- ACCHOs encourage youth to get vaccinated
- Victorian First Nations lead vaccination rates
- Make the Choice vaccination campaign
- Youth specific gambling harm project
- Remote PHC Manuals review update
- NDIS Yarning Circle cancelled
- Census 2021 – there’s still time
- NT health worker excellence awards
- New process for job advertising
- Save the Date
ACCHOs encourage youth to get vaccinated
With the COVID-19 outbreak in western NSW growing by the day, ACCHOs are working overtime to get local mob vaccinated. Currently, most COVID-19 cases in the region are Aboriginal people, with Guardian Australia reporting a figure of 40% being unvaccinated Aboriginal young people between 10 and 19-years-old.
CEO of Coonamble and Dubbo Aboriginal Medical Services and Chair of the AH&MRC Phil Naden said there has been anxiety across community since the COVID-19 outbreak started. Despite this, the Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi man said that both Dubbo and Coonamble AMS remain “strong” in their messaging. “We want people to get tested, we want people to get vaccinated and we want people to comply with the public health orders and remain in lockdown during this time,” he said.
Considering the high rate of young Aboriginal people contracting the virus, Naden notes there has been some vaccine hesitancy within the community’s young people. “Our young people seem to think that they are a bit more resilient to COVID-19,” he said. “We want people to be vigilant, and aware of the fact that we do have people passing away from this illness.”
Naden said there has also been barriers to public health education. “The circumstance for a lot of our people is that they haven’t got access to social media so we need to be proactively advocating and getting the message out to people in different ways,” Naden said.
Naden notes that the AMS have had strong support from organisations such as AH&MRC, the Western NSW Primary Health Network and NACCHO. NACCHO has developed a strong line of communication with ACCHOs working in the west and are supporting more point of care testing machines being placed in health services.
To view the full article in the National Indigenous Times click here and to watch a video of Linda Burney MP urging people to get the COVID-19 vaccine click here.
Feature tile: Registered nurse Michele Clarke administers Kautai Tulikaki’s Pfizer vaccine at the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos. Image source: Canberra Times.
Victorian First Nations lead vaccination rates
As lockdowns drag on and cases rise, there is one piece of COVID-19 data worth celebrating. Indigenous people in Victoria are leading the country in vaccination rates.
According to data released by the federal government last week, more than 50% of Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population eligible for a vaccine has received a first dose and around 30% are fully vaccinated.
“It is a bit of a success story but we’re not out of the woods,” CEO of Victoria’s peak body for Aboriginal community health organisations Jill Gallagher AO said. Ms Gallagher says Victoria’s success is due to the partnerships forged between the Victorian Department of Health and community-controlled Aboriginal health services. “It has been a joint effort and credit should be shared,” she said. “But the most obvious factor leading to success was access to vaccines.”
Ms Gallagher said it was very sad to see the rise in cases among Aboriginal communities in regional NSW.
To view the full article click here.
A Ballarat and District Aboriginal Corporation vaccination wrist band. Photo: BADAC. Image source: ABC News.
Make the Choice vaccination campaign
The Redcliffe Hospital community vaccination centre is hosting ‘special Saturdays’ over the next six weeks to support local First Nations families to get vaccinated. Starting from this Saturday, 21 August 2021, the Moreton Bay Integrated Care Centre based at the Redcliffe Hospital campus will accept walk-ins for First Nations people from 10am to 2.30pm. These hours will be extended if there is further demand.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the targeted vaccination push was a combined effort of the Queensland Government, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) and the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) as part of a new campaign to encourage more First Nations people to get vaccinated.
Last week the Queensland Government also released a Make the Choice campaign, which aims to help address the gap in vaccination rates between First Nations people and the general population. “The overall vaccination rate for First Nations people is almost half the vaccination rate of non-First Nations people. The campaign will be important to get the message out into the community – Make the Choice and get vaccinated” Minister D’Ath said.
QAIHC Chairperson, Matthew Cooke, added that a showpiece of the Make the Choice
campaign is a new website that has proudly been developed with the QAIHC. “The website is filled with helpful and easy to understand information about COVID-19
vaccinations and the vaccination process to help inform the choice about getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” Mr Cooke said.
“It’s been specifically created by QAIHC for Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Queensland clinicians and front-line workers in community health organisations and Hospital and Health Services. “We know people want to read and hear information from trusted sources to help them make an informed choice about their health. “Our message for every Queenslander that can be vaccinated is simple – make the choice and get vaccinated so we can work towards a pathway out of the pandemic.”
To view the Queensland Government’s media release in full click here.
Image source: ABC News.
Youth specific gambling harm program
Most people in Aboriginal communities play the pokies or have a bet without any trouble. But for some people, gambling causes money problems, stress and arguments in the family. Minister for Gaming and Liquor Regulation Melissa Horne says the Victorian Government is prioritising the needs of young First Nations people, launching Australia’s first youth specific First Nations Gambling Awareness program on Wadawurrung Country.
Aboriginal-owned organisation Strong Brother Strong Sister has been selected to deliver the Djilang Gambling Awareness Program, which will provide support to young people affected by their own or their family’s gambling activities. The program will receive $250,000 over 15 months to help young Wadawurrung people pursue self-determination through social, emotional, and health and wellbeing measures, with a key focus on minimising gambling harm.
You can view the media release in full here and a video below featuring Victorian Aboriginal community members yarning about gambling.
Remote PHC Manuals review update
The Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCMs) are currently being reviewed and updated, with monthly updates being provided to keep health services and other organisations up-to-date throughout the review process. You can view the RPHCM August 2021 progress update here.
The Primary Review process has been completed for 60% of the protocols and the RPHCM project team is on track to complete all of the Primary Reviews by December 2021.
Protocol groups have been endorsed for: (1) Resuscitation and trauma (2) Emergencies in pregnancy and birthing (3) Remote medicines and (4) Child respiratory and the protocol groups coming up for endorsement include: (1) Skin (2) Infectious disease (3) Injuries and (4) Disability and dementia.
You are invited to contact the RPHCM project team here for more information or to provide input. You can also view the Manuals online or purchase printed copies (limited supplies) here.
NDIS Ready Yarning Circle cancelled
Unfortunately, the Yarning Circle for Remote and Very Remote ACCHOs scheduled for September 28 – 30 2021 in Alice Springs is now cancelled. Due to COVID-19 outbreaks locking down states and threatening many of our communities, we are not able to run the event at this time.
NACCHO thanks you for your ongoing support and commitment to this event and said it was shaping up to be a fantastic couple of days. NACCHO said that while it is incredibly disappointing to have to cancel, the health and safety of our members, their staff and communities are of primary importance.
If we can, NACCHO hopes to hold the Yarning Circle sometime in the first half of 2022.
Please note, NACCHO will not be running an alternative online event at this stage, however may look to do something later in the year when the current outbreaks are resolved.
Please begin the process of cancelling your travel and accommodation. NACCHO recognises the administrative burden of cancelling bookings and are available to assist if needed. If you incur any cancellation fees, please email NACCHO here and they will arrange for these to be reimbursed by NACCHO.
Census 2021 – there’s still time
The ABS Director of Centre of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statistics, Tony Grubb, has written a letter outlining the status of the 2021 Census to date and explaining it is not too late to complete the census. In the letter Mr Grubb says:
“Over 8.7 million Census forms have been submitted to date. This is a very positive result, and we are now encouraging those who have not completed to do so as soon as possible. I am writing to seek your support in helping make sure everyone is counted.
Data from the 2021 Census will be more important than ever, providing valuable insights for all of us into how the pandemic has changed life in Australia and helping to plan our recovery.
In remote areas, the Census is conducted over an extended period between July and August. This is so we can cover vast areas and visit multiple communities. If your community hasn’t been counted yet, please don’t worry. Our remote teams are still working with communities across Australia and have not completed our Census work.”
If you have any questions about how your community will complete the Census, please reach out to your local contact or email the ABS using this link.
NT Health Worker Excellence Awards
Health Minister Natasha Fyles said finalists have been unveiled for the 2021 NT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker and Practitioner Excellence Awards set to be held on Thursday 2 September 2021. The outstanding work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals to support their families, communities and healthcare system in the Territory will take centre stage.
The awards are held in partnership with the Australian Government Health Department, Darwin Sunrise Rotary Club, United Workers Union, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the NT and the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners.
To view the media release in full click here.
Desleigh Shields followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a healthcare worker in Barunga. Photo: Alexia Attwood Image source: ABC News.
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.
Daffodil Day 2021
This year Daffodil Day falls on Friday 27 August. It is a chance for Australians to come together and show their Flower Power; their ability to create change in the lives of people impacted by cancer, by funding cancer research.
In 2020, the Daffodil Day Appeal raised almost $1.5 million for life-saving cancer research, but looked a little different. Despite a global pandemic, Australians still dug deep and donated online to show their commitment to a cancer free future.
Sadly, with nearly 150,000 Australians diagnosed with cancer every year, most people have been touched by this heartbreaking disease.
You can find more information about Daffodil Day here.
