- Accountability fundamental to CTG Partnership
- Privileged to lead Danila Dilba
- 76% vaccinated in two days
- Is your home COVID-ready?
- Home-based palliative care resources
- Campaign targeting syphilis outbreak
- Hepatitis Day trivia fun
- New process for job advertising
Accountability fundamental to CTG Partnership
NACCHO CEO and Coalition of Peaks Lead Convenor, Pat Turner AM, welcomed today’s release by the Productivity Commission of its second tool for monitoring impacts of the historic National Agreement on Closing the Gap, reached a year ago between the Coalition of Peaks and all Australian Governments.
“Today’s Annual Data Compilation Report joins the Productivity Commission’s Closing the Gap Dashboard (commencing last month) in providing building blocks for strong oversight and accountability under the National Agreement.
“The Coalition of Peaks, made up of community-controlled organisations, are accountable to their memberships and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities they serve. It is also essential that governments are accountable for their commitments under the National Agreement, which are geared to reaching targets on four Priority Reforms and an expanded set of socio-economic outcomes.
“Together, if we do this right, we will advance both self-determination and accelerate how gaps can be closed in the life circumstances of our People and other Australians. The Productivity Commission’s report and Dashboard are fundamental to tracking progress and holding all Parties to account for their responsibilities.
Read the media release by the Coalition of Peaks here.
The Annual Data Compilation Report by the Productivity Commission is available here.
You can view the Closing the Gap Dashboard here.
Illustration from the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Feature image: Coalition of Peaks logo.
Privileged to lead Danila Dilba
The Board of Danila Dilba Health Service is pleased to announce the appointment of its new CEO, Rob McPhee. Mr McPhee will officially commence at the end of August, and was selected from a competitive field of applicants from all over Australia.
Mr McPhee has extensive experience in the Aboriginal health sector, having served as the Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer at Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services in Broome for the past six years. Prior to that Mr McPhee has worked in the energy and university sectors, consistently maintaining a focus on Aboriginal social justice, community development, and self-determination.
“I’m excited to be commencing in the role at the end of August, and getting to know the community that Danila Dilba has served for 30 years,” Mr McPhee said.
Read Danila Dilba Health Service‘s media release here.
Danila Dilba Health Service appoints new CEO, Rob McPhee.
76% vaccinated in two days
Proving small but mighty, the remote Aboriginal community of Warmun has vaccinated 76 per cent of its eligible population against the coronavirus in just two days.
The community, located 161km north of Halls Creek, vaccinated 182 community members in a huge effort alongside the WA Country Health Service.
Staff from the Kimberley Public Health Unit arrived in the community three days before the vaccination blitz to speak to the residents about the vaccine, and a well-attended primary school sports carnival provided the perfect opportunity to mingle and discuss people’s concerns.
Gija woman Catherine Engelke spearheaded the vaccination drive. Born in Derby and growing up in Halls Creek, the GP has family ties to Warmun and has worked with the community for a decade. She said being able to protect her people from the virus was a career highlight.
You can read the story in the National Indigenous Times here.
Dr Catherine Engelke. Image credit: The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association.
Is your home COVID-ready?
The Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) of NSW has developed a useful tool to help you and your family plan and be prepared should someone have to self-isolate at home. This could be of particular interest for people living in Sydney at the moment. The COVID-19 pandemic could last a long time.
The Getting Your Home COVID-19 Ready document helps you think about the whole family and what it means for them.
You can view the toolkit here.
Illustration from ‘Getting Your Home COVID-ready’.
Home-based palliative care resources
Health professionals, health workers and other interested parties are invited to take part in a national consultation to assist in the development of tailored resources for the caring@home for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families project.
The Australian Government-funded project aims to support the provision of palliative care at home for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, when this is preferred. This may help connect family, culture, community, country and the spiritual wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities.
You can take part by attending an in-person event, via an online survey, Microsoft Teams meeting or having a one-on-one conversation with the project manager.
Read the Factsheet for more information.
To participate or register visit the caring@home website or call on 1300 600 007
care@home image for health practitioners.
Campaign targeting syphilis outbreak
In 2020, notifications of infectious syphilis in Australia increased by nearly 90% from recorded rates in 2015.
Three populations are most at risk:
- men who have sex with men
- women of child-bearing age
- those who live in outbreak areas (including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities).
The Department of Health has launched a new Infectious and Congenital Syphilis campaign. The campaign will run nationally on a range of online channels including social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat), online video, search and programmatic ads.
Visit the campaign webpage for more information and to access a range of downloadable resources.
You can also read more about the campaign in the Department of Health news here.
View the campaign video below.
Hepatitis Day trivia fun
WINNER: AHCWAlube, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia
Second Place: Derbarl Dragons, Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Aboriginal Corporation
Third Place: Bunya Nuts, Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal & Islander Community Controlled Health Service
There was also a price for the BEST DRESSED team: Watj Mi Djama, Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation
ACCHO staff participating in the 2021 World Hepatitis Day Virtual Trivia session.
New process for job advertising
NACCHO have introduced a new system for the advertising of job adverts via the NACCHO website and you can find the sector job listings here.
Click here to go to the NACCHO website where you can complete a form with job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.
