- Australia’s new lung cancer screening program has chosen simplicity over equity, and we’re concerned
- The hidden harm of fluctuating ear disease in First Nations Children
- A welcome to babies
- Little footsteps big future! Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s day
- Sector Jobs
The NACCHO Sector News is a 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.
Australia’s new lung cancer screening program has chosen simplicity over equity, and we’re concerned
Australia’s lung cancer screening program launched on July 1, and marks real progress and opportunity.
It aims to reduce the number of people dying from lung cancer by offering regular low-dose CT scans to people who smoke, and those who have quit. The aim is to detect and treat cancer early before it has spread.
But the program’s design may further disadvantage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are disproportionately affected by lung cancer.
So Australia’s first new cancer screening program in almost 20 years risks entrenching health inequities rather than addressing them.
L-R: Shane Bradbrook, Tom Calma and Shannon best are among many guests at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Oct 2024. Source
The hidden harm of fluctuating ear disease in First Nations Children
Following NAIDOC Week 2025 (6–13 July), renewed attention is being drawn to the issue of preventable ear disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
New findings from Hearing Australia show that more than one in three (35 per cent) young First Nations children experience fluctuating ear disease, with 8 per cent living with persistent ear trouble.
These findings have prompted calls for a sustained, nationwide effort to improve early detection and treatment ensuring that children do not miss out on critical speech, learning and social development opportunities.
Middle ear infection, or otitis media, remains one of the most common health conditions affecting First Nations children in the early years, often without obvious symptoms. It can cause significant impacts on a child’s ability to hear, speak, and participate in early learning.
“It can often start in infancy without clear signs, which is why regular ear health checks are so important,” said Kirralee Cross, a Yorta Yorta woman and Partnership Specialist at Hearing Australia.
A welcome to babies
Dhelkaya’s Aboriginal Health Liaison team partnered with Mount Alexander Shire Council to bring a much-anticipated event to Castlemaine – the very first Welcome Baby to Country ceremony, held last Wednesday at the Botanic Gardens during NAIDOC Week.
The Maternal and Child Health staff, along with the Midwifery Group Practice staff, all contributed to this cultural welcoming.
Thanks to Uncle Rick and Aunty Kerri, a large number of local families brought their babies and toddlers along to be welcomed to country and community, and to be blessed with a spot of ochre on their foreheads.
L-R: Aysha Nelson and her two children with Uncle Rick Nelson at the Welcome Baby to Country ceremony. Photo: Penny Ryan
Little footsteps big future! Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s day
Join Winnunga’s “Connected Beginnings” team in celebrating our little ones with a day full of food, activities, and fun! Featuring Gugan Gulwan Troupe.
Monday 4th August 2025 – 11am – 2pm at Winnunga Community Room
Little footsteps big future! Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s day poster.
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.
