- Make Healing Happen
- ACCH model to lead Hepatitis response
- Telehealth and hepatitis C study seeks participants
- Review of FASD among First Nations people
- Grog in pregnancy videos
- Outcomes of community-based FASD workshop
- NDIS Ready grants now open!
- Call for abstracts – now open!
Make Healing Happen
The Healing Foundation’s Make Healing Happen report, released today, signals the urgent need for policy responses from all Australian governments to assist the healing process for a growing number of Stolen Generations survivors and descendants.
The Make Healing Happen report – released in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stolen Generations aged 50 and over: updated analyses for 2018-19, provides an in-depth insight into the experiences of Stolen Generations survivors and the extent and complexity of their contemporary needs today and as they grow older.
“The AIHW has estimated that the number of Stolen Generations survivors has more than doubled – from 17,150 in 2014-15 to 33,600 in 2018-19,” said The Healing Foundation CEO Fiona Cornforth.
“This dramatic increase points to an urgent need for policy responses from all Australian governments, especially in the areas of health, mental health, aged care, disability, welfare, and wellbeing.
“One of the more significant findings is that all Stolen Generations survivors will by next year be eligible for aged care.
Compared with the general non-Indigenous population aged 50 and over (on an age standardised basis), Stolen Generations survivors aged 50 and over are:
- 3 times as likely to be living with a severe disability;
- 7 times as likely to have poor mental health;
- 6 times as likely to have kidney disease;
- 1 times as likely to have diabetes; and
- 7 times as likely to have heart, stroke, or vascular disease.
You can download the Make Healing Happen report here.
View The Healing Foundation’s media release Significant increase in Stolen Generations survivor numbers signals urgent need for government solutions in health, aged care, and other services here.
View the AIHW report Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stolen Generations aged 50 and over: updated analyses for 2018–19 here.
View the AIHW media release Stolen Generations survivors face poorer health and wellbeing outcomes than other Indigenous Australians here.
Make Healing Happen – It’s Time to Act: The Healing Foundation report.
ACCH model to lead Hepatitis response
Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO NACCHO spoke at the 12th Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference in Sydney yesterday, 1 June 2021 on Progress and future challenges for enhancing viral hepatitis care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a higher burden of disease in comparison to the wider Australian population and viral Hepatitis is no exception.” “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples represent approximately 3% of the total Australian population, yet we account for an estimated 10% of those living with chronic Hepatitis B and 20% of all Hepatitis C diagnoses,” she said.
These numbers highlight that more needs to be done to reach the national and international target of elimination of viral Hepatitis by 2030.
“In order to respond to viral Hepatitis, and other STI and BBV, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities we must draw on the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health (ACCH) model of integrated primary health care,” said Casey pointing to the following factors that need to be addressed:
- Sustained funding
- Continued co-design and collaboration with key stakeholders
- Improved data and surveillance
- Innovative recall systems
- Multiskilled workforce and increased workforce capacity
- Community engagement and education
- Continuous Quality Improvement
- Access and effective integration of PoCT program for rapid results, immediate treatment, and timely contact tracing
“We need to develop strong partnerships and open relationships with state and territory governments, peak organisations and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health sector, working together to respond to the high rates for viral hepatitis in our communities.”
Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO NACCHO speaking at the 12th Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference in Sydney on 1 June 2021.
Telehealth and hepatitis C study seeks participants
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University is conducting a Commonwealth-funded, interview-based study of people’s experiences using telehealth for hepatitis C treatment and care during COVID-19. The outcomes of this study will be to make recommendations to optimise the use of telehealth in hepatitis C care and treatment.
Dawn Casey’s keynote at the recent 12th Australasian Viral Hepatitis Conference, Progress and future challenges for enhancing viral hepatitis care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people highlighted that telehealth has provided ‘culturally safe healthcare’ across ACCHOs.
We are inviting GPs and other specialists providing hepatitis C treatment and care for an interview to identify experiences, advantages, and barriers of telehealth; as well as people who have received telehealth care (re-imbursed $50 for their time).
Participation involves an audio-recorded 40–60 minute interview with a trained university researcher. Interviews will be conducted over phone or Zoom.
Please contact Dr Frances Shaw to arrange an interview or receive recruitment flyers to advertise this study in your ACCHO.
Email: f.shaw@latrobe.edu.au – Mobile: 0431 483 918
Jigalong patient and carer being supported by Stephen Copeland, optometrists. Image credit: mivision.com.au
Review of FASD among First Nations people
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre has published a Review of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The review states that FASD is a preventable, lifelong disability. FASD disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, however, there are limited prevalence statistics available in the mainstream Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Accompanying the review is a short video of key points from the review, a summary version of the review with infographics and a factsheet.
The review explores the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in preventing FASD and proposes that programs that work best for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are those that are done with, for and by the communities and their leaders. Authors Sharynne Hamilton, Michael Doyle and Carol Bower, recommend that, where possible, federal and state governments should choose to invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations to develop their own evidence-based, fit-for-community FASD prevention, intervention, and management strategies. Men are largely absent in FASD interventions. Co-author Michael Doyle says, “There is a need to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men in research to understand the role they can play in the prevention, treatment and management of FASD”.
HealthInfoNet Director, Professor Neil Drew says, “We were delighted to commission this important review and partner with the authors to provide a comprehensive and sensitive review of the evidence around FASD with clear recommendations for future action”.
You can view the media release by the Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre here.
FASD among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – video.
Grog in pregnancy videos
Katherine West Health Board (2021)
Grog in pregnancy videos – partners, women and men
Katherine, NT: Katherine West Health Board
In these videos, community members share information with one another about drinking alcohol and Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
The videos promote health messages such as:
- have a check up at the clinic if you are planning to get pregnant
- if mum drinks while pregnant the baby can be born with FASD
- men can support women who are pregnant by not drinking
- if you are breastfeeding you should not drink alcohol.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
- View resource: KWHB grog in pregnancy – men [1.52 mins]
- View resource: KWHB grog in pregnancy – partners [8.04 mins]
- View resource: KWHB grog in pregnancy – women [4.21 mins]
- View website: Katherine West Health Board
Grog in Pregnancy – Partners: video by Katherine West Health Board.
Outcomes of community-based FASD workshop
There is a lack of neurodevelopmental assessment services in rural and remote locations in Australia that consider fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a possible outcome.
87 participants attended a workshop to support community-based professional development and co-design of a novel assessment approach. Qualitative data collection included video recording of the workshop, and small group discussions, for which a narrative analysis was utilised. Quantitative data collection included self-report questionnaires to understand current community practices and three key constructs: practitioner knowledge, attitudes, and intentions for future practice.
The study identified key learnings from workshop facilitators and participants. The findings call attention to the importance of a co-design approach, where collaboration is vital to support the appropriate adaption of evidence-based practice to suit the local context.
You can read the abstract here.
This is a graphic produced by the FASD Hub Australia, which distributes information about the disorder online.
NDIS Ready grants now open!
Attention all Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations! NDIS Ready Indigenous Business Support Funding (IBSF) ACCO grant round applications are NOW OPEN!
IBSF offers funding to eligible ACCOs to help address:
- basic establishment costs, and/or
- business and technical challenges in registered and delivering services under the NDIS
Grants of $20,000 are available for up to 100 ACCHOs and ACCOs.
For information on the grant and how to apply can be found on the IBSF website. Applications close on Friday 11 June 2021. Please contact the NDIS Ready team at ndisready@naccho.org.au if you have any questions.
NDIS Ready Indigenous Business Support Funding ACCO grant round applications are NOW OPEN.
Call for abstracts – now open!
Abstract submissions for Ngar-wu Wanyarra Annual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Conference are now open.