- Bush Uber for medical supplies
- Showcase health and wellbeing best practice
- New support for NT’s remote kids
- First WA COVID-19 vaccination hubs
- National study of mental health and wellbeing
- New centre to grow local biomedical workforce
- Medical research workforce needs safeguarding
- Systemic racism in Canberra’s prison
- Coercive control should be a crime
- Job Alerts
Bush Uber for medical supplies
Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles, said in a first for the Territory, drones will be used to deliver health care into remote communities across the NT. The drones will expedite the delivery of time-critical medical items into hard to reach and seasonally inaccessible remote communities, helping save lives and reducing costs of delivery. The Territory Labor Government is partnering with Charles Darwin University and iMOVE Australia to commission the drones. iMOVE is the national centre for collaborative research and development in transport and mobility. It facilitates, supports and co-funds research projects that improve the way people and goods move in Australia.
Custom-made, state-of-the-art medical drones with a flying range of up to 250km will be developed and trialled for delivery of potentially life-saving medicines in the Northern Territory – Australia’s first ever healthcare drone trail for regional Australia. The project will also pave the way for future delivery of critical items such as cold-storage vaccines (COVID-19) in regional and remote communities, the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre – part of the Federal Government-funded CRC Program. The NT is one of the most sparsely settled jurisdictions in the developed world with a significant Indigenous population living in remote communities.
To view the Minister for Health’s media release click here and to view iMOVE’s news release click here.
Image source: Drones in HealthCare.
Showcase health and wellbeing best practice
Indigenous and Tribal peoples across the world continue to be adversely affected by the ongoing impacts of colonisation and dispossession, past and present racism and discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage, and reduced access to services, all of which are manifested in disparities across a range of outcomes. Research can be a tremendous force for good, provided it reflects the needs and priorities of Indigenous and Tribal peoples and is conducted in ways that empower Indigenous and Tribal people and communities. All too often, this has not been the case, but things have begun to change in recent years.
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is preparing to publish a Special Issue on The Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples around the Globe. The Special Issue is intended to showcase (1) ways in which appropriate, high-quality research can help with understanding and overcoming the complex inequities experienced by Indigenous and Tribal peoples around the globe, as well as (2) best practice in research across a broad range of topic areas relating to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous and Tribal peoples around the world, with a particular emphasis on work that goes beyond mere description and seeks to implement and evaluate positive change at a local, regional, national, or global level. In keeping with the focus on Indigenous and Tribal peoples, the definition of health and wellbeing being used is a holistic one, incorporating physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and cultural aspects, as well as family and community and connection to land and waters across time.
The Special Issue on The Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples around the Globe is open for submissions until Monday 31 May 2021. For more information please click here.
Image source: Telethon Kids Institute.
New support for NT’s remote kids
Children who have access to health, nutrition and learning opportunities before they begin school show sustained improvements in cognitive, language and psychosocial development. CEO of UNICEF Australia. Tony Stuart says “Young Aboriginal children living in rural areas of Australia are more likely to face barriers in accessing early childhood development programs, missing a crucial chance to lay strong foundations for their futures.”
UNICEF Australia and Livingstone International have announced a new partnership that will support early childhood development programs for Indigenous children living in remote communities in the NT and reach some of Australia’s most vulnerable children. In partnership with local community organisations, UNICEF Australia is working to break down barriers to early childhood development services and work with parents and local communities to provide children with the best start in life. The program recognises the essential, interlinked building blocks for the early years: health care, good hygiene, optimal nutrition, and a stimulating, nurturing and safe environment for all-round development and learning.
Contributing $100,000 a year for 3 years, the partnership will support a program that will help to improve the development, health and learning opportunities for children in some of the country’s most under-resourced, and hardest to reach communities.
To view the full article click here.
Image source: The Conversation.
First WA COVID-19 vaccination hubs
The first West Australians to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will receive the jab at the end of this month at six vaccination hubs scattered across the state. Perth Children’s Hospital, as well as the health campuses in Albany, Kalgoorlie, Port Hedland, Geraldton, and Broome, will be the first sites to offer Phase 1a priority groups the Pfizer vaccine.
WA will receive a shipment of 10,000 doses of the vaccine on February 22, which will be administrated to hotel quarantine workers, international airport employees, seaport workers and frontline medical staff at Fiona Stanley and Royal Perth hospitals. Eligible West Australians will receive two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart, administered by staff specifically trained on how to handle the vaccine.
The elderly, health care staff, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, young people with underlying medical conditions and critical high-risk workers will receive the jab later in Phase 1 and in Phase 2.
To view the article in full click here.
A vial of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19. Image source: WAtoday.
National study of mental health and wellbeing
The Government has launched the first phase of Australia’s $89.5 million Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study – the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This comprehensive survey aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the mental health challenges that Australians are facing. Almost half of Australians experience some form of mental illness at some point in their lifetime. In addition, the 2019 bushfires and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly affected the mental health and wellbeing of many people across the country. The National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing will provide unrivalled depth to our understanding of these mental health challenges and conditions.
To view the media release click here.
Image source: Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW website.
New centre to grow local biomedical workforce
A new training centre aimed at developing a sustainable, local biomedical and health sciences workforce has been launched at Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies). There is currently a shortage of biomedical and health sciences staff in the NT and many of those in the workforce are from outside of the NT. The Ramaciotti Regional and Remote Health Sciences Training Centre (the Centre) will provide a new pathway into laboratory and health sector careers for young Territorians, with a focus on career development for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.
Mark Mayo, associate deputy director of Indigenous Engagement and Leadership at Menzies and co-lead of the Centre says that the opportunities provided are in high demand, “The Centre has partnered with internal and external stakeholders to engage more than 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous NT youth in biomedical and health sciences training. There is no shortage of youth approaching the Centre for training opportunities and we are looking ahead both internally and externally to increase our supervisory capacity, develop our training programs and create more opportunities for NT youth.”
To view the Menzies School of Health Research media release click here.
Image source: Science journal website.
Medical research workforce needs safeguarding
The Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI) has put together a Budget Submission calling for new strategic investments to help safeguard the future of Australia’s medical research workforce. These investments will boost Australia’s preparedness for future health challenges by providing new career opportunities to our most talented medical researchers. You can read AAMRI’s Budget Submission and learn more about their early to mid-career scientists by clicking here. You can also view AAMRI’s media release about the budget submission here.
Image source: University of Melbourne.
Systemic racism in Canberra’s prison
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has called on all members of the ACT Legislative Assembly to support a motion calling for an independent inquiry into systemic and/or institutional racism at Canberra’s prison, the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC). ACTCOSS CEO, Dr Emma Campbell, said: “In the wake of historic allegations of racism, and the disturbing allegations last month relating to the mistreatment of an Aboriginal woman on remand in the AMC, ACTCOSS supports a call by Julie Tongs OAM, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services, for an independent inquiry into racism at the AMC.
The motion calls for an inquiry to investigate and document the incidence of institutional and systemic racism in relation to the AMC and to develop advice and recommendations to address and eliminate this racism. The motion also calls on the ACT Government to deliver its promise to commission a review into the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in incarceration.
To view the ACTCOSS media release click here.
AMC. Image source: Canberra CityNews website.
Coercive control should be a crime
White Ribbon Australia are partnering with Are Media, the publishers of Marie Claire magazine, along with a number of other organisations, to see harmful controlling behaviours – known as “coercive control” a hidden, sinister form of domestic violence that is happening behind closed doors all over Australia, criminalised across all states and territories. Linda Burney, MP, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians spoke to Marie Claire magazine about their campaign to criminalise coercive control.
“I know from personal experience that there are places in Australia where coercive control has become almost normalised in relationships. Young Indigenous kids need to understand what a healthy relationship is. And control is not healthy. A lot of women find themselves in relationships where their partner dictates what they wear, who they hang out with and how much money they spend. I want these women to understand that this is not normal – it’s a form of violence, and can be a precursor to physical violence. There were four women killed [by men in their lives] in Australia last week, and it received very little media coverage. If it were four shark attacks, it would be on the front page of every newspaper!”
To view the Marie Claire It’s Time to Make Coercive Control A Crime article click here. and to access the webmail received by NACCHO from White Ribbon Australia yesterday click here.
Linda Burney: MP, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians. Image source: Marie Claire magazine website.
QLD, VIC/TAS, WA, NT, SA – Hearing Australia
Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer – FT & PT positions
Hearing Australia is looking for experienced, high performing Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer to lead the on the ground establishment of a new program – The Hearing Assessment Program (the program). The program is a major initiative to reduce hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0-6 years living in regional and remote communities.
The role will encompass local coordination of Audiology services to local communities on a state basis with experience in feeding back local needs and strategies to broaden a national blueprint and a greater affinity of maximising services and the amount of hearing assessments conducted in children 0-6 years of age.
This role is also responsible for providing high quality advice and support to senior management of Hearing Australia and assisting in obtaining and disseminating information.
This role is a unique opportunity to work in an organisation that is providing world leading research and hearing services for the well-being of all Australians.
To view the Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer position descriptions and to apply click on the relevant state or territory below:
Hearing Australia will hold these positions open until they have received applications from suitable pool of candidates – this period generally takes 2–3 weeks before the positions will be closed for applications.
VIC – Mooroopna – Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd.
Local Justice Worker x 1 FT (identified position)
The Local Justice Worker position aims to minimise the likelihood of Aboriginal people (18+) reoffending and/or further progressing into the criminal justice system through providing support and mentoring, cultural support and activities, and supervised community work opportunities. As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will have a strong understanding of the sensitivities of clients, both male and female, involved with the justice system who present with a range of complex and varied needs that require a service response tailored to their circumstances.
To view position descriptions and to apply click here. Applications close 4:00PM Friday 19 February 2021.