Category Alcohol and other drugs

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.

Sep 7 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Creating supportive communities for alcohol-free pregnancies

The image in the feature tile is from the FASD Awareness Month and Red Shoes Rock Campaign launch at Parliament House.

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.

Creating supportive communities for alcohol-free pregnancies

On Tuesday 7 September NACCHO, Fare Australia, NOFASD, FASD Hub, and lived experience advocates were joined by Health Minister Mark Butler, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, and other parliamentarians and their staff for the launch of FASD Awareness Month at Parliament House. The event provided an opportunity for attendees to learn more about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the importance of creating supportive communities for alcohol-free pregnancies. Attendees wore red in support of the Red Shoes Rock Campaign which encourages Australians to wear red shoes or socks throughout September, to spark conversations and create an understanding about this largely invisible and preventable disability.

NACCHO Executive Director, Monica Barolits-McCabe spoke at the event, highlighting the significant impact of the Strong Born Campaign, which includes strength-based communications resources, culturally appropriate health information for women and families, and educational materials for the ACCHO workforce.

“The campaign also supports opportunities to bring communities together to create safe places to yarn about the impacts of alcohol and pregnancy… led by the ACCHO sector.”

“As challenging as some of these conversations are, unless we’re having them in an intelligent and culturally safe way, we are never going to make a dent in this issue,” Ms Barolits-McCabe said.

Also speaking at the launch, Minister Butler said, “We know this is important work and we know, given this is a wholly preventable disability, that this is something we can tick off.”

As part of Red Shoes Rock, more than 50 landmarks across Australia will be lit up red and community events will be held throughout the month.

NACCHO Executive Director, Monica Barolits-McCabe at the FASD Awareness Month launch.

Protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ knowledges

Pakana woman and Vice-President, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Public Health Association of Australia, Dr Alana Gall says amid a global focus on the importance of traditional medicines, stronger protections are needed for Indigenous knowledges in Australia. While the use of natural products as a basis for pharmaceuticals is somewhat well known, a lesser-known fact is around the exploitation of First Nations traditional medicine knowledge in Australia. For example, the commercial production of a drug made from Duboisia myoporides (commonly known as corkwood), a hybrid of Australian native shrubs used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a sedative and painkiller, is now the backbone of a lucrative multi-million-dollar industry in Australia.

Are First Nations knowledges acknowledged as the basis for this? Do First Nations peoples gain any benefit from sharing their knowledge?

Speaking at a virtual dialogue with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and a group of WHO senior officials about Indigenous traditional medicines from a global perspective, Dr Gall highlighted:

  • The urgent need for the protection of Indigenous knowledges through appropriate legislation.
  • The importance of including respectful approaches to the integration of Indigenous traditional medicines into each country’s health policies.
  • The need for the WHO to hold a regular forum that brings Indigenous voices together globally on these issues.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

Dr Alana Gall, pictured at first World Health Organization Traditional Medicine Global Summit held in India. Dr Michael Kyeremateng (L) and Professor Professor Jon Wardle (R). Image source: Croakey Health Media.

I Pledge to Champion a Respectful Referendum

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health advocates have launched the Respectful Referendum Pledge, a set of principles to encourage respectful conversations in the lead-up to the referendum. Developed by the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA), Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia, and the Black Dog Institute the principles aim to reduce social and emotional harm to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the period prior and post-referendum.

Advocates have warned the government the referendum would have negative impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health. Early evidence has shown the racial tone of the debate has had a negative impact on the mental health of First Nations people. Gamilaroi/Gomeroi man and Director of First Nations Partnership and Strategy at the Black Dog Institute, Dr Clinton Schultz said the impacts are already showing.

“We know the tonality of the debate has a significant effect on mental health impacts. The more divisive the debate, the greater the impact; the more respectful and inclusive, the lesser the impact,” he said.

The Respectful Referendum Pledge asks politicians to:

  • Listen to First Nations people
  • Elevate First Nations voices
  • Provide a safe space for First Nations advocates
  • Build common ground through shared goals
  • Set the standard for respectful debate
  • Use culturally appropriate language
  • Build trust through action

Read the full NITV article here. You can also view Referendum Resilience resources here.

Respectful Referendum Pledge.

Blood cancer booklets

For Blood Cancer Awareness Month (September) a descendant of the Muruwari people, Matthew Doyle will unite with the Leukemia Foundation as a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Matthew lost both of his twin sons, Shawn and Jeremy to blood cancer at the ages of one and two years old. On losing his boys, Matthew says, “There’s not a day that goes past that I don’t think about my children. I think it’s important that people tell their stories.”

Matthew hopes that by joining forces with the Leukemia Foundation as the national ambassador for First Nations people, that he can raise much-needed awareness of blood cancer and the support available to this impacted by the disease. Matthew has designed information booklets written specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander blood cancer patients and harness a rich storytelling culture to help them better understand their diagnosis and what to expect from blood cancer treatment.

“I want to encourage fellow Indigenous Australians experiencing the devastation of blood cancer, to reach out to the Leukemia Foundation to access their support and services,” Mr Doyle said.

“I want people to know that they are not alone. The Leukemia Foundation has a range of resources to help them and their loved ones through this dark time.”

Read more here and find the First Nations blood cancer booklets here.

Page from the Leukemia Foundation First Nations blood cancer booklet.

Let’s Yarn about Sleep

The Let’s Yarn About Sleep (LYAS) program, led by the University of Queensland, combined Western science with Indigenous cultural teachings to improve sleep health in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The aim of the program is to give kids the tools and knowledge about the spiritual, mental, and physical importance of sleep and encourage them to put it into practice. First to graduate from the LYAS, John aged 14 said it had a life-changing impact.

“I chuck my phone on the desk on the other side of the room.

“I’ve started passing my grades at school and getting Bs and As and it’s pretty good,” he said.

Waanyi Garawa Gangalidda woman Karen Chong, who is Australia’s first qualified Indigenous sleep coach, has been educating program participants in Mount Isa. She said empowering young people with tools such as an actigraphy device worn on the wrist to track sleeping and waking routines and easy tips and tricks on how to get a good night’s sleep had resulted in high engagement in the program.

“Sleep is important for Aboriginal people because it is a time when we connect with our Dreaming, with our ancestors, and when we draw inspiration and creativity for the expression of our culture,” Ms Chong said.

Read the full ABC article here.

Sleep coach Waanyi Garawa Gangalidda woman Karen Chong. Image Source: ABC News.

COVID-19 vax competition offering HUGE prizes

6 ACCHOs and 15 creative people can win return flights, accommodation, and tickets for up to 3 ACCHO staff members to attend the NACCHO’s Members’ Conference in Perth this October.

Enter the COVID-19 Vaccination promotion competition by submitting a deadly video advertisement/promotion that represents the theme: Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is looking after yourself, for your chance to win! Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to the theme: Getting a COIVD-19vaccination is looking after yourself
  • Composition
  • Creativity
  • Originality
  • Appropriateness for the target age group: Category 1 – kids 5–12 years (in the ACCHO community), Category 2 – teens and adults 13–49 years (in the ACCHO community), Category 3 – older adults 50+ (in the ACCHO community).

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prizeincludes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

Category 2

  • First Prizeincludes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prizeincludes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

Category 3

  • First Prizeincludes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

This is an opportunity for you to really show who and what your community is like, and the best ways to communicate with them.

We encourage teams to be creative with the theme. Is the best way to get your mob interested, through humour? Being strong and serious? Telling a story? Addressing negative stereotypes?

Be open to the possibilities of what ‘self-care’ looks like. Self-care could be 30-year-olds discussing the importance of getting the vaccination; or 70-year-olds spinning around the basketball courts because they’re fit and healthy and vaccinated; or tie your promotion to building community strength and vitality.

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available 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.

Key Date – Women’s Health Week

The theme for this year’s Women’s Health Week (4-8 September) is ‘Grow your knowledge.’ It is all about supporting women to make informed decisions about their health with information that is easy to understand.

Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service Aboriginal Corporation held a Women’s Health Expo to celebrate, with stalls to encourage discussions and education around Women’s health.

On Facebook, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane said, “This week, encourage your sisters, mothers, aunties, daughters, and friends to priorities their health and well-being by booking in for a health check.

“Through regular health checks you can identify and prevent chronic health issues early.”

Learn more about Women’s Health Week here.

Sep 5 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: VACCHO toolkit to help mainstream services

feature tile artwork by Dixon Patten (Bitja); text: 'VACCHO develops Victorian Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy Implementation Tool'

The image in the feature tile is of artwork by Dixon Patten (Bitja) that appears on page 35 of the  Victorian Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy: An implementation tool for organisations in Melbourne’s north and west 2023–2026.

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.

VACCHO toolkit to help mainstream services

Efforts to close the health and life expectancy gaps between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous communities are ongoing and urgent. An important way to achieve that is to ensure organisations operate in ways that embrace Aboriginal cultures and practices. The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) is acutely aware of this, and for nearly 30 years has been advocating for vibrant, healthy, self-determining Aboriginal communities.

A key part of this work is the creation and rollout of the Victorian Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy 2022–26, available here. This plan supports a strong and able workforce across VACCHO’s 33 member organisations, delivering holistic wellbeing services to Aboriginal people.

However, for this vision to be achieved other organisations must also contribute, says VACCHO’s CEO, Jill Gallagher AO. “The [ACCHO] sector is leading the way in providing culturally safe services, but we are not immune to the challenges of workforce shortages and infrastructure limitations,” she said. “With a rapidly growing population, we need all services in the health system to deliver culturally safe care. It’s vital that there is no wrong door for Aboriginal families in being able to gain access to quality, culturally safe healthcare that is delivered in a high-trust environment.”

With this in mind, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) commissioned VACCHO to develop a toolkit to help mainstream organisations in Melbourne’s north and west implement the health and wellbeing strategy. NWMPHN’s CEO said the free toolkit, available here, provides practical ways for mainstream organisations to support the work of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.

N

To view the NWMPHN article New toolkit to help mainstream organisations support Victoria’s Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Workforce Strategy in full click here.

VACCHO staff Jessica Mitchell (L) and Abe Ropitini (R) standing outside VACCHO building

VACCHO staff Jessica Mitchell (L) and Abe Ropitini (R). Photo: Leigh Henningham. Image source: NWM PHN News.

DHAC key health updates, August 2023

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) has released its Health updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities August 2023 edition.

This edition includes information about:

  • World Breastfeeding Week
  • ‘Yarning About’ resources series
  • Hearing Health
  • Helping eliminate hepatitis in Australia
  • New childhood immunisation videos featuring child health nurses

You can view the August 2023 edition of DHAC’s Health updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in full here, including the below new childhood immunisation video featuring child health nurses.

Boosting cancer outcomes for priority populations

Eight grants totaling over $840,000 have been awarded to increase equity for people in population groups with poorer cancer outcomes. The Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health Senator Malarndirri McCarthy announced the Supporting people with cancer grants today, including three directly aimed at reducing the impacts of cancer on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Supporting people with cancer grant initiative is an annual grants program that funds community organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to better support people affected by cancer at a community level. Since its inception in 2005, 137 grants totalling $11.55m have been funded through this initiative, with funded projects attracting over $9m in contributions from grant recipients and served communities.

The community programs will support locals including through screening, early detection, cancer prevention and care management nationally and in regional and remote communities.

You can find more information about the Supporting people with cancer Grant initiative on the Australian Government Cancer Australia website here, and read Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health’s media release Enhanced funding initiatives to boost cancer outcomes for priority populations in full here.

ATSI woman on phone holding had of sick Aunty lying on couch

Image source: NSW Government Cancer Institute NSW website.

RFDS confronts First Nations stories

Tiwi Islander and actor Rob Collins who returns as Senior Medical Officer Dr Wayne Yates in Season 2 of the TV series RFDA says the “RFDS is unapologetic in confronting First Nations stories.” The series reflects the Broken Hill community and addresses medical issues for the mob. Rob Collins is particularly proud of RFDS for addressing First Nations medical issues to a broad audience in an authentic way.

This season the series not only weaves bush medicine into its storylines, but it does not shy away from the very real concerns faced by Indigenous communities. Rob Collins said he’s “really excited for people to see Wayne’s journey in this [series] because it raises some serious questions about the intersection between Aboriginal people and the medical profession.

“We know anecdotally, that Aboriginal people are over-represented, when it comes to fronting up to hospitals, and suffering chronic diseases. We don’t shy away from that conversation in the series. I’m really proud of the work that we’ve done and of the show for going there. I think it’s going to start conversations that I don’t think we’ve had, in such an unapologetic way on Aussie telly before.”

To view the TV Tonight article Rob Collins: “RFDS is unapologetic in confronting First Nations  stories” in full click here.

Aboriginal actor Rob Collins in RFDS TV series RFDS navy uniform standing in middle of red dirt outback road

RFDS actor Rob Collins. Image source: TV Tonight.

Better sleep to improve mob’s health

A program linking sleep science and traditional knowledge is being expanded to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in regional Indigenous communities. Associate Professor Yaqoot Fatima from The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Poche Centre for Indigenous Health said one in four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the condition, known as OSA, to a moderate or severe level but it is largely untreated.

“When a person’s airway is blocked during sleep, there are sudden drops in blood oxygen levels and frequent wakefulness affecting restorative sleep and straining the cardiovascular system,” Dr Fatima said. “People who don’t sleep well are more likely to be overweight and at risk of diabetes, heart disease and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.”

The OSA project has received $4.06m from the Medical Research Future Fund and will be an extension of Let’s Yarn About Sleep (LYAS), a partnership led by UQ which runs a co-designed sleep health program for young Indigenous people in NW QLD. Through consulting with community members and up to 100 service providers the researcher will identify what’s contributing to poor sleep and upskill local health workers to improve the diagnosis and treatment of OSA and other sleep health conditions.

To view the UQ article Better sleep to improve health in Indigenous communities in full click here.

Roslyn Von Senden leads a Walk on Country talking about the use of plants and relaxation techniques as part of the LYAS program for young people

Roslyn Von Senden leads a Walk on Country talking about the use of plants and relaxation techniques as part of the LYAS program for young people. Image source: UQ News.

Helping teens addicted to vaping

The Australian government is cracking down on vaping. Recreational vapes of any type – whether they contain nicotine or not – will be banned from retail sale across Australia after legislation is introduced (though the date is yet to be set).

Rates of teen vaping have been rising rapidly in Australia, from 0.8% of 14- to 17-year-olds describing themselves as a current vaper over the past six months in 2018 to 14.5% in 2023. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, 19.8% have been a current vaper over the past six months. The majority of e-cigarettes contain nicotine, even when they’re not labelled as such. Some vaped tested in Australia contained 900 mgs of nicotine – the equivalent of the nicotine in almost 100 cigarettes.

Nicotine dependence produces a strong desire for, and difficulty controlling, nicotine use and young people are at greater risk of nicotine dependence than adults and can develop dependence faster. Once nicotine-dependent, a person will experience withdrawal symptoms if they reduce or cease their use. A Hooked on Nicotine Checklist, available here, is a tool to assess dependence on smoking cigarettes or vaping, specially designed for adolescents. The higher the score, the less control a teen will have over their nicotine addiction.

To view The Conversation article My teen is addicted to vaping. How can I help them quit and manage their withdrawal symptoms? in full click here.

hand holding out a vape, person's face obscured by a cloud of smoke

Photo: AdobeStock. Image source: ABC btn.

Don’t miss out – COVID-19 vax competition

Win return flights, accommodation, and tickets to the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference

6 ACCHOs and 15 creative people can win return flights, accommodation, and tickets for up to 3 ACCHO staff members to attend the NACCHO’s Members’ Conference in Perth this October.

Enter the COVID-19 Vaccination promotion competition by submitting a deadly video advertisement/promotion that represents the theme: Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is looking after yourself, for your chance to win! Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to the theme: Getting a COIVD-19 vaccination is looking after yourself
  • Composition
  • Creativity
  • Originality
  • Appropriateness for the target age group: Category 1 – kids 5–12 years (in the ACCHO community), Category 2 – teens and adults 13–49 years (in the ACCHO community), Category 3 – older adults 50+ (in the ACCHO community).

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

Category 2

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

Category 3

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

This is an opportunity for you to really show who and what your community is like, and the best ways to communicate with them.

We encourage teams to be creative with the theme. Is the best way to get your mob interested, through humour? Being strong and serious? Telling a story? Addressing negative stereotypes?

Be open to the possibilities of what ‘self-care’ looks like. Self-care could be 30-year-olds discussing the importance of getting the vaccination; or 70-year-olds spinning around the basketball courts because they’re fit and healthy and vaccinated; or tie your promotion to building community strength and vitality.

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

NACCHO tile text 'NACCHO Members' Conference 2023 - 23-26 October, Noongar Boodjar (Perth) MAY THE BEST ACCHOs WIN... - Return Flights; Tickets to NACCHO's Conference for 3 staff members; Accommodation; images of plane, city of Perth at night & motel bedroom

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.

Key Date

(text)

Sep 4 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: COVID-19 competition – win flights to Perth

feature tile, round dot art from conference promotional material overlaid with text 'competition time!' & text 'COVID-19 vaccination program competition win flights, accommodation and tickets to the NACCHO Members’ Conference'

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.

COVID-19 competition – win flights to Perth

Win return flights, accommodation, and tickets to the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference

6 ACCHOs and 15 creative people can win return flights, accommodation, and tickets for up to 3 ACCHO staff members to attend the NACCHO’s Members’ Conference in Perth this October.

Enter the COVID-19 Vaccination promotion competition by submitting a deadly video advertisement/promotion that represents the theme: Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is looking after yourself, for your chance to win! Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Relevance to the theme: Getting a COIVD-19 vaccination is looking after yourself
  • Composition
  • Creativity
  • Originality
  • Appropriateness for the target age group: Category 1 – kids 5–12 years (in the ACCHO community), Category 2 – teens and adults 13–49 years (in the ACCHO community), Category 3 – older adults 50+ (in the ACCHO community).

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

Category 2

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

Category 3

  • First Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 3 staff members
  • Second Prize includes return flights, accommodation, and tickets to NACCHO’s 2023 Conference in Perth for 2 staff members

This is an opportunity for you to really show who and what your community is like, and the best ways to communicate with them.

We encourage teams to be creative with the theme. Is the best way to get your mob interested, through humour? Being strong and serious? Telling a story? Addressing negative stereotypes?

Be open to the possibilities of what ‘self-care’ looks like. Self-care could be 30-year-olds discussing the importance of getting the vaccination; or 70-year-olds spinning around the basketball courts because they’re fit and healthy and vaccinated; or tie your promotion to building community strength and vitality.

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

NACCHO tile text 'NACCHO Members' Conference 2023 - 23-26 October, Noongar Boodjar (Perth) MAY THE BEST ACCHOs WIN... - Return Flights; Tickets to NACCHO's Conference for 3 staff members; Accommodation; images of plane, city of Perth at night & motel bedroom

ACCHO named WA’s Best GP Service for 2023

Derbarl Yerrigan Health Services (DYHS) has been awarded WA’s best GP practice of 2023 by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). This ACCHO that operates on the lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people in metropolitan Perth was recognised for demonstrating excellence in patient care, safety and a commitment to the wellbeing of the community. DYHS GP Registrar, Dr Corey Dalton, was named the RACGP’s 2023 GP in Training. It is the second consecutive year that an Aboriginal doctor from the DYHS medical team has taken out the award. DYHS CEO, Tracey Brand, said the RACGP awards come as the ACCHO prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

“It is remarkable that a service started 50 years ago by a group of volunteers in an old city building with disused equipment from Royal Perth Hospital has become the largest ACCHO in WA,” she said. “These awards acknowledge our Board’s strong leadership and the dedicated DYHS team’s compassion and commitment to cultural safety and clinical excellence.”

Earlier this year DYHS chose to undergo accreditation through the Australian General Practice Accreditation (AGPAL) which involved the practice team reviewing all systems and processes, prior to an independent assessment conducted by a team of AGPAL surveyors. Ms Brand said “Our model delivers culturally responsive comprehensive primary health services with a focus on prevention, early intervention, comprehensive care and care coordination across the life course of our 22,000 patients.”

To view the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service media release Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service named state’s best GP service for 2023 in full click here.

tile of 50+ Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service with hands in air at top landing & down stairs of DYHS office

Glen for Women officially opens

On Wednesday last week, 30 August 2023, The Glen for Women was officially opened. The Glen for Women runs a 12-week residential rehab program based on the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Residential Rehabilitation Network (ADARRN) model of care. The program is designed to support participants with individualised case management plans; grief and trauma counselling; financial counselling; relationship and parenting programs; anger management and relapse prevention programs and 12 step fellowship meetings. Through the program, participants can also learn a range of practical skills to set them up for their return to community.

The Glen for Women has now been operational for 15 months and 84 women have passed through its doors. At the official opening the women who had fought so hard for The Glen for Women, Aunty Coral, Aunty Cheryl, Aunty Gail, Aunty Jan and Aunty Barbara were acknowledged.

You can find more information about The Glen for Women on The Glen website here.

image of outside seated guests for opening of The Glen for Women 20.8.23

Official opening of The Glen for Women. Image sourece: The Glen Rehab Facebook page.

Why the Voice is crucial to health outcomes 

Respected Aboriginal leader Aunty Jill Gallagher – CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) – recently spoke on NITV Radio about the upcoming referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, how Aboriginal Elders drive the narratives as well as an upcoming VACCHO Elder’s Summit. Aunty Jill explained emphatically why a Yes vote is crucial.

You can listen to the NITV Radio interview Aunty Jill Gallagher on why a Yes vote is crucial, the impact on Aboriginal health outcomes and more in full here.

NITV Radio tile text 'Aunty Jill Gallagher on why a Yes vote is crucial, the impact on Aboriginal health outcomes and more' & portrait image of VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher

Image source: NITV Radio.

Children in detention increases crime

Some advocates say the best way to create an adult criminal is to lock up a child. The younger a child is slapped with a probation order or locked up for committing a crime, the more likely they are to return behind bars. So when QLD brought in laws allowing kids as young as 10 to be held in police watch houses, human rights groups were appalled.

Indigenous advocates were also alarmed given the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the youth justice system. Catherine Liddle, the head of a national organisation for Indigenous children known as SNAICC, said the Queensland government action was a disgrace.

“Suspending the Human Rights Act so children as young as 10 can be held in police watch houses and prisons designed for adults is utterly shameful,” she said. “It makes a mockery out of all the work that we’ve been doing to close the gap, which says to work in partnership with ACCOs before you make decisions like this.”

To view the SBS News article Does putting children in detention prevent or produce crime? in full click here.
corridor with closed prison doors either side

Photo: Jono Searle – AAP. Image source: SBS News.

Reducing medication-related problems

Medicines are the most frequent health care intervention type; their safe use provides significant benefits, but inappropriate use can cause harm. Systemic primary care approaches can manage serious medication‐related problems in a timely manner.

A quality improvement activity developed to improve medicine safety is ACTMed (ACTivating primary care for MEDicine safety). ACTMed uses information technology and financial incentives to encourage pharmacists to work more closely with general practitioners to reduce the risk of harm, improve patients’ experience of care, streamline workflows, and increase the efficiency of medical care.

A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial is planned to be undertaken in 42 Queensland primary care practices to assess the effectiveness of the ACTMed intervention. The primary outcome will be the proportion of people at risk of serious medication‐related problems — patients with atrial fibrillation, heart failure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, or asthma or congestive obstructive pulmonary disease — who experience such problems. The trail will also estimate the cost per averted serious medication‐related problem and the cost per averted potentially preventable medication‐related hospitalisation.

To read the Activating pharmacists to reduce the frequency of medication‐related problems (ACTMed): a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial article published in The Medical Journal of Australia today click here.

You can also read a previous article on ACTMed published in this newsletter here.

tablet dispenser & hand pouring tablets into palm of other hand

Image source: The Economic 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.

Aug 24 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Funding to address FASD in Central Australia

The image in the feature tile is from NACCHO’s Strong Born Campaign.

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.

Funding to address FASD in Central Australia

The federal government has announced that $18.4 million of the $250 million plan for A Better, Safer Future for Central Australia will go towards helping children with neurodevelopment issues. Central Australian Aboriginal Congress chief executive, Donna Ah-Chee said the funding would help identify children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), ADHA and autism.

“Congress has known for a long time that if we get the start of life right, we can change a child’s entire life story.

“We started this critical work in 2018 and now, with these much-needed additional resources, we can make sure that many more Aboriginal children and young people across central Australia can get the assessment and help they need to get on to a more healthy development pathway,” Ms Ah-Chee said.

The funding will see additional staff recruited for the Child and Youth Assessment and Treatment Services (CYATS) program, including two clinical neuropsychologists, an occupational therapist, speech pathologists, a clinical case co-ordinator and an Aboriginal family support worker.

NT Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said expanding the assessment services will mean hundreds of children will be able to receive a FASD diagnosis and early intervention, “FASD is often referred to as an invisible disability but as far as many families and communities are concerned, it’s a very visible part of life with a profound impact on children and their families.”

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here and see NACCHO’s Strong Born FASD Campaign here.

NACCHO Strong Born Campaign social media tile.

Goondir Health Services and UQ improving oral health

The University of Queensland’s Dental Clinic in Dalby has been operating for a decade. The student-led clinic is a partnership with Goondir Health Services and sees more than 800 rural patients attend each year. Wulli Wulli man, Gavin Saltner said having access to the clinic was important, with cost and travel time a barrier for some Western Downs residents accessing dental treatment.

“It’s made a lot of a difference to me.

“Knowing that I could come along to these clinics and get a check-up… they can fit you in wherever they can,” he said.

The clinic’s treatment room sits within Goondir Health Service’s building, allowing for easy referrals to other services. The ACCHOs executive, Shubham Weling said it provides cross influence between other areas of healthcare and the model of care is and should continue to be replicated across the country.

“We’re opening a clinic in Chinchilla as well and we want to advocate for this model out there,” Mr Weling said.

Read the full ABC News article here.

UQ Dental Clinic. Image source: ABC News.

New GP clinic to South Hedland

South Hedland in Western Australia will once again have a GP clinic with Indigenous-owned provider Marlu Health opening a practice to fill the void left by the closure of Sonic Healthcare. 

The practice will offer a variety of medical services including:

  • GP Services;
  • Occupational health, Pre-Employment Medicals, Fitness for Work and Injury Management Services;
  • Psychology and Mental Health Services through Hedland’s only psychologist Caroline Rodgers;
  • Employee Assistance Programs; and
  • Pathology collection services supported by Australian Clinical Labs, with saliva testing to replace urine testing for drug and alcohol screening.

Director of Medical and Health Services, Dr Lincoln Luk, said Marlu Health had a commitment to traditional owner values and giving back to the community.

“We are looking forward to providing a range of services to the Hedland community, and it was important for us to establish our clinic in South Hedland. We have not previously been a GP provider and were not looking to do so, but we saw the need in Hedland and felt that it was our civic responsibility to help,” Dr Luk said.

You can read the article on the Town of Port Headland website here. 

Sonic Health Plus.

“We cannot continue to have spaces that are void of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s leadership, voices, ideas, and solutions”

Co-chairs of the National Close the Gap Campaign, Karl Briscoe and June Oscar said if we as a nation are committed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equity and equality, and to closing the gap, then we must also be committed to “listening to and hearing the leadership and advice that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples share with us.”

If successful, the Voice, through constitutional recognition, will allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elected representatives to make representations to the Executive and to Parliament. Mr Briscoe and Ms Oscar wrote, “key to this structural reform is that it provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a constitutionally enshrined voice, a permanent seat at the table, and a genuine opportunity to provide advice on matters that directly affect our lives.”

“We cannot keep doing more of the same. Large-scale structural reform is necessary if we ever hope to close the gap.

“We cannot continue to have spaces that are void of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s leadership, voices, ideas, and solutions. To do so will only entrench inequality further,” they said.

Read the full article here.

Image source: Close the Gap Campaign Instagram.

Lessons in heat resilience

When you arrive in Tennant Creek, 1000km south of Darwin, what hits you first is the absence of smells. Usually, the air is permeated with the cooking of kangaroo but now it is barely there.

In the last heatwave, dead kangaroos were found at the bottom of watering holes previously thought to have never dried up. Some locals believed kangaroos could never fall victim to thirst, that they would always find a place to drink. It wasn’t true.

Warumungu Elder Norman Frank Jupurrurla doesn’t need to consult records. He says his experience with the area over his lifetime tells him one thing for certain: it’s getting hotter. The decline of kangaroo populations, and the resulting impact on human food sources, is just one sign.

Dr Simon Quilty, of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University, is direct when describing the impact climate change is having on the area: “It is an ecological disaster.”

He is the lead author of a new article in The Lancet, analysing heat-mortality rates in the NT. The study, which involved Associate Professor Aparna Lal, of the ANU, and Jupurrurla, also found that despite high rates of chronic illness, socioeconomic and housing inequity, and far less access to air-conditioned spaces, Aboriginal people living in the NT were no more likely to die from the heat than the local non-Indigenous population.

Quilty says this discrepancy appears to be cultural. He says it is “a story of how Aboriginal culture and knowledge of environment has enabled extraordinary resilience to extreme weather”.

You can read the article online in The Saturday Paper here. 

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.

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.

Aug 23 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: New Deadly Choices promotional assets launched

feature tile image of Deadly Choices Tobacco Education Program information stand; text 'New suite of Deadly Choices preventative health promotional assets launched today'

The image in the feature tile is of a Deadly Choice Tobacco Education Program information stand from the Deadly Choices section of the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) website.

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.

New Deadly Choices promotional assets launched

Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector came together in Brisbane today to assist in launching a suite of Deadly Choices preventative health promotional assets, including a series of television advertisements, aimed at limiting the number of community members from across the state taking up vaping and smoking.

Seeking to orchestrate healthier, happier communities right across Queensland, Deadly Choices will shine a light on the endemic global health concerns of vaping among youth, while also targeting the incidence of tobacco smoking among pregnant mothers, plus families living in remote communities, all key directives of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH)’s integrated statewide approach via the Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS)-Deadly Choices partnership.

The major directives of the 2023 Deadly Choices advertising campaigns will be to stress to individuals the importance of making deadly, healthy choices, not only for themselves, but for their families and for their communities as a cultural commitment. “TIS funding allows Deadly Choices to propagate its preventative health messaging around the dangers of tobacco smoking, from Far North Queensland through the Central and South-Western regions of the State, and from the North Coast all the way down to the border areas of the Gold and Tweed Coasts, Stanthorpe and Goondiwindi,” confirmed IUIH Director of Commercial Operations, Dallas Leon.

“Notably, we’ll establish strategic new partnerships with community-controlled health service organisations from Palm Island, Yarrabah, Nhulundu Health in and around the Gladstone region, North Coast, plus Goolburri Health which has an established footprint across the Darling Downs and South-West. “We’ll also strengthen our preventative health practice and messaging in areas of Queensland where Deadly Choices currently delivers health education programs in schools, on behalf of Health and Wellbeing Queensland.

Deadly Choices has previously been acknowledged by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its efforts in promoting the dangers of smoking among Indigenous communities and has at its disposal an arsenal of health sector service provision experience to enhance protocols against smoking.

You can view IUIH’s media alert ‘Deadly Choices’ Formulates Tobacco Takedown for Qld Communities in full here and find more information about IUIH’s Deadly Choices program here.

Griffith’s award winning eye care model

An ophthalmology project set up at Griffith Base Hospital in NSW to improve access to eyecare services for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living in the Western Murrumbidgee Local Health District has hit the ground running and with further support can strengthen its delivery of eyecare to the region. When an ophthalmologist and a hospital director floated the idea of establishing a visiting eye health service at Griffith Base Hospital – a six hour drive west of Sydney – little did they know that 24 months later their initiative would be nominated by the hospital staff for a NSW Government Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) Excellence Award.

At a ceremony in Wagga Wagga in June, ‘Saving Sight is our Vision’ was named winner of MLHD’s Keeping People Healthy Award, one of 15 award categories. At the time, MLHD CEO Ms Jill Ludford said it was rewarding to see the number of activities happening across the district with sincere efforts to support First Nations communities, “Improving access to eyecare services through the delivery of high quality, sustainable, affordable, regular and culturally sensitive eye services has been Griffith Ophthalmology’s focus.”

Led by Associate Professor Geoffrey Painter, one of the founders of Gordon Eye Surgery and a director of Foresight Australia, and colleague Dr Dominic McCall, a group of mostly Sydney-based ophthalmologists visit Griffith Base Hospital every four weeks to see and operate on patients from the Western MLHD. In addition, Foresight has sponsored two training courses to upskill employees from the Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service. 

To read the Insight article Griffith Base Hospital’s award-winning eyecare model in full click here.

eye testing training at Griffith AMS - 4 health workers

Foresight Australia has sponsored two training courses to upskill employees from the Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service. Image source: Insight.

NAATSIHWP Professional Development Symposium

The National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) is holding a professional development symposium at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Kaurna Country over Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 October 2023.

The symposium will consist of two full days of  of workshop-based sessions for full and student NAATSIHWP members to learn about leading-edge clinical and primary health care practices as well as social and emotional wellbeing and culturally based activities.

You can find out more about the symposium, including scholarship opportunities here.

tile: NAATSIHWP professional development symposium 24-25 Oct 2023

2023 Oceanic Palliative Care Conference

The 2023 Oceanic Palliative Care Conference (OPCC) is taking place in Sydney between Wednesday 13 September and Friday 15 September. Close to 80 scholarships have been awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, palliative care workers, consumers, and carers in Australia and the Oceanic region to attend the conference. The scholarships cover registration costs and travel from as far away as Broome, Katherine, northeast Arnhem Land, PNG and Samoa.

Palliative Care Australia CEO Camilla Rowland said the cost of participating is often a barrier “and our hope is that these scholarships enable important voices to be heard and experiences to be shared. OPCC represents a critical learning and development opportunity, and we want that to influence and grow the care people receive – wherever they are.”

The theme for OPCC 2023 is ‘With the end in mind; shaping stronger health systems, delivering quality palliative care.’

Find more information about the 2023 Oceanic Palliative Care Conference click here.

tile: 2 images: Oceanic Palliative Care Conference 13-15 Sep 2023 logo & image clip board with title 'palliative care' & stethoscope

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.

Key Date – Brain Injury Awareness Week – 21–27 August 2023

During Brain Injury Awareness Week 2023 NACCHO is sharing information about brain injury, in particular how brain injury impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Brain injury impacts many Indigenous, rural, and remote communities across Australian.

Australia’s Brain Injury Organisation, Synapse, has produced a number of Indigenous factsheets that talk about issues in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that may result in a brain injury, or be occurring because of one. The factsheets. available here, include all the most relevant and current information about brain injury and outline what supports are available. The topics covered by the factsheets include:

  • Domestic and Family Violence
  • Drug and Alcohol Abuse
  • Mental Health and Suicide
  • Physical Assault
Yarning Circle for ATSI people with traumatic brain injury

A Yarning Circle developed to bridge the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with traumatic brain injury. Photo: Edith Cowan University. Image source: NITV Radio website.

Aug 15 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Elder Care Support: Community-led pathways to care

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.

Elder Care Support: Community-led pathways to care

NACCHO’s Elder Care Support Program will work with the sector to ensure older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as their families, receive the necessary assistance in understanding, navigating, and accessing the aged care services they are entitled to. The program has been made possible by a three-year Commonwealth funded initiative and aims to increase workforce capability and capacity in community-controlled aged care support and empower the sector to coordinate place-based aged care needs.

The Elder Care Support program aims to:

  • Support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to understand and engage with the aged care system, to receive greater local support.
  • Reduce barriers across the aged care journey to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing aged care services, achieving, or exceeding parity with non-Indigenous people at a while of system program level.
  • Increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving care on Country.
  • Increase clinical and non-clinical employment and career opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in aged care.
  • Increase real time intelligence on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s needs and experience in aged care.

If you want to support Elders in community through connecting them with the care they need, talk to your local ACCHO to join the Elder Care Support team.

Find out more here.

Implementation of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program

Mark your calendars for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program webinar taking place on Thursday 31 August. Joint hosted by NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey, the Department of Health and Aged Care, and Cancer Australia, the purpose of the webinar is to provide an update on the planning of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program and discuss opportunities for stakeholder engagement.

In May, Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler announced Government investment of $263.8 million from 2023-24 to implement the program, for commencement by July 2025. The program aims to maximise prevention and early detection of lung cancer.

Webinar details:

Date: Thursday, 31 August 2023

Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm (AEST)

Access link: Click here.

Password: pAPfPEhg384.

*Please allow 5 minutes to join the webinar. Questions can be submitted during the session.

Find more information on the National Lung Cancer Screening Program here.

Image source: Unsplash.

What happens in a sobering up centre?

When someone has a problem with alcohol, the first step is to reduce immediate harm because it can sometimes be a slow process to change longstanding drinking behaviours. Earlier this month the VIC government announced it’s establishing a permanent sobering up centre, following in the footsteps of WA, NT, SA, and QLD. It follows the state’s decriminalisation of public drunkenness, where instead of making an arrest or processing a fine, police will take people to a sobering up centre, if there is one in the area.

Public drunkenness laws disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and homeless people. Sobering up centres are a more effective and less harmful response to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people found intoxicated in public places than a police cell, as it understands alcohol and other drug problems as a health issue.

Sobering up centers are safe places where people who are too intoxicated to look after themselves can go to recover, with health professionals including Aboriginal health workers on site who can provide care if someone is sick or injured. They also provide food, showers, clean clothes, beds, access to help and support, including referrals to withdrawal and rehabilitation services and on-site counselling.

Read the full The Conversation article here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Voice to Parliament resources

The referendum to constitutionally enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament is critically important for health and wellbeing.

Croakey Health Media has compiled a valuable list of articles and resources surrounding the Voice to Parliament:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation to the Australian people from First Nations Australians. It asks Australians to walk together to build a better future by establishing a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution, and the establishment of a Makarrata Commission for the purpose of treaty making and truth-telling.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart

Australian Electoral Commission’s Yes/No pamphlet – fact checked by RMIT/ABC

The Yes and No cases for the Voice to Parliament, drafted by parliamentarians from each side of the debate, have been published on the Australian Electoral Commission website and are being mailed out to Australian households. The ABC News article contains fact check’s analysis of claims made in the No campaign and the Yes campaign.

Australian Electoral Commission Factsheet on Disinformation

During the referendum you may come across information that isn’t supported by evidence, is missing context or is even deliberately misleading. To be well informed, be a critical thinker when consuming information and think about whether the information is accurate and truthful.

Australian Electoral Commission Factsheet on Disinformation.

 

Pat Turner on “the most important vote of our collective lifetimes”

The referendum for a constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament is the most important vote of our collective lifetimes, according to NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner.

“I am dismayed at how the debate on the Voice has been hijacked by all sorts of nonsense and misinformation.

“We have a simple truth here. Believe it or not, Aboriginal people know what’s best for Aboriginal people. All we want is a say in our own affairs, not a veto, not an advantage over others. We want a fair go. And a Voice will help us get it,” Ms Turner said.

You can read Ms Turner’s speech The significance of the Voice in Closing the Gap speech in full on NACCHO’s website here.

Read the full list of articles and resources on the Voice to Parliament on the Croakey Health Media website here.

Community-controlled organisations team up for Homelessness Week

Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service came together with other Aboriginal organisations to provide vital services and information for Homelessness Week (Monday 7 August to Sunday 13 August). Staff from the ACCHO provided holistic health checks and vaccinations, attendees were also able to access shower facilities, free haircuts and shaves, and were provided with resources from Kimberley Community Legal Services.

Housing support worker, Paula Clayton said the day allowed those attending to have fun and hopes people can be more understanding of the homeless community.

“It can happen to any of us, it doesn’t matter where you come from, especially in this social and economic situation with housing.

“[It’s] about celebrating our clients and letting them have a fun day to do some activities and see all the services provided,” she said.

Read the full The West Australian article Centacare Kimberley and Aboriginal Family Legal Services host Homelessness Week even in Broome here.

Tegan Kissane and Debbie Ryder. Image by: Katya Minns. Image Source: The West Australian.

AI in Eye Care

The AI in Eye Care (with Indigenous Perspectives) Conference will take place on Yawuru Country (Broome, WA) on Tuesday 24 October and Wednesday 25 October. The aim of the conference is to bring together experts in the field to discuss the advances in AI and its impact on eye care and diagnosis. Intended for ophthalmologists, optometrists, and orthoptists, the event will also include a session open to non-eye care professionals including Aboriginal health workers.

A key focus of the conference will be a workshop, where visiting experts will discuss and examine the principles and ethical implications of AI diagnostic tools in eye care. Topics that will be covered include privacy and patient data, equality of access and results, transparency in the development and application of algorithms.

Read more here.

Image source: Flinders University.

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.

Aug 4 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes

feature tile image red gold Aboriginal art across map of Australia superimposed with white font text 'self Determination'; other text 'Self-determination is a key factor in achieving positive health outcomes'

The image in the feature tile is from an article To achieve racial justice, we must self-determine meaningfully by Jarrod Hughes published by IndigenousX on 6 August 2020.

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.

Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes

Next Wednesday, 9 August, is the United Nations’s (UN) International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, a day to raise awareness and highlight the rights of the 476 million Indigenous people across 90 countries. In May this year the World Health Assembly passed an unprecedented resolution aimed at strengthening the health of Indigenous people. The resolution contains several ambitious obligations for member states to improve Indigenous health, including the development of national plans to improve access to health care for Indigenous peoples; the integration, where possible, of traditional and complementary medicine in health systems, particularly in primary care and mental health; and the training and recruiting of Indigenous people as health workers. It hopes to reduce some of the stark inequalities faced by many Indigenous peoples as a result of colonisation, displacement, and repression.

The term “Indigenous peoples” is in many ways a crude one, isolating and homogenising 5000 diverse cultures with vastly different experiences, needs, hopes, challenges, opportunities, and ways of life. But there are areas of common cause and solidarity, especially with regards to health. Life expectancy is more than 5 years lower in Indigenous than in non-Indigenous populations in Australia, Cameroon, Canada (First Nations and Inuit), Greenland, Kenya, NZ, and Panama. Maternal mortality, infant mortality, and mental health are often of particular concern. A recent Health Policy on environmental equity argues that Indigenous communities face a disproportionate burden of illness and mortality due to climate change, yet their inclusion and involvement in environmental health policy has been tokenistic at best.

Respect, support, and prioritisation of different Indigenous leadership, knowledges, cultural expression, and continuity and resilience are essential across health, as shown most recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. First Nations peoples in Australia were able to reverse initial disparities in the burden of COVID-19 when empowered by the government to lead their own response early in the pandemic. Indigenous sovereignty, coupled with a community-centred approach focused on cultural relevance and the use of Indigenous health-care providers, appears to have played a crucial role in mitigating the effects of COVID-19.

To view The Lancet article Indigenous health: self-determination is key in full click here.
health workers in PPE in Indigenous community

Health workers in an Indigenous community at the end of 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Michael Franchi. Image source: ABC News.

Purpose built AMS planned for Brewarinna

Frustration was apparent in the 2022 annual report of the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (WAMS). Mary Purse, the chairperson of the WAMS Board of Directors noted that “for some fifteen years past, the federal government are not responding to WAMS formal applications for the expansion of the Sandon Street property. Efforts to access funding have finally paid off with WAMS recently being awarded funding from the Federal Government’s $120m allocated for major capital works at community‑controlled organisations. Funding will help construct a new purpose built Aboriginal Medical Service building in Brewarrina.

“(We) are very pleased WAMS has secured the funding to assist in the build in a new purpose-built building and looking forward to the Brewarrina community having access to new state of the art primary health care facility,” Ms Purse said after the announcement. BAMS services Brewarrina and the surrounding communities and small towns in the area, providing not only health care but also programs which focus on Aboriginal culture, youth, education, housing and all aspects of life in a remote rural community for Aboriginal people.

BAMS is auspiced by the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service Limited (WAMS) who accepted an invitation from the NSW Department of Health to oversee the running of the service to maintain a well-disciplined ACCHO. Chief Operations Manager, Katrina Ward is excited to oversee the new project for enhancing medical services for the Brewarrina community and offered thanks the WAMS Board of Directors and CEO for their continued support and assistance in maintaining medical services for the local and surrounding communities. WAMS CEO, Mrs Christine Corby AM, who also recognises the overdue need for a new medical facility in Brewarrina, was very happy with the funding outcome.

To view the Western Plains App article Long term goal achieved with purpose built AMS planned for Brewarrina in full click here.

external view of Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd

Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd. Image source: Gather website.

CTG Report – no joy in ‘I told you so’

Last week the Productivity Commission released its draft Review of the National Closing the Gap Agreement (the Agreement). The Agreement was launched in July 2020, promising a new era of reform and a ‘genuine’ commitment of governments to work in partnership with First Nations peak organisations. Rather than any bland words of tepid excuse or obfuscating, the Commission launched right into the heart of why, 18 years after the first call to Close the Gap  in health outcomes between First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples, the Government’s ‘efforts’ to fix things continues to languish in failure:  “Progress in implementing the Agreement’s Priority Reforms has, for the most part, been weak and reflects a business-as-usual approach to implementing policies and programs that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Weak. Business-as-usual. Michelle Gratton called it ‘depressingly predictable’. This has been the never ending story for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities when it comes to social policies that impact them. The Commission went on to say that the “Current implementation raises questions about whether governments have fully grasped the scale of change required to their systems, operations and ways of working to deliver the unprecedented shift they have committed to” and that “It is too easy to find examples of government decisions that contradict commitments in the Agreement, that do not reflect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s priorities and perspectives and that exacerbate, rather than remedy, disadvantage and discrimination. This is particularly obvious in youth justice systems.”

Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO and convenor of the Coalition of Peaks that negotiated the 2020 National Agreement on Closing the Gap has said ‘…that governments need to do much more to implement their commitments to the Priority Reforms, that progress has been patchy and not as intended. I hope this review is a wakeup call to governments to get on with the job they have all agreed to do.’ This was also the reflection of Productivity Commissioner, and Djugun-Yawuru man Romlie Mokak who said that good intentions are not translating to meaningful action on the ground and in communities.

To view the Pearls and Irritations blog post No joy in ‘I told you so’: the Productivity Commission’s 2023 Closing the Gap Report by Paul Wright published earlier today, in full click here.

Aboriginal & Australian flags flying

Image source: Pearls and Irritations.

National Cervical Screening Program update

The National Cervical Screening Program education course for healthcare providers has now been updated to reflect the expansion of self-collection eligibility on 1 July 2022. The course is a self-directed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) online training course consisting of six modules, intended to enhance, reinforce and increase knowledge about the Cervical Screening Test and clinical pathways.

The duration of each module is approximately one hour, with one self-directed CPD point able to be allocated per hour spent completing the modules. Information on self-collection as a screening option can be found throughout all modules, but of particular interest may be Module 4 Screening in Practice which describes the steps involved in supporting a patient to self-collect a vaginal Cervical Screening Test sample.

We encourage you to distribute this information to your networks to ensure all healthcare providers who administer cervical screening are able to offer and promote self-collection as a safe and accessible Cervical Screening Test option.

You can find more information about the National Cervical Screening Program education course here.

The below video is from the NSW Government Cancer Institute NSW webpage Cervical screening for Aboriginal women available here.

FASD Communications and Engagement grants

NACCHO is excited to announce Round 2 of the FASD Communications and Engagement Grant is now open to support NACCHO members to develop and deliver highly-localised, place-based communications materials and engagement activities to enhance and extend the Strong Born communications campaign. Strong Born has been designed to raise awareness of FASD and the harms of drinking alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding, among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural and remote communities.

Round 2 of the FASD Grant is open to all NACCHO members who did not receive funding in Round 1. Eligible ACCHOs are also able to deliver a place-based response in collaboration with other community-controlled organisations and communities.

Eligible ACCHOs can apply for between $5,000 – $60,000 (GST exclusive) of FASD Grant funding which can be used for activities such as:

  1. Creation of locally relevant communications materials and resources raising awareness of FASD and the harms of drinking alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding
  2. Hosting community events and yarning circles
  3. Running information sessions for staff members
  4. Production of additional copies of the ‘Strong Born’ campaign materials
  5. Translation or adaptation of ‘Strong Born’ campaign materials and/or key messages into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

You can register for the grant information session on Wednesday 9 August at 2.00pm AEDT here.

You can find more information about the FASD Grant and how to apply on the NACCHO website here.

Applications for Round 2 will close 11.00pm AEDT 11 August 2023.

You can also contact the NACCHO FASD Grants team by email using this link.

tile NACCHO logo; text 'FASD Communications & Engagement Grant Round 2 Open wwww.naccho.org.au/FASD Strong Born

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.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is celebrated across the country each year on 4 August. It is a time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities to celebrate the strength and culture of their children. Children’s Day was first held in 1988. Part of the reason it was started was because there were many of our children in orphanages and institutions who did not know their birthday, so Children’s Day was set aside each year to celebrate the birthday of these children.

The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) is the National Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children. As the national peak body, they have a responsibility to make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s voices as powerful as possible, now and into the future. A First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution will amplify the work being done to ensure our children can flourish, with power over their destinies.

This year’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day theme ‘Little Voices, Loud Futures’ fires that ambition. SNAICC is raising awareness for the bright futures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and the potential for their voices to pave a new path for our nation. As always, SNAICC supports the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in calling for a future where they are proud and empowered by their culture to speak their truth and be listened to by all Australians.

You can find more information about National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day on the SNAICC website here.

banner SNAICC's National ATSI Children's Day 'Little Voices, Loud Futures' 4 August 2023

World Breastfeeding Week – 1–7 August 2023

During World Breastfeeding Week, 1–7 August 2023, NACCHO has been sharing a range information about breastfeeding as it relates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families.

Below is a video Just Let Them Them Feed requested by the Western Arrarnta people of Ntaria (Hermannsburg, NT). The Aboriginal women wanted to reinforce the benefits of breastfeeding and educate their community and other Aboriginal people about the importance of breastfeeding. Sometimes this essential health information gets missed in the messages health staff communicate out bush because most Aboriginal women are seen as “natural breast feeders,” but this isn’t always the case.

The project came about through a direct connection with a core group of breastfeeding women who live and work in Ntaria. They had been talking about the decline in breastfeeding among young women in their community, and they wanted to do something about it. Young men and women were involved from the start of the project to attract younger community members to watch and listen to what the older, wiser men and women had to say about the benefits of breastfeeding. The younger ones rapped about the importance of breastfeeding through the use of song and dance, while the elders spoke with wisdom and truth about the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby and the next generation.

Voices from the community, as well as from the staff at the local health centre, were recorded so that people could hear about how breastfeeding is important for the future of the culture and community. Published research about drops in breastfeeding rates in Central Australian remote communities has not been presented to date, but even a small shift down in these rates is something local women and Elders want to address now. Community members report that some young mums bottle feed because they want to smoke, drink, or go out, but they don’t want their actions to affect the baby, or they have tried breastfeeding and just cannot breastfeed for whatever reason. Another youthful perception is that if other people can formula feed, so can they; but they don’t really know the consequences to the health of their baby when making this decision. We know that during the first six months of a baby’s life, we need to Let Them Feed.

Jul 20 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Embedding pharmacists in ACCHOs

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.

Embedding pharmacists in ACCHOs

The Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) has announced it supports funding for embedding pharmacists in ACHHOs. NACCHO Chair Donella Mills said, “MSAC’s support confirms ACHHOs can better ensure safe and effective use of medicines when pharmacists are present.”

“Our member services have been calling for support and funding for non-dispensing pharmacists integrated into ACCHOs for years… This endorsement further validates their requests and demonstrates the impact of team-based community-controlled healthcare,” she said.

The recommendation from Australia’s principal medical advisory group is based on a joint submission by NACCHO, PSA, and James Cook University, which found compelling evidence in the Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC) project. Pharmacists were proven to be valuable in improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; this includes a significant improvement in self-reported adherence to medicines, clinically significant improvements in the control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, and reduced risk of chronic disease patients developing CVD.

Read NACCHO’s media release here. Read the Australian Pharmacist article here.

Mandatory alcohol labelling – what’s next?

An expert panel including NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey will come together next month, Wednesday 2 August for the FASD Australia Mandatory Alcohol Labelling: A long fought battle. Now what’s next? webinar. From Tuesday 1 August labels identifying the harms of alcohol during pregnancy will be mandatory on all packaged alcoholic beverages with more than 1.15% alcohol by volume sold in Australia and NZ. Label messaging will state: “Alcohol can cause lifelong harm to your baby.”

The event will celebrate the landmark policy and the successful collaboration between researchers, advocates, community, and government. The panel will hear from a mother with lived experience of raising a child with FASD. The webinar will also explore the impact of the changes and other policies in reducing alcohol harms in communities, before looking at what’s next for reducing the risk of prenatal alcohol exposure and FASD across Australia.

Learn more here.

Image source: FASD Hub Australia.

Remote supervision keeps GP doors open

Remote supervision aims to get more GPs training and working in remote communities and communities in need across Australia. Regional NSW town, Armidale has been contending with workforce shortages in recent months, with clinics relying on telehealth services as a stopgap since its onsite GP moved away. A Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) remote supervision placement will see a new registrar practice at West Armidale Medical Clinic, supported by two remote supervisors.

“Remote supervision enables a GP to train in a community with limited or no onsite supervisor available – it’s an innovative way to get more GP registrars into communities in need and improve access for patients,” said RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins.

RACGP Senior Local Medical Educator, Head of Training New England Northwest, Dr Donna Quinn said the program in Armidale is an example of improving and expanding access to care for patients, “the fact that a registrar will be able to practice with remote supervision means that the patients at the clinic can continue to access care, and that makes a huge difference for a community.”

Read more here. More information about the RACGP’s remote supervision placements can be found here.

Image source: Unspalsh.

Ongoing impacts of COVID-19

Healthcare leaders are concerned about a lack of information and awareness about the ongoing risks of COVID-19. NACCHO Medical Advisor, Megan Campbell said, “COVID-19 continues to spread and affect many people across the country, including ACCHO clients and staff.” Victoria Allied Health Professionals Association, Executive Officer Andrew Hewat says across the board, COVID-19 continues to put pressure on the healthcare system and it’s important to recognise the ongoing efforts of health workers.

“COVID has taken regular healthcare workload pressures and put it on steroids,” he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Lesley Russell said national COVID data is lacking, and Australia has “no effective national surveillance or no standardised national collection of epidemiological and genetic data.” This makes it difficult to determine how many Australians are affected, plan for future waves, identify accurate prevalence of Long COVID, and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and treatments.

Lung Foundation Australia says not many people are aware of the impacts of Long COVID.  The Foundation is urging people to “remain vigilant as COVID continues to be a major health concern” and to ensure they are up to date with COVID and other vaccinations, particularly during winter while other respiratory viruses are circulating.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Improving mental health literacy of young men

Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men aged between 1425 will be at the centre of new mental health research in Stirling. The Curtin University research project will aim to understand how young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men perceive mental health and their current approaches to promoting mental wellbeing, as well as the barriers and facilitators to fostering wellbeing and resilience. The research team will develop and test culturally appropriate mental health messages that will resonate with young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.

“We will conduct co-design workshops to develop new strengths-based approaches to increase mental health literacy and mental health promotion grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and being, which might include social media campaigns or mass media campaigns,” said Curtin’s School of Population Health, Professor Penelope Hasking.

“We will soon be recruiting our research team to guide the project… comprising young Aboriginal [and Torres Strait Islander] men and Elders before we commence an initial pilot within the City of Stirling early next year,” she said.

Read the full West Australian article here.

Curtin University. Image Source: The West Australian.

Palliative Care Conference registrations near 1,000

Registrations for the 2023 Oceanic Palliative Care Conference (23OPCC) are now open with registrations climbing towards 1,000 delegates. Running between Wednesday 13 September and Friday 15 September, the conference centres around the theme, ‘With the end in mind, shaping stronger health systems, delivering quality palliative care.’ Topics on the agenda include building and sustaining the workforce, caring for diverse populations, future models of care and primary health reform. Palliative Care Australia CEO, Camilla Rowland said, “our sector is very passionate about the care they provide and OPCC really energises innovative thinking, not just in the palliative care sector but also its connection with aged care, disability services and the wider health system.”

“We were blown away by the strength of the abstract submissions we received, the best and brightest speakers are lining up to share their work and knowledge at OPCC,” said Ms Rowland.

Speakers include geriatrician Dr Sue Kurrle, Canadian researcher and podcaster Dr Hsien Seow, former Health Secretary Professor Brendan Murphy, Aboriginal nurse practitioner Kat Hooper, and renowned researcher and leader Professor David Currow. Registrations are open until Thursday 17 August, a late fee will apply from Friday 18 August.

For further registration details click here.

To view the medianet. article Strong conference program and passion for reform draws palliative care sector to Sydney this September in full click here.

Image Source: Palliative Care Australia Twitter.

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.

Jun 27 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Torres Strait leaders want review into health service

feature tile: aerial view of Thursday Island Hospital; text 'Torres Strait leaders want a review into health service amid 'declining health', 'weekly deaths''

The image in the feature tile is an aerial view of the Thursday Island Hospital published in the ABC News article Torres Strait leaders want review into health service amid ‘declining health’, ‘weekly’ deaths yesterday, Monday 26 June 2023. Photo: Brendan Mounter, ABC News.

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.

Torres Strait leaders want review into health service

Leaders in Queensland’s Torres Strait Islands say a review into “avoidable” weekly deaths at the region’s hospitals is overdue but needs to be independent. In a desperate letter to Premier Annastascia Palaszczuk, three First Nations leaders raised concerns, including that at least three avoidable deaths occurred each week. They also said culturally safe frontline services had been withdrawn in the “declining health status of our highly burdened, defenceless community”.

A co-author of the letter and chair of the Torres Strait Regional Authority, Napau Pedro Stephen, said people from the Torres Strait who sought treatment at Far North Queensland hospitals “should get better and come back to our homeland” but instead have been dying. “They’re coming back in wooden boxes,” he said. In their letter, the leaders said some families had been forced to decide whether to go to Cairns for life-saving treatment, which carried the risk of “creating additional expenses for their loved ones to repatriate their remains home”.

Earlier this month, the mayor of the Northern Peninsula Area on Cape York called for an investigation into the death of a two-year-old girl who had presented to Bamaga Hospital. The mayor of the Torres Shire Council, Yen Loban, and has called for Torres Strait Islander medical experts and grassroots community members to be involved in the review. Mr Stephen said it was “frightening” to learn Queensland Health would lead the review of the health service and an independent process was the “only way to move forward. It’s not that we would just come up with problems with Queensland Health,” he said. “We’d come up with solutions.”

To view the ABC News article Torres Strait leaders want review into health service amid ‘declining health’, ‘weekly’ deaths in full click here.

Bamaga Hospital ER sign

A toddler died after presenting to Bamaga Hospital in the Torres and Cape region this month. Photo: Brendan Mounter, ABC Far North. Image source: ABC News.

ACCHOs essential to Closing the Gap

Culturally safe healthcare and social services are essential for Closing the Gap. Professor in tropical health and medicine at James Cook University, Ian Ring describes Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations as some of the “best health services in Australia.”

“These services understand the important cultural issues which are fundamental to Indigenous health care provision, and crucially, provide better access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to health services in general and, of course, to the health and social services that are essential for Closing the Gap,” Professor Ring said.

The service model in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, which provide comprehensive primary healthcare, are regarded around the world as the preferred model of care. Professor Ring says where delivery of healthcare fails is the result of actions by the executive government which impacts what happens on the ground. He said, “too little funding was directed to services run by and for Indigenous peoples (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) which have been shown to outperform mainstream services in recognising and dealing with key Indigenous issues like chronic disease and maternal health.”

The above story has been extracted from an opinion piece Ian Ring | Indigenous Voice to Parliament must include executive government was published in The Area News yesterday, 26 June 2013. You can read more from Professor Ring on the Close the Gap Facebook page here.

Puntukurna Aboriginal Medical Services Healthcare, Newman WA aerial view

Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Services Healthcare, Newman WA. Photo: Robert Frith, Acorn. Image source: North West Telegraph.

Hepatitis B treatment in remote and regional areas

Despite the effectiveness of hepatitis B care and treatment in reducing the risk of liver disease and cancer, significant gaps remain in access and Australia is not meeting National Hepatitis B Strategy 2023–2030 Strategy targets for coverage. A new study by the Doherty Institute has revealed healthcare services and treatment for hepatitis B are being unevenly distributed across Australia, resulting in disparities among individuals living with hepatitis B.

Remote and regional areas experience lower rates of hepatitis B testing, diagnosis and subsequent treatment compared to metro areas. This includes limited access to specialised healthcare services, such as liver specialists and antiviral treatment options. The study highlights the need for targeted interventions and improved healthcare infrastructure in underserved regions to ensure equitable access to care.

However, certain remote areas in the NT and Far North Queensland have achieved care uptake rates of 70% or higher. These findings highlight the positive impact of the comprehensive programs implemented to improve access to care for hepatitis B, particularly within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in areas where the challenges to health care service delivery are substantial.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Professor Ben Cowie, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute said that addressing geographic disparities in hepatitis B care and treatment is crucial for achieving optimal outcomes nationwide. “By leveraging the insights from the Report, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and researchers can work together to bridge the gaps in access and improve the overall management of hepatitis B across Australia,” Professor Cowie said.

You can read the Doherty Institute article Geographic disparities in uptake of care and treatment for hepatitis B across Australia in full here.

blue gloved hand holding vial with words 'Hepatitis B' & '+' ticked

Image source: Pharmaceutical Technology website.

Tamworth region health leaders celebrated

The Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS), and Moree health leader, Donna Taylor are among the recipients of the 2023 Primary Health Network (PHN) Primary Care Quality and Innovation Awards. The awards celebrated the outstanding contributions of local health leaders, including those continuing to make a positive contribution for improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes. The event recognised the efforts and achievements of individuals and organisations dedicated to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities and providing appropriate care to Aboriginal people in the Tamworth region.

The First Nations Health Award was won by the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service Cardiac Rehab and Prevention program. The award acknowledges organisations that address health inequalities for First Nations communities. After a well-respected Aboriginal woman informed TAMS that the Tamworth Hospital Cardiac rehab was based in the mammography building and men are never going to go there, TAMS worked with Hunter New England Health and a local gym owner to start the extremely successful Aboriginal-led Cardiac Rehab and Prevention program.

Donna Taylor of Pius X Aboriginal Corporation in Moree won the Primary Care Leader Award, given for innovation and leadership in primary care, and demonstrating the values of ‘respect, innovation, accountability, integrity, cooperation, and recognition’. Ms Taylor has been the CEO of Pius X Aboriginal Corporation for 24 years and has been instrumental in the provision of specialist health practitioners to Moree and surrounding areas. Recognising the barriers in the community to see specialists, such as cost, travel and separation from family, Donna set herself the mission to entice specialists to come to Moree and successfully attracted and ENT, gynaecologist, rheumatologist, ophthalmologist, cardiologist, psychiatrist, paediatrician and neurologist.

You can read The New England Times article Local health leaders recognised at PHN awards the full article here.

Moree health leader Donna Taylor holding Certificate of Excellence Finalist award

Moree health leader Donna Taylor was a recipient of the 2023 PHN PC Quality and Innovation Awards. Image source: The New England Times.

WSLHD leads research on vaping in schools

The Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) has taken a significant step in understanding the issue of vaping in schools. Professor Smita Shah OAM and her team at WSLHD’s Prevention Education Research Unit undertook a study across seven high schools in Greater Western Sydney, to address the issue of adolescent e-cigarette use. More than 160 students, 130 school staff and 30 parents participated in the research, which employed an interactive, strengths-based approach, engaging students, staff, and parents to understand their perceptions and concerns regarding e-cigarette use among adolescents.

Results found an alarming prevalence of vaping among school-aged children in Western Sydney. WSLHD has called for proactive intervention measures and education programs to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the younger generation.

Key takeaways from the study includes:

  • There is no ‘one size fits all’: Schools request tailored education and engagement to address unique needs!
  • Education for young people needs to centre on effective learning approaches for tackling vaping. This means a focus on how and what young people learn, and the best ways to engage.
  • Prevention messaging needs to resonate with the children’s peer group.
  • A holistic approach to combat vaping needs to be embraced across the school, with supportive strategies, policies, and parent/staff education.
  • Focus on collaborative efforts between health and education for wellbeing-centred vaping prevention strategies.

You can read The Pulse article ‘Eye-opening’: Western Sydney Local Health district leads the way on new key research about vaping in schools in full here.

hand holding Peach Ice vape with school playground in the background

Photo: Tahlia Roy, ABC News.

Spotlight needs to be on communities not government

Government should be a spotlight on communities rather than control the spotlight, according to the Healthy Communities Foundation Australia CEO Mark Burdack. Mr Burdack said “One of the strategic shifts for government to really contemplate and think through is how to move the spotlight from government to a position where the government is a spotlight on communities.”

“How do we empower communities? And how does government generate a sense of success through the successes of communities, rather than through its own outputs and inputs? An issue surrounding governments’ community consultation is policy designed at scale, resulting in “one size fits all” solutions. We know, for example, that improving educational attainment will actually, in a lot of ways, do more to reduce the overall burden of disease, and therefore improve health and reduce hospitalisations than having a doctor in a small town,” Burdack said.

“I’m not saying it’s an either/or. What I’m saying is that we understand the dynamics, the cycle of disadvantage, and what drives those social determinants of health.” He mentioned Closing the Gap as an example of pressure on public servants to deliver improvements. “Departments are under a lot of pressure to demonstrate tangible improvements in the lives of Aboriginal people, reducing the child mortality rate, reducing the diabetes rate, and increasing the number of children in early childhood,” Burdack said. “And that pressure has a tendency or a risk of forcing people into their own lanes.”

To view The Mandarin article Government needs to be a spotlight on communities for better outcomes in full click here.

group of young adults, Healthy Communities Foundation Australia (HCFA) logo

Image source: The Healthy Communities Foundation website.

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.