26 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Too many kids lost due to broken CP system

Content warning: This article contains reference to suicide. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

Ken Wyatt says Australia has “lost too many lives” of vulnerable kids because the child protection (CP) system is still focused on intervention rather than prevention. His comments come following the death to suicide of 10-year-old Aboriginal boy in State care 12 April 2024. “My immediate reaction is, another life lost,” said Mr Wyatt, the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to Federal Parliament’s House of Representatives. “An opportunity to turn the circumstances around and give a child a better pathway has been lost once again.”

Mr Wyatt, said governments cannot expect to close the gap if it does not invest in prevention to stop the cycle of children in care. “We need to be focusing on prevention instead of intervention, instead of putting a Band-Aid on (the issue) afterwards,” the Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi man said. “This is a repetitive pattern across the nation.” There were about 56,900 children aged under 18 in out-of-home care across Australia during 2020–21. About 19,500 of those — or one in three — were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. In WA, about three in five children in out-of-home care are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Governments have committed to reducing the rate of Indigenous over-representation in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031. But Productivity Commission data shows that rate is actually increasing. “The Government has to make commitments. Governments have committed to a strategy, and they have to focus on those targets and deliver on those targets,” Mr Wyatt said.

To view The Nightly article Ex-Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt says too many kids lost because of broken child protection system in full click here.

Ken Wyatt in navy suit with Perth city in background

Ken Wyatt says we’ve lost “too many” vulnerable children. Photo: Iain Gillespie, The West Australian. Image source: The Nightly.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au/forums

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Soap Aid is saving children’s lives

An initiative to clean and reuse soap bars from Australian hotels is saving the lives of 1,000sof children around the world. It was on a flight that Hunter Amenities, Managing Director Michael Matulick came up with the idea for Soap Aid. During the trip, he was discussing with an epidemiologist how the accommodation industry discarded five million soap bars per year, and at the same time, 1.5 million children were dying per year from hygiene-related illnesses. By the end of the flight, the idea for Soap Aid was born.

Its mission was to save children’s lives – and help the environment – by collecting soap bars from hotels (many only used once with logos still visible), and recycling them into new soap for distribution to vulnerable communities. Thirteen years later there are now 270 hotels involved. Matulick says Soap Aid has distributed more than three million recycled soap bars to vulnerable communities in Australia, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and NZ.

Here in Australia, Soap Aid has supplied soap to the Trachoma Control Program, an initiative of the WA Country Health Service that aims to improve the health of Indigenous communities and reduce incidences of the painful condition called trachomatous trichiasis — which eventually causes blindness. Matulick said “The impact on the environment is enormous, as 300 tonnes of soap have been diverted from landfill, saving more than 435 tonnes of CO2e from entering the earth’s atmosphere.” But, he says, we have a long way to go.

To view the KarryOn article Soap Aid: The sustainable initiative supported by luxury hotels that is saving the lives of thousands of children in full click here.

child's hand holding out bar of soap with words Soap Aid

Image source: KarryOn.

Creating healthier societies in a a time of polycrisis

As the world grapples with the interlinked public health crises of climate disruption, environmental breakdown, conflict and wars, rising inequalities, fragmentation of societies, undermining of social cohesion and democracies, harmful corporate power, and a dangerous, unstable news and information ecosystem, the University of Adelaide recently hosted a timely public event. Healthier Societies: laying the pathway for change was the title of a lecture by Professor Ilona Kickbusch, an internationally renowned public health and health promotion expert, and a former South Australian Thinker in Residence.

New approaches to societal structures, systems and health economics are critical for creating healthier societies, according to world-leading public health expert Professor Ilona Kickbusch. “We still carry with us these old societal structures that are counter to equity and wellbeing,” Kickbusch told an audience at the University of Adelaide on Kaurna Country last week. She said initiatives like SA’s Voice to Parliament “could be a wonderful example” of addressing the impact from old societal structures on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Opening the event, Marina Bowshall, interim Chief Executive of the newly established Preventative Health SA (formerly Wellbeing SA) reminded the audience of Kickbusch’s innovative and forward-thinking approaches to health and wellbeing. As a Thinker in Residence in SA in 2007, she examined “strategies to improve wellbeing among our citizens” and helped formulate a Health in all Policies approach, available here, said Bowshall. Through Preventive Health SA, Bowshall said the SA Government is “strengthening its commitment to building the wellbeing and resilience and health of our community” by prioritising prevention of ill health. However, it will be important to implement evidence-based responses that not only address health risk factors, but also the determinants of health, Bowshall added. “Complex challenges require complex system level responses with multiple strategies,” she said.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Creating healthier societies in a time of polycrisis, what does it take? in full click here.

graphic tile with text 'Frist Nations Voice to SA Parliament' in lights against night sky

Image source: SA Attorney-General’s Department website.

Relief for flood-stranded Yarralin community

The federal and NT governments have been collaborating to support food security in the remote NT community of Yarralin, covering the cost of a number of flights carrying food and other essentials to the local store. Around 300 Yarralin locals have been isolated for weeks after flooding destroyed highways and prevented access to road transport. Visiting Yarralin on Wednesday (24 April 2024), Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the Commonwealth’s $50,000 package is contributing to flights into Yarralin and providing much-needed relief to the community. The funding was provided to Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation, the First Nations organisation that operates the Yarralin store, to ensure it remains stocked while roads remain closed.

The community has relied on charter flights to restock shelves and fridges since the road into Yarralin became impassable in March as a result of flooding in the Victoria Daly region. The federal government continues to work closely with NT authorities to help the community access fresh and shelf-stable food as it recovers from what has been a devastating wet season. Further support is being provided by the Commonwealth Government to the community of Yarralin through the School Nutrition Program (SNP), which aims to improve student’s health, attendance and learning outcomes in schools.

A $30,000 funding boost has been provided to One Tree Community Services to continue its delivery of the SNP in the aftermath of flooding to fund additional food supply and transportation costs. This builds on the 5 year $554,400 funding package for One Tree Community Service’s School Nutrition Program in Yarralin. Senator McCarthy said affordable and reliable food is a basic necessity, “yet First Nations people living in remote communities are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to food and other essential supplies”. “As we have seen across the country, extreme weather can isolate remote communities such as Yarralin from critical supplies and the Commonwealth government is committed to supporting essential services in providing affordable, accessible and healthy food to these communities,” she said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Relief arrives for flood-stranded Yarralin community in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy with group adults & kids at Yarralin School

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy at Yarralin School on Wednesday (24 April 2024): Image source: National Indigenous Times.

New stillbirth resource ‘Jiba Pepeny’

Content warning: This article contains reference to stillbirth and miscarriage. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence has published a new resource ‘Jiba Pepeny’ (Star Baby) to support mothers, fathers, partners and families on their Sorry Business journey after losing a little Bub. This is a distressing and confusing time in families’ lives.

Sadly, we know Aboriginal people have higher rates of stillbirth than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence and its partners identified that there is little availability of culturally supportive, responsive and safe services and resources that are directly related to stillbirth and caring for families during this time.

This resource was made by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people to support them through this difficult period so they can feel strong in the decisions they are making for themselves and Bub.

The Stillbirth CRE would like to acknowledge and thank the artists,  ergaia and Wamba Wamba women Skye Stewart and Wergaia and Gormanjanyuk woman Annie Joy, for the original artworks and illustrations included in Jiba Pepeny: Star Baby.

To view the Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) – Supporting your journey after losing Bub booklet click here.

cover of booklet text 'Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) - Supporting your journey after losing Bub

Cover of the Jiba Pepeny resource booklet.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support:

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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.

Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day – 26 April 2024

Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day, which is observed every last Friday in April, and April 26 this year, is aimed at raising awareness of undiagnosed genetic diseases present in children. Each year, it is estimated that approximately 2,500 children in Australia are born with a syndrome without a name, a genetic disorder so uncommon that it is likely to go misdiagnosed. Children who aren’t diagnosed end up having a lot of medical appointments, and tests carried out, leaving their parents concerned that they won’t get the help that they need. Around 7,000 defined rare diseases and several others often remain undiagnosed.

You can access more information about Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day on the National Today website here.

You can also find information about Australia’s  primary support group for undiagnosed children – Syndromes Without A Name (SWAN) here. SWAN is a community of unique children and their families, providing information, support, connection and systemic advocacy for families caring for a child with an undiagnosed or rare genetic condition.

tile text 'I Support Undiagnosed Children's Day 26 April 2024' - graphics of young children with disability

Image source: Genetic Alliance UK website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

24 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Colonial thought a barrier to listening

Indigenous peoples comprise about 5% of the world’s population, care for 20% of the planet’s lands, and 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. This heavy lifting for the world (human life depends on biodiversity) is achieved despite imposition of some of the worst social and health inequities. It’s time to listen to the wisdom of Indigenous peoples and forge a sustainable future for our children.

Colonisation has been a planetary catastrophe. The history of ruthless violence to obtain resources and land while destroying, assimilating, and replacing original peoples is often poorly understood. A particular fallacy is that colonialism is a thing of the past. However, in the present, colonisation continues to drive significant inequities, overconsumption, and unfeasible resource extraction to the point of peril for all humans.

Those of us living in colonised countries are culturally immersed in colonialism. We tend to have problematic colonial thought processes, often without even knowing or understanding that these exist. So, if you think you have no colonial thoughts, then think again. Problematic colonial thoughts such as those listed below are very ingrained.

  • Western knowledge is superior to Indigenous knowledge
  • non-Indigenous ownership or governance over Indigenous knowledge is acceptable
  • devaluing elders and young ones
  • patriarchy
  • disconnection from Country and the non-human world
  • wealth hoarding
  • power, control and decision-making over Indigenous peoples’ lives
  • believing Indigenous inequity is caused by Indigenous peoples and not society
  • seeing equity initiatives as gifts to Indigenous peoples rather than rights
  • homogenising Indigenous peoples
  • erasure and changing definitions of who Indigenous peoples are
  • normalising policies and structures that provide inequities

To view the Monash University LENS article It’s time to listen to Indigenous peoples’ knowledge – but how do you do that? in full click here.

hands making a kangaroo medicine band about connecting to Country

Making a kangaroo medicine band about connecting to Country. Image source: Monash University LENS.

Drones to improve rural healthcare access

A specialised medical drone which increases accessibility to essential health services such as pathology, treatments and telehealth services in rural and remote regions of Australia is under development at the University of Sydney. The  drone is being designed to enable early detection, prevention, and treatment of health conditions common in rural and remote regions of Australia, such as sepsis, and to actively contribute to addressing the health inequities for some of Australia’s most vulnerable and isolated communities.

Huge areas of Australia do not have easy access to medical care. Current technology doesn’t allow drones to cover the required distances while being sustainable. People living in regional and rural areas face unique challenges due to their geographical location and often have poorer health outcomes than people living in metropolitan areas, with higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, injury, and poorer access to primary health services. Rural and remote areas have double the number of preventable hospitalisations and two-and-a-half times more potentially avoidable deaths compared to metropolitan areas.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the National Indigenous Australians Agency(NIAA), First Nations Australians make up 32% of the population of rural and remote areas and have lower life expectancies, a high burden of disease, poorer self-reported health and a higher likelihood of being hospitalised than non-Indigenous Australians.

To view the Healthcare Channel article Hydrogen-powered medical drones to improve rural healthcare access in full click here.

aerial view of very remote Aboriginal Community Finke, NT

Aboriginal Community Finke, NT. Image source: Healthcare Channel.

LGBTQ+ health service inspired by ACCHOs

ACON, a NSW-based health promotion organisation focused on LGBTQ+ and HIV health, is opening a new health centre in South Eveleigh later this year. Called Kaleido Health, the service is claimed to be the first of its kind to provide integrated and multidisciplinary care for sexuality and gender diverse people across the state. The NSW Government has provided $4.2m in funding for the development of Kaleido Health as part of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022–2027.

ACON has been working towards the establishment of a dedicated LGBTQ+ health service since 2016 and its opening in spring 2024 marks a significant step forward. “The centre will deliver integrated care that is designed with the health needs of sexuality and gender diverse communities in central focus. LGBTQ+ people will be able to access a wide range of health services in a space that is for them, run by community, for community,” said ACON Deputy CEO and Kaleido Health Project Lead Karen Price.

“We’ve also taken inspiration from community-controlled health services operating in areas such as Aboriginal health and women’s health, and learned from service models that have been operating in the USA for over 50 years. Importantly, we’ve applied our relationships and knowledge of the NSW health system and our own experience in health service provision,” Price said. The centre will provide a range of primary care and specialist health services including general practice, sexual health services, mental health support, gender-affirming health care, drug and alcohol interventions, cancer screening services and more.

To view the Hospital and Healthcare article Specialised LGBTQ+ health service to open in NSW in full click here.

tile with coloured ribbons in top right corner; hand with yellow paint, purple circle; text 'NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027, Health outcomes that matter to LGBTIQ+ people'; NSW Government logo

Image: NSW Health.

Upcoming flu season could be worse than 2023

NSW residents are being urged to protect themselves against serious illness as cases of influenza spike. The latest respiratory surveillance report has revealed more than 4,700 people across the state have been diagnosed with the flu over the past four weeks, a 16% increase compared with this time last year. NSW hospitals have also had 480 admissions of people with influenza-like illness between January 6 and April 2024. The upcoming flu season is predicted to be just as bad, or worse, than 2023, with one-in three people tipped to get a cold or influenza.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said more young children were admitted to intensive care with life-threatening complications from the flu in 2023. There are particular worries for those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness, such as children aged between six months and five years, 65-year-olds and over, Aboriginal people from six months of age, pregnant women, and anyone with serious health conditions.

These vulnerable people are eligible for a free flu vaccine from their local GP or pharmacist.

To view the Bunbury Herald article NSW residents urged to get vaccinated ahead of worrying flu season in full click here.

young man receiving a vax

Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Aboriginal woman make CDU history

Teegan Wattam has created Charles Darwin University (CDU) history by becoming the first First Nations graduate to receive a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Speech and Language Therapy double degree. Originally from the NT, Ms Wattam commenced her tertiary healthcare education in Sydney however when CDU offered places for a double degree in health science and speech pathology, the proud Larrakia and Wadjigan woman jumped at the chance to return home and be part of the first cohort of the course.

“I chose to study at CDU because it’s close to home. I’m a Territory girl born and raised,” Ms Wattam said. “The biggest factor for me growing up was that there weren’t always the opportunities to study here. And most often than not, you had to leave home to access those opportunities. So having CDU open up this course, and being in the first cohort to graduate, was a really big thing for me.”

Set to graduate alongside hundreds of fellow students CDU’s Casuarina campus this week, Ms Wattam said she is eager to address healthcare challenges in the NT, particularly in helping Territorians who have speech and swallowing difficulties to communicate and manage their conditions effectively. “I think there’s such a shortage of allied health professionals up here, and because of that there are long wait lists, which is probably the biggest impact as well, that we have a really high turnover of staff,” she said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article ‘Territory girl born and raised’ makes history at Charles Darwin University in full click here.

Charles Darwin University graduate Teegan Wattam in garden wearing graduation gown & mortar

Charles Darwin University graduate Teegan Wattam is the first First Nations student to receive a Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech and Language Therapy. Photo: CDU. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

 

 

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.

World Immunisation Week – 24–30 April 2024 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) website says the global vaccine drives of the second half of the 20th century are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Immunisation campaigns have enabled us to eradicate smallpox, nearly defeat polio, and ensure more children survive and thrive than ever before. This year World Immunisation Week will celebrate 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) – recognizing our collective efforts to save and improve countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and calling on countries to ramp up investments in immunisation programs to protect the next generations.

At its inception in 1974, the EPI focused on protecting all children against 6 childhood illnesses, but today, this number has grown to 13 universally recommended vaccines across the lifecourse, and 17 additional vaccines with context dependent recommendations. With the expansion of vaccination program across the life course we now call it the Essential Programme on Immunization.

In the last few years during the pandemic, progress on immunisation slipped. While more than 4 million more children were vaccinated globally in 2022 compared to 2021, there were still 20 million children who missed out on one or more of their vaccines. Growing conflicts, economic downturns, and a rise in vaccine hesitancy are some of the threats to efforts to reach these children. As a result, the world is seeing sudden outbreaks of diphtheria and measles diseases that, until now, we’d had nearly in hand. While global vaccine coverage is good – with 4 out of 5 kids fully covered – we have more to do.

We can make it possible for everyone to benefit from the life-saving power of vaccines.

You can find more information about World Immunisation Week 2024 on the WHO website here.

tile with graphic globe - virus at bottom, needle at top, people walking across the top of the globe; text 'World Immunisation Week 24-30'

Image source: PACE Hospitals website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

22 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Overcrowding under scrutiny amid flu outbreak

A flu outbreak in the Far North Qld Indigenous community of Yarrabah has put the issue of housing in the spotlight. Grandmother Cheryl Flanders is still recovering from a debilitating case of the flu. The Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti and Bundjalung woman says she lived with the virus for three weeks. “I couldn’t move. Every bone, every joint in my body was aching. I really suffered.” She suspects she contracted the virus from one of her three grandchildren, who are all living in the same home.

At the town’s ACCHO, Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service (GYHS), staff have seen a significant spike in people presenting with flu-like symptoms. GYHS CEO Suzanne Andrews said, “Every year, this time of year around flu time, we do have a high uptake of mob getting the flu. We’re asking people now that we have vaccines, come and get vaccinated so you can fight flu like symptoms. It’s a big social issue particularly in Yarrabah where there is overcrowding that does make you more susceptible to getting the flu.”

It’s put a renewed focus on housing. While Yarrabah’s population according to the census is just over 2,500, health authorities estimate that figure is closer to 4,500. Community leaders like Father Leslie Baird say it’s not uncommon for multiple families to live in one dwelling. “If any outbreaks happen in the community, then the whole community is at a higher risk than what Cairns or Gordon Vale or any other place would be, because of the housing problems we have here. We have a need for at least 300 new homes, there’s only 400 homes for a community of 4,000 people.” 

Father Baird says overcrowding has been an issue in Yarrabah for years. “If the housing problem is not fully addressed, then we will always be at higher risk than any other place in Australia. The government needs to begin to listen because we have the Yarrabah leaders forum which is our voice for the community which speaks to state and federal government.”

To listen to the SBS News First Nations First podcast episode Overcrowded housing under scrutiny amid influenza outbreak or read the transcript in full click here.

SBS News First Nations First podcast banner, text 'Overcrowded housing under scrutiny amid influenza outbreak'

Image source: SBS News.

Maari Ma opens ‘holistic’ health centre

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) has praised the opening of another purpose-built wellness and health facility to service a small Indigenous community of Wilcannia. Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation chair Des Jones officially opened Wilcannia’s new Health and Wellbeing Centre on the banks of the Barka (Darling) River on Thursday, a project that took 11 months to complete and has been operational for three months.

Mr Jones said “To have a community-controlled, functional, purpose-built health service here is something that Maari Ma has been striving to achieve for a long time.” Mr Jones stressed a good health service for First Nations people was more than just good bricks and mortar. “It’s a holistic concept that includes the delivery of a culturally-appropriate health service, providing respect for people and respect for cultural and spiritual wellbeing,” he said. That holistic concept is being delivered here, thanks to the architects and the builder, the services that Maari Ma is providing and the staff who are here for our community.”

The wellness centre will provide GP services, chronic disease management, child and family health – including antenatal and immunisation – as well as several mental health and social services, a healing program, dietician and take visiting medical specialists such as paediatricians, endocrinologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, optometrists, ophthalmologist, psychiatrists and obstetricians. Maari Ma’s child dental service would continue at the old hospital.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Maari Ma opens ‘holistic’ health centre in Wilcannia in full click here.

ILSC board director Roy Ah-See and corporate executive director David Silcock at the opening of the new health centre

ILSC board director Roy Ah-See and corporate executive director David Silcock at the opening of the new health centre. Photo: ILSC. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

 

Awesome STI resources for mob

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has released a range of awesome resources on sexually transmissible infections (STIs):

STIs with Aaron and Tawhio – True or Gammon – 5 minute video

Aaron Fa’aoso sits down with deadly Aboriginal health practitioner, Tawhio from Tennant Creek, NT. In ‘True or Gammon’ style, they answer all your burning questions about STIs, available here.

STIs with Janty and Jecinta – True or Gammon – 6 minute video

Deadly comedian Janty Blair yarns with Aboriginal health practitioner, Jecinta from Darwin, NT. In ‘True or Gammon’ style, they shed light on some myths about STIs, available here.

Got burning questions about STIs with Janty – True or Gammon – Poster 1

True or Gammon poster encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to talk with a health worker about getting tested, available here.

Safe sex a prickly subject? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Got the kind of crabs that aren’t good for eating? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Got a slippery question about what’s on your budoo? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Got burning questions about STIs? – Green – True or Gammon – Poster 4

True or Gammon poster encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to talk with a health worker about getting tested, available here.

A rash down below got you in a flap? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Too Deadly for Diabetes program to go national

A home-grown program for helping patients with Type 2 diabetes will soon inform nationwide policy after years of success in small-town communities. The health and lifestyle program Too Deadly for Diabetes (TDFD) was developed by Gomeroi man Ray Kelly with the hopes of reversing diabetes in local Indigenous communities. “Our participants are seeing improvements in their blood sugar and blood pressure within days,” Mr Kelly said. “It also has a great flow on effect for the community, with the participants’ family and friends being inspired along with the health care professionals providing the program.”

Operated primarily through local Aboriginal Medical Services, TDFD has been making waves since its inception in back in 2017. Having a culturally-informed approach to tackling the disease is essential, as Indigenous Australians suffer higher rates of diabetes as well as a higher rate of hospitalisation and death from diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians.

The 10-week program focuses on sustainable weight loss, healthy eating, and physical activity; key components in managing and preventing Type 2 diabetes. “Across NSW we’ve worked with 16 communities so far and they’ve lost more than 5800 kilos in total,” Mr Kelly said, After catching the attention of the NSW government, Mr Kelly’s program received a significant funding boost in August 2023, enabling its expansion into more communities across the state, including Tamworth and Werris Creek.

The above is an extract from the article Home-grown health program goes national to tackle diabetes crisis published in The Northern Daily Leader earlier today (22 April 2024).

You can find more information about the TDFD program on the TDFD website here.

NSW Regional Health Minister & Too Deadly for Diabetes program director Ray Kelly outside TAMS

NSW Regional Health Minister Ryan Park and Too Deadly for Diabetes program director Ray Kelly outside the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service. Picture supplied by the office of Hon Ryan Park MP. Image source: The Northern Daily Leader.

Program helps young men get life back on track

When Jahdai Vigona and Danté Rodrigues were heading down the wrong path after high school, they had two options: keep going or make a change. They chose the latter, and ever since they have been working tirelessly to improve the mental and physical health of Indigenous men in their community.

The two cousins, who are are both proud Tiwi Islands men, say that with the help of mentors, family members and positive role models, they were able to turn things around for themselves, and hope to do the same for others. “Jahdai and I grew up around a lot of things like domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and crime and for a while we were even going off on our own wrong path,” Danté says. “I’m only 22 and I’ve lost more friends and family than I can count,” Jahdai adds. “I’ve attended more funerals than weddings in my lifetime. That’s just the harsh reality for someone like me coming from the NT.”

Jahdai and Danté decided to take matters into their own hands — or boxing gloves. “How can you expect someone to be a good person, if you don’t teach them how to be,” Danté says. “We are lucky that we had a lot of positive role models to help us, but for a lot of people in the NT, Indigenous or not, they just don’t have that support.” With their One Percent program, they try to help young Indigenous men in the NT become better versions of themselves day by day, 1% at a time.

To view the ABC News article How two cousins from the NT formed the One Percent Program to help young men get their lives back on track in full click here.

Founders of the One Percent Program Jahdai and Danté sitting on concrete steps outside a building

Jahdai and Danté have used their own personal experiences and backgrounds to develop the program. Photo: Leah White, ABC News.

Commonwealth supports justice reinvestment initiatives

Ten justice reinvestment programs have secured support through the federal government’s First Nations justice package. Announced last Friday (19 April 2024) the community-led initiatives follow nine initial grants delivered under the package in February. They form part of the federal government’s $109m First Nations justice package, with $79m allocated to support up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives in First Nations communities across Australia. The investment marks the largest commitment to justice reinvestment ever delivered by the Commonwealth.

Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said the initiative will deliver place-based projects to improve lives, support safer communities and help to close the gap.”Justice Reinvestment is all about putting First Nations communities front and centre when it comes to preventing contact with the criminal justice system,” Ms Burney said. “Communities can work together with local police, organisations, education and health services and local government to drive local solutions.”

Justice reinvestment is a long-term, community-led approach to preventing crime, improving community safety and reducing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and children in custody. Following assessment by an independent panel, ten community-led justice reinvestment initiatives have been selected across the NT, Qld, SA, WA and NSW. Applications for funding under the federal government’s justice reinvestment programs remain open year-round, with communities encouraged to apply via the GRANTS.GOV website here when they are ready to do so.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Community-led justice reinvestment initiatives secure commonwealth support in full click here.

Linda Burney portrait shot

Linda Burney said projects announced under the federal government’s justice reinvestment initiative will deliver place-based projects to improve lives, support safer communities and help to close the gap. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

19 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Enduring inequities in breast cancer care

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) today joined an international call to raise the standard of breast cancer care and close gaps that exist between and within countries – including in Australia. Earlier this week he new Lancet Commission on Breast Cancer released findings and recommendations on improving breast cancer care globally. Globally, breast cancer is the most common cancer and by 2040, the incidence of new breast cancers is predicted to be more than 3 million per year.

BCNA’s Director of Policy, Advocacy & Support Services Vicki Durston welcomed this landmark report. “While advances have been made in breast cancer, there remain significant inequities including access to care and treatment among disadvantaged groups, financial toxicity, and a lack of comprehensive cancer data to inform global policy development,” Ms Durston said.

“Although the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is high in Australia, there are still significant equity of access issues, particularly for those with metastatic breast cancer, and people from priority populations including First Nations, LGBTIQ+, CALD and rural and remotes communities.”

You can read the BCNA’s article BCNA joins international call to challenge enduring inequities in breast cancer care here and access the Lancet Commission report in full here.

Learning from 50 years of alcohol programs

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led initiatives to reduce alcohol harms are profiled in a new book that privileges, prioritises and amplifies First Nations voices. Nicole Hewlett, a Palawa woman and co-author with Peter d’Abbs of Learning from 50 Years of Aboriginal Alcohol Program, available here, says their book showcases “the solution-focused, strengths-based and resilient spirit of our people, despite the challenging realities we live in”.

The story of this book began with Peter d’Abbs, a non-Indigenous researcher. Over the past 50 years, d’Abbs witnessed the cycles, patterns and changes of government. He has firsthand accounts of how and why alcohol policy and programs were decided upon. Most importantly, he understood that the knowledge of those with lived experiences of the impact of such policies and programs.

The evidence that has informed government policy decisions such as the 2007 Intervention in the NT had unilaterally imposed a blanket ban on alcohol on all Aboriginal land in the NT has almost always not included the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who become pawns in a game to win the white middle-class vote. Despite this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have continued to stand up and get on with supporting our communities.

To view the Croakey Health Media article “This book provides a gift of knowing, of truth and of hope” in full click here.

co-authors Nicole Hewlett & Peter d'Abbs holding book

Co-authors Nicole Hewlett and Peter d’Abbs at a recent roundtable meeting in Parliament House. Photoe: Mel Hill Photography & FARE. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Injuries: leading cause of disability and death for kids

Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can be unintentional (falls, road crashes, drowning, burns) or intentional (self harm, violence, assault). The type, place and cause of injury differs by age, developmental stage and sex. Injury also differs by socioeconomic status and place of residence. Injuries are predictable, preventable events, and understanding where and how they occur is essential to inform prevention efforts.

A new report, available here, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released yesterday, tells us injury patterns differ between boys and girls and the causes of injury in children change as they progress through different stages of development. The Australian government has drafted a new National Injury Prevention Strategy, available here, which is expected to be released later in 2024. This will provide clear guidance for all levels of government and others on prevention strategies and investment needed.

In the meantime, better injury surveillance data is sorely needed to better identify the cause of injuries (such as family violence, alcohol and other drug misuse, intentional self-harm or consumer product-related injuries), and to identify where injuries took place (home, school, shopping centre, and so on). There is also insufficient attention paid to priority populations, including people of low socioeconomic status, those in rural and remote areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To view The Conversation article Falls, fractures and self-harm: 4 charts on how kids’ injury risk changes over time and differs for boys and girls in full click here.

young Aboriginal child on climbing rope structure in a playground

Image source: The Telethon Kids Institute website.

Wide ranging health benefits for mob of clean energy

Onsite renewables, such as solar farms, will help improve health outcomes for Indigenous communities by increasing energy security and lowering costs, according to submissions to a Federal Government consultation. Submissions informing development of a First Nations Clean Energy Strategy say replacing polluting, expensive diesel generators would allow for the continued operation of essential health equipment. A more reliable energy supply would also help improve online access to health resources.

The importance of improved housing for Indigenous communities in a warming climate is also highlighted in submissions to a consultation by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). While Australia’s transition to clean energy could bring important health benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, submissions stress that achieving these outcomes will require greater autonomy and decision-making in designing solutions, particularly when it comes to housing policy.

In its submission, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) noted that the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was undermined by many economic and social determinants of health and wellbeing. It said the climate crisis would result in “more respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the prevalence and geographic distribution of food and water-borne diseases, implications for food and water security, changes in the prevalence of infectious diseases, and potential impacts on the mental health of First Nations people”.

To view the Croakey Health News article National consultation highlights wide-ranging health benefits for First Nations communities from clean energy in full click here.

The image below is from an article How climate change is turning remote Indigenous houses into dangerous hot boxes, available here, published in The Conversation on 17 June 2022.

exterior view of poorly insulated house Yuendumu, NT

A poorly insulated home in Yuendumu, NT. Photo: Dr Simon Quilty. Image source: The Conversation.

Integrated health helping 2 year-old Carter hear

For the first two years of his life, everything was a little quiet for Carter Ah Chee-Maytum. Mum Yolandi Ah Chee said she quickly realised her baby was suffering from hearing loss — and behavioural issues like scratching, fights with his sister, yelling and the inability to understand people were rife. “He was a very angry little boy, because he just couldn’t hear anything for the first two years of his life,” she said. Faced with an 18-month waitlist and thousands of dollars in medical bills at a private doctor, Ms Ah Chee said it was a struggle to access medical intervention.

For the first time, Telethon will now fund a services coordinator and full-time speech pathology service for the super clinic. Ear, nose and throat surgeon Francis Lannigan said chronic ear disease was considered by UN agency the World Health Organisation as a marker of public health — and Australia was leading the world in its disease rates. “When you reach above the level of about 4% it’s considered to be a public health crisis,” he said. “In remote communities, up to 70% of Aboriginal children have chronic ear disease.”

Dr Lannigan said more needed to be done to address the healthcare disparities — including addressing the disease rates in Government commitments like Closing the Gap. “I’d like to see a cohort of First Nations children arrive at kindergarten with normal speech and language,” he said. “I cannot understand why it isn’t a bigger focus of the Closing the Gap program.”

To view The West Australian article Telethon: Cockburn Integrated Health helping kids like 2yo Carter to hear his mum in full click here.

Yolandi Ah Chee with 2 year-old son Carter

Yolandi Ah Chee said she notice early on that Carter was impacted by hearing loss. Photo: Kelsey Reid, The West Australian.

Investment in culturally relevant vocational training

The Victorian government has announced more culturally relevant training for First Nations people through continued investment in the vocational educational and training sector. More than $6m in funding was announced at the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative farm in Mooroopna for nine projects to help expand skills and training pathways for Indigenous people in the state.

Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney also visited Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association to launch Koorie Education in Learn Locals: Best Practice and Protocols. This is a practical tool helping Learn Locals – over 200 of which operate across the state, offering courses in maths, literacy and workplace skills to help find work or pursue study – better meet the needs of Koorie learners and communities. The new protocols for Learn Locals offer guidance on building relationships with local Koorie communities as well as making sure the learning communities are culturally safe.

The Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI) president Geraldine Atkinson said: “We are very pleased to see the Koorie Protocols and Principles launched today and shortly distributed to every Learn Local in Victoria. It’s an important step in ensuring Aboriginal learners are welcomed and encouraged to succeed in community adult education.”

You can access more information on Learn Locals here and view the National Indigenous Times article More investment for culturally relevant vocational training in Victoria in full click here.

VAEAI President Geraldine Atkinson

VAEAI President Geraldine Atkinson. Photo: James Ros, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

17 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Health professionals call for mob to get flu vax

With the onset of flu season, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) is calling on all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The influenza vaccine is available and free at clinics now and with the flu particularly serious for First Nations people, the IUIH are urging all people to visit a health professional as soon as possible.

Community Liaison Officer Uncle Billy Gorham said he regularly addressed misconceptions about the vaccine from community members. “I hear all sorts of things about the flu. Some people think they’re young and healthy, or they take vitamin C, so they’ll be ok; that the flu isn’t bad,” he said. “I always say they should yarn with their GP or someone at their local clinic, it’s important they know what’s true and how they can look after themselves and our Mob.”

Mr Gorham said he has already taken his flu shot, because he didn’t want to get sick so he could protect his family. “We all live with people we care about, we don’t want to bring home the flu and make everyone sick. Even if you think you’re OK, think about those Mob you care about,” he said. IUIH Public Health Physician, Dr Jacqueline Murdoch, said First Nations people are at a higher risk of serious illness from the flu, which includes elevating the risk of heart attacks, stroke and pneumonia.

To view National Indigenous Times article Health professionals urge Indigenous people to get the flu vaccine in full click here.

tile graphic hand with word 'flu' text" 'don't take the risk, this season get the flu vaccine'

Image source: Victoria Harbour Medical Centre website.

Alice Springs kids failed by system

In Alice Springs Aboriginal Elders are crying out to be heard – and say, unless, the voices of the community are listened to, the cycle of over-policing and crime is doomed to be repeated. Arrernte man William Tilmouth, the founding chair of Children’s Ground, an Aboriginal organisation that focuses on prevention, early intervention and empowerment rather than crisis and deficit says Aboriginal people are the most policed people in the world and also subjected to the greatest injustice, racism and oppression. “We have a history of over-incarceration of our people and over-representation in the criminal justice system,” he said. “The damage that this does and how this response perpetuates trauma in our families and in our culture.”

Youth in Alice Springs have been under a night time curfew for weeks since violence broke out after a funeral. The curfew lifted yesterday (Tuesday 15 April 2024), coinciding with school going back. Children’s Ground wants to see comprehensive government investment into learning, health, culture and wellbeing and says policies that promote punitive measures will see history repeat. “This is a created condition from generations of neglect,” Mr Tilmouth said.

“Anyone walking into any community or town camp or homeland will be struck by the abject lack of community facilities, infrastructure, resources and opportunities and the devastating overcrowding. Our children and young people have been failed by the system and that must be addressed now,” Mr Tilmouth continued. The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council, an Anangu-led organisation that delivers heath, social and cultural services in Central Australia, says young people deserve the best possible chances in life.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Children failed by the system, say First Nations groups in full click here.

ATSI children skate park Alice Springs at night

Indigenous leaders want to see early intervention and prevention instead of over policing. Photo: Mick Tsikas, AAP Photos. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Health Care Homes program study results

The results of a study to assess the impact of the Health Care Homes (HCH) primary health care initiative on quality of care and patient outcomes was published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) earlier this week.

Practice registration for the HCH trial included 227 practices (165 of which ultimately enrolled patients), including 32 Aboriginal Medical Services and ACCHOs, in 10 primary health networks following expressions of interest in late 2016 (Adelaide, Country SA, South Eastern Melbourne, Brisbane North, Hunter New England and Central Coast, Nepean Blue Mountains, Western Sydney, NT, Perth North, and Tasmania) — and the enrolment of patients of any age who attended participating HCH practices commenced on 1 October 2017.

The study concluded that the HCH initiative was associated with greater access to care and improved processes of care for people with chronic diseases, but not changes in diabetes‐related outcomes, most measures of hospital services use, or risk of death. Its impact was limited by lower than expected enrolment of both patients and practices, variations between practices in implementation, and the short trial period. Patient‐centred primary care is one of three reform streams outlined in Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022–2032. Evaluations of future patient‐centred primary care initiatives should be larger scale randomised controlled studies of longer duration, with more efficient linkage of primary care records and administrative datasets.

To view the MJA research paper The Australian Health Care Homes trial: quality of care and patient outcomes. A propensity score‐matched cohort study in full click here.

Katherine’s culturally-led approach to mental health

A culturally-led response to mental health needs in Katherine is set to influence positive change and ensure adults are supported to access the mental health services needed. John Berto, CEO of the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation (JAAC) said combining clinical responses with cultural protocols would “foster innovate responses for all community members seeking mental health support. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with other local health and service delivery organisations and together (we will be) shaping the way our community responds to the needs of our diverse community.” JAAC will be the lead organisation of the Katherine-based “Satellite Site” for the Australian Government’s Head to Health program.

Lisa Mumbin, Chairperson of JAAC said the Association was “uniquely placed” to deliver this work by leveraging off existing successful culturally-led programs that are managed by the Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun Grup. Programs include family support, domestic violence prevention, youth engagement for social enterprise, and other cultural activities including bush medicine.

“We understand that connection to country is medicine and that this is supportive of all in our community, no matter where we are from,” Ms Mumbin said. “Jawoyn is about sharing country and culture and we have healing protocols and places that when combined with western ways of supporting mental health, together we can make a difference to people’s lives.”

The story has been extracted from a Katherine Times article Head to Health to kick off published on 15 April 2024.

portrait photo of Lisa Mumbin

Lisa Mumbin. Image source: Katherine Times.

World Health Summit Regional Meeting 22-24 April

The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 in Melbourne, Australia from 22-24 April will bring together stakeholders from all relevant sectors of global health – under the theme Shape the future of health across Asia and the Pacific.

For the first time the World Health Summit Regional Meeting is being held in Australia, and the three-day meeting is hosted by Monash University, Melbourne. With more than 40 sessions and over 150 speakers from around the world, the goal will be to address strategies to improve global health and health inequities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Topics include:

  • The health of Indigenous Peoples
  • Achieving health equity for women and girls
  • Accelerating towards sustainable and resilient health care services
  • Clinician-led health system reform
  • Putting lived and living experience at the centre of mental health care
  • Priorities for education, training and a future-proof health workforce
  • The impact of AI when ancient ways of knowing and new technology collide
  • Protecting and improving health in an increasingly divided world
  • Global preparedness for the next pandemic
  • Leadership opportunities in SDGs and health
  • Misinformation itis: the impact of tech on health (open public session)

To view the Monash University media release World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Australia opens on 22 April in Melbourne in full click here.

tile aerial view of Melbourne CBD text 'World Health Summit - Regional Meeting 2024 Melbourne 22-24 April'

Image source: Australian Global Health Alliance website.

Grants to expand delivery of CHSP to mob

Forecast opportunities for Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) growth funding grants have been published on the Australian Government GrantConnect webpage.

The CHSP First Nations Growth Funding 2024-25 Grant Opportunity seeks to expand delivery of culturally safe CHSP services for First Nations older people.

You can find more information about the CHSP First Nations Growth Funding 2024-25 Grant Opportunity on the Australian Government GrantsConnect website here.

If you have any questions on the CHSP program and/or the CHSP growth funding opportunity please reach out to the  Australian Government Health Grants team by email here.

elderly ATSI woman with carer sitting at table on verandah

Image source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website.

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.

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To view the [source] [title of article/resource etc] in full click here.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

14 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Housing overhaul need to combat RHD

Building more and better living space is crucial to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Aboriginal people living in remote areas, yet the current model of remote housing is failing to improve conditions. The 2020 Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, available here, acknowledges that reducing the negative impacts of overcrowding for remote living Aboriginal people has strong evidence. Overcrowded living conditions are ripe for the spread, directly or indirectly, of Streptococcus, which is the trigger for acute rheumatic fever in hyper-exposed individuals. Reducing conditions that lead to overcrowded living spaces will decrease streptococcal colonisation and subsequently reduce rates of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

In the NT, the reason that Indigenous houses are so overcrowded is simple: there are not enough houses. And, thus, it makes sense that building more houses will rectify the problem of physical overcrowding. However, if houses are designed in ways that force people to crowd indoors, then they may actually exacerbate overcrowded conditions ripe for diseases such as rheumatic fever, and this is what is currently happening. In hot climates, if houses do not perform well in the hot weather and cost too much to keep cool, they will exacerbate overcrowding.

The current model of remote housing in the NT has not only failed to improve but probably worsened physical overcrowding. In the past five or so years, more houses and more bedrooms have been built in remote areas in the NT than ever before, yet the rate of diseases such as RHD, which are the canary in the coalmine of overcrowding, is going up. Despite the $1.1b remote housing spend, which last week was extended to $4b over the next 10 years, there is evidence that something with this housing model is going very wrong. And we do not need research to tell us the reason; communities have clearly expressed that the new houses being built and designed without community consultation have forced them to live in closer proximity.

To view the Insight+ article Housing overhaul needed to combat rheumatic heart disease in full click here.

exterior of recently completed house renovation in remote community Mt Liebig

Recently completed renovation in the remote community of Mt. Liebig under the Room to Breathe program. Constructed under existing veranda space. Light and heat absorbent brown paint, no eaves with sunlight directly on blockwork wall, air conditioning not installed but instead a purpose-built hole in the wall for residents to purchase and install low energy efficiency wall mounted unit, but no brackets installed so residents have used a ladder. Photo: Simon Quilty. Image source: InSight+.

COVID-19 resources for mob

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has made available a range updated COVID-19 vaccination resources specifically tailored for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

poster with ATSI mum kissing child on cheak, text 'keep your kids protected with a COVID-19 vaccination' ring 1800 020 080 to book vax or visit health.gov.au

Image source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Strength in Connection Members Workshops

More than 50 Members from across Qld enjoyed comprehensive training in accreditation and human resources at QAIHC’s Strength in Connection Members Workshops at Stamford Plaza in late February. The Members’ Accreditation Workshop and the Human Resources Training Workshop were coordinated over a two-day period and covered a range of topics, including the development of the ACCHO sector and its workforce. The event attracted Members from areas including Far North Queensland, Mackay, Rockhampton, Charleville, Fraser Coast South East Queensland, and the Sunshine Coast. The Members Accreditation Workshop focused on how to coordinate and deliver a high-quality, professional and fully compliant health service.

Facilitated by QAIHC Compliance and Quality Manager Melita Parker and Senior Quality and Compliance Officer Tamara Dix, the workshop discussed the importance of forward planning, barriers and opportunities, building an accreditation plan as well as a wide-ranging question-and-answer session. Melita said the workshop was important not just for accreditation but building a community of practice where administrators could network and share information. “Accreditation and compliance are incredibly important, but we also wanted to provide a safe space where Members could connect with other Members,” she said. “If people in our Membership can talk to each other and share that knowledge, that’s how we build a strong and resilient ACCHO sector.”

The Human Resources Workshop focused on the complexities of human resources delivery in the ACCHO landscape and was delivered by HR Specialist Ron Nelson. Topics included workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding; industrial relations and workplace investigations; and legislation, best practice and general administration. “Workforce planning is an integral piece of work which drives the success of an organisation driven and supported by the organisations’ strategic plan and goals. It is inextricably linked to recruitment, retention and ultimately service provision which impacts the ongoing reputation and viability of the organisation. There is no place for complacency,” Mr Nelson said.

To view the QAIHC Sector Leader article Housing overhaul needed to tackle rheumatic heart disease in full click here.

35+ Strength in Connection accreditation training

The group attending the Strength in Connection accreditation training. Image source: QAIHC Sector Leader.

Barrabggirra participant working to establish health career 

Robert Rahman is a participant in Souths Cares Barranggirra Program who is working hard to establish his career within the Healthcare sector. In addition to studying for his HSC this year at Corpus Christi College, Robert is on-track to complete a School-Based Traineeship in Health Services with Sydney Local Health District. Robert’s School-Based Traineeship is based at the Sydney Eye Hospital, where he works in the Day Procedure Unit to support patients pre-surgery and post-surgery. Throughout his School-Based Traineeship he is learning a host of valuable skills including participating in patient handovers, taking medical histories, documenting patient observations and providing patients with medical information as they discharge from surgery.

Whilst Robert is now thriving in his education and training, he had to overcome some challenges in Year 10 which saw him struggling with motivation to engage with education and attend school. Robert has a close connection with Souths Cares, having previously been a participant in the Deadly Youth Mentoring Program and attending Leadership and Cultural Camps. Robert explained the connection to culture and mentoring support provided through Souths Cares programs has been an important part of his journey. Robert has developed a passion for healthcare and has a few career options in mind including becoming paramedic or becoming an Aboriginal Healthcare Worker within a public hospital or regional community.

Souths Cares Barranggirra Program has been supporting Robert complete his School-Based Traineeship through providing regular mentoring support and group mentoring sessions with other School-Based Trainees at this workplace and TAFE. Barranggirra Employment and Training Mentor, Robyn Murphy explained Robert was setting an outstanding example for other young people in his community. “Robert has had to overcome some hurdles during his high school years but is now on a great trajectory. He has met life’s challenges with bravery and class – setting a great example for his peers”, Robyn said.

To view the Rabbitohs article Barranggirra Participant Working Hard to Establish his Career in Healthcare in full click here.

Souths Cares Barranggirra participant Robert Rahman

South Cares Barranggirra Program participant Robert Rahman. Image source: South Sydney Rabbittohs website.

Tackling overcrowding one swag at a time

As a boy, Dan Fischer was in and out of different foster homes. He describes his younger self as “a serial runaway”. At 14, he was sent to a remote cattle station near Alice Springs as part of a youth justice program. Mr Fischer said this experience was a turning point in his life and taught him the strong work ethic he now hoped to inspire in others. “I stayed there for about two years, then came back to Darwin and I didn’t want to go on the dole,” he said. “So I went and walked one end of Winnellie Road to the other until I found someone to give me a job, and it just so happened to be an upholstery place.”

A few decades on, Mr Fischer is using his upholstery-making skills to help jobseekers in remote communities find work. Over the past two years, he and his students from Gapuwiyak, Mornington Island and Katherine have made about 150 swags. And in the NT, a jurisdiction that has a homelessness rate 12 times the national average and chronic issues with overcrowding, the swags also offer a safe place to sleep. “That’s another 150 beds out there,” Mr Fischer said. “We all know there is not enough housing out there but there is plenty of ground to roll a swag out.”

He said the idea for the program arose when he was living and working in Ramingining, where families were having “big issues” with kids not going to school. “The kids were staying up all night because the parents were sleeping in the beds, so there can be up to 20 people in a house and they sleep in shifts,” he said. “So, I thought, ‘How can I tackle this and get some more beds out there?’ “We were making bed frames at the time, but there’s not enough room in the houses to put huge wooden bed frames. “[But] the swags roll up to nothing and they can put them in the corner.”

To view the ABC News article NT man Dan Fischer tackling overcrowding and helping jobseekers one swag at a time in full click here.

3 ATSI tradesmen in swag making workshop

Members of Kalano community in the swag workshop. Photo: James Elton, ABC News.

Marang Dhali Eating Well Program graduates

A number of local Indigenous women have completed the Marang Dhali Eating Well (MDEW) Program in Condobolin. Those who attended the Graduation Ceremony received a Certificate of Completion and a gift bag last month, on 21 March 2024. ‘Marang Dhali’ is the Wiradjuri language phrase for ‘eating well’, with participants taking part in sessions at the Hope Community Church in William Street. The group created healthy meals and learned about healthy eating during the course. They also shared meals together once the cooking was finished or took leftovers home to their families.

This program is a joint initiative between Lachlan and Western Regional Services Incorporated through their Training as Parents (TAP) Program, funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), and the Western NSW Local Health District. TAP Coordinator Rebecca Dodgson along with Condobolin Community Health Senior Aboriginal Health Worker Shirley-Ann Merritt and Ellen Doolan from Western NSW Local Health District ran the sessions. Jackie Coe (CatholicCare Family Carer) and Tracey Sauerbier (Hope Community Church) also lent a helping hand.

“Marang Dhali is about increasing participants’ food and cooking knowledge, skills and confidence, thus supporting healthy food behaviours,” Mrs Dodgson explained. “It’s also about cooking on a budget and making your money go further in relation to shopping and food. During the sessions participants cook healthy recipes, discuss ideas for good nutrition and share the prepared meal together, or take some home for the family to try. We would like to congratulate all those who have completed the course. You have all worked hard to create delicious healthy meals that you can share with your family.”

To view The Condobolin Argus article Marang Dhali Eating Well Program in full click here.

The image below is from a previous article in The Condobolin Argus, available here, about the recognition of the Marang Dhali Eating Well Program (MDEW) with the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) TNN Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award.

Condobolin Health Service’s Shirley-Ann Merritt, Gabriella Barrett & Debbie Beahan

Condobolin Health Service’s Shirley-Ann Merritt, along with Gabriella Barrett and Debbie Beahan. along with others, help deliver the Program across the WNSWLHD. Image source: The Condobolin Argus, 13 October 2022.

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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

12 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

QAIHC to trial clinical genetics healthcare model

QAIHC and Central Queensland University will lead a first-of-its-kind healthcare pilot aimed at improving access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to clinical genetics services. Led by QAIHC Principal Research Advisor, Greg Pratt, a proud Quandamooka man, the three-year project will implement an integrated healthcare model and referral pathway for better access to genetic health services for patients of ACCHOs. The healthcare model will be introduced in five communities in Qld in consultation with the ACCHO sector and two communities in WA.

Work is underway on the project, funded by the Medical Research Future Fund and Genomic Health Futures Mission. Mr Pratt said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had the right to equitable access to quality health services. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience significant health inequality and a greater burden of disease compared with non-Indigenous Australians, and this is reflected in the difference in the median age of death compared with non-Indigenous Australians,” he said.

“Efforts to integrate genomic research into clinical services must be prioritised to ensure the gap in life expectancy does not widen through inequitable implementation of genomics. Genetic health can deliver improved diagnostics, precise prescription, informed disease prevention, sensitive and dynamic healthcare, and an improved understanding of the risk of illness. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have the right to access quality genetic health care services that are culturally appropriate and sensitive to their needs.” Mr Pratt said the pilot program is based on a healthcare model identified and developed in the report, Integrated Genetic Health Care: Improving Access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to Clinical Genetics through Partnership and Primary Health Leadership.

To view the QAIHC Sector Leader magazine article QAIHC to trial clinical genetics healthcare model in ACCHO communities in full click here.

cover of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute booklet 'Integrated Genetic Health Care'

Image source: QAIHC Sector Leader magazine.

New Alukura birthing service opens in Mparntwe

The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) has opened the Alukura Midwifery Group Practice, which will allow women to keep the same midwife all the way through their pregnancy and birth. On Wednesday this week (10 April 2024), the new program was officially opened in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, which will allow women to have their congress midwife alongside them during their birth at Alice Springs Hospital. Congress said the new partnership and service would aim to reduce pre-term labour and promote healthier birth weights.

CEO Donna Ah Chee said Congress Alukura had been trying to establish a Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) model of care since the early 2000s, noting evidence showed this type of service model was most effective. “Aboriginal women have continued to be very clear, as are all women, that they prefer continuity of care with a known midwife throughout their pregnancy,” she said.

In 2020, Congress partnered with the Molly Wardaguga Research Centre, based at Charles Darwin University, as well as private provider of Midwifery led care, My Midwives, which in turn has helped secure a new birthing agreement with Alice Springs Hospital. “This partnership approach has been successful in securing a new birthing agreement with Alice Springs Hospital which has enabled the establishment of the new Alukura MGP service, provided in partnership with My Midwives,” Ms Ah Chee said. The initial idea of the project is 40 years in the making.

To view the National Indigenous Times article New Alukura birthing service opens in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in full click here.

ATSI mum & baby

The program is about reducing pre-term labour and promoting healthire birth weights. Photo: CAAC. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Why oral healthcare inequities need urgent action

Managing Editor for Croakey Health Media, Alison Barrett, has written an article discussing the need for systemic reform to address inequities in oral healthcare. Barrett says there are pockets of innovation in the Aboriginal community controlled primary healthcare sector which provide some potential pathways to guide wider reform efforts. When pregnant women and their families attend antenatal and perinatal healthcare at VACCHO’s Koori Maternity Services (KMS), they are also supported in navigating access to other essential healthcare services, including preventative oral health and dentistry. The KMS – which has been operating within ACCHOs for 23 years – “has been instrumental in improving antenatal and perinatal health outcomes for Aboriginal women and babies” by providing this integrated service, says Abe Ropitini, Executive Director of Population Health at VACCHO.

However, as only four of the ACCHOs in Victoria are funded to provide oral health and dental services, there are still significant barriers for pregnant women accessing culturally safe oral healthcare, he said. “If there is no on-site dental service within an ACCHO, then those services are reliant on mainstream providers, most of which are private clinics,” Ropitini said.  The sector works to provide culturally safe healthcare services that are integrated and multi-disciplinary, in contrast to fragmented models that separate oral healthcare from other services. ACCHOs put patients and communities at the heart of culturally safe service provision, according to Ropitini.

By contrast, mainstream dental service provision was often standalone, rife with inequities and racism, and was driven by funding models that prioritised throughput and the volume of services rather than wellness, prevention and equitable access and outcomes, he said. The ACCHO sector’s innovation in integrating oral healthcare into primary healthcare was profiled at a #CroakeyLIVE webinar this week on tackling oral health inequities. To mark Global Public Health Week, the solutions-focused webinar was an opportunity to advance health reform discussions about equitable access to oral healthcare in the lead-up to the next federal election, according to webinar Chair and CHM Director Alison Verhoeven.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Exclusion, discrimination, trauma and preventable illnesses: why oral health inequities need urgent action in full click here.

Attempts to lower  smoking need holistic apporach

A world away from the tourism hub of Cairns, the town of Yarrabah is waking to another sun-filled morning. The steep hills covered in thick rainforest give way to a small clearing, where this Indigenous community has developed along a stretch of beach. A newly-constructed jetty extends into the water, which some early risers are using for fishing and crabbing. But in this slice of paradise, the local health service, Gurriny Yealamucka, has raised concerns that the lack of housing and employment opportunities have exacerbated the issue of smoking. Its CEO Suzanne Andrews said, “One of the main things we are challenged with is overcrowding in the homes. So, when we look at the social challenges, overcrowding is one of those. So, if you have someone in a house of say 12 people, and that person wants to give up smoking, it’s really hard when you’ve got 4 or 5 other people in that house that are smoking as well, so that’s a challenge in itself.”

Census data shows there are just over 2,500 people in this community, but health authorities say that figure is closer to 4,500. Regardless, the vast majority identifies as Indigenous, and the rate of tobacco smokers among them far outnumbers the national rate. The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare says 8.3% of the population above 14 years old smokes daily. In Yarrabah, though, the local health service puts that number as high as 55%. which they say is due to a range of social factors.

Lynette Anderson is the Queensland manager for the Federal Government’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking Initiative said, “We know from the stats here in Yarrabah that the smoking rates are high because they’re dealing with a lot of disadvantage in terms of employment opportunities and housing opportunities. So, it’s very important that we look at smoking in a holistic way and not just worry about the fact that you’re smoking and we need to help you in some way.”

You can read a transcript of or listen to the SBS News – News in Depth podcast Authorities try to lower Indigenous smoking rates in Far North Queensland here.

SBS News - News in Depth banner, image cigarette smoking, text 'Authorities try to lower Indigenous smoking rates in Far North Queensland'

Image source: SBS News – News in Depth webpage.

Equitable access to childhood immunisations a must

As we look towards the peak season for respiratory viruses, the announcement of new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programs for children in a number of Australian states is welcome news. Last month WA became the first Australian state or territory to announce a state government-funded immunisation program against RSV. All babies under eight months and those aged eight to 19 months at increased risk of severe RSV are eligible for the shot in WA from this month. Qld has since followed suit, announcing aprogram with similar eligibility criteria. NSW has also revealed a program, but the immunisation will only be offered to vulnerable babies.

Although these programs are good news, at this stage, babies born in some Australian states will benefit from protection against RSV, while bubs in other states and territories will not. And RSV isn’t the only condition where access to prevention strategies is not equitable. The national immunisation programs in Australia and NZ provide funded vaccinations against a range of diseases, such as tetanus, measles and hepatitis B. Certain vaccines are funded for groups at increased risk of specific infections including people of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori or Pacific descent, and those with underlying medical conditions.

Individual states or territories may finance additional vaccines, while other vaccines may also be recommended and available for individuals to purchase, but not funded publicly. As such, discrepancies exist in which vaccines are offered across different jurisdictions. Funding vaccine programs only for those with specific risk factors can be much cheaper than universal free access, but may increase barriers to vaccine coverage. For example, pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, which protect against severe pneumonia and blood infections, were initially only provided to high-risk infants, including First Nations children. But research has found more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were vaccinated when the vaccine was available for all infants, rather than during the targeted program.

To view The Conversation article From RSV to meningococcal B, we must ensure equitable access to childhood immunisations in full click here.

baby receiving vaccination in the thigh

Image source: Made for Mums blog.

 

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.

Global Public Health Week

Global Public Health Week (GPHW), organised by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), brings together institutions, communities, and public health actors from around the world to recognise the contributions of public health and its workforce. This annual event engenders discussion on the best practices and missing gaps fundamental to disease prevention and the promotion of health and wellbeing.

Public health has been the “invisible guardian” of our health for decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the public health field more apparent and appreciated. However, the risk of regression post-pandemic is high. We cannot lose this momentum; we need to act now to prevent the next pandemic. Making public health visible and understood is a key step for emergency preparedness. Facilitating the sharing of knowledge, resources, and barriers faced by public health professionals globally is key to improving public health in all contexts.

This year, under the theme Fostering Peace as a Prerequisite for Equitable Health, GPHW not only celebrates the resilient spirit of the public health workforce but also casts a spotlight on the critical intersections of peace, health equity, and pandemic preparedness.

You can find more information about Global Public Health Week on the WFPHA website here.

tile with WFPHA logo & text 'GPHW2024 - 8-12 April 2024'

Image source: WFPHA website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

10 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

First 1,000 Days program ensures quicker access to care

A new program in the Townsville region, including Palm Island, is ensuring Indigenous families get quicker access to care during the crucial first 1,000 days for women and children. The First 1,000 Days Social and Emotional Wellbeing program, funded by the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN), is in line with the Better Health North Queensland (NQ) Alliance’s First 1,000 Days Framework. NQPHN is an independent not for profit organisation, funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. This program prioritises maternal and child health, as well as the social and emotional wellbeing of mothers, fathers, carers, and children. Its aim is to diminish health disparities and guarantee that all children in the region commence life with a healthy start.

Mer Island (Murray Island) man and Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS) Director of Health Services, Dr Sean Taylor said the team was passionate about early childhood development and healthcare, and personal, family, and community wellbeing. “The First 1,000 Days program recognises that Indigenous children and their families often face unique challenges,” Dr Taylor said. “Being able to provide critical resources, support, and guidance to families during the early stages of a child’s life is rewarding and fulfilling. Providing targeted support and culturally sensitive interventions, the program helps address specific needs and improves the overall health and wellbeing of Indigenous families in the Townsville and surrounding regions.”

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer, Sean Rooney said the first 1,000 days was a critical time in a child’s life, with early experiences being a predictor of health, development, education, and social outcomes, both in childhood and later in life. “The first 1,000 days is defined as the period from conception through to a child’s second birthday,” Mr Rooney said. “During this period, parents and children may receive access to a range of care and supports, including pregnancy care, birthing, post-birth care, and child development.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article New program in Townsville and Palm Island ensures timely care for Indigenous families in full click here.

Aboriginal toddler with stethoscope on mum's pregnant belly

A new program in Townsville and Palm Island provides timely care for Indigenous families during the first 1,000 days for women and children. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Prison healthcare as punishment

Aboriginal woman Veronica Marie Nelson passed away on the floor of a prison cell on 2 January 2020, after days of crying out for help. Three years later, a Coroner found that if she had received the healthcare she needed, she would not have died. The underlying logic of the carceral system is that certain people must be made to suffer to keep the rest of the community safe. It’s a maddening lie which has been repeated so many times that we’ve forgotten there are other ways to address harm. While healthcare in prisons is meant to be the same as that provided outside, this is far from the reality. Rather, prison healthcare, or the absence thereof, is an extension of the logic of prisons — its own distinct form of punishment. The fact that Veronica was neglected by so many prison guards, doctors and nurses speaks to the systemic nature of the problem. Countless coronial inquests into First Nations deaths in custody document refusals or reluctance to provide basic medical treatment and care.

There are many different facets of prison healthcare that keep it separate from healthcare outside of prisons. These include its governance, culture and lack of accountability. In prisons, healthcare practitioners face a conflict between their duty to preserve patient health and wellbeing, and their obligation to follow prison policies and rules that exist to manage, surveil and punish.

There is no Medicare or Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) behind bars. Prison policies restrict access to prescription medication otherwise available in the public system. Patients don’t get confidentiality when forced to rely on guards to convey medical information. Timely provision of care cannot be achieved where medical staff cannot unlock cells. Medical staff in prisons are frequently compelled to report to, and respond to the demands of, corrections staff.

To view the Overland article Prison healthcare as punishment – the killing of Veronica Nelson in full click here.

line drawing of Veronica Nelson

Image source: Overland literary journal 253 Summer 2023/4.

Whooping cough cases on rise in Goldfields

Goldfields parents are being urged to ensure their children’s whooping cough vaccinations are up to date amid a rise in cases of the highly infectious disease in the region. WA Country Health Service on Tuesday revealed there had been 14 cases of whooping cough recorded in the Goldfields — including two infants — so far this year. Also known as pertussis, the disease can be transmitted when an infected person sneezes or coughs, with symptoms including gasping breaths and bouts of coughing.

Public health clinical nurse manager Claire Woollacott said the best way to protect newborns was for pregnant women to receive the vaccination, ideally between 28-32 weeks gestation. “Newborn babies are most at risk of severe disease from whooping cough and it’s really important that they are protected,” she said. “The protection from the vaccine is passed from mother to newborn, protecting the baby until the time of their first vaccinations at two months.

“Parents should make sure that children are up to date with whooping cough vaccinations, including the booster at four years of age, and the school-based booster in Year 7.” Vaccinations for children and pregnant women can be accessed from Population Health and Community Health sites, GPs and Aboriginal Medical Services, and some participating pharmacies. “Anyone experiencing whooping cough symptoms — including gasping breaths between bouts of coughing — should see their doctor about treatments such as antibiotics as soon as possible,” Ms Woollacott said.

To view The West Australian article Parents warned as whooping cough cases rise in Goldfields in full click here.

entrance to Kalgoorlie Health Campus

Parents have been urged to ensure their children’s vaccinations are up to date. Photo: Louise White / Kalgoorlie Miner. Image source: The West Australian.

Boost in jobs vital to reducing kids in out-of-home care

The Albanese Labor Government has stated that it is committed to reducing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care and has created close to 100 additional jobs in ACCOs to assist. Indigenous children are almost 12 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care or connected to the child protection system. The Commonwealth has committed to the Closing the Gap target to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031.

As progress towards Target 12 under Closing the Gap, the Government’s investment in the Improving Multidisciplinary Responses (IMR) program last year has seen the creation of more than 93 jobs – the majority in regional and remote Australia. The IMR program aims to keep First Nations children safe by enhancing and supporting holistic responses for families with complex needs in culturally, geographically, and socially diverse contexts. A total of $44m was committed to the program for 15 organisations in August last year with a focus on embedding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle and its five elements of prevention, placement, participation, partnership and connection.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth spoke with organisations on the frontline of this work at an IMR Community of Practice event in Adelaide saying “I want to acknowledge the innovation of these ACCOs and their dedication to support First Nations children to grow up safe, strong and connected to their families, communities and culture. Their crucial work will ensure First Nations children receive the targeted support and services they need, specifically designed to tackle complex needs.”

To read the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services’ media release Boost in jobs vital to reducing the number of First Nations children in out-of-home care in full click here.

rear image of ATSI young girls in a playroom - Lylah with arm around Gracie

Indigenous children Gracie and Lylah have been in foster care since they were infants. Photo: Sarah Collard, ABC News.

New mobile diabetes clinic for Central Australia

First Nations people in Central Australia are receiving better health services with a new custom built 4WD mobile clinic to support the treatment, education and management of diabetes in remote communities. Assistant Minister Malarndirri McCarthy joined Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) to launch the new mobile clinic in Alice Springs early today. The mobile clinic is being run by Congress, which has reported a 67% increase of Type 2 diabetes in the region over the last 25 years.

Congress is partnering with Pintupi Homelands Health Service, Urapuntja Health Service and Ampilatwatja Health Centre, to deliver podiatry consultations and treatment and diabetes education in 8 remote communities:

  • Amoonguna
  • Mutitjulu
  • Ntaria (Hermannsburg)
  • Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa)
  • Utju (Areyonga)
  • Ampilatwatja
  • Urapuntja Homelands (Utopia), and
  • Walungurru (Kintore)

Funded through a $456,000 grant from the Aboriginals Benefits Account, the new mobile clinic provides two comfortable, private and wheelchair accessible treatment areas. The mobile clinic’s podiatrist and diabetes educator will travel to communities for between 3 and 5 days every 8 weeks to support better follow-up treatment. Professional development opportunities for remote health care workers are also being provided by the mobile clinic and staff, further strengthening diabetes management and awareness in remote communities. Training includes disease focused foot checks and wound management, ensuring better support for the community when the mobile health clinic is in other regions.

To view the Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians’ media release New mobile clinic supporting better health outcomes in remote Central Australian communities in full click here.

aerial view of Uluru Central Australia

Researchers have found that rates of diabetes in Central Australia are some of the highest ever reported globally. Photo: Michael Franchi, ABC News.

 

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.

Dietitians Week – 8–14 April 2024

Monday 8 to Sunday 14 April 2024 is Dietitians Week, with the theme ‘Nourishing mind, body, and brain’. What we eat profoundly affects not only our physical health, but our mental and brain health too. Nourishing mind, body and brain is a call to put dietitians on Australia’s mental health agenda. Dietitians Week, is an annual opportunity to raise the profile of the 7,000+ Accredited Practising Dietitians in Australia and the work they do for the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

Mental health and physical health and wellbeing go hand in hand and need to be treated together. On top of physical benefits, studies show that seeking mental health support from a dietitian can lead to:

  • Improved mood, increases of productivity, focus and less fatigue
  • Reduced symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, sleep disorders, OCD, PTSD and ADHD
  • Reduced side effects from medications for psychotropic medications

Our nutrition experts must become recognised as crucial to mental health support teams. Dietitians Week is our opportunity to educate and drive transformative change.

You can find out more about Dietitians Week 2024 on the Dietitians Australia website here.

TSI woman Stevie Raymond on Nyoongar Boodja (Noongar Country)

Image source: Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) Facebook page.

World Parkinson’s Day – 11 April 2024

World Parkinson’s Day is observed on 11 April 1every year to raise awareness about Parkinson’s, a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement and the need for more research to find a cure. This day is an opportunity to unite the global Parkinson’s community, raise awareness, and inspire action towards finding a cure for this debilitating disease. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects more than 10 million people worldwide. It is caused by the death of dopamine-producing cells in the brain, leading to a decrease in dopamine levels. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that helps regulate movement, and a deficiency of this neurotransmitter results in the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s.

The most common symptoms of Parkinson’s are tremors, stiffness, slow movement, and difficulty with balance and coordination. In addition to motor symptoms, Parkinson’s can also cause non-motor symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. There is currently no cure for Parkinson’s, but there are several treatments, including medication, deep brain stimulation, and physical therapy, available that can help manage the symptoms. Research is ongoing to develop new treatments and eventually find a cure for Parkinson’s.

World Parkinson’s Day is an important day to raise awareness about Parkinson’s disease and the impact it has on individuals, families, and communities worldwide. It is a day to unite the global Parkinson’s community, recognise the challenges faced by those living with Parkinson’s, and inspire action towards finding a cure.

To find more information about World Parkinson’s Day 2024 on the Parkinson’s NSW website here.

You can also read an InSight+ article Culturally relevant treatments for Parkinson disease (PD) here. In the article Professor Peter Silburn, Education and Clinical Director at the Asia–Pacific Centre for Neuromodulation says that there is a paucity of substantial data on the prevalence of PD and related disorders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, and it’s time to address this situation.

tile graphic of brain, stethoscopes & text 'World Parkinson's Day - 11 April 2024'

Image source: The National TV website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

8 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

Pandemic responses need to better involve mob

Indigenous communities must be genuinely embedded in the response to any future pandemics and other health emergencies, according to submissions to the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Response Inquiry. The inquiry, which is examining the Commonwealth’s pandemic response and will make recommendations on improving response measures in the event of future pandemics, has received more than 2,000 submissions from individuals and organisations since it was announced by PM Anthony Albanese in September 2023.

Responses from a range of Indigenous organisations across the country highlighted several common themes that the inquiry needed to consider, particularly the importance of ACCHOs in responding to the pandemic and the need to have Aboriginal workers embedded in any response in a genuine manner. Such embedding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers from the outset would avoid a number of the issues identified in several of the responses, such as ineffective communication, inappropriate quarantine and travel restrictions and the effective administering of vaccines.

According to the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC), ACCHOs “played a key role in keeping COVID-19 mortality in Aboriginal communities much lower than that experienced by comparable First Nations communities in other parts of the world”. This was because ACCHOs integrated community engagement and health promotion, which allowed for comprehensive primary healthcare that was culturally responsive. According to Congress, ACCHOs also advocated for healthy public policy as well as directly providing treatment and support for those with COVID-19, and their families.

Other organisations, including the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the NT (AMSANT) and the Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA) told a similar story in their responses, saying ACCHOs — with their local knowledge, networks and earned trust — were best-placed to serve the needs of their communities.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Pandemic responses need to better involve Indigenous communities in full click here.

empty supermarket shelves

Food security is an everyday issue for remote communities that was exacerbated by the pandemic. Photo: Mick Haupt, Unsplash. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

ASbA option with Indigenous Allied Health Australia

A desire to work in health care has seen Poppy Chalmers embrace success via an Australian School-based Apprenticeship (ASbA). Poppy’s story is like many who choose a Vocational Education and Training pathway. She knew she didn’t want the university pathway but felt unsure which direction to take. In 2022, she started an Australian School-based Apprenticeship program with Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA). The next year, she was named ACT Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year at the 2023 ACT Training Awards. She then went on to be a finalist at the 2023 Australian Training Awards. These awards recognise students’ commitment to formal studies at school and in the workplace.

Poppy had previously taken on leadership roles at school. She was selected as a Year 6 leader in 2017 and as a Year 10 Indigenous Leader in 2021. “I am a natural leader and see myself in a leadership position. I have a lot of ideas. I’m not sure where I want to end up, but I know I have what it takes to get there,” Poppy said. She completed a Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance under a new program in the ACT called the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academy. “I didn’t particularly like school, it wasn’t something that I enjoyed. One of my friends got an ASbA in childcare and I thought that was cool, so I did a placement where she worked, and they offered me an ASbA,” Poppy said.

“Though my school supported me to do the ASbA in childcare, I had always been interested in working in the health industry so when an Auntie from the Community reached out with an opportunity to do an ASbA in Allied Health through an Aboriginal company, I applied and was successful. “I wanted to be a nurse, my Auntie was a nurse, I had spent a lot of time in hospitals because my sister has cystic fibrosis. I even went to school at the hospital. I saw the positive impact that nurses, doctors, and the hospital had on us all. “Through the ASbA I got to experience what nursing and working in a hospital is all about and what is out there in terms of a future job in Allied Health. I decided that I wanted to do social work, which is what I’m doing now.” Poppy says applying for the ASbA was seamless, with support available if she needed it.

To view the ACT Government’s Our CBR website article Embracing the ASbA option in full click here.

ATSI social work assistant Canberran Poppy Chalmers

Young Canberran Poppy Chalmers is now working as a social work assistant. Image source: ACT Government Our CBR webpage.

Health: A Political Choice publication released

Global conversations on health have often overlooked the voices, knowledge and opinions of Indigenous populations. But in May 2023, a ground-breaking decision was reached at the 76th World Health Assembly, when the member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) unanimously adopted a resolution on the health of Indigenous peoples. This historic resolution marks a pivotal opportunity that sees the WHO mandated to spearhead the development of a Global Plan of Action, which will involve securing the necessary financial and human resources, engaging WHO regional offices and other United Nations agencies, and ensuring the meaningful participation of Indigenous peoples from the outset.

Health: A Political Choice – Advancing Indigenous peoples’ rights and well-being, available here, is a unique issue within the series, which is produced in collaboration with the WHO and the World Health Survey (WHS). The publication looks at where, why and how Indigenous voices have been excluded from global discussions, promises and actions on health – and what needs to be done to convert the substance of the resolution into reality. The editors said they were thrilled to welcome Catherine Chamberlain, an Indigenous leader on health equity from the University of Melbourne to join as guest editor.

The publication features original content from authors including Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, who explores how the resilience of Indigenous communities and cultures has been sorely tested; Emma Rawson-Te Patu, president-elect, World Federation of Public Health Associations, who outlines why we need to decolonise our health institutions; and Raglan Maddox, Professor, National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, Australian National University, who discusses the political choices made about tobacco use and control and the manipulation by the commercial tobacco industry, which has a significant negative impact on peoples’ health.

To view the ABN Newswire article “Health: A Political Choice – Advancing Indigenous peoples’ rights and well-being” in now released and accessible in full click here.

cover of publication 'Health: A Political Choice'

Image source: ABN Newswire.

Addressing needs of Australians with Intellectual Disability

Some of the greatest health disparities in Australia are experienced by people with intellectual disability due to mainstream health services being ill equipped to meet their needs. The poor health profile and health disparities experienced by this vulnerable population mean that they have a life expectancy 27 years less than people without intellectual disability. Much of this significant health gap is preventable, and a new overview article, available here published in the Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities outlines how health services can be transformed to improve health outcomes for people with intellectual disability.

The paper, which was authored by Mater Researchers Dr Cathy Franklin, Dr Katie Brooker and Ruby De Greef, along with experts from the University of NSWs’ 3DN, addresses the progress that has been made in intellectual disability health, the challenges that are currently faced, and provides recommendations for future developments in this space. Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Director Dr Franklin said that intellectual disability healthcare is at a dynamic point in Australia. “With so much currently happening in intellectual disability health, including the new National Roadmap, hearing from people with lived experience at the Disability Royal Commission, the new National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health and the creation of an Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework, now is the perfect time to take stock and plan for a better future,” Dr Franklin said.

“Individuals with intellectual disability often encounter barriers accessing services due to a lack of awareness and accommodation from healthcare services. This, along with lengthy waitlists and geographical barriers mean that people with intellectual disability face challenges in accessing services.” These barriers are even more significant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with intellectual disability. Research Officer Dr Katie Brooker said that ACCHOs play an important role in delivering holistic, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate healthcare to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community who control it. These services are designed to be flexible and responsive to community need, however our study highlights the need for greater recognition of the unique healthcare and cultural needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities within these organisations,” Dr Brooker said.

To view the Mater Research News article Addressing the needs of Australians with Intellectual Disability in full click here.

ATSI mother holding young daughter

Image source: Health Soul Disability Support for Indigenous Australians webpage.

‘One-stop-shop’ endometriosis clinics now up and running

Despite endometriosis impacting one in nine women or people assigned female at birth in Australia, it takes an average of six-and-a-half years to get a diagnosis — if at all. Many struggle to access appropriate treatment, facing lengthy waits and specialist fees. Those with other forms of persistent pelvic pain also come up against hurdles, their symptoms often dismissed as regular period pain.

In 2022, the federal government announced it would spend nearly $60m to help set up new endometriosis and persistent pelvic pain clinics in every state and territory. The service is designed to be a “one-stop shop”, bringing together services including doctors, pelvic floor physiotherapists and pain psychologists.

All 22, including Moreton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (Moreton ATSICHS), Morayfield, Qld (a member of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd), of those clinics are now operational.

To view the ABC News article Australia’s ‘one-stop shop’ endometriosis clinics are now up and running. Here’s what they’re doing for patients in full click here.

You can also read a story Australia’s first-ever endometriosis clinics rolled out in the 23 March 2023 edition of this newsletter here.

graphic image of female reproductive organs pink white yellow paper

Endometriosis is a chronic and debilitating condition that affects approximately 11% of women in Australia. Photo: Alena Menshikova, Shutterstock. Image source: Health Digest.

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.

World Health Day – Sunday 7 April 2024

Around the world, the right to health of millions is increasingly coming under threat. Diseases and disasters loom large as causes of death and disability. Conflicts are devastating lives, causing death, pain, hunger and psychological distress. The burning of fossil fuels is simultaneously driving the climate crisis and taking away our right to breathe clean air, with indoor and outdoor air pollution claiming a life every 5 seconds.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Council on the Economics of Health for All has found that at least 140 countries recognise health as a human right in their constitution. Yet countries are not passing and putting into practice laws to ensure their populations are entitled to access health services. This underpins the fact that at least 4.5 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021.

To address these types of challenges, the theme for World Health Day 2024 is ‘My health, my right’. This year’s theme was chosen to champion the right of everyone, everywhere to have access to quality health services, education, and information, as well as safe drinking water, clean air, good nutrition, quality housing, decent working and environmental conditions, and freedom from discrimination.

Yesterday the Western Plains App published an article Happy World Health! saying, “Our health is something not to be taken for granted. Across the Western Plains, though we lack some health services, we are lucky to receive the dedicated care that we do. For example, Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service recently completed their school screening program with all schools in Coonamble, helping identify students who need further follow up for hearing, eyesight, and oral health as well as general health issues. Concerningly, at one school 150 of the 180 students checked were in need of follow up for oral health issues and have been recommended a visit to the dentist.

You can find more information about World Health Day here and read the Western Plains App article Happy World Health Day! in full here.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

5 April 2024

The NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 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.

QAIHC forum discusses issues impacting ACCHO sector

Lead clinicians from across Queensland discussed a range of issues impacting the ACCHO sector at QAIHC’s Clinical Leaders Forum (CLF) face-to-face meeting in December last year. The CLF is a network of staff with a clinical interest from QAIHC and Member services, with the goal of informing and influencing QAIHC, NACCHO and government policy.

Chaired by QAIHC Public Health Registrar, Dr Shamila Ginige, the Forum addressed seven key sector challenges including workforce recruitment and MyMedicare. Other topics discussed were:

  • Medication shortages
  • Point-of-Care testing for Group A Strep
  • Cancer screening programs
  • Utilisation of Aboriginal Health Workers/Practitioners
  • Burnout and isolation.

Dr. Ginige emphasised the importance of the CLF in addressing the challenges, highlighting how the Forum’s discussions directly contributed to QAIHC’s mission to represent Member interests and address remote community needs. The Forum honed in on the MyMedicare program’s administrative challenges and restrictive patient registration policies, seeking solutions to these pressing issues.

A major topic of discussion was the current Bicillin LA shortage. Bicillin LA is an antibiotic which is important in the prevention and treatment of syphilis, acute rheumatic fever (ARF), and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). NACCHO clinical pharmacist Alice Nugent, in her discussion of the Bicillin LA shortage, outlined the systemic issues around getting medicines into Australia and increased global demand for the product. A continued shortage would negatively affect the lives of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To view the QAIHC Sector Leader Magazine article Clinical Leaders Forum spotlights major health issues in full click here.

13 members of the QAIHC Clinical Leaders Forum

Photo: QAIHC. Image source: QAIHC Sector Leader Magazine.

Connection the key to retaining rural GPs

A supportive workplace, work-life balance and a connection to rural communities are all key to retaining doctors in rural and remote areas of Australia, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU). The study involved two groups of general practitioners – those who’d completed their training in Australia and those who’d trained internationally – now working in regional NSW. It looked at three domains: personal, professional and geographic connectedness, to determine the importance of each in retaining rural doctors.

Study co-author Suzanne Bain-Donohue said all three are critical. “The findings reinforced what we already know about nationally trained doctors. Those who grew up in a rural area or have experience living rurally during medical school are more likely to be attracted to working in a rural area,” she said. “Often, they are seeking a specific lifestyle. For example, if they enjoy surfing and live near the beach, if their partner has fulfilling employment and their children have access to good educational opportunities, they are more likely to stay put.”

To view the ANU media release Connection the key to retaining rural GPs in full click here.

female GP, stethoscope around neck, standing on country dirt road, windmill in background

Image source: HCA Media Oncall Healthcare Australia.

Housing conference to tackle key issues in top end

Aboriginal housing leaders, workers, residents and supporters will gather in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) next week for the second Aboriginal Housing and Homelands conference. Hosted by the Aboriginal-controlled peak body, Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT), delegates will explore complex challenges facing the sector – including how to significantly scale up the availability of housing appropriate for both climate and culture; how to build sustainable jobs in homelands; and how to overhaul the system to restore and embed Aboriginal decision-making and meet priority targets under Closing the Gap commitments.

AHNT chief executive Skye Thompson says the sector is “energised and primed for action”. “Aboriginal housing in the NT has never been adequate and since the federal Intervention in 2007, Aboriginal people have less control over their lives. There’s been no new housing on homelands for 10 years since the Commonwealth handed back responsibility to the NT. After years of neglect, existing homelands houses are in bad shape,” she said on Thursday.

“But things are changing. The PM’s recent announcement of a massive funding injection is heartening. It’s an exciting investment in Aboriginal people in the NT. It’s what we’ve been lobbying for, so the sector will have the resources and the time to do things better.” In 55 sessions across three days, hundreds of delegates will hear from governments; land councils; Aboriginal-controlled organisations; architects; health workers; researchers and charities.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal Housing and Homelands conference to tackle key issues in the top end in full click here.

Aboriginal Housing NT CEO Skye Thompson

Aboriginal Housing NT CEO Skye Thompson. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Alice Springs curfew not a long-term solutions

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, says the curfew in Mparntwe/Alice Springs has brought calm to the streets and is the “circuit breaker” the embattled town needed. The NT government introduced a 14-day curfew last week for everyone 18 years-of-age and under, in an attempt to curb youth crime. Tensions surrounding the death of an 18-year-old in a car accident erupted last week – the day of his funeral – leading to dozens attacking a local tavern and police reporting an estimated 150 people in Hidden Valley community, outside the city, “going armed in public and engaging in violent conduct”.

Appearing on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, Senator McCarthy said whilst she believed the curfew was a “circuit breaker,” it wasn’t a “long term solution.” Noting she wasn’t part of the NT government’s implementation of the curfew – the legality of which has recently been called into question – Senator McCarthy said she would head to Mparntwe/Alice Springs and get a sense of “how people are feeling, what’s going on, and also get a deeper understanding of where this will go in terms of the long term commitment of the NT government”.

“We’ve committed, from a federal perspective, quite heavily in terms of funding in central Australia, and it’s important to get a sense of where people are at,” the Yanyuwa Senator told host Greg Jennett. Asked if it would make sense to extend the curfew to span the duration of the school holiday period, the Senator said it wasn’t for her to say, but that it was important to listen to the residents of the town. “Certainly, the Chief Minister has been on the media saying that’s exactly what she’s been doing,” Senator McCarthy said. “And I’d like to do the same when I travel down there this weekend to get a sense from the residents of Alice Springs themselves, both those who live there and those who come in from the communities as to how they’re feeling.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Malarndirri McCarthy says Alice Springs curfew not a long-term solution in full click here.

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Safe drinking water in the NT

NT Greens candidate for Braitling, Asta Hill has raised concerns about the lack of enforceable drinking water quality standards throughout the NT, “Power and Water Corporation signed an MOU with the Department of Health to comply with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (but they are not enforceable). There are 18 gazetted license areas which include major towns and regional centres. Outside these areas, the supply of water is not licensed (like in remote communities). Which means there are no conditions (if any) on a license to enforce.

“And for the remote communities outside of the 18 towns and regional centres subject to water supply licences with Power and Water Corporation, water provision is not even subject to license. This means, for those communities there are no conditions (if any) on a license to enforce. The majority of remote communities are serviced by Indigenous Essential Services which is a subsidiary of Power and Water Corporation. But it is not a licensee under the WSSS Act.
“This creates a contractual, statutory and regulatory lacuna in terms of water governance for remote communities. Obviously, this disproportionately impacts Aboriginal communities, who currently have no guarantee of the quality of their drinking water, and no mechanism to ensure improvements to water quality. We have a serious problem in which the government’s disempowerment of our first peoples extends to the provision of life sustaining water.”

To view the Mirage News article Safe Drinking Water in the Northern Territory in full click here.

You can also read a related article NT government’s first water plan to focus on safe drinking water for remote communities published by ABC News last year on 16 June 2023, here.

ATSI man's hands cupping water from outdoor tap

Photo: Charmayne Allison, ABC Alice Springs. Image source: ABC News.

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.

April No Falls Month

April No Falls Month is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of falls and to promote the latest best practice fall prevention strategies. The overall campaign goal is to get active and improve balance for fall prevention. It’s well known that poor balance and strength will affect a person’s mobility and put them at an increased risk of a fall. So by improving balance and strength, people can reduce their risk of falling and suffering a fall-related injury. Research has shown that exercise of any type has been shown to reduce the risk of falling by 23%.

The last year has been a gradual return to normal, however many activities and events have continued to be disrupted. This may have lead to a reduction in people’s social activities, exercise classes and general health. The Better Balance for Fall Prevention campaign aims to help Australians find appropriate exercise programs to meet your needs and interests.

For optimal physical and mental health, it is recommended that all adults (regardless of age, health, or ability) do 30-60min of physical activity most days. To prevent falls and maintain independence this should include exercise or activities that improve strength and balance. Every bit of activity helps.

You can find out more about falls prevention as well as a wide range of resources such as posters, brochures, screensavers, videos on the Queensland Government Qld Health April No Falls webpage here.

banner text 'April No Falls Stay On Your Feet'

Image source: Queensland Government Qld Health website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.