Category #COVID-19

Easing restrictions doesn’t mean we have beaten the virus. The virus is still spreading in the community. We must continue to:

.Practise physical distancing (staying two big steps away from people wherever we can)
.maintain good hand washing and hygiene
.stay home when we’re unwell
.get tested if we have cold or flu-like symptoms
.download the COVIDSafe app
.make sure our workplaces are safe for employees.

By doing all of these things we can continue to #KeepOurMobSafe

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an evolving global health concern. This page will be updated with the latest information as it becomes available.

For up-to-the-minute targeted information visit the Australian Federal Government Department of Health website.

Jun 1 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Imagining Australia without racism

Wayne Nannup - CEO Aboriginal Legal Service of WA

The image in the feature tile is of Wayne Nannup, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA as it appeared in a National Indigenous Times article Imagine what our country would be like without racism published on Wednesday 31 May 2023. Photo: Giovanni Torre.

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

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

Imagining Australia without racism

Wayne Nannup, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA has written an opinion piece for the National Indigenous Times where he asks us to imagine a life without racism: “We could live at peace in a country that values its First Nations Peoples and recognises us within the Constitution. We could walk freely through shopping centres or ride on trains without the fear of being followed or harassed.”

Mr Nannup says “racism doesn’t discriminate between how little or well-known we are. The colour of our skin continues to be targeted by the ill-informed and bigoted members of society. Racism, or discrimination based on race or ethnicity shatters the world that so many of us live in. It generates depression, affects self-esteem and creates a sense of helplessness and loss and also contributes to increasing physical and mental health disparities amongst our people. The reality is that racism is more evident now than ever before.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Imagine what our country would be like without racism in full click here.

In a related story the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is currently working on a national anti-racism framework (NARF), which will be a national, central reference point for anti-racism action.

Following on from the release of the NARF Scoping Report 2022, the AHRC has launched a community guide to the scoping report findings to better support understanding of a NARF including how communities can be part of the ongoing process to develop it. The Community Guide (currently being translated into 7 languages alongside the development of an Easy Read Guide) summarises the initial findings outlined in the NARF Scoping Report 2022.

The AHRC have also prepared an amplification kit, available here, which includes a suite of digital and social media content for organisations to raise awareness of the newly published Community Guide available here.

cover of National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022 Community Guide'

Health checks for mob fell during pandemic

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released a report about Indigenous-specific health checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report explores the impacts of COVID‑19 and associated restrictions on the number of Indigenous-specific MBS health check services provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people between January 2020 and December 2021. The analysis examines the impacts of COVID‑19 by year and month at the national, state/territory and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas levels.

Following a decade of annual growth, 2020 and 2021 were the first years without an increase in Indigenous-specific health check numbers. The number of health checks delivered during the first 2 years of the pandemic were somewhat lower than during the peak year of 2019 – despite the continuing growth of the Indigenous population.

New telehealth options for Indigenous-specific health checks were introduced at the start of the pandemic. These were used most commonly shortly after being introduced, but then the numbers of health checks delivered this way declined gradually. The impact of the pandemic on the use of Indigenous health checks varied across Australia. Tasmania, which was relatively unaffected by cases and restrictions, stood out as the state that appeared to be the least affected during 2020 and 2021.

To read the AIHW report Indigenous-‍specific health checks during the COVID-19 pandemic in full click here.

Stolen Generations survivors need Healing Card 

The Healing Foundation is urging the Federal Government to implement its recommendations for a universal Healing Card for Stolen Generations survivors, modelled on the existing “Gold Card” scheme for veterans.

Under proposals submitted by the Healing Foundation for Federal Budget considerations over the past two years, eligible Gold Card holders would have access to all primary healthcare needs to support them to stay out of hospital, all clinically necessary treatment, and supports and services that assist them to live at home including respite services for survivors and their carers. The Gold Card would also enable them to access healing programs that involve family and community.

By implementing the proposal, Federal Aged Care Minister Anika Wells and Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler could make a real difference to the lives of Stolen Generations survivors and their families, Fiona Cornforth, CEO for the Healing Foundation said.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Timely call for health reform to support healing for the Stolen Generations in full click here.

Stolen Generations survivors Valerie Woods (L) & Brenda Greenfield-Woods

Stolen Generations survivors Valerie Woods (L) and Brenda Greenfield-Woods in Canberra, for the Healing Foundation’s 15th Anniversary of the National Apology Event. Photo: Luke Currie-Richardson. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

GPs encouraged to call out racism

While reconciliation touches on all aspects of Australian society, RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Chair Dr Karen Nicholls says its role in improving Indigenous health outcomes cannot be overstated.

In particular, she said it is important for GP allies to recognise and acknowledge that racism is present within Australia’s healthcare system and has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing patients, as well as their families and communities. “Clearly, we want a health system that is far more culturally safe than what it is,” Dr Nicholls said. “Part of that means that when you see racism, call it out. Definitely, definitely call it out.”

She also says more needs to be done to protect people who speak up about racism, while continued effort is required to dismantle the structural features that allow it to thrive in Australian healthcare.

To view the RACGP newsGP article GPs encouraged to call out racism in healthcare in full click here.

black & white hands clasped

National Reconciliation Week 2023 is promoting allyship by encouraging all Australians to ‘be a voice for generations’. Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Brewarrina’s water, land, future all connected

Water has always been the basis of life in the bush. Speak to any local and they will remember the spark of life that returned to the community when water breached the Brewarrina Weir after years and years of drought. To local Aboriginal communities, cultural water flows create the basis of life for plants, animals, bush medicine – and impact on the physical and mental health of Aboriginal communities right across the region.

Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council is currently in the process of developing opportunities to bring water and life back to local lands and they have taken a group of experts to assess a block of land close to everyone’s heart, the lands associated with the local Aboriginal Mission. A big part of the discussions related to Cultural Flows, the understanding of local Indigenous needs, and how Aboriginal needs are included in future water usage.

According to the Echuca Declaration of 2010, “Cultural flows are water entitlements that are legally and beneficially owned by the Indigenous Nations of a sufficient and adequate quantity and quality to improve the spiritual, cultural, environmental, social, and economic conditions of those Nations. This is our inherent right.”

To view the Western Plains App article Leaders connecting land, water and Brewarrina’s future in full click here.

Brewarrina Fish Traps

Brewarrina Fish Traps. Photo: Urain Warraweena. Image source: Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council Facebook site.

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 – Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 June

In the lead up to National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June 2023) Reconciliation Australia expressed their support for Stan Grant in the face of the racist attacks he has been subjected to, and urged Australians to engage in the national debate on these matters in an informed and respectful manner.

Reconciliation Australia said that while Stan’s experience demonstrated once again that Australia still has a long way to go towards building a reconciled and just society, it retained its hope and optimism in the good hearts of most Australians. 

Even while Stan Grant was being savaged online for speaking truthfully about the experiences of colonialism during the recent coronation, 84% of Australians believe it is important to know about the histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.  

You can read Reconciliation Australia’s media release Stan Grant and Racism in full here.

tile with text 'National Reconciliation Week'

Image source: Only Melbourne website.

May 1 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Community-controlled housing is ‘life-changing’

feature tile image of Elisabeth Barber & Nathaniel Walsh - long-term housing residents of Dale Parker Place; text 'Having a safe, reliable place to call HOME affects health of people and communities across generations'

The image in the feature tile is of Elisabeth Barber and Nathaniel Walsh, who are long-term housing residents of Dale Parker Place (DPP). DPP is supported accommodation for single males, single females, and couples without children who are experiencing homelessness and are currently sleeping rough or chronically homeless to attain independent, sustainable housing and participate within the community. Image source: Yumba-Meta Limited website Case Studies webpage, available here.

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

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

Community-controlled housing is ‘life-changing’

Yumba-Meta Ltd in Townsville, Queensland is a community-controlled organisation that has delivered comprehensive support programs for 50 years to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This includes short-term accommodation, such as for people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, or people at risk of incarceration due to intoxication. Medium to long-term housing options include community home ownership, seniors’ housing, and transitional housing to facilitate employment, education or to break the cycle of addiction.

A collaborative research project with Yumba-Meta, which will be released mid-year for Yumba-Meta’s 50th anniversary, explores the power of home and how services can support intergenerational wellbeing. The research found a sense of pride is instilled when families and individuals have a home – somewhere grandchildren can visit, a place where young people can learn from Elders, and a safe place to go. With safe and affordable housing, health was found to improve over time, especially for older generations who have struggled in the past with housing issues such as chronic overcrowding, and racism that prevents Indigenous people renting and purchasing homes in Townsville.

To view The Conversation article ‘Life changing’ – what 50 years of community-controlled housing at Yumba-Meta tells us about home and health in full click here.

AMA: sugar tax needed to curb obesity and chronic disease

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is continuing its call for a tax on sugary drinks to curb the nation’s growing obesity and chronic disease. Data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) this week reveals that obesity continues to be a major public health issue in Australia and is the second biggest modifiable risk factor contributing to disease burden in Australia after tobacco. The AIHW analysis reveals that almost two in three Australians will be overweight or obese by 2030, and obesity will result in 13,400 preventable deaths.

AMA President Professor Stephen Robson said this latest analysis is just more evidence that Australia needs to be proactive in dealing with the obesity crisis, and a tax on sugary drinks would be a step in the right direction. “We know that frequent consumption of sugary drinks is associated with obesity and chronic disease. Evidence from overseas shows that a sugar tax is an effective way to reduce sugar consumption and improve health outcomes,” Professor Robson said.

The public health chapter of AMA’s Pre-Budget Submission 2023–24 launched today outlines how a tax would have a positive impact on health outcomes and the upcoming budget. “Our analysis projects this tax would reduce consumption by 31% by 2025–26, and is estimated to result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4,400 fewer cases of heart disease, and 1,100 fewer cases of stroke. It is a simple but effective way to improve the lives of Australians.” Professor Robson said the tax would also result in government revenue of $2.8 billion across four years, which could be reinvested back into preventative health, at a time where government is looking for savings in the upcoming budget.

In comments made in 2018, on the priorities for inclusion in the 2018-2023 Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan AMSANT said a tax on sugar has been shown to be effective in reducing consumption and is projected to lead to the biggest health gains, particularly for people on the lowest incomes. Similarly NACCHO proposed in its 2021–22 Pre-Budget Submission, available here, that the Commonwealth introduce a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, with the revenue accrued redirected back into a subsidy on fresh fruit and vegetables back into communities where the impact is greatest.

You can read the AMA’s media release Sugar tax: a sweet deal for public health and the upcoming federal budget in full here, the AMA Pre-Budget submission 2023–24 chapter about a tax on sugary drinks here, the AIHW report mentioned in the media release here. You can also visit the Sickly Sweet campaign website here for more information on the AMA’s sugar tax campaign.

banner from AMA's #Sickly Sweet campaign webpage - 2 softdrink bottles black content, red label with AMA logo & text 'Sickly Sweet'; also text 'sugary drinks are making us sick. It's time we do something about it'

Image source: AMA #Sickly Sweet campaign webpage.

Have you say on HTA – medicines and medical services

Supporting access to medicines and medical services

All ACCHO sector staff are invited to participate in a free webinar hosted by NACCHO and the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Office of Health Technology Assessment.

Topics include:

  • How do communities get access to medicines, medical products and services?
  • Medicines and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC): How does it work?
  • Medical products and services and the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC): How does it work?
  • NACCHO’s consultation and advocacy activities in Health Technology Assessment
  • How can ACCHOs get more involved in Health Technology Assessment?

Panel members include NACCHO representatives and experts from PBS and MBS committees.

The webinar ‘Have your say on HTA – Getting involved with the funding of medicines and medical services’ will be held this Thursday 4 May.

If you miss this week’s webinar, you can register here: for the second webinar which will be held from 12:30 PM – 1:45 PM (AEST) on Thursday 11 May 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact Mike Stephens via email here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For further information you can visit the NACCHO webpage Have your say on HTA – getting involved with the funding of medicines and medical services here.

tile NACCHO logo; text 'Access to medicines and medical services - Have your say on HTA - 11 May 12.30pm-1.45pm (AEST)

 

Health updates to keep your mob safe

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) has produced a newsletter providing key health updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households, communities and stakeholders. In the Key updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities – March 2023 edition you can find out about :

  • Recommendations from ATAGI regarding COVID-19 boosters
  • Using EVA – Easy Vaccine Access
  • Healthy Deadly Lunchbox
  • Safe sex and sexual health
  • Strong Born
  • Updated resources

You can access the DHAC wepage Key updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities – March 2023 here and the Health updates to keep your mob safe. newsletter here.

Key updates for ATSI communities - Mar 2023 newsletter header - Aboriginal art; text 'March 2023, Health Updates, Health updates to keep your mob safe'

Partnership to help boost Indigenous doctors

The University of Notre Dame Australia is proud to partner with St John of God Health Care to help increase the number of Indigenous doctors working in Australia’s healthcare system. Under the partnership, St John of God has provided $160,000 in scholarship funding that will support four of the University’s Indigenous medical students over the four years of their postgraduate degree program.

Head of Notre Dame’s School of Medicine, Professor Gervase Chaney, said the University was proud to partner with an organisation like St John of God Health Care, which had a determination to improve Aboriginal representation in the health system. “Currently only about 0.5% of Australia’s registered doctors are Indigenous, which equates to only about 500 across the country,” Professor Chaney said. “To reach population parity, the figure needs to grow to about 3,500, or seven times the current number. “The tragedy of such low representation is that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will never have had the pleasure of being treated by a doctor who shares and truly understands their social and cultural background.

Past recipient Rosie said the funding allowed her to pay for her Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency registration, get a new passport and reunite with her brothers who live in the Eastern States. “I was also able to pay for my brothers to attend my graduation ball when they returned at the end of the year,” Rosie said. “This was a monumental occasion for our entire family as the first doctor, and the first woman to attend university on both sides of my family.”

To view The University of Notre Dame Australia article Partnership to help boost Indigenous doctors in full click here.

Aboriginal medical graduates. Image source: The University of Notre Dame Australia website.

Clinical placements needed to grow nursing workforce

Universities would welcome the opportunity to have further discussions with government around ways to boost the nursing workforce to improve access to primary care, as recently agreed by National Cabinet. “We are very supportive of the government’s commitment to make healthcare more accessible for all Australians,” Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said.

“In practice, this is easier said than done. Australia already has a shortfall of nurses and modelling shows that this will get worse with a further 85,000 nurses needed by 2025. “Our universities graduate around 16,000 nurses each year. This is well short of demand. “Part of the problem is not having enough clinical placements in the system so that students can complete the qualifications needed to proceed to professional registration.

“Universities are reliant on health service providers to deliver placements for students. We cannot educate more nurses without more – and the right type of – clinical placements. It’s also vital that our sector has a voice in health workforce planning and policy discussions. Education experiences in universities have substantial impacts on workforce outcomes and skill development.”

To view the Universities Australia article More clinical placements needed to grow nursing workforce 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.

Mar 23 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Australia’s first endometriosis clinics rolled out

feature tile doctor's hand pointing with pen to model of female reproductive organs; text: 'One of Australia's first-ever specialised endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics will operate from Queensland ACCHO'

The image in the feature tile is from the Health Central website’s Endometriosis 101 webpage published on 17 August 2022. Photo: Getty Images / Shidiovski.

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

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

Australia’s first-ever endometriosis clinics rolled out

Australia’s first-ever specialised endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics are being rolled out in metro and regional areas across the country. The 20 clinics, will offer expert and multidisciplinary services for women suffering from endometriosis and pelvic pain and operate out of existing general practitioner clinics and health centres.

Persistent pelvic pain affects one in five women or people assigned female at birth, with one in nine affected by endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disease of the uterus, which causes the shedding and production of uterine tissue outside of the uterus and can cause devastating effects on the female reproductive system, as well as chronic pain and scar tissue. On average, an endometriosis diagnosis can take up to seven years. Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney said the new centres will hopefully help shorten diagnosis times by gathering expertise under one roof, fostering that knowledge to improve diagnosis and services, and having referral pathways in place.

One of the four Queensland clinics will operate from Moreton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (Moreton ATSICHS), Morayfield. Moreton ATSICHS a member of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd, one of NACCHO’s 145 members.

To view the ABC News article New pelvic pain and endometriosis clinics are opening across Australia. Where will they be? in full click here. The below video EndoZone: Understanding Pain In Endometriosis is from The University of Adelaide’s Endometriosis Adelaide Endometriosis Research Group webpage, available here.

Strategy to improve rural and remote workforce

The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) says it is pleased to be a founding member of the National Alliance for Regionalisation initiative to ‘Rebalance the Nation’ and has congratulated the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) for their historic strategy. The National Alliance for Regionalisation aims to better position the nation’s regions to reach their potential in economic, educational and social spheres, for a stronger Australia.

“Improving the health and medical workforce in rural, regional and remote Australia underpins all aspects of the aim to achieve a better balance and equity in healthcare access and deliver economic and social benefits to all Australians,” said NRHA Chief Executive Susanne Tegen.

In the Regional Australia Institute’s Regionalisation Ambition 2032 – A Framework to Rebalance the Nation document, available here, the authors stated “In developing the Framework and its targets, we also acknowledge the important work of the Joint Council in leading the nation’s actions to achieving the targets set out in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. This Agreement seeks to accomplish equality in life outcomes for all Australians, centered on ‘Closing the Gap’ of inequality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. At the forefront of the design of the Framework is the importance of not contradicting the targets set out in the National Agreement, but ensuring the Framework can support Closing the Gap.”

To view the NRHA media release National Rural Health Alliance pledges support for rebalancing the nation in full click here.

cover of Regional Australian Institute Regionalisation Ambition 2032 A Framework to Rebalance the Nation - Rebalance the Nation; 4 photos rural settings, vector image of lightbulb, house, education, people

Image source: Rebalance the Nation website.

Aboriginal scientist appointed to CSIRO board

Professor Alex Brown has been appointed to the CSIRO board of directors, becoming the first Indigenous scientist to serve on the national science agency’s board. A leader in Aboriginal health and public health services, Professor Brown commenced in the role on 16 March and will serve on a part-time basis for five years.

A member of the Yuin Nation, he is also Professor of Indigenous Genomics at the Telethon Kids Institute and was recently appointed as the director of the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics at the Australian National University. His research has centred on health inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, particularly with chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Industry and Science minister Ed Husic announced the appointment during his address to the National Press Club saying Professor Brown’s had mentioned the influence his sister’s career had on his decision to embark on research in health. “Your sister, Professor Ngiare Brown was one of the first Indigenous medical graduates in Australia and is now the first female and first Indigenous Chancellor of James Cook University. Quite a family.” Mr Husic also thanked Professor Brown for “the path you are setting, for all the Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and scientists who will follow you”.

To view the InnovationAus.com article Indigenous scientist Alex Brown appointed to CSIRO board in full click here.

Professor Alex Brown, CSIRO board member

Professor Alex Brown has been appointed to the CSIRO board by the Albanese government. Photo: ANU. Image source: InnnovationAus.com.

Newly developed flu vaccination resources for mob

In Australia, seasonal influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease contributing to hospitalisation, aside from COVID-19. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to experience severe influenza disease that could be prevented with vaccination. Since 2019 influenza vaccine has been provided under NIP to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 6 months of age, however the uptake has been sub-optimal.

Health providers have an important role in strongly recommending and opportunistically offering influenza vaccination to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 6 months of age, however earlier research indicated that some providers may miss opportunities to offer influenza vaccination at any appointment, and to strongly recommend influenza vaccination to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 6 months of age. To help address this gap the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) have a range of newly developed resources available on the NCIRS website, including:

Resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to support decision making around influenza vaccination.

The webpage Influenza vaccination information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here, is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This page is suitable to share as a resource with the community (and a conversation starter between providers and families) and includes the printable Flu Vaccine Information Sheet, available here.

Resources for immunisation providers to support vaccination conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (with focus on influenza vaccination).

The webpage Supporting conversations about vaccinations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here is for immunisation providers (GPs, nurses, pharmacists) providing influenza vaccination to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The purpose of the provider webpage is to explain the importance of influenza vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages; highlight providers’ role in supporting and strongly recommending influenza vaccination to families; and support providers in having culturally appropriate vaccination conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. While the focus is on influenza vaccination, the conversation principles can be applied to other vaccinations.

The provider webpage includes:

  • a downloadable summary table of resources, available here, of publicly available communication resources designed in recent years to support influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • a conversation guide for providers Talking about flu vaccination with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, available here here to help providers to have culturally appropriate and supportive vaccination conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The resource gives an example of an actual influenza vaccination conversation, informed by Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation conversation principles.
photo of ATSI man, woman & 2 kids hugging; text 'Supporting conversations about vaccinations with ATSI people'

Image source: National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) website.

Counting the toll of COVID

Experts recently called on Australian governments to re-set COVID policy, warning that unmitigated transmission of the virus in the community has a substantial impact on priority populations including the elderly and immunocompromised. In addition, concerns were raised about the impact on health services, particularly for Aboriginal health services in the NT, Long COVID prevalence and an increase in overall mortality.

The World Health Organization also recently urged governments to remain vigilant and strengthen systems for surveillance, clinical care, testing, sequencing, infection prevention and control, treatments and vaccinations. Meanwhile, the latest analysis of excess deaths by Australia’s Actuaries Institute’s COVID-19 Mortality Working Group suggests the high toll of COVID-19 is set to continue.

In 2022, mortality was 12% higher than our pre-pandemic expectations; that is, there were around 20,000 more deaths than expected across Australia. Around half of these were caused by COVID-19, and another 15% had COVID-19 as a contributing factor. COVID-19 was the third most prevalent cause of death in 2022, after heart disease and dementia and above stroke and lung cancer. Research has shown that there is an increased risk of death from certain conditions after a COVID-19 infection. These include heart disease, stroke, diabetes and dementia, most of which saw significantly higher than expected mortality in 2022, even after excluding deaths where COVID-19 was listed as a contributory factor.

COVID-19 shows no sign of going away or becoming less serious. It is a new major cause of illness and death in the Australian population, which reduced life expectancy in Australia by around one year of life in 2022.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Counting the toll of COVID in full click here.

COVID-19 virus cell close up

As political interest in COVID has diminished, excess deaths have increased. Photo: Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

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.

Dietitians Week 2023 

Today is the fourth day of Dietitians Week 2023 and as part of raising awareness of the role and value of dietitians, today we are sharing a another case study published on the Indigenous Allied Health Australia website.

Amelia Mckenzie, is a proud Adnyamathanha and Arabana woman, from Port Augusta, SA, currently based in Adelaide, studying Nutrition and Dietetics at Flinders University. Amelia said she decided to pursue Dietetics, firstly, because she is a foodie, enjoys cooking and eating a wide variety of foods, and is incredibly passionate about health. Amelia has witnessed the impact that diet can have on health, especially in Aboriginal communities, which made her determined to enter this field so she can provide best, culturally safe care to mob. Amelia  wants to work in community settings to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent diet-related chronic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes or heart disease.

Amelia believes dietitians have a crucial role in health, providing individuals and communities with specialised diet support that can; reduce or manage chronic disease; encourage the enjoyment of food, and its connection to culture, family and personal preference or values; be suited to socioeconomic status and day-to-day importance’s; support other areas of health, like promoting exercise and physical and mental wellbeing. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Amelia said, should have adequate access to dietetics services, education, and related resources, to support good health.

To view the IAHA’s article Celebrating 2023 Dietitians Week with IAHA Member Amelia Mckenzie in full click here.

tile of Amelia Mckenzie Dietetics 20-26 March Dietitians Week 2023; IAHA logo; quote "I have witnessed the impact that diet can have on health, especially in Aboriginal communities, which made me determined to enter this field so I can provide best, culturally safe care to mob."

Mar 3 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Community Control in Action

feature tile SAWCAN planning meeting, staff sitting at table, text 'community works best when ATSI people are in the driver's seat

The image in the feature tile is of the SAWCAN team during a planning session. Photo: Robert Lang. Image source: Reconciliation Australia website.

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

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly. The content included in these new stories are not necessarily NACCHO endorsed.

Community Control in Action

The winners and highly commended organisations of the 2022 Indigenous Governance Awards show that community works best when First Nations people are in the driver’s seat. Normally held every two years, last year was the first time the Indigenous Governance Awards were able to take place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judged on innovation, effectiveness, self-determination, sustainability, and cultural legitimacy, the winners epitomised Indigenous-led excellence. In particular, finalists were commended by the judges for demonstrating profound resilience in the face of lockdowns and restrictions, adapting to protect their communities, as well as continue their work in the toughest of circumstances.

The following organisations – Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council Human Research Ethics Committee; the Koling wada-ngal Committee; South Australian West Coast ACCHO Network (SAWCAN); Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council; and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation – were all either winners or highly commended in their categories, and their stories encapsulate self-determination and community control in action.

To view the Reconciliation Australia article Community Control in Action in full click here.

Four NT remote communities evacuated due to floods

Hundreds of residents from four remote communities in the NT are being evacuated due to major flooding in the region. NT Police Commander Danny Bacon said on Wednesday afternoon this week that emergency services were working to relocate as many as 700 people from Kalkarindji, Daguragu and Pigeon Hole, to Darwin via Katherine, as soon as possible, with the evacuation effort has now also extended to the community of Palumpa.

The announcement comes after NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles signed an emergency declaration Wednesday morning covering the communities of Kalkarindji, Daguragu, Pigeon Hole,  Palumpa and Yarralin. Commander Bacon said he could not yet say when the residents being evacuated would be able to return home. “With these flood events, it’s a case of assessing the damage and doing a survey of the communities when the water level goes down,” he said.

“Depending on the damage that’s occurred during the flood event, then that’ll give us a bit of a timeline of when people can safely return back to those communities. “We don’t want people returning … when there’s no sewerage, no power, no water, and the dwellings are uninhabitable.”

To read the ABC News story Residents being evacuated from NT remote communities of Kalkarindji, Daguragu, Pigeon Hole, and Palumpa amid major flooding in full click here.

flooding of remote NT community

Heavy rainfall is causing major flooding in a handful of remote communities south of Darwin. Image source: ABC News.

Few obese Australians receive targeted GP support

More than two-thirds of Australian adults are classed as overweight or obese and that figure is projected to increase in coming years. Obesity rates have doubled over the last decade at an annual cost of almost $12 billion. The findings are contained in a report released ahead of World Obesity Day tomorrow by Research Australia, which warns GPs need targeted assistance to support their patients. Less than 1% of obese Australians who visit their GP receive weight management support, the report says, despite research indicating many cases can be linked to genetics, family history and ethnicity.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) specialist Georgia Rigas said obesity is a complex medical condition that affects individuals in many different ways, ranging from metabolic complications to mental health issues. “Obesity management is not about loss of weight but rather gains in health,” she said. Obesity remains “greatly misunderstood”, leaving patients at risk of stigmatisation, miscommunication and a lack of formal medical diagnosis.

The report highlighted the disproportionate impact of obesity upon Indigenous people, those living in the regions and older adults. More than 70% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 15 or above are overweight or obese, contributing to the health gap with non-Indigenous Australians, the report found.

To read the yahoo! news article Few obese Australians receiving targeted GP support in full click here.

stethoscope on scales

Image source: Medical Journal of Australia.

Aboriginal Benefits Foundation grants open

A number of grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander projects and initiatives open this month. The Aboriginal Benefits Foundation provides grants to assist Aboriginal communities and individuals by providing funds to support projects which advance the aims of the Foundation. The current focus is on supporting art, literacy, education, health and cultural projects with a connection to Aboriginal art or artists.

There is expected to be a high level of interest in this grant funding, which will be distributed between states and territories. Grants will be awarded to eligible recipients on a first come, first served basis under the funding is exhausted in each jurisdiction.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Grants open to support Indigenous business, art, energy, film, education, health and cultural projects, which includes more information on all of the grants available including application details, click here.

An example of a previous project funded by the Aboriginal Benefits Foundation is the artistic promotional materials created by the Mujaay Ganma Foundation (Mujaay Ganma) to increase awareness of the culturally nurturing service MiiMI Aboriginal Corporation provide to people and their families who are dealing with cancer. For more information on this project click here.

Mujaay Ganma Foundation artwork to raise awareness of MiiMi AC cancer services

Promotional material to raise awareness of cancer services provided by MiiMi Aboriginal Corporation. Image source: Aboriginal Benefits Foundation Trust website.

No room COVID complacency as winter wave threatens

The AMA is encouraging people to check their eligibility and get a COVID-19 booster to protect themselves for the onset of winter and future waves of COVID-19. Vaccines reduce transmission, reduce the severity of illness and there is emerging evidence that vaccination reduces the chance you will develop long covid. AMA President Professor Steve Robson said anyone aged over 18 years who has not had a COVID-19 booster or a confirmed COVID infection in the past six months is eligible for another booster.

The Government in early February accepted advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), which particularly recommended that those over 65 years and adults aged 18–64 years with complex health needs get a 2023 booster if their last COVID-19 vaccine dose or confirmed infection (whichever is the most recent) was 6 months ago or longer,  regardless of the number of prior doses received.

Professor Robson said people needed to prepare for the “next wave” of COVID-19 or the next variant to emerge. “With the COVID-19 virus very capable of mutating it’s inevitable there will be further variants and new waves in the community, and with winter just around the corner, we really want to encourage people to get their booster shot if they are eligible. It’s natural over time that we tend to become complacent with the risks associated with COVID-19, however, last year there were 8,800 deaths due to COVID-19 and there has been an increase in people dying with COVID-19 as the pandemic has progressed. Clearly there is no room for complacency. The AMA’s strong advice is for eligible people to get their booster shot.”

To read the AMA’s media release Get boostered! No room for COVID complacency as winter wave threatens in full click here.

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

Racism, the most significant public health issue

Over 120 staff members and managers from Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) gathered at the ParkRoyal in Parramatta for the first Aboriginal Staff Conference in the district. The event involved workshops, presentations and addresses by key stakeholders in the business. Attendees were encouraged to be open to learning and sharing in the space, while unpacking issues like cultural safety and how WSLHD staff can better support and engage with Aboriginal patients and workers.

A special address was also delivered by keynote speaker Honorary Associate Professor Carmen Parter, who spoke about her PhD area of racism and how it impacts the healthcare system. “Racism is the most significant public health issue facing Australia,” Associate Professor Carmen said. “Our ways of being, knowing or doing are either diminished, devalued or not recognised due to racism and exclusion. This not only relates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but any marginalised group that accesses healthcare services and provisions.”

“Racism remains invisible and is not often spoken about or fully understood in terms of the violent realities and subtleties that manifest themselves in clinical and non-clinical environments of health, and in the workplace for Aboriginal staff.”

To view The Pulse article ‘Building an environment of cultural safety’: Western Sydney Local Health District holds Aboriginal Staff Conference in full click here.

Associate Professor Carmen Parter speaking at WSDLHD Aboriginal Staff Conference

Associate Professor Carmen Parter. Image source: The Pulse.

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.

Feb 20 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Pharmacist Scholarship Applications Open

Feature tile - NACCHO ATSI Pharmacist Scholarship applications open

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

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly. The content included in these new stories are not necessarily NACCHO endorsed.

Pharmacist Scholarship Applications Open

NACCHO is excited to announce that applications are open for the 2nd year of the NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pharmacist Scholarship* which provides subsidy and support for prospective or current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacy students.  

 

Each recipient will receive up to $10,000 per annum to contribute to university expenses. The scholarship also offers support and mentorship from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals and organisations to ensure ongoing integration and connection with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health sector.  

 

The scholarship program aims to build the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pharmacist workforce and to raise the profile of the beneficial role that pharmacy and pharmacists can play in supporting appropriate and culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

 

For more information about the scholarship and how to apply, click here.

 

You can also contact Mike Stephens on 0408 278 204 or via email using this link.NACCHO ATSI pharmacist scholarship applications open tile

Scholarship opens door for speech pathology career

The art of being committed to your work at Victoria’s largest public health service while being a prominent advocate for First Nations wellbeing is all in a day’s work for CQ University alumnus Hannah Thompson. A proud Kara Kara woman from the Central Highlands, Hannah is an active member of five different Speech Pathology Australia groups and advisory committees, where she provides input on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture relates to the organisation’s competency standards.

Ms Thompson received a BMA Indigenous Scholarship during her studies which she notes helped her embrace new career opportunities. “My goal is to combine my passion in speech pathology with my desire to help close the gap between First Nations and non-First Nations Australians in the healthcare and education sectors,” Ms Thompson said. “The experiences I had at CQ University, my BMA scholarship, and the connections I made throughout my studies opened doors for me post graduation.”

Upon graduating in 2018, Ms Thompson was employed at a Central Queensland therapy clinic before accepting an early career speech pathologist position in the public sector. “My current role has certainly changed my perspective of working in public healthcare,” she said. “Every day has its own challenges, especially being the primary speech pathologist on the COVID ward during the peak of the pandemic, however, the team around me are very supportive and uplifting. In the public space, you work alongside incredible people and learn so much on the job.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Scholarship put young Kara Kara woman on the path to speech pathology career in full click here.

CQ Uni alumnus Hannah Thompson standing in front of Aboriginal and TSI flags

CQ University alumnus Hannah Thompson. Image source: National Indigenous Times – 18 February 2023.

Celebrating WorldPride with WSLHD’s Darren Lee

Just six weeks into his new role at Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), Darren Lee already has a deep connection with the local community at Mount Druitt Hospital. Despite living in Darwin for over a decade, Darren has returned home. “I am born and bred in this area – all my family are here, I was born in Blacktown Hospital and went to the school just down the road; Plumpton High School, so it’s all really familiar to me,” he said. “This community is my home. I went to school here, my friends are now teachers here, I’ve got four or five friends who are now nurses and staff at Mount Druitt Hospital. It’s home. I’ve worked in other districts and I called Darwin home for 13 years but this is my home.”

Darren is an Aboriginal Sexual Health Promotion Officer at the WSLHD Aboriginal Health Hub, located at Mount Druitt Hospital. In the days leading up to Sydney WorldPride, and as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, Darren is urging his mob to have a great time during WorldPride, but to prioritise their health by getting tested and partying safely. “Gay, straight, green or blue, we all like to have sex. Our job is to remind people to do it safely.

“Being an Aboriginal Health Promotion Officer, it’s about promoting to my mob who we are, where we are and what our services do, and to normalise it. If you’re going for your annual health check for your blood sugar levels, what’s wrong with peeing in a cup or doing a swab or taking a blood test to check your full health. It’s about not stereotyping or stigmatising people for what they do in their personal lives. As an Aboriginal man and a gay man myself, I’m proud of both of those things completely equally.”

To view The Pulse article in full click here.

Long COVID causing job losses and homelessness

The federal government is developing a national Long COVID strategy, with a parliamentary inquiry hearing the condition has resulted in job losses and homelessness among some sufferers. The chief medical officer, Professor Paul Kelly, said the federal health department had been tasked with developing a national Long COVID strategy that would cover prevention, immunisation, treatment and research into the condition.

“That is well under way,” Kelly said at a public hearing on Friday, although he went on to say the strategy would probably not be finalised until after the health department had received advice following the parliamentary inquiry into Long COVID and repeated COVID-19 infections. Speaking at the inquiry’s third public hearing on Friday, Labor MP Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah said, “I think we’re going to probably land on a recommendation that we obviously need national guidelines … and perhaps living guidelines that keep evolving as the data keeps coming in.”

A lack of data about Long COVID in Australia was repeatedly raised as a concern during the hearing. Dr Jason Agostino, a senior medical adviser at NACCHO, told the inquiry that there was “no clear evidence on Long COVID cases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – most jurisdictions have not shared data on presentations to their LONG COVID clinics by Indigenous status”.

To view The Guardian article Long COVID causing job losses and homelessness in Australia, inquiry hears in full click here.

4 COVID-19 Antigen test results - 2 negative 2 positive

Australian affected by long Covid told the parliamentary inquiry about months-long wait times to see specialists. Photo: Amer Ghazzal, Rex, Shutterstock. Image source: The Guardian – 17 February 2023.

Virtual reality part of mental health trial

Young people in the NT are stepping into the world of virtual reality (VR) as part of a new trial aimed at breaking down the barriers to mental health care. VR mental health sessions have started being trialled in parts of the NT’s Top End region, as part of a project from the NT’s Menzies School of Health Research and Aboriginal VR developer Brett Leavy.

By gamifying programs to address youth mental illness, cognitive disabilities and neurodiversity, the team hopes the project will help tackle major obstacles to care in the territory such as issues with remoteness and staffing. Mr Leavy, a Kooma man, said the project particularly took a new approach to the mental health of young First Nations people by connecting them to their culture and country through VR.

“It’s fun, it’s engaging, it’s a new technology,” he said. “It’s a new technology for an ancient culture.” The NT has the highest rate of suicide in the country, with young people and First Nations people particularly at risk.

To view the ABC News article Children explore virtual reality as part of trial for new NT youth mental health project in full click here.

Aboriginal teenager at Darwin school using virtual reality

Darwin school students test virtual reality software designed to improve mental health. Photo: Peter Garnish, ABC News.

Alice Springs alcohol rehabs desperate for support

Jocelyn Dhu has seen more desperation than most while working on the frontlines of alcohol addiction in Alice Springs. The Eastern Arrernte woman has watched people from all walks of life come through her door. Some for the first time, others for the tenth, but all battling shame, stigma and a sense they are “too far gone”. But Ms Dhu knows that’s never the case. “You have to see the person,” she said. “When you look at an individual, and you see their stories, and why alcohol or drugs became a problem for them — that’s what you need to fix.”

Alice Springs has attracted frenzied national attention in recent weeks amid a crime crisis. Liquor has been recognised as a major driver behind issues in the town. However, the NT’s peak drug and alcohol body said frontline addiction services had been chronically neglected by all levels of government.

Drug and Alcohol Services Australia, where Ms Dhu works as deputy chief executive, is just one Alice Springs service calling for help. It recently had to clear clients out of its ageing residential rehabilitation facility, Aranda House, because of a cockroach and bed bug infestation. Ms Dhu said it had sparked a waitlist of about 20 people. “I think the biggest issue is people’s level of motivation to change,” she said. “They might want to come in now, but having to wait, they change their mind and go, ‘Oh, no, I’m OK’.”

To view the ABC News article Alice Springs alcohol rehabs call desperately for support as liquor bans reinstated in full click here.

portrait shot of Jocelyn Dhu, Eastern Arrernte woman

Jocelyn Dhu says people can struggle with alcoholism for a wide range of reasons.Photo: Xavier Martin, ABC Alice Springs.

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.

Feb 16 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: NACCHO to share insights on response to COVID-19

 

Feature tile: Dr Jason Agostino

The image in the feature tile is of NACCHO Medical Advisor Dr Jason Agostino – it appeared in an ABC News article Indigenous people at risk of missing out on crucial COVID-19 treatment, peak health body says published on 18 January 2022.

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

We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly. The content included in these new stories are not necessarily NACCHO endorsed.

Health Committee to hear from long COVID patients

The House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will hear from Australians living with long COVID and other post-viral illness at a public hearing tomorrow Friday 17 February 2023 at Parliament House in Canberra. The Chair of the Committee, Mike Freelander MP, said, “Listening to Australians living with long COVID about their experiences, journey to diagnosis and treatment is a key role of this inquiry. The committee appreciates the time taken by many people with long COVID who wrote to us to share how the condition has deeply impacted many aspects of their lives. Our next public hearing will unpack some of the issues raised in these submissions in more detail  so we can consider how to better support long COVID patients now and in the future.”

The committee will also hear from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC), the NACCHO and a roundtable of experts jointly organised by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Deputy Chair of the Committee, Melissa McIntosh MP, said, “The roundtable convened by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences will bring together experts in areas such as infectious diseases, epidemiology, immunology, mental health and public health. This is a great opportunity for the Committee to hear from individuals at the forefront of COVID research and treatment.”

The committee will hear from the DHAC about what the Government is doing to respond to the new challenges for Australia’s healthcare system presented by long COVID and repeated COVID infections and is also looking forward to hearing from NACCHO with its valuable insights into the primary care response to COVID-19 in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

To view the article Health Committee to hear from long COVID patients and hold roundtable with experts published on the Business Acumen Magazine 2022 website yesterday click here.

Stethoscope & small wooden blocks with Long Covid letters

Image source: Oregon Health News – Blog. Creator: Jikaboom. Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto.

NACCHO Strong Born campaign launch

Strong Born is a communications campaign designed to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding, among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural and remote communities. This campaign is part of the National Information Campaign for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women and is supported by the Foundation of Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

You can find more information about FASD programs and resources on the NACCHO website here.

You are invited to join NACCHO for the free online launch of the Strong Born campaign.

Speakers include:

Pat Turner – NACCHO CEO and Dr Sarah Hayton -NACCHO Executive Director

Caterina Giorgi – FARE CEO

Dr Robyn Williams – FASD Researcher, Curtin University

Emily Carter – Marinwarntikura CEO, Sue Thomas – Strategic Priority Lead – Marinwantikura and Jadnah Davies – Marulu Team – Marninwantikura

When: Wednesday 22 February 2023

Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM AEDT

To register click here.

Strong Born Campaign Launch tile with text: Campaign Launch Wednesday February 22 2023 3PM - 4PM AEDT Register at NACCHO.org.au/FASD

Regional health delivering poor outcomes

The Parliamentary Inquiry into outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW found that residents in rural, regional and remote NSW:

  • Have significantly poorer health outcomes, greater incidents of chronic disease and greater premature deaths when comparted to their metropolitan counterparts (Finding 1);

  • Have inferior access to health and hospital services, especially those living in remote towns and locations and Indigenous communities (Finding 20);

  • Face significant financial challenges in order to access diagnosis, treatment and other health services compared to those living in metropolitan cities (Finding 3)

The inquiry also found inequities when it comes to the provision of health services to rural, regional and remote NSW, in particular:

  • There is a critical shortage of health professionals across rural, regional and remote communities (Finding 9); and

  • There has been a historic failure by both state and Federal governments to attract, support and retain health professionals, especially doctors and nurses in rural, regional and remote areas (Finding 11).

These findings were echoed today in a report from the Australia Institute: The Unlucky Country, Life Expectancy and Health in Regional and Remote Australia.

To view The Beagle article Regional Health : promises, mediocrity, tardiness and inequity delivering poor outcomes in full click here.

yellow road sign stethoscope 368k red road soil flat plain

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

To Voice or not to Voice, that is the question

As debate around the Indigenous Voice to Parliament ramps up in political circles, not for profits have been quietly cementing their own positions on the issue. In the case of the Fred Hollows Foundation, the path was clear. CEO Ian Wishart told Pro Bono News the foundation had taken its lead from the venerable Fred Hollows himself, who he described as “a true ally to First Nations people”.

“As a not for profit working in more than 25 countries, we have a powerful chance to lead conversations on achieving equity in health outcomes. It’s not only appropriate, it goes back to our roots advocating for those who are needlessly blind and vision impaired,” Wishart said. He added that Hollows “believed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander control, ownership and leadership of health services was vital to achieving equitable health outcomes” and advocated for this “as far back as the 1970s”.

“The foundation’s support of broader social justice reforms, such as the Uluru Statement from the Heart, ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the right to a meaningful say on decisions that affect them. A constitutionally enshrined Voice is the only form of constitutional change that has wide and broad support from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Wishart said.

“Following in Fred’s legacy, the foundation has a responsibility as a non-Indigenous organisation to act as an ally and amplify and support the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, leaders and organisations calling for social justice reform. We are delighted that so many other social sector organisations and businesses are joining in the cause. We believe it is our responsibility to be a strong voice for justice and reconciliation.”

To view the Pro Bono News article To Voice or not to Voice, that is the question in full click here.

orange wall with orange megaphone attached

Image source: Pro Bono News webpage – 15 February 2023.

Bush food diet to manage Type 2 diabetes

A new study will test whether diets that closely resemble those consumed by First Nations people in pre-colonisation times can help drive Type 2 diabetes remission in Indigenous people. The research, led by Ngarrindjeri Elders in SA’s Coorong, along with Flinders University and the Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) will use the ketogenic diet to boost health outcomes.

Ketogenic diets restrict carbohydrate intake and promote the consumption of fats to induce the body to use fat as its principal energy source.  The diets have become popular in recent years as a way to lose weight, although the first ketogenic diets were developed in the 1920s.

Boandik, Ngarrindjeri, Narungga and Kaurna woman and RMCLHN director of Aboriginal health Sharon Wingard said the study provided an opportunity for Aboriginal people to learn from their ancestors for better health outcomes. She said the typical diet of Ngarrindjeri people, which included hunted meat and fish and bush tucker such as saltbush, was typically low in carbohydrates and high in fats.

To view the ABC News article Keto-style bush food diet could be key to helping Indigenous Australians to manage Type 2 diabetes in full click here.

Aerial shot of the Coorong, near the Murray Mouth in SA

The Coorong, near the Murray Mouth in South Australia, was an abundant source of fish and other meat for Ngarrindjeri people. Photo: Prue Adams, ABC Landline:.

Marathon kicks off Wiradjuri woman’s dream

After a “once in a lifetime” journey, Wiradjuri woman Hayley Pymont wants to use the achievement of crossing the finish line of the New York Marathon to chase down all six major world marathons and “create change” around mental health. The 28-year-old, who grew up on Dharawal country, has celebrated completing the Indigenous Marathon Project [IMP] with a “return to community” event at Warilla near Wollongong.

The project was founded by Australian champion runner Robert de Castella who travelled to the Illawarra for the event. “Hayley is graduate 127 and we have 132, and each and every one of them has had a graduating ceremony like this where I am privileged to see the impact each of the graduates has had on family, friends, and community,” Mr de Castella said. The six-month health, well-being, and leadership journey prepares the participants to run in the 42-kilometre New York Marathon.

To view the ABC News article New York Marathon kicks off study dreams and plans for all six majors for Wiradjuri woman Hayley Pymont in full click here.

Hayley Pymont in training for the New York Marathon, as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project. Photo: Anna Warr. Image source: Illawarra Mercury - 6 August 2022.

Hayley Pymont in training for the New York Marathon, as part of the Indigenous Marathon Project. Photo: Anna Warr. Image source: Illawarra Mercury – 6 August 2022.

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.

Dec 12 2022

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: RACGP calls for QLD government to come clean

The image in the feature tile is from an RACGP newsGP article ‘Very disappointing’: UTI pharmacy prescribing pilot extended indefinitely published on 4 July 2022.

RACGP calls for QLD government to come clean

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has called on the Queensland Government to come clean on the North Queensland Retail Pharmacy Scope of Practice Pilot. It comes following the RACGP lodging a Right to Information Act 2009 (RTI Act) request to the Queensland Health Department on 28 March this year – 256 days ago. So far, no information has been forthcoming. The application sought access to meeting agendas, meeting papers (including notes and briefing papers), minutes, correspondence, budget documents and briefings relating to the pilot.

The college has previously cautioned that the pilot will fragment care and put patient safety and wellbeing at risk. In October this year, the RACGP doubled down on warnings that the experiment will result in poorer health outcomes for patients and much higher healthcare costs. Since then, several jurisdictions including Victoria and NSW, have forged ahead with their own pharmacy prescribing plans.

RACGP President and Mackay-based GP Dr Nicole Higgins said that scrutiny of the pilot was needed more than ever. “This is not rocket science, if due process has been followed then these documents exist, and it is in the public’s interest to know what they contain, especially as this pilot is the product of an election promise rather than responding to a demonstrable public need,” she said.

To view the RACGP media release What is the Queensland Government hiding on the controversial pharmacy prescribing pilot? in full click here.

Image source: The Conversation.

Concerns mob missing out on eating disorder treatment

To view the ABC News article Concerns Indigenous Australians missing out on eating disorder treatment in full click here.

Wiradjuri and Wotjobulak man AJ Williams battled bulimia for three years. Image source: ABC News.

Remote housing: holding government to account

Royal Darwin Hospital’s Dr Nerida Moore and paediatric registrar Dr Tasmyn Soller have co-authored an article about how overcrowding and poor-quality housing are significant driving forces of death and disease in remote communities of the NT, saying “As health care workers, we bear witness to the devastating impact that overcrowding and grossly substandard infrastructure brings. We see mothers who are desperate to find solutions to enable them to wash their children’s clothes, limited by access to washing machines, power and water. Likewise, we see families advocating to reduce overcrowding in their community who are told to wait patiently for nearly a decade for a new house to be built.”

Inadequate housing and overcrowding are at crisis level in many parts of the NT – a fact that has been established over many decades. In Australia, the highest levels of overcrowding occur in very remote communities. In 2019, it was estimated that 51% of Indigenous Australians living in very remote communities resided in overcrowded homes. Estimates suggest an extra 5,000 homes are needed by 2028 to reduce levels of overcrowding to an acceptable level.

It is therefore unsurprising that remote communities experience some of the highest rates of devastating and preventable diseases such as acute rheumatic fever (ARF), rheumatic heart disease (RHD), acute post streptococcal glomerulonephritis, chronic suppurative lung disease, skin infections and otitis media. These diseases, even though they have different pathophysiology, all have common links to the social determinants of health. This is further highlighted by the steep decline of these diseases globally as living conditions have gradually improved across the world.

To view the InSight article Remote community housing: holding government to account in full click here.

Gloria Chula lives in a three-bedroom house of 16 people in Wadeye, one of the Northern Territory’s poorest and most troubled Indigenous communities. Image source: The Islander.

Nine-year-old ‘doctors’ set to graduate

A group of primary school-aged “doctors” are set to graduate in Melbourne’s north and become life-long health ambassadors for themselves and their communities. The 30-odd students in grades three and four at Reservoir East Primary School are graduating from the 15-week Malpa Young Doctors for Life program this week.

The program is culturally derived and teaches both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children traditional ways of healing, along with modern ways of keeping communities healthy. Interstate, nine South Australian schools signed up in 2022, and three schools are also part of the program in NSW in Dubbo South, and in Smithtown and Kempsey West in the Mid North Coast region.

The program “equips them with Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge which they end up sharing with others – I believe they are closing the gap for themselves,” Malpa leader Mel Harrison said. “At Reservoir, one of the main benefits is that it has dramatically improved school attendance. “The way the program is designed means that every child feels some form of success in Malpa.”

To view the Milton Ulladulla Times article Nine-year-old ‘doctors’ set to graduate in full click here.

Students from a primary school in Melbourne took part in the Malpa Young Doctors for Life program. Image source: Milton Ulladulla Times.

NT facing COVID-19 spike

COVID-19 cases have doubled in the NT in the past week, rising faster than anywhere else in the country. The NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says the NT has moved out of the COVID-19 emergency phase but Aboriginal health care providers say that call is premature. Angus Randall reports that health services are very worried about a Christmas peak. The NT recently recorded a worrying COVID milestone, 100,000 cases since the start of the pandemic. Experts say that is likely an undercount, but the trend in the official numbers shows a steeper rise in the NT right now than anywhere else in Australia.

John Paterson the CEO, of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT (AMSANT) said “Up until this year we’ve had 40 Aboriginal deaths in the NT, it’s killing Aboriginal people at younger ages, with the highest numbers of deaths in the 60-69 age group then the 50-59 age group compared to over 80 for the non-Aboriginal population, so you can see the Aboriginal population is at most risk.”

Mr Paterson is concerned about what will happen over the coming weeks as those in remote communities travel to the more populated centres during the Christmas season. “It is unfortunate and I think premature that governments are taking their foot off the pedal and not giving this issue the attention it deserves given we are now seeing a rise in COVID-19 numbers again. Our advice would have been to wait until after the Christmas New Year period to see what the numbers are like and reconsider any other public measures we might need to take during that period.”

You can listen to The World Today ABC broadcast NT facing COVID-19 spike in full here.

Photo: Steven Schubert, ABC News. Image source: ABC News – The World Today.

Australia’s annual sexual health check up

New data released last week by the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted testing and diagnoses of sexually transmissible infections (STI) in Australia. The report titled HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: Annual surveillance report shows that in 2021 there were 86,916 diagnoses* of chlamydia, 26,577 of gonorrhoea and 5,570 of infectious syphilis in Australia.

“Prior to the pandemic we were seeing increases in chlamydia and gonorrhoea, but in 2021 we recorded a small decline. We believe this reduction is a consequence of both reduced testing and reduced sexual activity with new or casual partners, due to social restrictions and lockdowns during 2020 and 2021,” says Dr Skye McGregor from the Kirby Institute, one of the report’s authors. “On the other hand, syphilis has been steadily increasing among women of reproductive age, gay and bisexual men and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This reflects sustained and ongoing transmission across Australia, which is extremely concerning.”

To view the scimex article Australia’s Annual Sexual Health Check Up: STIs are mostly down, but reductions in testing could be the cause in full click here.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) webpage of 1800 My Options 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.

Oct 28 2022

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Essential ingredients for Wellbeing Budget

The image in the feature tile is from ABC Radio National webpage Talkback: Australia’s first ‘wellbeing’ budget, Wednesday 26 October 2022. Image: marrio31, Getty Images.

Essential ingredients for Wellbeing Budget

As the world faces escalating climate disruption, environmental degradation and geopolitical instability as well as growing inequality and human rights abuses, the development of wellbeing indicators for the Federal Budget presents both opportunities and challenges.  Indigenous health, public health and environmental health experts and community groups will have an opportunity to contribute to the development of a landmark new set of wellbeing indicators that are being prepared for the 2023 Budget.

While Australian governments publish many indicators that support decision-making, including Closing the Gap and the State of the Environment Report, “no national framework or central set of indicators” to track overall progress on wellbeing currently exists. One of the central challenge of progress reporting is bringing attention to the broader factors that underpin community wellbeing and longer-term economic prosperity, in a focused way. Other countries that have frameworks to measure non-economic progress and quality of life include Scotland, Wales, Canada, Germany and Aotearoa/NZ.

The involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations, people with disabilities, and people with lived experience of mental illness will be important if future wellbeing budgets are to genuinely address inequities within our society. Speaking at the Indigenous Wellness Conference last week, Bardi woman Professor Pag Dugeon from the School of Indigenous Studies, University of WA, said “The things we bring to the table are for us in the first instance but they will also benefit non-Indigenous people. We can share the social and emotional wellbeing approach to wellness.”

To view the Croakey Health Media article To make a proper Wellbeing Budget, what are the essential ingredients? in full click here.

SWAMS funded for major facility upgrade

The South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) has received a big boost in the federal budget, with funding allocated for a major facility upgrade. $18.3 million was set aside on Tuesday night’s budget announcement, honouring an election promise from the Labor government made in March. At the time, Federal Labor Senator Sue Lines said SWAMS first approached her office five years ago in the hopes of receiving support. “They’ve been spending $600,000 a year on rent, which is money that should be going into providing services, so this will allow them to do what they need to,” Ms Lines said.

The funding will go a long way towards building a brand new heath hub for SWAMS in Carey Park on land donated to the project by the City of Bunbury. SWAMS CEO Lesley Nelson said the hub would be a huge step forward for Noongar people.,”The Heath Hub will have an enormous positive impact on the heath and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in the south west.”

To view the Busselton-Dunsborough Mail article South West Aboriginal Medical Service gets federal funds for new heath hub in full click here.

SWAMS Chairman Ernie Hill, WA Labor candidate for Forrest Bronwen English, Senator Sue Lines, and SWAMS CEO Leslie Nelson with 3-month-old Gregory Abbott. Image source: Busselton-Dunsborough Mail.

Focus on better programs, services, self-determination

Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy has issued a media release stating the Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its election commitments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by improving programs and services and investing in self-determination, with this week’s Budget including funding:

  •  to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, with funding to:
    • the Australian Electoral Commission to prepare for the referendum
    • commence work on establishing a Makarrata Commission to oversee processes for agreement-making
  • for Indigenous health and education, including funding to:
    • train 500 First Nations health workers and practitioners
    • build modern, high-quality health clinics in areas of large and growing First Nations populations
    • build a Birthing on Country Centre of Excellence
    • allow NACCHO to combat RHD in high-risk communities
    • provide 30 four-chair dialysis units
    • improve the ability of Redfern AMS and Tharawal AC AMS to care for patients with chronic diseases
    • provide dialysis treatment buses for remote NSW
    • employ First Nations educators in 60 primary schools to teach First Nations languages and provide greater cultural understanding
    • increase access to early childhood education and care for Indigenous families
    • help First Nations controlled and Community Sector Organisation maintain quality services in light of rising costs
  • for housing and essential services on NT homelands
  • for First Nations Justice, with funding:
    • for 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives
    • for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
    • to build capacity of the peak body National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS)
    • to support the National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum
    • to deliver crime prevention and community safety programs in Central Australia
    • to extend the Indigenous Protected Areas program
  • for microgrid technology across First Nations communities to increase access to cheaper, cleaner, more reliable energy
  • to establish an Ambassador for First Nations Peoples
  • for a trial program to replace the Community Development Program with real jobs, real wages and proper conditions

To read Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy’s media release Delivering a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander  Australians in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCathy. Photo: Matt Roberts, ABC News.

Speeding access to innovative medicines

Yesterday Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler officially announced the appointment of the new independent Chair of the Health Technology Assessment (NTA) Review Committee, as well as extending the review by six months until December 2023. Chair of Medicines Australia, Dr Anna Lavell, said the new Chair Adjunct Professor Picone AO will lead major reforms that will speed up access to innovative medicines for all Australians. Dr Lavell said “Reform of Australia’s HTA system is well overdue, “We must reduce the time it takes for Australian patients to access innovative medicines, treatments and health technologies. Our health system must be modernised with a clear focus on patient needs and listening to patient perspectives.”

NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey PSM is one of the seven members on the HTA Review Reference Committee. The Committee will undertake the first major review and reform of the HTA system in 30 years. “It is a pivotal opporunity to improve this crucial process in accessing innovative medicines” Dr Vavell said.

To view the Healthy Industry Hub article Health Minister formally announces HTA Review independent chair after earlier reveal in full click here.

Image source: Accestra Access Extra.

COVID-19 vax hesitancy study

A study aimed at addressing lower vaccination rates among First Nations expectant mothers and babies will work with Aboriginal medical services around WA following a funding boost. Curtin School of Allied Health senior research fellow, Noongar woman and project lead Anne-Marie Eade said although the current data for mums and bubs is limited a need for greater access to vaccination is needed to ensure their safety due to greater vulnerability. “What we do know is that Aboriginal people are less likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to the general population, with the differences most bleak in WA,” Ms Eade said.

The research comes after an $800,000 boost from the Australian government’s Medical Research Future Fund tackling health disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians. “Our study will evaluate the successes, barriers and opportunities of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program to reach Aboriginal women and their unborn children – and potentially target children under five in the event of an early childhood COVID-19 vaccine
rollout,” Ms Eade said.

Ms Eade attributes a mistrust of health systems, misinformation, and a lack of vaccine literacy as factors creating barriers for Indigenous mothers, expectant mothers and women of child-bearing age. The result comes with an increased risk of requiring intensive care, preterm birth and prenatal death. “A pressing concern for pregnant women is about the potential impact of vaccination on their babies. Many prefer to be vaccinated after birth,” Ms Eade said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Study aimed at increasing COVID-vaccination for vulnerable young mums and bubs backed by government funding in full click here.

Photo: Unsplash. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Calls for Netflix ads to prioritise health

More than 50 leading Australian and international health and community organisations have signed an open letter to Netflix, urging the streaming giant to exclude alcohol advertising from its new ad-supported subscription tier. As the world’s biggest streaming platform, Netflix has the chance to set the standard for establishing an ad model that prioritises people’s health and wellbeing, said Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Caterina Giorgi.

“Netflix has made a really important decision to exclude gambling advertising and they should do the same with alcohol advertising,” Ms Giorgi, a signatory to the joint letter, said. “Alcoholic products cause harm to so many families and communities across the world, causing more than 200 diseases and injuries and more than 3 million deaths each year.” “We know that alcohol advertising contributes to risky drinking particularly among young people, this is why the World Health Organization recommends restricting marketing as a priority area. Netflix can help to prevent harm by excluding alcohol advertising from their platform.”

The joint letter calls attention to research which shows that when young people are exposed to alcohol marketing, they are more likely to start drinking alcohol at a younger age and to drink alcohol at riskier levels. Other signatories to the letter are: NOFASD Australia; Sydney University’s Centre for Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol, Addiction Medicine; World Health Organization Less Alcohol Unit; and the World Cancer Research Fund.

To read The National Tribune article Community organisations call on Netflix to set standard with ad model that prioritises health and wellbeing in full click here.

Image source: Candorium.

‘Embassy’ upholds legacy of First Nations protest

Embassy, an installation from the artist Richard Bell, Embassy, has a powerful presence in the forecourt of the Art Gallery of SA (AGSA) last week. A painted sign on the front of the canvas tent read ‘Aboriginal Embassy’ – a nod to the legacy of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a protest camp set up on the lawns of Parliament House on unceded Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) 50 years ago.

Also part of the Adelaide Film Festival, the Embassy tent brought together artists and community organisers for public talks, and featured film screenings between the conversations. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is recognised as “one of the most significant, if not the most significant moment in Aboriginal protest history. It put into action a lot of the philosophies around self-determination and created so much from it, including the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector.

To read the CityMag article ‘Embassy’ upholds legacy of First Nations sovereignty and protest in full click here.

L—R: Nici Cumpston, Richard Bell and Dominic Guerrera. Image source: CityMag.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 26 2022

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Management of COVID-19 in community

The image in the feature tile is from ABC News article Indigenous communities won’t be safe from COVID until we act on the lessons learnt in Wilcannia, 28 November 2021. Photo: Micahel Franchi.

Management of COVID-19 in community

A research article published in The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) says we need to learn from Australia’s response to the pandemic and break down siloes, so we can build a more integrated and resilient health system. While the Australian health care system is well regarded on the global stage in terms of the balance between investment in health care and outcomes delivered, there is considerable fragmentation and poor coordination of care and communication between hospitals and primary care, which limits further improvement. Geographical barriers, workforce shortages and issues relating to acceptability of services limit health care access for residents of rural, regional and remote communities, Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders, and together with an inadequate focus on prevention, limit progress towards health equity.

The article says strong advocacy from NACCHO and GPs in outbreak areas (including the Primary and Chronic Care Panel of the National COVID‐19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce) did consider the issues inherent in managing COVID‐19 in remote communities with overcrowded housing, but resource constraints limited execution of solutions. Early central planning and discussion also rarely involved primary care providers — from private, public or Aboriginal community controlled health sectors — and highlighted a lack of regional health care planning structures. The authors claim there is a particular need for purposeful rebuilding of remote PHC, emphasising the primacy of the Aboriginal clinical workforce, demonstrated as essential for overcoming vaccine hesitancy and enabling timely vaccine rollout.

To view The Medical Journal of Australia article Management of COVID‐19 in the community and the role of primary care: how the pandemic has shone light on a fragmented health system in full click here.

NACCHO developed COVID-19 resource. Image source: Croakey Health Media .

Racism is a public health issue

The Yokayi Footy panel has weighted in on the “horrifying chapter” of racism accusations embroiling Hawthorn football club and AFL coaches Alastair Clarkson and Chris Fagan Program host Megan Waters made a heartfelt plea and said as mob the news makes her feel “sick to the gut” before emotions got the best of former players Andrew Krakouer, Gillbert McAdam and Darryl White.

Hawthorn football staff, including Clarkson and Fagan, are alleged to have targeted three unnamed First Nations players during their time at the club, pressuring them into severing relationships with partners and families to better focus on their careers. “The story of racism is still very much alive in this country,” Ms Waters said.

Krakouer said similar stories of racism seem to come up every week, highlighting the need for stronger processes to better address the issue, cut suicide rates and social determinate factors felt by Indigenous people as a result of its ongoing impacts. “Racism is a public health issue,” he said. “It affects our health, life and our safety so we need to get serious about racism because what has been done previously, it’s not good enough.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article ‘Racism is a public health issue’: Indigenous footy personalities speak out on Hawthorn probe in full click here.

Andrew Krakouver. Photo: AFL.com.au. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Abolition of cashless debit card

The Albanese Labor Government is delivering a long-term plan to ensure certainty, choice and support to communities moving off the cashless debit card program. Following extensive consultation in sites across the nation, the Government has today announced a suite of measures that empowers local communities and will assist in abolishing the cashless debit card program and ensure communities are better off.

This will deliver on our election commitment to end a failed program. The Government will abolish the cashless debit card program and make income management voluntary in Ceduna, East Kimberley, Goldfields and Bundaberg-Hervey Bay. Under the plan, the Cape York region will retain all of its powers of self-determination and referral for community members to go onto income management under the Family Responsibilities Commission.

To view the joint media release Empowering communities with the abolition of the cashless debit card program in full click here.

Photo: Natalie Whitling, ABC News.

WA study to address low vax rate

Pregnant, expectant and breastfeeding First Nations mums will be the focus of new research that seeks to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Aboriginal women across WA. The project will be led by Dr Anne-Marie Eades from the Curtin School of Allied Health. Dr Eades, a Noongar woman from the Wagyl Kaip region of WA, said First Nations women, particularly of a childbearing age, urgently needed greater access to vaccinations because they were most vulnerable to infection.

“There is currently a lack of research addressing the barriers to the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination among Aboriginal families,” Dr Eades said. “What we do know is that Aboriginal people are less likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to the general population, with the differences most bleak in WA. Our study will evaluate the successes, barriers and opportunities of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program to reach Aboriginal women and their unborn children – and potentially target children under five in the event of an early childhood COVID-19 vaccine rollout.”

Partnering with the South-West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) and Babbingur Mia-Aboriginal Women’s Health Service, Dr Eades will be supported by a team of leading experts in Aboriginal health, COVID-19 vaccinations, immunisation, and midwifery. “We need to determine what factors could have encouraged a greater uptake of vaccination for First Nations mothers who are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive,” Dr Eades said.

To view the Curtin University media release Study to address low COVID-19 vaccinations among Aboriginal women in full click here.

Michell Farrell gets her first COVID-19 vaccine at the Ngukurr Clinic. Photo: Kate Ashton, ABC News.

Healthy Skin Guidelines online survey

Telethon Kids Institute is inviting you to participate in an online survey to help with the evaluation of the 1st edition of the National Healthy Skin Guidelines (NHSG). The 1st edition of the NHSG was published in 2018 by the Australian Healthy Skin Consortium. It focuses on the prevention, treatment, and public health control of skin infections (such as impetigo, scabies, crusted scabies and tinea) for Aboriginal populations. Available online, the NHSG has been viewed >10,000 times, downloaded > 3,500 times, and the quiz for knowledge assessment completed >300 times.

Telethon Kids Institute want to know your experience of the guideline to help inform the updates to the next edition, or if you haven’t used it, we’d like to know about where you might go to access this kind of information and resources. The survey is intended for any healthcare worker who cares for people with skin infections. There are two separate surveys for those who have, and those who have not, used the 1st edition of the NHSG. You do not have to have used the 1st edition to take part in this survey, and you will only complete one survey.

It is estimated that the survey will take a maximum of 20 minutes. All responses are anonymous.

Click on this link to begin the survey. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Asha Bowen using this email link.

Increasing maternal health service uptake

University of Huddersfield researcher Devendra Raj Singh hopes that improvements in public health in disadvantaged communities will be the result of his international collaborations under the UK’s Turing Scheme. Devendra recently spent two months at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, where he found that his research drew parallels between health issues faced by Australia’s Aboriginal community and people in his native Nepal.

The PhD research aims to co-design an initiative to improve the delivery and uptake of free maternal and new-born health services in Nepal, where Devendra hails from Madhesh Province in the south of the country. While in Canberra, Devendra worked closely with academics at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at ANU, one of Australia’s highest-ranked universities, and he gained invaluable insights into the issues facing Australia’s First Nations peoples.

“My visit to ANU has provided me with an excellent practical introduction to implementation research methodologies such as co-design, realist review, and policy analysis. But it was my absolute privilege to learn about the historical past, culture, and challenges of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia,” he adds.

To view the University of Huddersfield article Health researcher Devendra aims to build on Turing Scheme experience in full click here.

Natalia Moore-Deagan says the Indigenous health workers are one reason she goes to Danila Dilba. Photo: Lucy Marks, ABC News.

Medicare must be accessible to prisoners

Gerry Georgatos, a suicide prevention and poverty researcher with an experiential focus on social justice has written an article for Independent Australia arguing that Medicare must be accessible for prisoners. “It is my experience, in general, people come out of prisons in worse conditions than when they commenced the situational trauma of incarceration” Georgatos said. Health inequalities and discrimination in this nation’s 132 prisons are rife. Nearly 45,000 prisoners are denied Medicare.  Medicare is denied to prisoners, old and young, and to children as young as ten.

In addition, the incarcerated in effect are denied access to the Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme  and denied access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, with disastrous impacts. It is established and self-evident, nearly all of Australia’s prisoners are comprised of people living in the lowest quintile of income. Additionally, they also comprise the quintile of the weakest primary and secondary health.”

To view the Independent Australia article Medicare must be accessible for prisoners in full click here.

Image source: The West Australian.

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 2022

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Rut of policy failure linked to colonial ideas

The image in the feature tile is from The Mandarin article Reports point to failed Indigenous policies, 20 June 2020. Image source: Getty Images.

Rut of policy failure linked to colonial ideas

An article Colonial ideas have kept NZ and Australia in a rut of policy failure. We need policy by Indigenous people, for the people, available here, by Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University was recently published in The Conversation. In the article Adjunct Professor O’Sullivan says “Crisis is a word often used in politics and the media – the COVID crisis, the housing crisis, the cost of living crisis, and so on. The term usually refers to single events at odds with common ideas of what’s acceptable, fair or good.

“But in NZ, Australia and elsewhere, Indigenous policy can be portrayed as a different kind of crisis altogether. Indeed, it can often just seem like one crisis after another, one policy failure after another: poor health, poor education, all kinds of poor statistics. A kind of permanent crisis. Policy success, on the other hand, often doesn’t fit the crisis narrative: record low Māori unemployment, for instance, or the Māori economy being worth NZ$70 billion and forecast to grow 5% annually. It may be that crisis makes better headlines. But we also need to ask why, and what the deeper implications might be for Indigenous peoples and policy in Aotearoa NZ and Australia.”

Image source: Shutterstock, The Conversation.

AMA President on health workforce woes

AMA President, Professor Steve Robson spoke yesterday on ABC AM about the health workforce, saying “I think if the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that you can’t have a healthy economy without healthy Australians and that means a healthy workforce. So we need to future-proof the system and because it takes so long to train a doctor, it takes so long to get experience as a healthcare worker, there is no time to waste. All of the changes to the system need to be made now.”

Professor Robson wants incentive programs that’ll encourage more medical graduates to go into general practice, particularly in remote and regional areas, saying “It’s going to mean working conditions, it’s going to mean remuneration, it’s going to mean respect from the Government to make it a job that people want to do.” The same approach needs to be applied to public hospitals to make them more attractive workplace as well. It’s all part of the AMA’s National Health Workforce Strategy, which tries to match community needs with how many doctors need to be trained in particular specialist areas and geographic regions. It means funding more specialist training placements and regional training and research hospitals.

You can view the transcript of the AMA President’s interview in full here. You can also view a related AMA media release Implementing health workforce plan must be a priority for government here.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interpreter. Image source: ABC News.

COVID-19 and vax updates for mob

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care have developed a range of COVID-19 vaccination resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. General COVID-19 vaccine information communication materials, including videos (such as the one below), radio advertisements and interviews, social media, fact sheets, posters and newsletters are available here. In addition subscribers can receive regular newsletters featuring COVID-19 and vaccines updates and other health updates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. You can view the newsletter collection here and also subscribe to the newsletter email list here.

ACCOs should have greater control in CP cases

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children are nearly 10 times more likely to be removed from their families by child protection services compared to non-Aboriginal children. And data shows the number of Indigenous children in out-of-home care is projected to double by 2029. “The figures are appalling, and we should all hang our heads in shame,” Tanya Harper, from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC), said. “Today in 2022, we are continuing to create yet a new generation of stolen children.”

The data, released by Family Matters, has led to renewed calls for Aboriginal-controlled organisations to be given greater control over Indigenous children needing out-of-home care across the country. Tasmanian Aboriginal woman Jamie-Lee Maynard-Burgess knows what it is like to be removed from her family and her culture. She spent much of her childhood in out-of-home care.

To view the ABC News article Aboriginal organisations should be given more control over Indigenous kids in child protection system, advocacy group says in full click here.

Image: Paul Strk, ABC News.

Medicine shortages affecting sector

The NACCHO Medicines Policy and Programs team would like to notify you about a few recent medicines shortages affecting our sector, including:

tenecteplase (Metalyse) injection: shortage predicted to extend over the next 18 months, TGA has extended shelf-life of some batches by 12 months

semaglutide (Ozempic) and dulaglutide (Trulicity) injections: stock is predicted to return to normal supply by the end of August 2022

benzathine benzylpenicillin tetrahydrate (Bicillin L-A) injection: anticipated shortage has been resolved without issue

It is important that ACCHO and patient ordering remains consistent with previous orders, so that medicines are available for the entire sector. Please discourage stockpiling and hoarding behaviours which can prolong shortages or create inequities.  

The Medicines Supply Security Guarantee including the introduction of Minimum Stockholding Requirements (available here on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) webpage) should help reduce the impact of global medicine shortages that interrupt supply of medicines. Manufacturers will be required to hold a minimum of either 4 or 6 months’ of stock in Australia for certain PBS listed medicines.  

You can search for updates on all shortages at here on the Therapeutic Goods Administration website and subscribe to NACCHO’s monthly medicines newsletter here for tailored advice around shortages and general medicines issues for the sector. To nominate any specific medicines that would result in serious and immediate problems for your ACCHO (for example those with no possible substitute used for life-threatening conditions), contact the NACCHO Medicines Policy and Programs team here.

For further information you can access a NACCHO Medicines Policy and Programs team letter here.

Mike Stephens – Director, Medicines Policy and Program at NACCHO and a registered pharmacist. Image source: Making Connections.

Growing and supporting health workforce

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, says representatives from across Australia’s health workforce including unions, employers and other stakeholders met today to discuss how best to grow and support this vital sector – already Australia’s largest source of employment. Over the next two months the Minister for Health and Aged Care will continue to meet with frontline health care workers, including students and those who have recently left their positions, to understand their issues and what governments can do better.

The feedback from these meetings will inform and advise our new Health Workforce Taskforce as well as the Jobs and Skills Summit process. The Government’s health workforce priorities are: ensuring secure, well-paid jobs, supporting skilled workers throughout their career, and creating a safe work environment.

To view the Minister Butler’s media release Growing and Supporting our Health Workforce click here.

UniSA’s Horizon Hospital and Health Service. Image source: University of SA website.

Cervical screening options for mob

Most women have their cervical sample collected by their health professional. Some women who have never been screened or are overdue for screening may be more comfortable taking their own sample (called self-collection).

Self-collection is one way you can choose to do your Cervical Screening Test every 5 years. It involves collecting your own sample from your vagina, in a private space. These instructions help you to collect your own sample, so you can prevent cervical cancer and live long and strong for yourself and your family.

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care have developed a document specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, providing information on the Cervical Screening test and options available for screening. The document, Cervical Screening Test – how to collect your own sample, available here, including an illustrated 10-step instructions.

For further information and to order the cervical screening self-collection resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women click here.

New process for job advertising

NACCHO have introduced a new system for the advertising of job adverts via the NACCHO website and you can find the sector job listings here.

Click here to go to the NACCHO website where you can complete a form with job vacancy details – it will then be approved for posting and go live on the NACCHO website.