- Join us for ATSIHAW virtual trivia
- Struggle to vaccinate communities in QLD
- COVID-19 vaccination highly effective
- 98% of COVID-19 cases in Moree are First Nations people
- Raising awareness around perinatal mental health
- Strong community support for #RaisetheAge
- Improving access to mental health services
- Post-Lockdown support for Belconnen and Gungahlin mob
- New process for job advertising
Join us for ATSIHAW virtual trivia
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Struggle to vaccinate communities in QLD
Health officials in Queensland are struggling to vaccinate Indigenous communities across the state due to misinformation and hesitancy.
Health officials are taking vaccines directly to communities. Teams of nurses from Brisbane’s Mater Hospital began the clinic last week in partnership with Indigenous health workers.
“It enables people to have a private conversation and ask the questions that they’ve got about vaccine. We know that there is misinformation, we know that there is hesitancy and I think having that personal conversation with people makes a difference,” said Michelle Forrest from Darling Downs Health.
135 vaccines have been delivered in the week since the program started, but with a 2-dose vaccination rate of 27% Cherbourg still has a long way to go.
You can view the story on the ABC News website.
Health officials struggle to vaccinate Indigenous communities in Queensland.
COVID-19 vaccination highly effective
Fully vaccinated people have been significantly less likely to become seriously ill or die, and better protected from acquiring COVID-19, during the Delta outbreak.
Yesterday, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant highlighted the findings in the latest NSW Health In Focus report which shows hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths were all far lower among the fully vaccinated population during the outbreak’s peak. Dr Chant said the report also makes it clear fully vaccinated people were significantly less likely to become infected with COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 Delta outbreak has been the biggest challenge the state has faced during the pandemic because of its transmissibility. However, this report shows vaccination has been key in protecting ourselves, our families, and the community from the harmful effects of the virus,” Dr Chant said.
You can read more on the NSW Government Department of Health website.
You can view the In Focus report here.
Photo: Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services. Image source: The Guardian.
98% of COVID-19 cases in Moree are First Nations people
Large gatherings have led to an explosion of COVID-19 positive cases in and around Moree in the past week. Since the first positive cases were identified last Monday, the number of positive tests has jumped close to 100, and COVID-19 has also been found in the neighbouring shire of Inverell.
The surging outbreak is almost exclusively impacting Aboriginal people: 98 per cent of the 94 active cases on Sunday were Indigenous, according to NSW Health. And the vast majority with the virus, at present, are young: 90 per cent are under 40, and 43 per cent are under 20.
Ros Rose, nursing manager at Moree’s Pius X Aboriginal Corporation, said the organisation, which provides health care to 3,500 Indigenous residents, has been offering vaccines since March but has struggled to convince young people to get the jab. The outbreak has been a “wake-up call”, she said, and more people – about 30 a day – are now coming for their vaccinations.
After having COVID-19 for a week, 34-year-old Gomeroi woman Lisa Duncan now regrets that she was hesitant. She said she was anxious about side effects, and thought: “I’ll be right, I won’t get coronavirus.”
Now, she plans to get vaccinated as soon as she’s clear of the virus. She doesn’t want to get it again.
“I can’t be a voice for everybody but just coming from my point of view, get the vax, or you do suffer. The symptoms are bad, it’s horrible.”
You can read the article in the Brisbane Times here.
Lisa Duncan, 34, says she regrets not getting the vaccine due to anxiety. She tested positive to COVID-19 along with children Hayden, 4, Haylee, 8 and Nazariiah, 10. Image credit: Louise Kennerley.
Raising awareness around perinatal mental health
In Australia, one in five mothers and one in 10 fathers will experience perinatal depression and anxiety. Many support services have seen a sharp rise in calls for help during the pandemic. Health experts say Indigenous, multicultural and LGBTIQ+ families are especially at risk.
“We know that so many parents are having a really hard time, even more than normal,” said clinical psychologist Chris Barnes from Gidget Foundation Australia.
It’s why more than 40 organisations across Australia have united to help raise awareness for Perinatal Mental Health Week, which runs from 7 to 13 November.
Their aim is to break down the stigmas, particularly affecting parents from Indigenous and migrant backgrounds, that prevent many families from reaching out for help.
“New and expectant parents are not alone. There are many services available,” said Ms Barnes.
You can read the article in SBS News here.
First Nations woman Jami Seale (centre) struggled with postnatal anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Image source SBS News.
Strong community support for #RaisetheAge
The ACT Council of Community Service (ACTCOSS) has commended the ACT Government on its progress towards raising the age of criminal responsibility in the ACT. In its Listening Report, the ACT Government found that 90 per cent of submissions supported raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 years. It also showed that:
- this change is required to protect the safety and wellbeing of the Territory’s children and young people
- medical evidence clearly shows that children under the age of 14 are developmentally and neurologically unable to form criminal intent and should not be held criminally responsible for their actions; and
- there is limited support for the creation of exceptions or ‘carve outs’ to the minimum age for serious or repetitive behaviour.
“All the evidence tells us that prison is no place for children. Not only is the brain of a child under 13 years of age not yet sufficiently developed to understand criminal responsibility, we know that imprisoning kids only makes them far more likely to become repeat adult offenders,” said ACTCOSS CEO Dr Emma Campbell.
You can view the media release by ACTCOSS here.
The Listening Report and submissions can be found on the ACT Government YourSay website.
Youth detained in Darwin prison. Image source: ABC News website.
Improving access to mental health services
The Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) has welcomed the Final Report from the House Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and the recommendations to improve access to services for people in rural and remote Australia. The Committee recommended the Australian Government leverage the existing Australian Rural Health Education Network by providing funding for clinical placements in regional, rural and remote university clinics and using these clinics to trial multi-disciplinary, hybrid mental health hubs that integrate digital services and face to face services.
“For more than twenty years the University Departments of Rural Health have been training health students from a range of allied health disciplines such as nursing, occupational therapy, psychology and pharmacy to work in rural and remote locations. With appropriate additional resourcing our rurally-based university campuses would be well-placed to deliver on the Committee’s recommendation to trial mental health clinics and hubs which may offer a mix of digital and face to face services for people in rural and remote regions,” said Chair of ARHEN Christine Howard.
You can read the media release by ARHEN here.
You can view the Final Report here.
Aerial view of APY Lands community Amata. Photo: Carl Saville, ABC News. Image source: ABC News website.
Post-Lockdown support for Belconnen and Gungahlin mob
Lockdown has put a strain on households with the increase in electricty and heating usage and Yerrabi Yurwang are providing support of $100 towards utility bills for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families residing in Belconnen or Gungahlin areas.
Funds are limited and to be eligible for this support you must be:
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- be over 18 and
- live in the Belconnen or Gungahlin area
For more information, please contact Selina Walker at: info@yerrabi.org.au
You can download a flyer for the initiative here.
Please visit the Yerrabi Yurwang website to apply.
Image source: Yerrabi Yurwang website.
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.
