- First Nations population continues to grow
- Apunipima Men’s Health Summit success
- Save money on medicines, register for CTG scripts
- Get2it bowel cancer campaign launched
- Cherbourg rents frozen for 12 months
- Digital health to help youth with ear disease
- Indigenous EMCR Award date extended
- AACAP 25 years supporting mob
- New process for job advertising
Image in feature tile is of Census remote team member using tablet. Image source: ABS image library.
First Nations population continues to grow
The 2021 Census provides an updated snapshot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said today. The Census found that 812,728 people (3.2% of the population) identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, an increase of over 25% (25.2%) since 2016. Of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people counted, 91.4% identified as Aboriginal, 4.2% identified as Torres Strait Islander, and 4.4% identified as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
The Census also revealed growing numbers of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with over 47,000 (47,677) aged 65 years and over in 2021, up from 31,000 in 2016 and 21,000 in 2011. The median age for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people increased slightly to 24 years in 2021, up from 23 years in 2016 and 21 years in 2011.
To view the ABS media release 2021 Census finds Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older population continues to grow in full click here.
Apunipima Men’s Health Summit success
From Monday 13 to Friday 17 June, males from all over the Cape descended on Elim Beach Camp Ground near Hope Vale for a Men’s Health Summit hosted by Apunipima Cape York Health Council’s Social & Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) team. The event focused squarely on men’s health, with four nights of camping giving the men an opportunity to relax and connect with other men from across the Cape in a remote location free of many of the distractions of regular daily life.
The Summit was attended by men from Mapoon, Napranum, Aurukun, Mossman Gorge and Wujal Wujal. The theme for this year’s Summit was ‘Growing Together as Fathers, Providers and Protectors,’ with guest speakers, discussions and activities centred around men’s business and how to be the best men they can be for their families and for their communities.
The program was structured to present different topics to the men daily to promote conversation throughout the day and into the night. Some of the key themes to come out of the week were, looking after yourself, providing a safe place for men in community, talking about and sharing your problems and being good male role models for both your own kids and others in community.
MC for the week was one of FNQ’s funniest comedians, Sean Choolburra who kept everyone laughing throughout the week. Also speaking throughout the summit was BBM Cairns’ National TalkBlack radio host Trevor Tim, former NRL players Davin Crompton and Brenton Bowen and others including academics, motivational speakers and health industry professionals.
“Men’s health is a topic that often doesn’t get discussed, or gets pushed down the priorities list. We want to change that and hopefully some of the discussions that we’ve had this week will be the foundation for further progress in the men’s health space back in community,” said Summit Project Officer and local Traditional Owner Kurtis Gibson.
To view the Apunipima media release “Growing Together as Fathers, Providers & Protectors” – Apunipima Men’s Health Summit in full click here.
Apunipima Men’s Health Summit team and speakers.
Save money on medicines, register for CTG scripts
As of 1 July 2022, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must be registered correctly with Services Australia Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) to continue to claim benefits for their medicine scripts, through the Closing the Gap (CTG) Pharmacy Benefits Scheme (PBS) program.
Unfortunately, not all patients who previously received CTG prescriptions were transferred to the new database, resulting in some people paying more for their medicines.
Check with your local doctor or health service today, to help register you as soon as possible to avoid paying full price for medicines from 1 July.
Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO NACCHO said, “We welcome the reforms to the CTG PBS database but are concerned not all eligible patients have been correctly registered. Potentially thousands of patients may have to pay more for medicines on 1st of July, so please check your registration with your pharmacy and doctor now.”
For further information about the CTG PBS program click here.
The Department of Health reminder letter regarding the CTG PBS program can be found here.
Download this poster that you can put up at your services here and images for Facebook/Twitter here and Instagram here.
We urge you to share this information across all your networks.
Get2it bowel cancer campaign launched
The Cancer Council, leaders in cancer prevention and social marketing, has launched the Get2it campaign calling Aussies to screen their number 2s. The Get2it campaign is an integrated mass media drive in partnership with the Australian Government, encouraging all Australians aged 50-74 to Get2it and participate in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP) when they receive their free test in the mail.
The Get2it campaign, which is funded by the Australian Government, has been informed by extensive research undertaken by Cancer Council’s Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer (CBRC) which was designed to uncover why only four in ten (43.5%) Australians undertake the bowel screening test every two years. The mass media campaign includes a national media buy across TV, radio, digital and OOH, as well as PR.
In addition, the campaign will also target communities with increased risk of developing bowel cancer and increased barriers to participating in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communitie, and health care professionals including GPs.
To view the Mumbrella article Cancer Council launches Get2it bowel cancer campaign calling Aussies to screen their number 2s in full click here.
Cherbourg rents frozen for 12 months
Renters in Queensland’s largest Indigenous shire have had their rates frozen for a year as the council helps locals cope with the rising cost of living. The Aboriginal Shire of Cherbourg, a three-hour drive from Brisbane, is also facing a mass influx of former residents returning home in search of affordable and culturally-appropriate housing.
It is contributing to the housing crisis, with 200 people on a waiting list for a home in the town of about 1,200, according to the Cherbourg Aboriginal Council. Elder and past mayor Arnold Murray said there was a growing trend of young people wishing to return to the Cherbourg community from other south-east Queensland regions, including Ipswich, Brisbane and Logan. “They want to come home. This is their home and it’s too expensive out there,” he said.
To view the ABC News article Cherbourg Aboriginal Council freezes rents for 12 months to combat cost of living pressures in full click here.
Former Cherbourg mayor Arnold Murray says many people want to return to the town. Photo: Jenae Jenkins, ABC Wide Bay.
Digital health helps youth with ear disease
Thanks to funding from the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, Ear Science Institute Australia, in collaboration with Curtin University, will address child and youth mental health in WA.bThe partnership will leverage existing digital health technologies to target Aboriginal young people with ear disease and hearing loss to support their mental health and wellbeing.
Lead investigator, Professor Christopher Lawrence, Dean of Indigenous Engagement, Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin University, and proud Nyungar (Whadjuk and Ballardong) person, developed the mobile app #thismymob in 2016 when he was based at the University of Technology Sydney. This social and emotional digital health platform allows local communities to discuss and share information relevant to their mob. It is a local resource for important health information and advice.
To view the Curtin University article Digital health technologies to help Aboriginal young people with ear disease in full click here. The below NITV video dates from the first release of the This My Mob app in July 2018,
Indigenous EMCR Award date extended
The Women’s Health Research and Translation Network Indigenous (WHRTN) offers one-off financial support to facilitate career advancement and development for women working in women’s health research and translation.
The 2022 Indigenous Early and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Award is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in the early and mid-career stages of their careers in women’s health research. This Award aims to bolster the career development of women working across the breadth of women’s health research.
You can access further information and an application form here or on the WHRTN website here. You can also email Monash University directly using this email link.
EMCR Awards have been extended to Monday 18 July 2022.
AACAP – 25 years of supporting mob
This year the Australian Army is marking its 25th year of providing support to remote First Nations communities through the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programme (AACAP). AACAP is a joint initiative between Army and the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) which sees Army personnel deployed to a different remote community each year to work on projects that improve health, living and economic conditions specific to that community.
This year, AACAP will be hosted in Gapuwiyak and Baniyala in East Arnhem Land. Army personnel will live and work alongside the community for a five month period to deliver upgrades to infrastructure and services and provide health programs, vocational training and community-based engagement activities.
Among the community-requested projects, the Gapuwiyak community will benefit from a new culture and arts centre co-funded by the NT Government. Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Rick Burr, said Gapuwiyak and Baniyala will be the 48th and 49th communities to benefit from the program since it commenced in Bulla, NT, in 1997. AACAP capitalises on Army’s ability to deliver a range of services that would not normally be available in a single project.
To view the Australian Defence Magazine article AACAP begins 25th year in full click here.
Australian Army and community of Jigalong, WA welcome CO PNGDF Engineer Battalion and team to AACAP 2019. Image source: AACAP Twitter 26 July 2019.
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.
