• World Congress on RHD
• Why the Voice is a health issue
• Homes for the future
• Understanding Dementia
• Honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners
• Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from the Echo in ACCHOs Program workshop in June 2023.

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News is platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.

World Congress on RHD

Yesterday, 7 August, on the National Day of Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners, NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey addressed the Acute Rhematic Fever (ARF) and Rhematic Heart Disease (RHD) research community ahead of the World Congress on Rheumatic Heart Disease. In her remarks, she reminded the research community that investing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners, is an essential part of the community-controlled sector’s response to ARF and RHD.

“We have stellar Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners leading the discussion, sharing solutions, and identifying common issues.

“This community of practice is a joy to watch,” said Dr Casey.

Read the full keynote address to the Australian pre-World Congress on RHD meeting here.

Why the Voice is a health issue

NACCHOs response to the pandemic has been recognised as an “extraordinary success story.” In the ABC Health Report, University of Western Australia’s Professor Fiona Stanley said it’s an example of what happens when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a voice.

“The Aboriginal Network of Health and other services worked across Australia to prevent the pandemic from having such a devastating effect on Aboriginal people as it did on other First Nations people everywhere else,” said Stanley.

“… All they need is to have that voice,” she said.

CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Donna Ah Chee said the need for the Voice is about establishing genuine, substantive, and continued representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the policy-making process.

“We know…from our own experience that if you give us a voice, we will make a positive change,” she said.

On the NT Aboriginal Health Forum Mrs Chee said, “It really laid the groundwork for many of our health improvements in the Northern Territory that we’ve seen since.

“We’ve seen in the Northern Territory life expectancy for Aboriginal men improved by 9 years from 1999 to 2018,” she said.

Listen to the ABC Health Report here.

Homes for the future

Local communities, doctors, architects, and tradespeople have teamed up to address the remote housing crisis in the NT. The project, titled Wilya Janta, translates to standing strong, and aims to create culturally safe and climate-appropriate housing for remote Aboriginal communities. Residents in remote public housing currently access electricity through a prepaid system which means power is automatically disconnected when credit runs out. Hoping to change that, Warumunga Elder Norman Frank Jupurrurla and NT doctor Simon Quilty first envisioned Wilya Janta more than three years ago.

“We’ve been talking about better houses for my people for a long time now.

“Houses that are made better for my climate, for my culture, and for my children,” Mr Jupurrurla said.

Wilya Janta designs include solar panels and improved insulation, with a desire to create housing that will not only accommodate the extremes of climate change but help reduce costs for residents.

The project is already taking shape with the process of securing land tenure and housing design currently under way. The next step is to secure funding.

Read more here.

Understanding Dementia

A new study will use yarning circles to examine the direct impact and awareness of dementia, sources of strength, and barriers to care from the perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in urban and remote communities. The PhD research Community, Country, and Cognition: A multi-jurisdictional assessment of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by Monash University’s Dr Antonia Clarke aims to enhance culturally safe clinical practice, education, and community-led dementia care.

“As a researcher, my goal is to contribute to our understanding of the early identification of factors that promote healthy brain ageing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the development of culturally responsive and community-led prevention and risk reduction programs,” Dr Clarke said.

Read more here.

Honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners

Yesterday, on the National Day of Recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners, ACCHOs took to social media to acknowledge the dedication of their staff to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

SWAMS Senior Aboriginal Health Professional, Salena Linforth-Milham reflected on her 16-year journey with the ACCHO, “I have been a receptionist, Health Information Officer and now a Registered Nurse. My passion has always been to help my people and my community our way,” she said.

In 2021, Ms Linforth-Milham became involved in an Aboriginal Brain Study, led by SWAMS and Derbarl Yerrigan. The study has been testing whether we can improve brain health by improving heart health.

“We hope the study findings will help us develop effective programs that can reduce rates of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” she said.

NACCHO would like to thank all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners for the wonderful work you do. Below are social media posts from ACCHOs to celebrate the day.

 

Sector Jobs

Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.

Advertising Jobs – to advertise a job vacancy click here to go to the NACCHO website current job listings webpage. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a Post A Job form. You can complete this form with your job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.