1.1 : First Nations people will play a fundamental role in developing guidelines to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kidney patient outcomes

First Nations people will play a fundamental role in developing guidelines to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kidney patient outcomes, with more than $300,000 in Government funding to Kidney Health Australia to support national consultations.

Kidney Health Australia will hold 20 community consultations across the country with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to inform the Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment Indigenous Guidelines.

Renal failure disproportionately affects First Australians and we need to work together to improve and maintain the health of those who contract kidney disease.

Recent research shows almost one in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 18 have indicators of chronic kidney disease.

Our people face unique challenges in the management of this condition, including access to services and leaving country to receive treatment.

The guidelines are being developed to address these and other challenges and to work towards delivering better treatment options and a healthier future.

They will also help support chronic kidney disease education, prevention, early detection, management and workforce education.

Grassroots consultation will allow Kidney Health Australia to ensure the guidelines are relevant and reflect what communities want and need.

In addition, a panel of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health clinicians, including community-based practitioners, will advise on the consultative process and the content of the guidelines.

The guidelines will complement the national renal roadmap currently under development and the priority placed on First Nations kidney health by the Council of Australian Governments.

The guidelines will also be a resource for Māori people, with Kidney Health Australia securing separate funding to hold community consultations in New Zealand.

Completion of the community consultations is expected in late 2019.

1.2 NACCHO CEO Pat Turner keynote speaker at #ahmrcAGM18

“Our model of comprehensive primary health care is best practice – we must continue to lead”

Pat Turner NACCHO CEO

2. WA : Mawarnkarra Health Service Roebourne new $1.8 million renal facility brings care closer to home

More renal patients in Roebourne and surrounding areas can now be treated closer to home thanks to a new community supported home dialysis facility.

Health Minister Roger Cook today officially opened the new four-chair, purpose-built facility, which has been constructed on the grounds of Mawarnkarra Health Service.

Managed by Mawarnkarra Health Service, the Warawarni-Gu Maya Community Supported Home Dialysis facility will make it easier for local people who are suitable for home dialysis and have end stage kidney disease, to undertake their treatment closer to home.

Home dialysis is for people who are capable and confident of supervising their treatment either alone or with a carer – usually a family member. Each of the four dialysis bays have individual television sets to make patients more comfortable and their time spent at treatment more pleasant.

The new centre includes a dedicated consultation room with telehealth facilities – this means specialists can see and speak to their patients in a virtual setting, and patients are spared the cost and stress of travel to a tertiary hospital.

Between 2015 and 2017, telehealth activity has increased 113 per cent in the Pilbara region. So far this year, more than 1,700 outpatient appointments in the region have been conducted using telehealth.

The $1.8 million Warawarni-Gu Maya Community Supported Home Dialysis facility was constructed by the WA Country Health Service as part of the Australian Government’s Health and Hospitals Fund, which is investing $45.7 million to its Bringing Renal Dialysis and Support Services Closer to Home program.

Comments attributed to Health Minister Roger Cook:

“Having renal dialysis is tough and time consuming, and can be exacerbated by time away from family and friends during treatment.

“This new purpose-built, community supported home dialysis unit offers eligible patients, including a large proportion of Aboriginal people, a comfortable local setting to undertake their self-dialysis.

“It is fantastic to see that telehealth, which enables people to stay closer to their communities, is becoming ‘business as usual’ for our health system. It is important that patients can stay close to family and friends as much as possible when receiving health care.”

Comments attributed to Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel:

“It is fitting that the name Warawarni-Gu Maya translates to ‘Healing House’ as being with our loved ones and support networks when we are sick is crucial, and treatment closer to home can have a huge impact on a patient’s wellbeing.

“This new facility will help many vulnerable residents in Roebourne and the surrounding communities, including a large proportion of Aboriginal people, for whom treatment on country is very important.

3. Armajun Aboriginal Health Service  Inverell reminds he community about the dangers of lung disease

“Maintaining or improving lung health is really important and there is a lot that people with chronic lung disease can do to stay well,”

“Our goal is to encourage people with chronic lung disease to attend the BE WELL program. The program enables people with chronic lung disease to learn how to manage their lung problem, how to exercise and get moving one step at a time towards better health,” 

Armajun program manager James Sheather

Originally Published Here

Armajun Aboriginal Health Service, Inverell held an Aboriginal community awareness day about chronic lung disease on Thursday, October 18.

The community were welcomed to with a free barbeque and information session that include education, screening and a tour of the new Aboriginal healthy lung program called, Breathe Easy, Walk Easy, Lungs for Life (BE WELL).

“Armajun is taking active steps to support the better management of lung disease,” Armajun chief executive Deb McCowen said.

Chronic lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a relatively common disease that mainly affects older people, and includes conditions such as  emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

This year the Australian Institute of Health Welfare reported that 1 in 20 Australians aged 45 and over had COPD. The prevalence of COPD among Indigenous Australians is 2.5 times higher than for non-Indigenous Australians.

COPD limits airflow in the lungs, which can lead to shortness of breath. The main causes include smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke, outdoor air pollution, fumes and dust in the workplace, childhood lung infections and chronic asthma.

BE WELL is a joint project between Armajun, the University of Sydney and the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health. Armajun is the first of four NSW Aboriginal Medical Services to join BE WELL, which is a National Health & Medical Research Council funded Aboriginal Pulmonary rehabilitation project.

4. VIC : The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) is pleased to announce the appointment of a the new Chair and Deputy Chair

Karen Heap, new VACCHO Chair is CEO of Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative as well as Chair of the Victorian Children, Young People and Families Alliance

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) is pleased to announce the appointment of a the new Chair and Deputy Chair following our AGM on Monday 22 October.

The Board governing VACCHO, peak body for Aboriginal health and wellbeing in Victoria held its AGM yesterday and the following Members make up the VACCHO Board going forward:

• Karen Heap, Chair (Former Deputy Chair)
• Raylene Harradine, Deputy Chair (newly elected)
• Suzie Squires, Treasurer
• John Gorton, Director
• Mick Graham, Director
• Jason Saunders, Director

VACCHO’s Acting CEO, Trevor Pearce congratulated Karen Heap, CEO of Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative as well as Chair of the Victorian Children, Young People and Families Alliance on taking up the role of VACCHO Chair. “Karen is a proud Yorta Yorta woman and a well-respected leader within the Victorian Aboriginal community and supporter of VACCHO for many years. I have no doubt she will continue to uphold the core values of VACCHO that advocates for a vibrant, healthy and self-determining Aboriginal community.

Mr Trevor Pearce, also welcomed Ms Harradine to the role as a new Board member of VACCHO. “Raylene is a proud Wotjobaluk and Latjl Latjl woman. Raylene is the CEO of Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative and brings a wealth of experience to VACCHO’s Board” Mr Pearce said.

“I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank John Mitchell, our outgoing Chair, and Rod Jackson, outgoing Treasurer, for all their work over the previous two years both as leaders of our organisation, and as the two Board members representing NACCHO’s Victorian members on the NACCHO Board.”

Karen Heap and Michael Graham will now represent Victorian NACCHO members on the NACCHO Board.

VACCHO’s Finance Sub-committee will be led by Suzie Squires as Treasurer, with Karen Heap, Raylene Harradine, and Michael Graham making up the rest of the sub-committee.

Ms Heap said she was honoured to take on the role of VACCHO’s Board Chair. “VACCHO is an integral part of health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples living in Victoria,” Ms Heap said.

“There is a lot happening both in Victoria and at the Federal level and we are proud to represent our Members to Government and other key stakeholders in shaping policy and delivering programs as we work toward Closing the Gap for our people.”

5 .NT : Roderick Brown’s three young sons all have the potentially fatal rheumatic heart disease, with his eldest son undergoing open heart surgery at the age of seven.

 

Key points:

• Rheumatic heart disease is caused by repeated exposure to an infection on the skin and throat
• It is entirely preventable, but is believed to kill up to 100 Indigenous children and young people a year
• Maningrida children have the highest known rates of rheumatic heart disease in the world

His story reflects the dire situation facing many Indigenous communities not only in the Northern Territory, but all around Australia.

Picture above : PHOTO: Roderick Brown and his sons Trey and Curtis. (ABC News)

Article originally published HERE 

Read NACCHO RHD report HERE

The father of three and his partner, Danielle Turner, travelled more than 4,000 kilometres from Maningrida with their sons to have their voices heard in Canberra.

“It’s important because [we’re] sending a message across Arnhem Land and of course, around Australia,” he said.

“It’s very important that [people know] rheumatic heart disease is very preventable, and can cause death and is very painful for the family.”

The family joined doctors, researchers and community representatives calling on the Federal Government to take urgent action to stem the soaring number of cases in Australia.

RHD is a preventable illness affecting about 6,000 Australians, with Indigenous children 55 times more likely to die from the disease than their non-Indigenous peers.

The causes can be as common as repeated throat and skin infections but the consequences can be devastating, leading to permanent heart damage and even death.

Maningrida has world’s highest recorded rate of RHD

Mr Brown, an Indigenous ranger in Maningrida, said all three of his boys — aged three, seven and nine — get monthly penicillin injections to stop the progression of the disease.

“Just to keep their heart going and active,” he said.

His eldest son Curtis underwent life-saving open heart surgery at Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital two years ago.

“My heart was melting when I saw my kid going through the surgery, and after the surgery when he came back it was very sad,” Mr Brown said.

“I couldn’t stop thinking of that day… Seeing him lying there on a trolley.”

Unfortunately, the Brown family’s story is not unique.

“My brothers, my niece and nephew, they’re going through the same problem,” Mr Brown said.

‘Politicians can no longer turn a blind eye’

“We don’t want to see children suffering and dying unnecessarily in a rich country like Australia,” Dr Bo Remenyi said.

The NT Australian of the Year said the event in Canberra was a “landmark” occasion, and a step towards raising awareness in Federal Parliament.

“I think the message was heard very clearly, to the point where politicians can no longer turn a blind eye to rheumatic heart disease,” Dr Remenyi said.

The Australian Government is committed to being a global leader in ending RHD, in accordance with a resolution passed by the World Health Assembly in April, Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt said.

But Dr Remenyi disputed that.

“We’re yet to see full a commitment to address the United Nations resolution on rheumatic heart disease,” she said.

Earlier this month, the Federal Government committed $3.7 million over three years to five Aboriginal medical services across Australia.

“It’s a good initiative to get things off the ground,” Dr Remenyi said.

“It’s insufficient funding to solve rheumatic heart disease, and of course, there’s many communities who missed out on funding all together.”

Mr Wyatt said the development of a “road map” would allow the funding to be reviewed in the future, and states and territories would also commit money.

For any such initiative to be successful, it had to be community-driven, said Matthew Ryan, mayor of the West Arnhem Regional Council.

“We need to address the issue at the parliament and the politicians need to understand how serious it is,” Mr Ryan said.

“It needs to be community-driven, and the Government working with us in terms of funding — direct funding — and the NT Government working with us instead of talk, talk.”

For Mr Brown, more help for his family and the community can’t come soon enough.

“I’d like to ask Territory Housing, it would be better if myself, my partner and my kids had our own house,” he said.

“Better education for the whole community” was required, he said, as well as more doctors in the community.

6.SA : Not good news ‘ Ceduna Koonibba Aboriginal Health Service (CKAHS) staff were in for a shock when they came into work on Monday last week as parts of the ceiling had collapsed overnight.

Strong winds and rain on Sunday evening created a water blockage in the system which caused roof tiles to collapse in two places.

This included a portion of ceiling over a workstation where at least three workers are based.

CKAHS chief executive officer Zell Dodd said staff had no choice but to evacuate that day while the damaged was assessed, with some consulting services relocated to Ceduna District Health Services (CDHS).

Orginally Published HERE

Country Health SA executive director of corporate services Brett Paradine said the building was immediately repaired and deemed safe.

“The community controlled Ceduna Koonibba Aboriginal Health Service (CKAHS) GP consulting services and visiting eye health team were relocated to the Ceduna District Health Services on Monday due to storm damage,” he said.

“Country Health SA (CHSA) immediately called in a builder and electrician to ensure the CKAHS building was deemed safe for use.

“The building is now considered electrically safe and the roof is stable. Damaged ceiling tiles have been replaced, while an additional down pipe was installed to assist with roof run-off.”

CKAHS chairperson Leeroy Bilney said the service was now dealing with mould caused by the rainfall.

He said the mould had already affected staff with respiratory problems.

“Due to this risk, we have had to close the administration section of our building while we await mould testing to determine if treatment to affected areas has resolved the issue,” he said.

“In the short term we have approximately 22 staff displaced for at least one week while this occurs.

“I am concerned for our community members, employees, patients and visitors – if we can’t provide a safe environment, despite the determinations in attempting to get a new building, we fail to deliver optimal service and this is not fair to out Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

It continues a difficult period for CKAHS, with a portion of the building condemned and not in use which has put strain on the remaining office space.

Member for Flinders Peter Treloar expressed concern over the state of the building last year and said CKAHS had been actively lobbying at a state and federal level for some time over the condition of the building.

Since 2012 Country Health SA has provided $150,000 for repair and maintenance work.

“Country Health is working with CKAHS to develop future plans for the service and the premises,” he said.

“CKAHS provides vital health services to the Ceduna area, and we will continue to work in partnership with the federal government to ensure this continues.”

Ms Dodd said the health service had been working for a long time to get the building upgraded and the condemned section repaired.

“We now live in fear knowing that another downpour of rain or another storm will do the same, despite Country Health doing the best they can,” she said.

“What I am deeply concerned about is when, and not if, we get rain, in what part of the building will it hit next.

“I have already met with key state government officers where we are working solidly in a bid to find a solution to the immediate and longer term future – it’s pretty clear and as a matter of public interest we cannot operate, expand and provide the much-needed services, including bringing in fly-in fly-out specialists and Allied Health professionals, for the people we serve, if we don’t get a new building soon.”

She said if the doors were to close for a long period then CDHS would not be able to take on the additional load.

Mr Paradine said an alternative location may need to be sourced.

“Since 2012 we have funded around $150,000 towards maintenance and repair of the CKAHS building,” he said.

“CHSA is in discussions with CKAHS and will support them to identify alternative properties in the Ceduna region.”

7. QLD : Deadly Choices health promotion on Cape York 

Queensland Govt funding has delivered a state-of-the-art new oval for Coen’s Cape York  future sports stars! Facility includes lights 2 play @ night & will encourage healthy lifestyles. Gr8 opening celebration this week

@scottprince7 was very happy after seeing his blood pressure results thanks to Kirstin from @Apunipima

Deadly Choices Team and Minister Cameron Dick flying high