to supporting women’s health in ways that respond to individual needs and local context.
Through its women’s health support overseas, SSAFA helps ensure that service families are not left navigating these experiences alone, providing trusted, practical support during important stages of family life.
For more information about the services and support SSAFA’s Community Health Team provides to military families overseas, please visit its webpage here or the SSAFA Community Health Facebook page.
