Category Aboriginal children

Nov 29 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Concerns about rising NT COVID-19 cases

feature tile: image of COVID-19 cells; text ' CAAC concerned about rise in NT COVID-19 cases especially amongst older and more vulnerable patients'

The image in the feature tile is from an ABC News video Australia records 23.6 per cent spike in COVID cases amid eighth wave published on 4 November 2023.

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.

Concerns about rising NT COVID-19 cases

As an eighth wave of COVID-19 sweeps across Australia there has been a sharp rise in the number of people contracting the virus in the NT. This is of particular concern in the NT, where vaccine booster numbers remain low. Only an estimated 43% of NT residents 75 years and over have received a COVID-19 vaccination in 2023.

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC), the NT’s largest ACCHO, says the rise of cases – especially amongst older and more vulnerable patients – is concerning, “COVID-19 is a virus that affects the vascular system. This brings with it an increased risk of subsequent cardiac events and strokes; a big concern in our population where there are already too many people at high cardiovascular risk. The threat of severe illness continues to be greater for older patients and for those with chronic disease or other frailties. Unfortunately, Aboriginal people are over-represented in this category.”

The CAAC said the messaging around COVID-19 hadn’t changed, “Stopping transmission is the way to protect yourself and your loved ones. Wash your hands and cough/sneeze safely. Wear a mask if you are in crowded indoor settings. Stay home if you feel sick and be sure to self-test using a RAT.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article COVID-19 cases in the NT a worry for Indigenous health group in full click here.

CAAC health worker drawing COVID-19 vaccination

Photo: Samantha Jonscher. Image source: ABC News.

Resources support culturally responsive early learning

Be You, the national mental health and wellbeing in education initiative, has developed a suite of resources to help educators improve cultural responsiveness in early learning services and schools. The resources invite genuine connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities by supporting educators to create inclusive spaces where cultural diversity is celebrated.

Co-designed with a panel of First Nations Peoples, the resources aim to be an important step towards creating safe, welcoming and culturally responsive early learning services and schools. Nina Ross, Senior Officer Professional Learning Curriculum at Narragunnawali, Reconciliation in Education, was one of the panelists, and says the resources are very much needed. “This was a special thing to be a part of, as an Aboriginal person,” she said, also stating that the resources are a great tool to support non-Aboriginal or non- Indigenous people.

Ms Ross said that “With updates to the Early Years Learning Framework, new version of the National Curriculum and the current social and political change happening right now in Australia, educators need this resource to help with conversations and relationship building. There are a lot of children and young people who will benefit from this in their education setting.”

You can access the resources here, and view The Sector article Be You releases series of resources to support culturally respectful engagement in full click here.

ATSI educator with 4 young kids painting with hands

Image source: Be You website.

Dermatologists question NSW pharmacy trial

From next year, pharmacists will be able to prescribe medications for certain skin conditions as part of a statewide trial. The Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) has expressed “concerns” about the NSW Government’s plan to include some skin conditions in the state’s pharmacy prescribing trial, where participating pharmacists will be authorised to supply certain medicines without a prescription,  saying the risk of misdiagnosis could lead to incorrect treatment and dangerous delays to treatment.

An ACD spokesperson said “The ACD fully supports pharmacists working within medically led, multidisciplinary team-based settings such as general practices and ACCHOs and as part of appropriate clinically governed teams. These allow the pharmacist to work collaboratively with GPs and other health professionals to support the quality and safe use of medicines through patient education and medication governance activities and can help reduce medication misadventures during transitions of care between settings.

“However, we do have concerns about pharmacist prescribing models, particularly outside of GP-led team-based primary care setting. Some serious and malignant conditions can masquerade as common diseases of the skin. Misdiagnosis can lead to incorrect treatment, dangerous delays to appropriate treatment, and result in patients experiencing significant financial burden due to ineffective treatments.”

To view The Medical Republic article ‘Concerned’: dermatologists respond to NSW pharmacy trial in full click here.

ATSI man rubbing clay in palm of hands

Image source: Dermatology Australia, Skin Disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples webpage.

Health of young Australians on the decline

The health of a nation’s children and the ability for them to live longer and healthier lives than those who came before is often considered one of the key indicators of societal progress. Australia is consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the world per capita, however the health of children in Australia not only stagnating, but in some cases moving backwards.

This week saw the launch of a new national framework, Future Healthy Countdown 2030, to track the health of young people The framework will deliver annual reports in hopes of encouraging real systemic change in healthcare offerings over the next seven years.

A recent report published in The Medical Journal of Australia, highlights the factors that have led to growing negative health outcomes for children in Australia, including increasing wealth inequality, low levels of children achieving physical activity recommendations, and higher rates of psychological distress compared with older adults.

You can listen to the SBS News podcast Headlines on Health – Why is the health of young Australians on the decline? and read a transcript of the podcast here.

SBS News tile: Headlines on Health - Why is the health of young Australians on the decline? - 07:23 minutes

Image source: SBS News.

New resources for mob living with arthritis

The prevalence of arthritis conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples is 17%, compared to 13% among non-Aboriginal Australians. They also experience poorer access to healthcare, with Australia’s First Nations people half as likely to access primary care or to receive hip or knee replacement surgery to address osteoarthritis than non-Aboriginal people. Culturally appropriate information, communication and healthcare delivery are essential to improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

Arthritis Australia has launched Australia’s first culturally appropriate resources developed to support and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living with the chronic health conditions osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face higher rates of arthritis and autoimmune conditions. The Staying Moving Staying Strong project, funded by the Australian Government, is underpinned by the principle of cultural security. It has involved strong engagement with Aboriginal community members and a rigorous review of clinical practice guidelines, resulting in several academic publications.

Arthritis Australia CEO Jonathan Smithers said, “The Staying Moving Staying Strong resources are an important step towards providing better health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with these often debilitating conditions. We are incredibly proud of the work of the project team and grateful for the contribution of Aboriginal community members.”

To view The National Tribune article New resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout in full click here. You can also find more information about the Staying Moving, Staying Strong Project on the Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA website here.

image of 4 Arthritis resources for ATSI - Aboriginal painting in ochre, blue & brown on covers

Image source: Arthritis WA website.

Indigenous cadetship program a first for ERH

A second year ACU nursing student, Tazarni Clarke applied and was accepted to Echuca Regional Health’s first Indigenous cadetship program funded by the Department of Health. The program was created with the express purpose of increasing the number of Aboriginal nursing and allied health students, offering an opportunity to have paid work experience within a public health service and develop work readiness skills.

Ms Clarke said that part of her desire to work remotely is an understanding of how much work and care is required in these areas. “I want to work with those communities because the healthcare is so limited there and access to it and getting people to work there is very limited. I want to go out and explore and help out where I can,” she said.

Acting director of health at Njernda Kim Warde said it was a great experience for students. “You get a really good insight into the care of diabetic and chronic clients, what’s involved with the care of them and management plans. So, you’ll get a good experience,” she said. Having more local students working within the community will also be an important asset within the region, according to Ms Warde. “It really helps when you’re dealing with community. It really does break down a lot of barriers when you are from the community. So, I think it’s a good thing to have these students,” she said.

To read the Shepperton News article ERH welcomes new cadetship program in full click here.

L-R: Acting Director of Health at Njernda Kim Warde, Indigenous second year nursing student Tazarni Clarke, Director of Nursing Michelle Shingles and Director of Education Training and Research Meaghan Douglas

L-R: Acting Director of Health at Njernda Kim Warde, Indigenous second year nursing student Tazarni Clarke, Director of Nursing Michelle Shingles and Director of Education Training and Research Meaghan Douglas. Photo: Aidan Briggs. Image source: Shepparton News.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Nov 23 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: $5 million grant to address cancer screening disparity

Feature tile - NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News - 23.22.2023

The image in the feature tile is of Professor Gail Garvey form and is from the National Indigenous Times (Image: VCCC Alliance).

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.

$5 million grant to address cancer screening disparity

Proud Kamilaroi woman Gail Garvey and her team at the University of Queensland will receive a $5 million grant to address the disparity between cancer screening for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The grant has been made available through the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synergy Grant Schemes.

Cancer is a leading cause of death among First Nations Australians with the mortality gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians continuing to widen. To address this, the federal government scheme aims to improve screening programs and research of cancer in Indigenous Australians.

Professor Garvey said that programs to improve cancer screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are most effective when developed in partnership with Indigenous leadership and communities.

“Our aim is to co-design, co-implement and evaluate strategies to achieve equity in cancer screening for Australia’s First people,” she said.

“Access to equitable, safe, and timely models of care to prevent cancer will make health and wellbeing achievable in our communities.”

You can read the full story in the National Indigenous Times here.

Telehealth trial brings care closer to home

A new telehealth program currently being trialled in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) is making it even easier for people in rural and remote communities to access timely and high-quality health care closer to home.

MLHD is trialling Virtual Hubs to give community members the ability to have telehealth appointments in a dedicated space at a District facility, fitted with the equipment needed for a remote consultation, including a large wall-mounted screen, high-quality camera, speaker, wireless mouse and keyboard.

Tameka-Lea King, an Allied Health Assistant at Hillston MPS, said the Virtual Hub is making a significant difference to the local community.

“The feedback we have received from people who have used our Virtual Hub has been very positive,” she said.

“It’s great for people in our community who are living in a rural area, as it has made it easier and more cost effective to access important health appointments without needing to drive hours for a quick consult.”

If the trial is successful, MLHD will consider rolling out Virtual Hubs to other facilities across the District.

You can read the full story on the NSW Health website here.

health professional at desk giving telehealth consult

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Health system continues to fail people with poor mental health

The Australian Medical Association’s Public hospital report card: mental health edition shows more patients with mental health-related conditions are arriving in emergency departments by ambulance and police services, and more are arriving in a critical condition needing urgent care.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the latest data showed the length of stay in EDs for patients presenting with mental health-related conditions was at its highest since 2016–2017, with patients in some states waiting in EDs for as long as 30 hours.

“These long waits, which are directly due to a lack of inpatient beds, cause distress for patients and their families and place enormous pressure on hospital staff,” Professor Robson said.

“Australia is failing to provide appropriate, acceptable care to these most vulnerable of patients. This needs to change, and it needs to change urgently.”

The report found that across all states and territories there were increased numbers of patients triaged for resuscitation or emergency (to be seen within 10 minutes) for mental health-related conditions.

“Without real reform, we will continue to see high suicide rates among people suffering from poor mental health and medical and health staff leaving the profession due to burnout and stress. We need state and territory governments and the federal government to act soon to address the current situation and ensure things don’t get worse,” Professor Robson said.

The AMA is proposing concrete solutions including measures to ensure more patients are seen in primary care settings; increasing the number of mental health beds in public hospitals and improving access to private psychiatry.

You can read the full story on the Australian Medical Association‘s website here.

Read the AMA Public hospital report card: mental health edition 2023

Find out more about our Clear the Logjam Campaign

Emergency Department

Picture of an Emergency Department. Image source: the AMA website.

Being on Country reinforces classroom learning

Beginning with just fifteen students, the Giingana Gumbaynggirr Freedom School (GGFS) is finishing its second year with 53 Aboriginal students and has 72 enrolled for next year, with a waiting list.

The school is now seeking partners to support the school for the long term as it grows.

GGFS is the first bilingual school of an Aboriginal language in NSW and is based on revitalising the Gumbaynggirr language whilst offering high quality education to its students.

It aims to be the first ever full immersion school in the nation, because, around the world, research shows that language immersion schools lead to success for First Nations students, and have done so for many decades.

GGFS says its students are currently achieving outstanding results culturally, socially, emotionally and academically and the school has plans to continue to grow K-12.

“Our mob know what to teach, and how to teach our junuybin (children),” a school spokesperson said.

You can read the full story in News of the Area here.

Gumbaynggirr-School-Expansion_AV_PY

Gumbaynggirr-School-Expansion_AV_PY. Image source: News of the Area website.

Leading examples of First Nations healthcare design

Join the National Rural Health Commissioner, Adjunct Professor Ruth Stewart to see how an Alaskan healthcare foundation has become one of the world’s leading examples of First Nations healthcare design.

Webinar: Southcentral’s Nuka System of Care – leading example of First Nations health care

In the Nuka System, strong relationships between primary care teams and patients help to:

  • manage chronic diseases
  • control health care costs
  • improve the overall health of the community.

The Nuka System of Care recognises that individuals are ultimately in control of their own health care decisions. It engages patients (known as customer-owners) in their own care and supports long-term behavioural change by understanding each patient’s:

  • unique story
  • values
  • influences.

Click on the below links to see some of their programs in action:

Placed are limited to join this webinar. If you are interested in participating in this live webinar, you must register for the event.

For more information and to register for the event click here.

southcentral-s-nuka-system-of-care-leading-example-of-first-nations-health-care

Sector Jobs

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

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

 

Nov 22 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Stan Grant calls out media for fuelling disinformation

Stan Grant calls out media for fuelling disinformation

The image in the feature tile is from NACCHO: Stan Grant calls out media for fuelling disinformation at CONVERGE First National Media National Conference in Canberra 21 November 2023.

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.

Stan Grant calls out media for fuelling disinformation

Academic and former ABC journalist and presenter Stan Grant has decried mainstream Australian media as ‘part of the problem’ in the spread of disinformation. Speaking yesterday (Tuesday 21 November 2023) at CONVERGE, the annual conference of First Nations Media Australia, the Wiradjuri man called out some of the accepted principles of his former profession. “We should not hide behind the lies of objectivity and neutrality,” he told attendees in Canberra.

He also criticised the treatment of Indigenous journalists during the referendum, who he said were hounded for truth-telling. “We were accused of being divisive and our claims were trivialised.” Grant contrasted this with the reception to the claim that colonisation had benefited Aboriginal people, which he said had been welcomed. Formerly the host of the ABC’s Q&A program, Grant stepped back from the role earlier this year, following the firestorm over his comments during the King’s coronation. He described unrelenting pressure from media outlets over his references to the negative effects of colonisation, and a lack of support from ABC management, as the motivation behind his departure.

After a decades-long career as a journalist, the events shook his faith in his chosen profession. “The media took truth and yindyamarra and turned it into hate,” he said. “It remains a hostile environment [for those who want to tell the truth] … it has put poison in the bloodstream of society.”

To read the SBS NITV article ‘Poison in the bloodstream’: Stan Grant calls out the media for fuelling disinformation in full click here.

Australia’s first racism register for First Nations

Wiradjuri man Shane Bell was hoping to further his music career when he started a tertiary course but was shocked by the racism he experienced from other adults in the classroom. “It started out with one racist, and at the end of semester, there were three,” Mr Bell said. The bullying started with comments about his wardrobe before escalating in threats of violence. Ultimately, the racism reached boiling point and Mr Bell struck one of the perpetrators. “I was suspended for 30 days and nothing happened to the bullies,” he said. The institution suspended Mr Bell, but he says they acknowledged he was provoked. Reflecting, Mr Bell felt he couldn’t trust the official complaint process. He was relieved, however, to hear about Australia’s first racism register for First Nations people: Call It Out. 500 individuals registered with the online platform – run by researchers at the University of Technology Sydney’s (UTS) Jumbunna Institute – from the 12 months up to March this year.

Nearly four in 10 people reported a high level of violent and aggressive racism. Almost a quarter said the racism was ongoing. Women were more likely to be victims, but perpetrators were relatively evenly spread between genders. Professor of Criminology at UTS, Chris Cunneen said racism has detrimental effects on people’s health, and physical violence adds to that risk. Other reported locations for racist incidents were health and education settings but workplaces were a major concern.

“The worst types of effects that were noted on the register were people quitting their job. Obviously the economic one (impact), but also the emotional and psychological effect of workplace racism. It was one that was more frequently reported by Aboriginal women than Aboriginal men so there was a gendered dimension to that as well,” Professor Cunneen said.  The period under review in this Report concluded in March 2023 — more than six months prior to the Referendum on a Voice to Parliament … researchers are expecting a spike in the next report Call It Out researchers are hoping the information will be used to inform anti racism campaigns, educate the wider community, help investment in this space and inform law reform.

To read the ABC News article ‘Elderly Indigenous woman pepper sprayed, knocked to the ground’: Submissions to Australia’s first racism register for First Nations in full click here.

A new report found almost four in 10 First Nations people have experienced high levels of violent and aggressive racism. Almost a quarter said the racism was ongoing. Image source: ABC News Graphics/UTS.

A new report found almost four in 10 First Nations people have experienced high levels of violent and aggressive racism. Almost a quarter said the racism was ongoing. Image source: ABC News Graphics/UTS.

Indigenous knowledge has value in medical education

PhD candidate Dr Paul Saunders is a proud Biripi man. His family hails from the Taree area in the mid-north coast of NSW. Dr Saunders says he has always had a strong connection to community and is proud of the fact that the work he does is based on community need, working with local Aboriginal medical services to determine the most needed research directions. Dr Saunders said that when he was in clinical practice, it became clear to him that what was really required couldn’t be fulfilled while working as a practitioner. The poor statistics in terms of Indigenous health care, patient experiences and outcomes, he says, are what motivated him to move into the research space – to effect change at a system and policy level.

Doctors, Dr Saunders said, must be able to practice in a way that aligns with Indigenous community expectations. His PhD is looking at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inter-cultural capabilities of non-Indigenous students within the medical program and exploring what this might look like across the east coast of Australia, where there’s great diversity across different communities.

According to Dr Saunders, there also needs to be a generational change within the medical workforce rather than piecemeal change. He says his PhD will contribute to informing medical students of how to work appropriately with Aboriginal communities within the medical care setting, “We must create the capabilities required before medical practitioners enter a clinical setting to minimise the harm for Indigenous patients. Primary medical education is a good starting point to ensure that medical students, who are our future doctors, are able to practice culturally responsive work which then impacts positively on cultural safety as we know it.”

To read The University of Melbourne Pursuit article Australia need to value Indigenous knowledge in medical education in full click here.

Dr Paul Saunders says medical education still fails to fully recognise or appreciate Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. Image source: The University of Melbourne, Pursuit.

Dr Paul Saunders says medical education still fails to fully recognise or appreciate Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. Image source: The University of Melbourne, Pursuit.

New Goldfields health hub, a gamechanger

Curtin University’s new Goldfields health hub designed to support students to live, study and work in regional WA and ensure communities get the care they need, was officially launched in Kalgoorlie yesterday (Tuesday 21 November 2023). The Goldfields University Department of Rural Health (GUDRH) will work closely with healthcare providers including the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Western Operations) to deliver world-class education, placements, research, and local careers for the future health workforce. Funding for the GUDRH is provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care under the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Program.

Launched at Curtin’s Kalgoorlie campus by The Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health; Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the GUDRH will provide clinical training opportunities, help to retain healthcare professionals in the region and ultimately support the provision of accessible and high-quality health care in the Goldfields. “This University Department of Rural Health will play a critical role in improving health outcomes in the Goldfields region, as well as offering social and economic benefits,” Assistant Minister McBride said. “Everyone has a right to quality health care, no matter where they live. Giving health care students outside the major cities a chance to remain close to home and study in the communities they know and understand is important to improving health care in rural and regional areas.”

Curtin’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Professor Paul Brunton said the Kalgoorlie-based GUDRH builds on the University’s existing medical education and training presence in the region. “Curtin believes every Australian deserves the best healthcare, no matter where they live. This hub will offer our health workers of the future the opportunity to learn their skills in the regions where they will deliver them,” Professor Brunton said.

To view the Curtin University article Gamechanger health hub officially opens in the Goldfields in full click here.

L-R: Rick Wilson MP, Member for O'Connor, Curtin University Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof Helen McCutcheon, Ali Kent MLA, Member for Kalgoorlie, GUDRH Advisory Council member Victor Smith, the Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health; Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Paul Brunton and City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson. Photo: Remote Digital Imagery. Image source: Curtin University.

L-R: Rick Wilson MP, Member for O’Connor, Curtin University Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Prof Helen McCutcheon, Ali Kent MLA, Member for Kalgoorlie, GUDRH Advisory Council member Victor Smith, the Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health; Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Paul Brunton and City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson. Photo: Remote Digital Imagery. Image source: Curtin University.

Grants guide people away from criminal justice system

A new series of grants worth $9m for community-based programs aimed at preventing people from coming into contact with the criminal justice system was announced yesterday (Tuesday 21 November 2023), with multiple Indigenous organisations set to receive support. Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) – a philanthropic organisation which aims to break cycles of disadvantage in Australian by investing in partnerships for potential – in partnership with the Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) and Thirriwirri, announced the funding for 11 organisations as part of the Just Futures Open Grant Round.

PRF Head of Justice and Safety, Dominique Bigras, said the grants were to support the work of small-scale operations whilst simultaneously building towards long-term change. “Evidence shows that community-led initiatives are key to addressing the drivers of contact with the justice system, working at the grassroots level to play a critical role in breaking cycles of incarceration,” she said. Just Futures grants is aimed at supporting early-stage and small-scale programmes and is focussed heavily on community-led initiatives. Of these 11 grantees, six are First Nations-led and three are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)-led.

This falls in line with the propositions put forward by many Indigenous voices – including the Yoorrook Justice Commission and Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) – that initiatives aimed at helping First Nations people should be placed in the hands of Indigenous-led organisations. Ms Bigras said the grants would “grow the impact of community-led prevention and post-release programs, with a focus on young people, especially First Nations and CALD youth, systems change and advancing alternatives to custody.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Indigenous organisations receive Paul Ramsay Foundation grants to guide individuals away from the criminal justice system in full click here.

The YSAS/Bunjilwarra Koori Youth Alcohol and Drug Healing Service will build two new studio units with the PRF funding. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

The YSAS/Bunjilwarra Koori Youth Alcohol and Drug Healing Service will build two new studio units with the PRF funding. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Earbus to continue delivering ear health services

Ear infections occur among Aboriginal children at a significantly higher rate than non-Indigenous children and can have a serious, adverse effect on the ability to learn. While Australia’s overall population has one of the lowest rates of chronic ear disease in the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has a special listing for Australia’s Indigenous people alongside its list of the five countries with the highest rates of middle-ear disease.

A unique program that tackles ear health for Aboriginal and at-risk children will run locally for at least another three years in WA’s South West, delivering much needed car. Alcoa Foundation, the aluminium producer’s global charity, will provide Earbus Foundation of WA with $450,000 over three years, allowing Earbus to continue delivering ear health services in Kwinana, Peel and the Upper South West regions.

Earbus Foundation was established in 2012 to deliver world class ear care in regional and remote communities. It now services more than 100 sites across WA, deploying inter-disciplinary clinical teams and helping thousands of children who would otherwise not receive a service. The “one stop shop” mobile clinic goes where the kids are, travelling to schools, daycares, kindergarten,  and early learning centres. The service is free to communities, removing cost and accessibility as barriers to Aboriginal and other at-risk children receiving the care they need. Earbus has conducted ear assessments for about 1,350 children across 33 schools, day care centres and early learning centres. That has included 3,046 ear screens, 1,647 hearing tests and 844 health checks. Over the past three years, rates of middle ear disease in the areas served by the Alcoa Earbus Program have been reduced and rates of hearing loss have dropped from 11.6% to 4.7%.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Alcoa backs Earbus’ vital ongoing work with Indigenous children in full click here.

Alcoa Foundation Launch - Child Hearing Test. Image: Earbus.

Alcoa Foundation Launch – Child Hearing Test. Image: Earbus.

Sector Jobs

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

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

 

Nov 15 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: New report identifies key incarceration factors

feature tile image: ATSI hands gripping jail bars, superimposed with Aboriginal transparent flag; text 'New report finds mental health, poverty, family history and unemployment all key factors in incarceration'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Indigenous Australians’ incarceration Gap widens during the pandemic published  in the Public Health Association Australia’s blog Intouch Public Health on 18 March 2021.

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.

New report identifies key incarceration factors

More than half of prison entrants have previously been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and almost half expect to be homeless upon release, the sixth survey on the health of people in Australian prisons has found. The study also found that 36% (more than one third) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prison entrants reported that during their childhood, one or both parents or carers had spent time in prison. For non-Indigenous prisoners the rate was 15%. 42% of prison entrants aged 18–24 had a parent or carer in prison during their childhood.

Today the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released The health of people in Australia’s prisons 2022, which includes information gathered from 73 of 87 prisons across Australia (excluding Victoria) to develop “a comprehensive view of the health, wellbeing and social factors that affect people before, during and after time in prison”. AIHW spokesperson Amanda Donges noted that “many people in prison come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with poorer physical and mental health outcomes than the general population.” Nearly one-third of prison entrants had an education level of Year 9 or below. In the 30 days before entering prison, more than four in 10 (43%) were homeless, nearly half (46%) were unemployed and only one in 20 (5.1%) were studying.

Nearly half (48%) of prison dischargees expected to be homeless on release from prison, with 45% planning to sleep in short term or emergency accommodation and 2.8% expecting to sleep rough. Only 52% of prison dischargees had their own stable accommodation arranged. More than half of surveyed prison entrants (51%) reported a previous diagnosis of a mental health condition, including alcohol and other drug use disorders. Almost three quarters (73%) of prison entrants reported using illicit drugs at least once during the previous 12 months.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Mental health, poverty, family history and unemployment key factors in incarceration – new report in full click here.

inmates walking along walkway Lotus Glen Correctional Centre, N Qld

Lotus Glen Correctional Centre in northern Queensland. Photo: Daniel Soekov, Human Rights Watch, via AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Dialysis 900kms from home and family

When Robyn Neade isn’t strapped to a chair receiving life-saving dialysis treatment, she wanders around a strange city 100s of kms away from family and friends. The Indigenous Mount Isa resident is on the North West Hospital and Health Service’s (NWHHS) waiting list to access dialysis treatment back home.

But with no spots available she has had to move to a boarding house in Townsville, 900kms away, to receive treatment. She is terrified of dying alone without her loved ones by her side, “We have to go down to Townsville and wait for a seat to come back to Mount Isa — how many years is that [going to be]?” She is one of 30 people on the waiting list for a renal chair in Mount Isa. “We’ve got to be here in Townsville wishing that someone’s going to hurry up and die,”Ms Neade said.

Dialysis is used to treat chronic kidney disease by removing extra fluid and waste products from a patients’ blood. It’s an intensive treatment which patients must commit to for hours at a time, most days of the week. Ms Neade was completing dialysis treatment at home, but when her kidney issues worsened, she was forced to move to Townsville for treatment. “I miss my family, it’s very, very sad, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

To view the ABC News story Renal patient Robyn Neade faces heartbreak of dialysis 900km from her Mount Isa home and family in full click here.

dialysis patient Robyn Neade, Mt Isa

Robyn Neade is scared she’ll die 900km from her loved ones. Image source: ABC News.

Coproduced research empowers communities

In a recent study published in Nature Medicine, researchers reviewed the evolution of health research co-production with Indigenous peoples, where a collaborative effort explores shared control and reciprocity in health research while examining the divergent aspects of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, political and strategic differences, and ethical standards.

The concept of co-production has recently gained much attention in health research in a push to enhance health research outcomes through a process that is responsive to the participants and stakeholders. It fosters collaborations between health researchers and a wide range of stakeholders such as Indigenous peoples, patients and their families, service providers, communities, and the general public, and the design, analyses, dissemination, and evaluation of results is conducted through shared control.

The primary goal is to improve the meaningfulness and tangibility of the results from the outset for all the parties involved in the process. Co-production is also thought to enlarge the scope of the study and improve the possibility of uptake. The long history of colonisation of Indigenous communities has naturally resulted in a level of mistrust and suspicion among Indigenous researchers towards Western research methodologies. Furthermore, the structural nature of research design can also perpetuate discrimination and prejudice if conducted in an unethical and non-inclusive manner.

In the present study, the researchers discussed co-production as a distinct form of collaborative research, examined the evolution of co-production involving Indigenous peoples, reviewed some illustrative examples involving Indigenous peoples, such as the Indigenous Maori of NZ, and presented recommendations for effective and responsive methods of co-production with Indigenous peoples.

To view the News Medical Life Sciences article Empowering indigenous communities through coproduced health research in full click here.

Training researchers to take clinical measurements as part of the Next Generation study. L-R: Ricky Mentha (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Bobby Porykali (The George Institute), Robyn Williams (University of Melbourne), Elizabeth Hillmann

Training researchers to take clinical measurements as part of the Next Generation study. L-R: Ricky Mentha (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Bobby Porykali (The George Institute), Robyn Williams (University of Melbourne), Elizabeth Hillmann (The George Institute). Image source: University of Melbourne Pursuit.

Lowitja Institute CEO Victorian 2024 Australian of the Year

Narungga Kaurna woman Janine Mohamed, a pioneer for Indigenous healthcare, has been named Victoria’s 2024 Australian of the Year. Ms Mohamed has dedicated her life to fighting racism and improving health outcomes for Australia’s Indigenous communities. She has spent the last five years as CEO of the Lowitja Institute, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led community health research organisation based in Melbourne, and before that, she was CEO of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives.

While she refers to herself as an “accidental CEO”, her experience suggests otherwise — Ms Mohamed has worked for 25 years in nursing, health policy and Indigenous health and wellbeing research. Ms Mohamed said growing up in a mission in SA’s Point Pearce inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare. “I saw the amazing work of healthcare professionals, but I also saw the devastating work of health professionals and the missed opportunities,” she said. “I really wanted to understand that more.”

Ms Mohamed said her work has involved celebrating excellence in her community, but also has required her to talk about the “tough stuff”, which is racism. “It is something that our people have been asking for for a long time – it is the eradication of racism,” she said. “I think we have to understand what racism looks like and feels like and what it produces to be able to envision a different future. “For me, an amazing future would be that everyone is practising cultural safety and anti-racism.”

To view the ABC News article Indigenous healthcare pioneer Janine Mohamed takes out top honour as Victoria’s 2024 Australian of the Year in full click here.

Lowitja Institute CEO Janine Mohamed holding Australian of the Year for Victoria Award

Lowitja Institute CEO Janine Mohamed is the Australian of the Year for Victoria. Photo: NADC/Salty Dingo. Image source: ABC News.

VACCHO celebrates shawl project documentary launch

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) has launched a new documentary showcasing the staunch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have brought the Beautiful Shawl Project to life over the past year, and their stories. The feature shares Aboriginal and Torres Strait women’s breast screening experiences in Victoria through the Beautiful Shawl Project. And includes personal insights from women who screened with the Beautiful Shawl Project – as well as those who carry out vital work increasing Community awareness and engagement around the Project.

Yesterday (14 November 2023) VACCHO paid tribute “to the many women who generously shared their stories, wisdom, and insight as part of this inspiring film”. The Beautiful Shawl Project is a collaborative program between VACCHO and BreastScreen Victoria. It is a Community-led initiative providing “safe and empowering” breast screening experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in a culturally safe setting.

Since its launch in 2019, The Beautiful Shawl Project has worked in partnership with over 25 ACCHOs and other organisations with their Aboriginal-led teams to provide over 1000 lifesaving breast screens to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Of those screened, 29% were first time screeners and 39% were lapsed (overdue) at the time of their breast screen. VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher AO said The Beautiful Shawl Project documentary demonstrates the transformative health outcomes that can be achieved by culturally safe and responsive cancer screening initiatives.

You can view the National Indigenous Times article VACCHO celebrates launch of Beautiful Shawl Project Documentary on Indigenous health in full click here and watch the full documentary online here.

Aboriginal woman draped in Beautiful Shawl in front of Breast Screen pink bus

Beautiful Shawl art by Alkina Edwards, Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba, Mutti Mutti and Wiradjuri. Art Title: dj, which means Woman Shield. Photo: VACCHO. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Parental stress and child asthma symptoms link

University of Queensland (UQ) research has shown a link between parental stress stemming from financial hardship and exacerbated asthma symptoms in children. Dr K M Shahunja from UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health led a study that analysed the data of more than 3,900 children collected over 14 years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Dr Shahunja said the study was the first in Australia to look at the association of psychosocial factors with asthma symptoms through longitudinal analyses of one- to 15-year-olds.

“People are generally aware that environmental factors like smoking, traffic pollution and allergens can trigger asthma symptoms, but perhaps don’t realise psychosocial stressors can also have a harmful effect,” Dr Shahunja said. “It’s important parents and health professionals understand the significant influence the psychosocial environment has on children and how stressors can exacerbate asthma symptoms. Further research is needed to develop effective strategies to address maternal depression, financial hardship, and parental stress for long-term asthma control in children.”

Dr Shahunja worked with co-authors Associate Professor Abdullah Mamun from UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Professor Peter Sly from UQ’s Child Health Research Centre.

To view The University of Queensland article Asthma symptoms more common in children with stressed parents in full click here.

young ATSI girl with blue puffer

Image: Asthma (Short Wind) information booklet developed by Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital and the University of WA.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Nov 9 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Territories Stolen Generation Redress Scheme

The image in the feature tile is from the Territories Stolen Generation Redress Scheme.

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.

Territories Stolen Generation Redress Scheme

Sharing or reading this information might bring up difficult memories and feelings. There is 24/7 support available if you need help managing the emotional impacts of this information.

Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme provides redress to survivors. Two years after the announcement of the Stolen Generations Redress Scheme, over 700 Stolen Generations survivors have received redress, with close to $60 million paid in total. According to Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme Branch Manager, Erin Selmes, this represents significant progress for the Federal Government Scheme.

“We have worked in partnership with Stolen Generations survivors and networks to deliver this important Scheme in a culturally appropriate and trauma informed way” she said.

“It’s very pleasing to see Stolen Generations survivors receive redress and acknowledgement of their experience. I hope that more survivors will take the step to consider applying for the Scheme”.

Stolen Generations survivors who were removed as children from their families and or communities in the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory (before self-government) or the Jervis Bay Territory, can apply for redress. The Scheme is open for applications until 28 February 2026.

The Scheme offers eligible individuals a redress payment of up to $75,000 and a healing assistance payment of $7,000. It also offers the opportunity for Stolen Generations survivors to have their story about the impact of their removal acknowledged by a senior government official, should they wish. Applicants do not need to have records about their removal to apply but may wish to share any documentation.

Free support services are available to help applicants throughout the application process—they can access these services even if they are just thinking about applying. Support to submit applications is available through local Link Up services. Independent, culturally safe and trauma informed legal and financial advice is available through knowmore Legal Service on 1800 566 966 or 1800KNOWMORE.

If a member of the Stolen Generations passes away on or after the Scheme was announced on 5 August 2021 and they would have met the eligibility criteria, their family will be able to apply on their behalf.

How to apply

To apply for the Scheme, fill in an Application for redress form:

  • download a copy from gov.au/apply
  • Call the Scheme on 1800 566 111
  • Email the Scheme on help@territoriesredress.gov.au
  • Write to the Scheme at Reply Paid 83394, Canberra ACT 2601
  • Visit your local Link Up service for a copy.

To find out more about the Scheme, visit territoriesredress.gov.au email or call 1800 566 111.

Further support and assistance:

  • 13YARN 13 92 76
  • Lifeline 13 11 14
  • Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
  • Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467

Let’s Yarn About Sleep

Obstructive sleep apnoea is about twice as common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared with non-Indigenous Australians. However, the sleep-related respiratory disorder is significantly under reported in First Nations communities. The Let’s Yarn About Sleep program in QLD is hoping to change that, by acknowledging the importance of sleep not just to physical and mental health, but to spiritual health. The program uses traditional knowledge as a key part of its culturally responsive model of care.

Let’s Yarn About Sleep project coordinator and Kalkadoon woman Roslyn Von Senden says, “Sleep loss deprives us of opportunities to connect with our culture, our ancestors and who we are as traditional custodians of the world’s oldest surviving culture. That leads to poor emotional and mental health, affects our wellbeing and results in chronic conditions.”

The program provides culturally responsive model for local diagnosis and management of, and education about, obstructive sleep apnoea in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This has involved consultation with 12 First Nations communities, and training Aboriginal health workers and nurses to deliver the program. Community Elders also guide the tram to integrate cultural practices such as didgeridoo sessions for men. The didgeridoo is an important part of cultural ceremonies and playing the Aboriginal musical instrument reduces the severity of sleep apnoea. It strengthens the muscles of the throat and the back of the tongue, which are key muscles associated with sleep apnoea.

Read the full The Conversation article here and learn more about Let’s Yarn About Sleep here.

Image source: Shutterstock.

“Those aspirations are not lost” – Yes23 Campaigners reflect on where to from here

Yes23 leaders this week expressed ongoing commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart’s calls for Voice, Treaty, Truth, and rallied supporters at emotional virtual town hall events that acknowledged pain and grief from the loss of the Voice referendum. Yes23Campaigner, leading filmmaker and Arrernte/Kalkadoon woman, Rachel Perkins urges supporters to continue to step up on Indigenous issues, “Even though we’ve been defeated in this moment, that does not mean that we will let go of those aspirations: they remain strong, and they have remained strong for decades and we will not lose sight of them.

“So, however the Voice is created in the future, whatever the mechanisms for Treaty, state and federal, that come, those aspirations are not lost,” she said.

Asked how she felt, three weeks on, Ms Perkins said it helped to attend events like the town halls, “to connect with everyone again,” but her overall response was “comparable to a grief in some ways.” She said there is “some anger there,” but she is trying to channel it into positive activities and is beginning to think about what’s next.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.  

Rachel Perkins at the Yes23 virtual town hall. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Community foster care to be provided by SWAMS

The South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) has been awarded a WA Government contract to provide children’s Out of Home Care (OOHC) Services. SWAMS is one of five new ACCOs who will deliver OOHC services across the state. The appointment was made after the Department of Communities acknowledged that ACCOs are best placed to provide and ensure culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in OOHC.

“SWAMS is best positioned within the Aboriginal community, making family or kinship care options more suitable,” said SWAMS CEO Lesley Nelson.

“Improved opportunities for early reunification and strengthened family and cultural connections will lead to greater stability for children as well as the ability to remain on Country, connected to family, community and culture, in culturally safe care arrangements.”

Read more here.

Hopes reopened pools will boost health outcomes

Children in some of the NT’s hottest communities have had to resort to swimming in crocodile infested rivers, due to a shortfall of qualified lifeguards at public pools. Temperatures in the Roper River community of Ngukurr have recently soared into the high 30s and the humidity topped 80 per cent, prompting the local Yugul Mangi Aboriginal Corporation’s youth officer Gene Daniels to take action. Roper Gulf is one of several local governments which has partnered with the YMCA to work towards reopening their pools, using its qualified lifeguards.

YMCA NT Chief Executive Matt Feutrill said he hopes reopening pools will boost health outcomes. He said benefits associated with chlorinated water include controlling skin infections such as scabies, eye infections, trachoma, and ear infections.

“All the communities around, like Minyerri, Hodson Downs and Urapungu schools will be able to use the pool at Ngukurr, and with Borroloola, the Robinson River school kids will be able to use that one too, so hopefully we’ll get really good health outcomes right across the region,” he said.

Read the full ABC News article here.

Community members in Ngukurr organised a slip and slide as an alternative to the pool. Image source: ABC News: Jane Bardon.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Oct 11 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Racism taking a toll during Voice campaign

photo of Aboriginal child's face with white dot body paint & ATSI woman in background with Aboriginal flag t-shirt

The image in the feature tile is from an article Voice campaigns urged to keep mental health top of mind published in the National Indigenous Times on 6 September 2023. Photo: Mick Tsikas, AAP.

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

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

Racism taking a toll during VTP campaign

Audrina Pinney is only 12 years old but that’s old enough for the young Gamilaroi child to have experienced racism. Audrina believes that if the referendum gets up she and her friend, who she says both get bullied a lot, will have a lot more confidence. Too young to vote, but too old to ignore what’s happening around her, Audrina has taken an active role in campaigning for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Audrina’s mother Melita Berthaly said. “This is our future here. If we’re not backing this, what are we backing?” she said. “We want to stop the pain, and the hardship of fighting just to be us. For me, this is all about our younger generations, and supporting them for a brighter better future, sitting at the table with the big guys and having our voices heard.”

For many Aboriginal people in the NSW Riverina, the vote for a Voice to Parliament feels like the most important event of their lives. Aboriginal crisis support service 13YARN say the referendum campaign has been a challenging experience for Indigenous Australians. National program manager Marjorie Anderson said people should reach out for support if they were struggling. “13YARN is seeing a rise of in calls related to abuse, trauma and racism,” she said. “The increased focus in the media on Aboriginal issues due to the referendum and the rise in racism on social media is having an impact on the Aboriginal community.”

Eddie Whyman is a proud Wiradjuri man living in Wagga who has recently taken a more public role in activism. He said he’d seen more racism in the last few months than he did growing up. “On social media, we’ve seen the true colours of Australia shine through,” he said. “It’s impacted me mentally, and personally … it’s impacted me significantly.” Mr Whyman said misinformation was leading directly to these impacts. “I’ve always heard, and it’s been more in your face, is that Aboriginal people get everything as it is – free house, free car,” he said. “I’ve had to work for what I’ve got … our local Aboriginal medical and dental provides, but we still have to pay a fee when we get referrals. I’m still waiting for my free house.”

To view the Narromine News and Trangie Advocate article Aboriginal Australians are suffering from racism and misinformation in full click here.

Audrina Pinney & her mum Melita Berthaly speaking on the VTP

Audrina Pinney and her mother Melita Berthaly. Image source: Narromine News and Trangir Advocate.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for kids

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

A Kimberley community leader says young people and their families are still struggling to access basic mental health support despite suicide being the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed suicide accounted for 27% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children last year. The causes of death report revealed that more than a third of those children were aged between 15 and 17. The high rates of child suicide in the Kimberley have been the subject of numerous coronial inquests, as well as other inquiries and reviews, and the WA government has faced criticism for failing to make good on its highly-publicised promises. Coroners have also expressed frustration that their recommendations have received little to no follow-up at state and national levels.

Nyamba Buru Yawuru CEO Taliah Payne said people in the Kimberley had been in desperate need of help for too long. “When you’re sitting across the dinner table and you’ve got a nephew in a neck brace because he survived his attempt and you’re trying to eat your roast dinner, it’s in your face,” she said. “They’re doing it so violently, which means to me that they’re so desperate, and no-one’s listening and no-one’s seeing the person behind that pain.”

The Broome-based Yawuru, Nimanburru and Djugun woman said youth suicide and mental health issues had been present in her life since her nine-year-old cousin died by suicide when she was 11 years old. “We’ve lost lots of family members to that … it’s in your face, really,” Ms Payne said. “We know that we shouldn’t be seeing this … it’s an ongoing support system that needs to happen. If we have traumatised children, we’re going to have traumatised adults — that is plain and simple.” Ms Payne said young people in the Kimberley continued to struggle to access mental health support and that many were forced to travel as far as Perth for help.

To view the ABC News article Calls for support as suicide revealed as leading cause of death for Indigenous children in full click here.

simple white cross on fresh grave

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Indigenous children and advocates in WA say the situation has been desperate for years. Photo: Joshua Spong, ABC Kimberley.

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

Mental health app for NT mob launched

The Menzies School of Health Research on Tuesday this week (9 October 2023) launched an online resource which blends evidence-based treatment with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander world views. The Digital Stay Strong Plan, which can be accessed via an app or through its website, is an interactive document that prompts the user to fill out a four-step mental health care plan.

Stay Strong lead cultural advisor Patj Patj Janama Robert Mills said while it was designed for Aboriginal people, all Territorians could use the free resource. Mr Mills said about two decades of research and consultation had gone into the plan, which had previously been used across the country for years in more formal settings. “The beauty of this digital program is once you download it, you don’t need Wi-Fi (to use it),” he said. “You can actually go through the four-step care plan on your phone … then you’ve literally got a helping hand on your phone at any time.”

Mr Mills said it marked a huge change for access to mental health support and offered something his generation never had. “I was born in the 60s … there was no discussion on mental health at all,” he said. “We want to break down all the stigmas, mental health is not a dirty word.”

To view the NT News article Menzies launch Digital Stay Strong Plan mental health app in full click here.

mobile phone screen with AIMhi Stay Strong app

The Digital Stay Strong Plan can be accessed on the AIMhi app. Photo: Annabel Bowles. Image source: NT News.

25 years of optometry services within VAHS

This month, the Australian College of Optometry (ACO) is celebrating 25 years of optometry services within the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) in Melbourne. This unique clinic aims to remove barriers to eye care experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in mainstream services which continues to systematically fail Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and drive health disparities. As an ACCHO, VAHS supports the social, emotional, physical, and cultural wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and is coincidentally celebrating 50 years of operation this year. Eye health is among the many healthcare services available to community members through VAHS, including GP care, dental, physiotherapy and family counselling.

The ACO’s optometry clinic delivers culturally safe care with sessions running every Tuesday and Friday. Nilmini John, ACO Manager of Aboriginal Services, leads the team of four optometrists who service the embedded clinic. In this role, Nilmini works closely with the VAHS team to continually ensure community eye health needs are met.  Collaboration between health care providers and ACCHOs has proven instrumental for meaningful impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, and the ACO is appreciative of the opportunity to work within community-controlled spaces, such as VAHS, to deliver effective care.

Gavin Brown, VAHS CEO is passionate about the growth in eye care services at available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “VAHS is a recognised leader in the eye health space, and we also acknowledge the incredible work that ACCHOs are doing across Australia. There is a strong synergy by all those involved in improving the eye health in our communities as we continue to be committed to enabling the gift of sight.”

To view the Optometry Australia article ACO celebrates 25 years of optometry service at VAHS in full click here.

Nilmini John, optometrist and ACO Manager of Aboriginal Services, examines patient at VAHS

Nilmini John, optometrist and ACO Manager of Aboriginal Services, examines patient at VAHS. Image source: Optometry Australia.

Lived experience sparks midwife to help others

Being a mother to six boys, with one of her children born prematurely at 29 weeks, prompted Noongar woman Valerie Ah Chee to become a midwife at the age of 45. Inspired to improve perinatal and infant mortality outcomes within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, Ms Ah Chee is now using her midwifery experience as a Mater Researcher within the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence.

“According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australia’s Mothers and Babies report in 2020, Indigenous stillbirth is at 11.9% while non-Indigenous stillbirth sits at 7.4%,” she said. “To recognise why that is and to try to develop and adjust programs to improve prevention strategies and outcomes is vital.”

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month (October 2023) is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of maternal health education and support among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Focusing on Aboriginal maternal and infant health, Ms Ah Chee is working with her team to embed cultural safety in the pregnancy and birth space, to improve the health of Aboriginal women and their babies from a cultural perspective.

The Indigenous team at the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence worked with the Indigenous community to adapt core elements of the successful national initiative Safer Baby Bundle (SBB), embedding Indigenous people’s own way of knowing, being and doing. Expanding on this initiative, Ms Ah Chee is now developing resources to educate and support non-Indigenous healthcare professionals who work with Indigenous women in this space.

You can find more information about the Safer Baby program here.

To view the Mater News article Lived experience sparks Indigenous Mater Research midwife to help others in full click here.

midwife Valerie Ah Chee on verandah of old red brick hospital

Midwife Valerie Ah Chee. Image source: Mater News.

Taking care of mental health during the referendum

The Voice referendum is having a negative impact on the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The federal government set aside an extra $10m to boost support services, and research the consequences of the vote. The research side is being managed by the National Centre for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research (NCATSIWR) at Australian National University (ANU).

Yesterday, Wednesday 10 October 2023, ABC Listen Life Matters host Hilary Harper spoke with:

  • Ms Cornforth of the Wuthathi peoples of the far north-east cape of Qld with family roots also in Zenadth Kes (the Torres Strait Islands), who is Head of the NCATSIWR, and
  • Tanja Hirvonen, a proud Jaru and Bunaba woman (Kimberley, WA), who is a clinical psychologist and Board director of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association

about what’s been learned so far, and how can we support those having a difficult time during the referendum, and afterwards.

You can listen to yesterday’s ABC Listen Life Matters episode Taking care of mental health during the Voice referendum in full here.

NCATSIWR fact sheets about the Voice can be accessed here.

If you are an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person in crisis you can call 13YARN on 13 96 76.

ATSI person's hand casting vote in VTP referendum in remote WA community

An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person casting their vote on the Voice to Parliament Referendum in a remote WA community. Photo: Rosanne Maloney, ABC News.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Oct 6 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: What the impact of the Voice could be

feature tile: Dr Louis Peachey standing with forest background; text: 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctor explains what the impact of the Voice could be'

The image in the feature tile is of Dr Louis Peachey from the Personal Stories webpage of the National Rural Health Alliance website.

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torre

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

What the impact of the Voice could be

When Dr Louis Peachey, who belongs to the Girrimay and Djirribal people of the Djirribaligan language group of Far North Qld, graduated from the University of Newcastle he was one of only four Indigenous doctors in Australia. When asked “Oh, Louis, what was your secret?” Dr Peachey says he was just lucky, he just managed to not get blown up by the warfare of racism. He said the truth is, there’s nothing special that he did. While he has a bunch of cousins who he says “have made a good fist of their lives” with trades and university degrees, there’s a massive bunch of them who are still stuck in that world of poverty.

There are people like me out there who can give you an opinion as to what would be an appropriate way to do things, but even we don’t get listened to. We are the people who some in the No campaign refer to as “elites”. If you do survive the horror that happens to you at school, and manage to find yourself at a university and get a good education, you can now be de-legitimised by being referred to as an “elite”. The difference, of course, between Indigenous elites and non-Indigenous elites is that 99% of the Indigenous elites are one relationship away from poverty.

Dr Peachey if governments could just come and have a chat with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, “we might be able to direct you. That’s what we’re asking for with the Voice. We know we’ve got problems in our community and we’ve got some ideas.” Dr Peachey said “the Voice is a modest change. It’s something very simple that we’re asking, you know. Former chief justices of the High Court have all told us this is a simple thing.” According to Dr Peachey, most Australians, if they were just able to understand what was actually being asked, would see that it’s a tiny risk for a potential big gain.

To view the ABC News article Louis Peachey was one of Australia’s first Indigenous doctors. He doesn’t know how he survived the horror of racism at school in full click here.

RAAF supports ACCHO to provide dental services

Air Force personnel will support the Derby Aboriginal Health Service (DAHS) during October 2023 to provide dental services in a part of WA where access to timely dental treatment can be challenging. The exercise, known as Exercise Kummundoo, will give Air Force personnel the opportunity to engage directly with Indigenous Australians on their ancestral lands, while honing their dentistry skills under different conditions to operating in a base environment.

Officer in charge of the exercise, Flight Lieutenant Maryam Ferooz, said she felt honoured to lead the exercise. “My team are driven by a sense of purpose, and delivering dental care, as well as oral health training and advice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote Australia is a real privilege,” Flight Lieutenant Ferooz said.

“This collaborative endeavour is a testament to the strong ties between Defence and Indigenous communities, demonstrating the importance of working together to address critical health needs. The team will also run community sessions to help highlight the importance of good oral health and healthy lifestyle choices, and provide defence career information.” Exercise Kummundoo is being held throughout October in collaboration with NACCHO, and Derby Aboriginal Health Service.

You can read the RAAF media release Airforce supports dental services in Derby in full here.

You can also read a related article A Dentistry graduate in the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF) published on the Griffith University website, about RAAF Dental Officer Flight Lieutenant Max Moody’s work on Exercise Kummundoo leading a diverse team of RAAF personnel in working closely with Indigenous communities around Broome, in full here.

RAAF Dental Officer with young ATSI boy

RAAF Dental Officer Flight Lieutenant Max Moody. Image source: Griffith University website.

Aunty Pat Anderson addresses Qld ACCHO sector

Alyawarre woman, Aunty Pat Anderson AO, a co-architect of the Uluru Dialogues, has emphasised that a ‘yes’ vote in the Voice referendum has the potential to significantly improve the future health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Yesterday, Thursday 5 October 2023, she addressed the ACCHO sector in Brisbane. “It’s been a long journey to equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and today, Australia stands on the precipice of momentous change,” she said.

ACCHO is a primary health care service initiated and operated by the local Aboriginal community.”We can become a fairer and more just society; a society where there is health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Aunty Pat said. “A society where Aboriginal children can get a healthy start in life and achieve their full health potential. Health could be a big winner if Australia votes ‘yes’. It means we will be able to get down and deal with the big health issues, like Australia having some of the world’s highest recorded rates of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.”

Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) Chairman Matthew Cooke said the Voice aligns with their philosophy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination in healthcare. As the leading body representing ACCHOs in Queensland, they acknowledged the ongoing efforts needed to fulfill the government’s promise of Closing the Gap. “We believe a Voice is critical if there is going to be long-term sustainable gains in health outcomes for our peoples,” he said. “Accessible and equitable comprehensive primary health care is a basic human right for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.”

The above has been extracted from an article  Uluru Dialogue’s architect meets with health sector in Meanjin published in the National Indigenous Times yesterday, Thursday 5 October 2023.

Cleveland Fagan, Adrian Carson, Aunty Pat Anderson AO, Matthew Cooke, Kava Watson, Joshua Hollingsworth with QIAHC signage in background

Cleveland Fagan, Adrian Carson, Aunty Pat Anderson AO, Matthew Cooke, Kava Watson, Joshua Hollingsworth. Photo: Joseph Guenzler. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Suicide rates increase after extreme drought

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

The impact on mental health of weather extremes such as drought is a growing concern due to climate change. Rural communities feel the impact of drought much more than urban residents. New research from the University of Adelaide has looked at the link between drought and suicide rates in one of Australia’s biggest farming areas, the Murray-Darling Basin. The research findings were alarming, for instance, one more month of extreme drought in the previous 12 months was strongly associated with a 32% increase in monthly suicide rates.

Climate change is predicted to bring more heat and longer, more extreme droughts. More effective approaches will be needed to prevent suicides in affected regions. Droughts induce post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. Hotter temperatures can also reduce levels of the brain chemical serotonin. This has negative effects on the  central nervous system and moods. In Australia, suicide is a leading cause of death – especially for people aged 18-44. And the suicide rate in remote areas is almost double that of major cities.

Some of the key findings of the research were:

  • in males and younger age groups, suicide rates are more strongly associated with extreme drought and higher temperatures
  • a higher proportion of First Nations people in a local area was also associated with higher suicide rates
  • an increase in average annual household income moderated the relationship between higher temperature and suicide
  • the association between moderate drought and suicide rates is significant but the effect was small. As the drought becomes extreme, suicide rates increase significantly.

To read The Conversation article Suicide rates increased after extreme drought in the Murray-Darling Basin – we have to do better as climate change intensifies in full click here.

IDarling River downstream of Menindee ran dry for years after the July 2016 drought

The Darling River downstream of Menindee ran dry for years after the July 2016 drought. Photo: Isabel Dayman, ABC News.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

When you listen you get better results – it’s that simple

In an Opinion Piece published in The Daily Advertiser yesterday, the Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and Assistant Minister Rural and Regional Health said: “When you listen, you get better results. It’s that simple. It is what health professionals do every day, in the pharmacy dispensary, in the clinic treatment room, at the bedside. It’s what I did as a hospital pharmacist in a regional hospital for nearly a decade. If we don’t ask, and we don’t properly listen, how can we possibly understand the situation?”

“Here in the Riverina an innovative program is boosting the rates of breastfeeding among Indigenous women. The project is led by Aboriginal people and improving infant health. Breastfeeding for the first few months of a child’s life is recommended to give infants the best start in life: it supports early child development, reduces the risk of illness and death in the early years and reduces the risk of unhealthy weight in childhood and later life.”

“Breastfeeding among First Nations women is consistently lower than the rest of the Australian population. The project is developing lactation training designed by First Nations women for First Nations women. It is fostering an environment where mothers feel safe and understood. The project is a small-scale but meaningful example of the kind of progress that listening can make towards closing the gap. It is the same kind of listening that can come from a Voice to Parliament. Imagine what we could achieve on a national scale if we had the advice of a Voice to get better value for money, improve health care and save lives.”

To view the opinion piece When you listen, you get better results – it’s that simple in full click here.

You can also read a related article Government will keep doing ‘really bad job’ at Indigenous disadvantage without Voice: Leeser published earlier today by Crikey here.

RivMed acting mental health team leader Marnie Lenehan and senior drug and alcohol worker Kenneth Neale with Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Emma McBride

RivMed acting mental health team leader Marnie Lenehan and senior drug and alcohol worker Kenneth Neale with Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Emma McBride on Wednesday this week. Photo: Les Smith. Image source: The Daily Advertiser.

More needed to protect women and children

A leading Indigenous human rights and anti-violence expert has called for more effort from the WA government and police to protect Aboriginal women and children. At the Senate Inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children hearings held in Perth this week Dr Hannah McGalde told Senator Paul Scarr and Dorinda Cox: “We know that many children, Aboriginal children, are being removed because of violence to women, their mothers.”

“The punitive approach that’s been adopted particularly in WA, has resulted in large numbers of Aboriginal children being removed and experiencing often lack of cultural safety in their placements,” she said. Dr McGlade said many Indigenous women are reluctant to reach out to police out of fear they will be discriminated against or not taken seriously when reporting charges made against them.

Dr McGlade noted the apology  made by WA police several years ago, and said there was a ceremony during NAIDOC Week but alleged no actions were followed through. “Actions can be window dressing if not followed through with appropriate commitment or if the committee is established,” she said. “Then they should really be having a firm commitment to human rights training, addressing racism in all aspects. Including how it impacts Indigenous women and girls, who are often treated as offenders rather than victims, that’s a form of racial profiling.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article WA government and police are failing Indigenous women and children, Senate inquiry hears in full click here.

Dr Hannah McGlade portrait shot

Dr Hannah McGlade is an Associate Professor at the Curtin University. Photo: IndigenousX website. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs

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

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

 

Sep 26 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Putting a ‘Hand Up’ for mental health

The image in the feature tile is from The Wimmera Mail-Times.

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

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

Putting a ‘Hand Up’ for mental health

Hand Up is a mental health awareness campaign initiated by Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Cooperative. This year’s event, held on Friday 22 September, attracted more than 200 people who walked from the Botanic Gardens to the Horsham Sound Shell to participate in dance, football coaching and other activities alongside the Wimmera River. The event aimed to de-stigmatise the shame of seeking support for mental health, as well as empower the community to take the steps needed to seek support.

The goal of Hand Up is to:

  • Enhance Community connection
  • Create better engagement with Mental Health Service
  • De-stigmatise the ‘shame job’ of seeking support for mental health.

Read more here.

If you need health or wellbeing support for yourself, a friend or family member, please contact an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) near you. To find an ACCHO in your area click here.

If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well, or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from:

Image source: The Wimmera Mail-Times.

What a ‘yes’ vote would mean for Indigenous eye health

Many organisations and associations in the eyecare sector have publicly shared their support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its call for a Voice to Parliament. Professor Hugh Taylor says his five decades working on eye health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities shows the need for a permanent Voice to Parliament. Professor Taylor worked closely with communities and leaders on the Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision in 2012, establishing 64 regional groups nationwide to coordinate and provide eyecare; two thirds of those Indigenous-led.

“The gap for blindness has been halved and the rates of eye exams or cataract surgery increased three-fold.

“…This showed the importance of putting Indigenous eye health into Indigenous hands,” Professor Taylor said.

He says this success would have been impossible without strong Indigenous community advice, support, and leadership – and the value of this was again demonstrated during NACCHOs handling of COVID.

“We have to listen to and support Indigenous communities and leadership. That is why the Voice is so important. It is clear that decisions for First Nations people need to be made with them, not for them.”

Read more here.

Prof Hugh Taylor examining young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient. Image source: University of Melbourne.

New approach keeping Aboriginal children out of child protection

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are over-represented in child protection. Aboriginal organisations and communities have long argued that this over-representation can be significantly reduced by drawing on the strengths of community and culture. VIC ACCHOs partnered with the University of Melbourne to undertake and trial new approaches to Aboriginal child protection, grounded in the principle of Aboriginal self-management. The trials were aimed at testing the hypothesis that having an Aboriginal organisation step in where there are worries about children’s safety and wellbeing will divert matters from child protection investigation and court proceedings.

One trial was implemented by Njernda Aboriginal Corporation and the Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Cooperative. This trial focused on holding Aboriginal family-led decision-making meetings where Aboriginal children had been repotted or were under investigation. These meetings bring together the child’s family, Elders, and other significant people in the child’s life to make culturally based decisions and plans that support the best interests of an Aboriginal child.

These trials were complex and were modified during implementation, with results more successful after referrals from child protection intake began to be accepted. However, results from the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation and the Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Cooperative trials, and others in the state, found that Aboriginal agencies are best placed to engage and empower Aboriginal families and connect them to the services and support they need to keep their children safe.

Read the full article here.

Image source: Shutterstock.

Have your say on the revised Australian Standard for community pharmacy practice

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is an accredited Standards Development Organisation under Standards Australia, and the custodian of Australian Standard (AS) 85000 which sets out the requirements for a quality management system for Australian community pharmacies. Over the past 18 months, the Guild has led a revision of the Standard using an open process of consultation and consensus, in which all stakeholders were invited to participate.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says, “The review has provided an opportunity to ensure the Standard reflect current practice and can continue to support further advancements in practice into the future.”

As part of the review process, the Guild are seeking feedback on the draft of the revised Standard that has been developed.

Find out more here.

If you wish to provide feedback on the draft complete the feedback form here. You have until November 26 to provide feedback.

Expression of interest AMC Member Council

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is seeking expressions of interest for the position of a Member of Council who is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person with experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health issues.

Members need to commit to at least three full days per year to prepare for and attend the General Meeting (May/June) and Annual General Meeting (November). Members have the opportunity to collaborate with Council Members drawn from the medical profession, medical and health standards bodies, medical education and training, health consumers and community members.

To nominate for the position, complete and return the Expression of Interest Form along with your CV by Monday 2 October 2023.

Image source: AMC website.

Welcome Baby to Bourke

With no operating birthing unit in Bourke, expectant mothers need to travel to Dubbo to deliver their babies. An initiative to welcome babies born away from Country back into the region, the Welcome Baby to Bourke Community Baby Ceremony Day has been named as a finalist in the NSW Health Awards. Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) Manager Aboriginal Partnership in the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Directive, Pat Canty said the ceremony is incredibly important in impacting cultural ties to the land.

“Introducing our babies to community is a traditional practice that has been implemented through generations and it dates back thousands of years. The ceremony is a significant event for our babies to connect to our community, Country, and our Aboriginal Elders,” Ms Canty said.

The NSW Health Award winners will be announced later this year.

Read more here.

Image source: Western Plains App.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 21 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Constitutional Reform important for the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous Australians

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

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

Constitutional Reform important for the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous Australians

Australian Constitutional Reform important for the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Pat Turner CEO of NACCHO states, “A Voice and recognition of Indigenous Australians is critical if there is going to be long term sustainable improvements to health outcomes for our peoples. Currently programs and policies are at the whim of whoever the Minister is and the senior executives of Government Departments.”

“During COVID we were fortunate that our voices were listened to by the then Minister and Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health. There were no deaths of our peoples from COVID in the first 18 months and vaccinations and antivirals were allocated taking into account the level of burden of disease is 2.3 times that of other Australians.

“More recently, Minister Butler has supported our submission to address cancer in our communities.  While the mortality rates have been declining for non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for at least two decades, there has been an uptrend in cancer mortality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

The situation is far worse in regional, remote and very remote areas. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are less likely to be diagnosed with localised disease and are less likely to receive treatment than other Australians. The discrepancy in five-year survival rate between major cities and remote areas is particularly stark for certain cancers, including lung cancer (12 per cent compared with 6 per cent) and head and neck cancer (47 per cent compared with 31 per cent).

Pat Turner goes on to say, “The state of Indigenous health in this country is appalling and is the main reason governments have not listened to our advice and have not taken action on the statistics before them and certainly have not provided the funds required. Our study shows there is a conservative $4.4 billion gap in health funding between what is spent on non-Indigenous Australians. That’s $5,000 for each Aboriginal person per year.”

“Having worked in Government as a senior executive for decades I strongly believe having a Voice written into the Australian Constitution together with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap is the best way to improve living conditions and health outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

Donnella Mills, Chair of NACCHO, “The NACCHO board agrees with the Voice and Recognition being written into the Australian Constitution and I am proud to have been part of developing the Uluru Statement.  There is no doubt Australia is a divided country.  In Cairns where I live and other places nationally there are hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease, and we are 55 times more likely to die of the disease as youth than other Australians. We have had two deaths from tuberculosis in the last year, babies dying from congenital syphilis and trachoma.  These are diseases of poverty and diseases seen in Third World countries and haven’t existed in non-Indigenous Australian population in decades. They are diseases that result from overcrowded and poor housing, lack of clean water and limited health care funding.”

“Most of our people were rounded up and placed in artificial environments and mixing the different language groups with their movements restricted with Acts of Parliament. Look at Palm Island as an example or Mapoon. It is now time to make us equal through Recognition and a Voice to Parliament and the Executive in the Australian Constitution.

Find the media release here. 

Supporting our community: online Social and Emotional Wellbeing Resources during the Voice referendum 

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet have launched a portal that brings together a collection of resources aimed at supporting and reducing social and emotional harms to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the period prior and post the Voice referendum https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/learn/special-topics/voice-referendum-social-emotional-wellbeing-resources/

The wellbeing resources have been made freely available on the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet website for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and Community, including new Pause, Breathe, Connect wellbeing resources developed by The Healing Foundation. Building Connection, Strength, Resilience is at the heart of these resources, which comprise, factsheets, support websites, apps, posters, videos and other critical tools.

The launch comes as the negative impacts of the debate increasingly affect the social, emotional and mental health wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Pat Turner said, “We are witnessing first-hand the adverse consequences of this debate within our communities, manifesting as heightened psychological distress, an increased demand for assistance, and a rise in the utilisation of social and emotional wellbeing and mental health services. The resources we’ve developed are not the answer but are critical tools to help keep our Community safe and well”.

The Healing Foundation Acting Chief Executive Officer Shannan Dobson said, “These resources have tools and tips on managing stress for self, family and community and managing increased misinformation. As well as managing challenging conversations and ways to stay safe. While these resources are for the current heightened racism, they are useful tools for our mob for general wellbeing.”

HealthInfoNet Director Professor Neil Drew said, “We are proud to partner with NACCHO to provide support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during this nation defining referendum.  National debates of this kind can involve difficult and challenging conversations and it is important that we care for ourselves and others during and after the referendum campaign”.

For support, please contact an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation (ACCHO) near you. To find an ACCHO in your area click here. If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek help from:

Read the media release here. 

First Nations residential rehabilitation facility on Ngunnawal Country

Canberra’s first dedicated residential rehabilitation facility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a step closer to reality with the development application for a revamped $49 million health precinct now open for community feedback. Winnunga Nimmityjah will run the new 24-bed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residential rehab facility.

CEO Julie Tongs described the service as a “real game changer” for the region.

“We need to keep people out of prisons. We need to stop sending our mob interstate for residential rehab because they do really, really well when they go away, but then it’s not very long once they come back that they fall into the same old patterns,” she said.

“With our own residential rehab here, we can then integrate people back into their families and back into the community so that they have the strategies and can fall back on us if they need support.”

Read the full article here.

Concept render of the new Watson health precinct. Image source: ACT Government.

60-day prescriptions webinar

As of 1 September 2023, nearly 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will have the option of a 60-day prescription. This means many patients living with an ongoing health condition can now receive twice the medication for the cost of a single prescription. On Tuesday 26 September, pharmacists are invited to a webinar to discuss the 60-day prescriptions of selected PBS medicines.

The webinar will take place between 2.30pm and 3.30pm AEST. Find more details here.

Preventative dental training grants

The Victorian Government has announced a second round of training grants for Aboriginal health practitioners to take part in preventative dental training. The grants are now open for practitioners wanting to become accredited in the application of fluoride varnish, a preventative dental treatment that helps reduce the risk of tooth decay.

Participating ACCHOs can apply for grants of up to $45,000 – with a total of $650,000 allocated. Acting Minister for Health, as well as Minister for Mental Health and Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Gabrielle Williams, announced the new grants on Friday.

“We know that poor oral health can contribute to longer term health issues making the upskilling of our Aboriginal health practitioners to deliver preventative dental care so important,” she said.

The latest funding follows an initial round of the initiative earlier in the year, which saw eight Aboriginal health practitioners become accredited. These included the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative, Mallee District Aboriginal Services; with locations in Mildura, Swan Hill and Kerang, and Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca.

Expressions of Interest for the second round of the program are now open until Wednesday 27 September.

Read the full National Indigenous Times articles here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Picture books celebrate maternal and child health milestones.

Mallee District Aboriginal Services has partnered with Mildura Rural City Council to source culturally relevant and age-appropriate books for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The Maternal and Child Health service nurses will distribute the books when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families bring their babies and children to a key age and stage milestone visits. Free MCH visits are recommended at ten important milestones from birth until a child starts school.

Mallee District Aboriginal Services CEO, Darlene Thomas said the organisation was proud to donate children’s books that celebrate Aboriginal culture.

“We know that reading aloud to children and sharing stories is critical in developing literacy skills and strengthening family relationships. Engaging our children with culturally relevant stories is a powerful way that we can promote reading, connection, and curiosity from an early age,” Ms Thomas said.

Read more here.

Image source: The Sector.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 15 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Community-led approach to suicide prevention

feature tile, NACCHO tile Culture Care Connect on blue aqua Aboriginal art; text 'Innovative, community-led approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention'

The artwork in the feature tile was created by then NACCHO staff member Jodi Knight. It is a visual representation of the Culture Care Connect program, symbolising the three levels of program implementation, advocacy and knowledge sharing across the changing landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention, mental health and social and emotional wellbeing nationally. The colours evoke feelings of calm. The gatherings represent coordination, advocacy and governance structures at a national, affiliate and local level. At the local level, the artwork depicts the three different aspects of the Culture Care Connect program: community-controlled suicide prevention planning and coordination; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led program delivery; and strong and supported program workforce.

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

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

Community-led approach to suicide prevention

The first of its kind, the NACCHO Culture Care Connect (CCC) program is an innovative, community-led approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience rates of suicide 2.4 times higher than other Australians. In 2021, suicide accounted for 5.3% of all deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, while the comparable proportion for non-Indigenous Australians was 1.8%, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially those living in remote and regional areas, there are significant barriers that reduce access and utilisation of mental health services, including experiencing culturally unsafe practices.

While reported statistics for suicide are particularly concerning, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have shown remarkable resilience in the face of the ongoing impacts of colonisation, racism, discrimination and intergenerational trauma. CCC seeks to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through self-determination and community-controlled development of suicide prevention networks and plans, co-designed aftercare services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health first-aid training. It is committed to overcoming the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reducing the prevalence of suicide and self-harm.

NACCHO has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care until June 2025 to rollout the program. This funding supports the:

  • establishment of 31 Community-Controlled Suicide Prevention Networks
  • establishment of Community-Controlled Aftercare Services
  • coordination and delivery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Training

To view the National Rural Health Alliance’s Partyline e-magazine article A community-led approach to suicide prevention in full click here.

group of Culture Care Connect onboarding participants on internal stairs of Nishi building

Culutre Care Connect Aftercare Onboarding, Canberra, June 2023. Image source: NACCHO.

Culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care

Prevention of stillbirth in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and responsive care when such losses occur, are key aims of the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (CRE). Understanding Indigenous communities’ experiences, perceptions and priorities around stillbirth, or Sorry Business Babies, is needed to implement prevention strategies and culturally safe practices in Australian maternity health services.

A collaborative consultation process with Indigenous communities around Australia identified stillbirth prevention and care needs. Researchers were led by the community, who shared their lived experiences and stories of their own communities through yarning. Yarning sessions provided a comfortable, safe space for community members to share stories, ask questions and feel heard. Consultations were held in 18 communities – involving 93 community members and 221 healthcare providers, many of whom were also Indigenous community members – across remote, regional and urban areas in QLD, WA, VIC, SA and the NT. Consultations were face to face or online, using yarning interviews, discussion groups and workshops, with some participants having lived experience of Sorry Business Babies.

Findings included the need for better health service engagement and support of families and communities, as well as improved education and resources for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous healthcare providers. Lack of continuity of care was identified as the main barrier in effective prevention, investigation of causes and care for families following stillbirth. This highlights the importance of continuous care for families during the perinatal period, including when a baby does not survive.

To view the National Rural Health Alliance’s Partyline e-magazine article Culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care in full click here. You can also watch the Stronger Bubba Born video about stillbirth below.

Pilbara GP says more help is needed

Pilbara GP Sonia Henry has seen young people die of strokes, teenagers with heart disease, and children who have lost their hearing after untreated ear infections. “We need to do so much better in giving remote Australians back what they give to us,” Henry told the Regional Australia Institute’s national summit in Canberra on Thursday this week.

“Particularly in WA, the mining companies’ profits are huge, but the people who live there aren’t seeing that.” Henry, who has spent years working in remote WA and western NSW, said city-based specialists should serve up to four weeks in the bush every year, easing the burden on young rural doctors and medical students. “Once I saw the things I saw out there, I could never unsee them and I could never just go back to work in Sydney with my eyes closed,” the doctor and author said. “You see this great beauty and you see this enormous suffering and that has changed my life.”

The regional think tank’s annual national conference heard from leaders across politics, business, local government and technology exploring ways to help growing country areas prosper. The organisation this week released a progress report on its policy ambitions to support a regional population of 11 million by 2032. National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) CEO Susi Tegen said there were promising moves in the sector, like greater collaboration between state and federal governments. But research by the NRHA found there was a $6.5b annual spending shortfall in rural health. “That means that population of seven million people is not receiving the health care they deserve,” Tegen said.

To view the SBS News article This GP has spent years working in remote Australia. She says more help is needed in full click here. You can also read a related article ‘If the plane breaks down, it’s just you’: the pressure and awakening of one city GP in the outback published in The Guardian on 3 June 2023 here.
Dr Sonia Henry at the Robe River Rodeo sign in desert Australia

Dr Sonia Henry at the Robe River Rodeo sign in desert Australia. Image source: The Guardian.

Impact of parasites a national shame

Many Australians likely read the coverage of the live roundworm found in the brain of a NSW woman with morbid curiosity. If you missed it, a wriggling, 8cm-long parasitic roundworm was removed from the head of a 64-year-old woman complaining of headaches, depression and forgetfulness. The patient likely picked up the parasite through eating foraged vegetables contaminated by python poo.

You may find it gross, but for researchers of parasites and infectious diseases – who recently met in Darwin for the Annual Meeting for Australian Society for Parasitology – stories like this are fascinating but not particularly gross. What we do find gross is the persistence of awful infectious diseases in situations where they are eminently preventable, and in countries that are rich enough to have eliminated them.

Particularly gross is the prevalence of infectious diseases in First Nations communities despite those same infections being unknown or eradicated among non-Indigenous Australians. In fact, as we heard at the conference, for some Indigenous and remote communities in Australia the problem of worms and other parasites is not only not improving – it’s potentially worsening. Indigenous Australians bear a disproportionate health burden for a swathe of infectious diseases that are otherwise only a problem in the world’s poorest countries. It is an enduring discredit to our country that roundworm infections of humans are newsworthy and enthralling when reported in a Canberra hospital, but are widely ignored when they proliferate in Indigenous communities.

To view the University of Melbourne Pursuit article Parasites may be gross, but so is Australia’s attitude to Indigenous health in full click here.

human threadworm – Strongyloides stercoralis under microscope

The human threadworm – Strongyloides stercoralis – is serious and potentially deadly. Photo: Shutterstock. Image source: University of Melbourne Pursuit.

Summit to address rural medical workforce dilemma

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) will bring together leading doctors and experts in rural medicine to unearth much needed solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting Australia’s regional medical workforce. In response to crippling rural workforce shortages and a lack of specialist training opportunities throughout regional Australia, the AMA is holding a Rural Medical Training Summit in Canberra today.

The event coincides with the launch of the AMA’s Plan for improving access to rural general practice, which proposes a range of measures to improve access to primary healthcare for rural communities. Proposed measures outlined in the plan include the establishment of a National Rural Health and Workforce Strategy — with funding for an independent workforce planning agency — and expanded training pathways for doctors in rural areas.

The Rural Medical Training Summit will help the AMA and other key health stakeholders develop priorities for advocacy and reform in rural specialist training. AMA President Professor Stephen Robson said the expertise of participants, including one of the world’s foremost authorities in rural medical education — Professor Roger Strasser AM — would be a key part of collaborative efforts in rural medical training reform. “Medical workforce shortages are among the biggest threats to rural health in Australia,” Professor Robson said.

You can read the AMA’s media release AMA summit to address Australia’s rural medical workforce dilemma in full here and the AMA Plan for Improving Access to Rural General Practice 2023 here.

cover of AMA plan for improving access to rural general practice 2023

Strong Born campaign support mob

The Strong Born campaign has been developed by NACCHO and is supported by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). Led by NACCHO, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) clinical and cultural experts across Australia, the Strong Born campaign raises awareness of the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, as well as the importance of safe breastfeeding practices.

Raising awareness about FASD has long been a priority for the ACCHO sector. The Strong Born campaign includes resources designed in collaboration with representatives from various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to make yarning about this complex topic easier. The resources have been designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and health professionals working in an ACCHO setting. Resources are available via the NACCHO website for anyone seeking to support individuals and families, in a culturally safe way, through issues related to FASD.

NACCHO CEO Pat Turner said, “The Strong Born campaign is about raising awareness and understanding of FASD and reducing stigma and shame. The campaign includes culturally appropriate health information for women and families, educational materials for our Aboriginal healthcare workers and guidance for healthcare providers that work with Aboriginal communities. In collaboration with our member organisations, we’ll also support opportunities to bring our communities together to create safe places for yarning about the impacts of alcohol on pregnancy. Growing strong healthy mums and bubs leads to healthy communities. Our communities need to understand the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and where to go for support, so they can ask for help if they need it.”

To find out more about the Strong Born campaign and to access the campaign resources, visit the NACCHO website here and view the National Rural Health Alliance’s Partyline e-magazine article Strong Born campaign supports First Nations communities in full click here.

 

Sector Jobs

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

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