Category Diabetes

Sep 20 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Community investment key to reducing diabetes

feature tile Central Australia dialysis patients Selina & Rhonda Bob exercising; text ' ACCHO sector has shown what can be achieved through investment in community driven solutions'

The image in the feature tile is of Selina and Rhonda Bob (who spend 16 hours a week on dialysis, but are doing everything in their power to live a healthy lifestyle) as they appeared an article Diabetes rates in Central Australia among highest in the world, new research shows published by ABC News on 6 August 2022. Photo: Xavier Martin.

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

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

Community investment key to reducing diabetes

13% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with diabetes – three times the national rate for non-Indigenous people, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Dr Jason Agostino, NACCHO’s senior medical advisor, said lack of local health services was one of the reasons for the higher rates. “We don’t want people running from this clinic to that clinic,” Jason Agostino said. “We want people to be able to access care in a clinic that they feel safe, where they know that people there and understand the treatments.”

Dr Agostino said the disease was increasingly being diagnosed in younger children, often in cases where their mother had already been diagnosed. “We’ve always thought [of the disease] as adult onset, but the patients are getting younger and younger,” he said. “A lot of them under the age of 10.” He called for more localised Aboriginal health organisations that could work to prevent the disease, through education and health advice but also diagnosing and treating the disease earlier and quicker.

Australia needs to invest in local community-led health providers to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To view The Guardian article Investment in Indigenous community health key to reduce diabetes rates in full click here. You can also watch the Too Deadly For Diabetes video below which emphasises the need for community-led responses to diabetes prevention and treatment.

Climate action must be accelerated

This week, leaders from around the world are in New York for the United Nations (UN) Climate Ambition Summit. To coincide with the summit, The Australian Institute has coordinated an open letter, signed by over 220 leading climate scientists and eminent experts, calling on the Australian Government to follow the science and stop new fossil fuel projects. The letter with the title ‘Australia Must Accelerate Climate Action, Not Climate Annihilation’ will appear as a full-page ad in the The New York Times.

The letter opens with “World leaders convene this week at the UN Climate Ambition Summit in recognition that the global community must accelerate efforts to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate change.” The letter continues “The UN Secretary General, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Energy Agency (IEA), and scientists from all over the world have made it clear there is no room for new gas, coal and oil projects in the global carbon budget. Yet, in Australia, over 10,000 miles from where leaders will meet to demonstrate their commitment to climate action, vast areas of the continent are covered by coal, gas and oil production and licenses.”

“In this – the ‘decisive decade’ for climate – there are over 100 new coal and gas projects in development in Australia according to official data. If all these projects proceed, research by The Australia Institute shows they would add a further 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent to the atmosphere every year – roughly the equivalent emissions of the entire Russian Federation, the world’s forth-largest polluter. Accelerating the pace and scale of climate action means an end to new fossil fuel approvals and subsidies. As the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels, Australia has a special responsibility to stop fueling the increase in global emissions caused by Australian fossil fuel production, both in Australia and overseas.”

For more information about The Australia Institute’s open letter you can visit their website here.

banner text 'The Australia Institute Research that matters. Australia Must Accelerate Climate Action, Not Climate Annihilation'

MyMedicare webinar for GPs and Practice Managers

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) is hosting webinar tomorrow Thursday 21 September 2023 from 12.30pm–1.30pm about the MyMedicare practice and patient registration processes. The webinar aims to help organisations prepare for patient registration from 1 October 2023.

If you’re interested you can register for the webinar using this link.

If you can’t attend the webinar live, you can watch the recording whenever it suits you best at this link. The recording will be available within the week following the live webinar.

Panellists will include:

  • Simon Cotterell PSM – First Assistant Secretary, Primary Care Division, DHAC; and
  • Tara Welsh -Practice Manager, Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM).

Representatives from Services Australia will facilitate a system demonstration.

If you have any questions feel free to ask them during the webinar and share your thoughts in the comments.

You can invite friends to the webinar using this link.

tile text 'MyMedicare - session for GPs and Practice Managers'

Common dermatological conditions webinar

The AH&MRC Public Health Team are hosting a webinar Identification and Management of common dermatological conditions in primary care. The webinar, being held from 3.30pm–4.30pm on Wednesday 27 September 2023, will provide valuable knowledge and insights into common dermatological presentations in primary care and clinical management of these presentations, for anyone working in ACCHOs. Topics of focus include identifying and managing cutaneous fungal infections, eczema and its common complications, and rare entities not to be missed.

The webinar will feature a panel of fantastic presenters including Dr Dana Slape, Dr Rhiannon Russell and Dr Victoria Snaidr.

  • Dr Dana Slape is a Larrakia Dermatologist, who works in a variety of settings across priority communities in urban and rural areas including the local Aboriginal Medical Service at Tharawal, Campbelltown Hospital, Darwin Hospital, and custodial facilities for children, women, and men across NSW and the NT.  Dana is the first Aboriginal dermatologist and is deeply committed to growing the First Nations specialist health workforce.
  • Dr Rhiannon Russell is a Dermatology Registrar and proud Worimi woman. She currently works in the Western Sydney region at Liverpool hospital. She hopes to return to the NSW South Coast where she is connected to the community through her training as a medical student and junior doctor. She is committed to growing the First Nations medical graduates through her mentorship at Wollongong University.
  • Dr Victoria Snaidr is a dermatologist with a special interest in rural and remote medicine. Prior to gaining her Fellowship of the Australasian College of Dermatologists (FACD), Victoria was a GP whose interest and experience specifically in Aboriginal health was founded after working as a GP in remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia, and further cemented during her years working at Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service. Victoria is currently working as a dermatologist in the central Sydney area and Gosford.

Audience input is welcome, including asking questions and/or offering examples of how things may be working in your ACCHO.

To participate in this webinar, you can register here. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with the webinar details and instructions on how to join – please check your spam/junk mail for the confirmation email.

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the AH&MRC Public Health team by email here.

tile Aboriginal dot art; text 'AH&MRC Dermatology Webinar'

High blood pressure risk for NT mob

In a first-of-its-kind study, screening has detected concerning levels of a major hypertension risk among young people in Australia’s Top End. Associate Professor Jun Yang has previously confirmed that primary aldosteronism (PA), a hormonal condition, is a significant yet often undetected contributor to high blood pressure (hypertension). However, there is currently no available data on the prevalence of PA within Australian First Nations communities.

Through a partnership with Professor Gurmeet Singh from the Menzies School of Health Research, Dr Yang and her team successfully conducted PA testing in pre-existing groups of young individuals, Australian First Nations communities, and non-Indigenous residents residing in the NT.  A/Prof Yang believes the results are concerning in themselves, but also potentially open a window into broader issues of public health for Indigenous people. “We found positive tests for PA in over a quarter of the urban-residing participants of the Cohort studies who were tested,” she said. “Australian First Nations people are known to have high rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, but this is the first time this type of testing has been done in these communities. PA is a highly modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and correct identification will enable appropriate targeted treatment.”

Lead author and PhD candidate Dr Elisabeth Ng said the “timely detection of primary aldosteronism is particularly important for Australian First Nations people due to their high rates of heart and kidney diseases, both of which may be associated with having too much aldosterone”. “Targeted treatment to block aldosterone action or remove aldosterone excess may be a lifesaver.” The next steps are to establish a process of appropriate screening process across the Top End.

To view the National Indigenous Times article High blood pressure risk revealed in Top End First Nations communities in full click here.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Dementia Action Week 18–24 September 2023

Each day during this year’s Dementia Action Week – 18–24 September 2023 NACCHO has been sharing a range of information and resources that may be of use to the ACCHO sector.

In September last year an article, available here, about a study into the high prevalence of dementia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, was published in The Lancet. The authors of the study said it is likely that historically recent exposure to modifiable risk factors underlie the high dementia rates, and a large proportion of dementia may be potentially preventable.

The researchers said dementia is, and will remain, a major challenge for First Nations populations. Their largely theoretical study estimated that half the burden of dementia in First Nations residents of the Torres Strait and NPA may be due to 11 potentially modifiable risk factors. They said the results make a clear case for governments to invest in preventative health, health promotion, and education, to reduce the largest contributing factors while fostering protective factors already present. The protective factors include good levels of social contact, low alcohol abuse, and levels of education that are improving across generations.

You can find out more information about Dementia Action Week 2023 on the Dementia Australia website here. You can also watch the below video The Fading Moon – it is one of a series of videos and other resources, available here, developed by Dementia Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Sep 18 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Dr king sees colonisation’s impact every day

feature tile image of Dr Jason King against tree trunk; text '“I see and feel every day the impact of colonisation.” Yued Noongar man Dr Jason King'

The image in the feature tile is of Dr Jason King, a Yued Noongar man who says the impact of colonisalism is far-reaching. The image appears in the article First Nations health professionals ‘deeply saddened’ following Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s colonisation claims published by ABC News on Saturday 16 September 2023.

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.

Dr King sees colonisation’s impact every day

First Nations health professionals and those living with chronic health issues say they are “disappointed” and “deeply saddened” following Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s claims First Nations Australians are not living with ongoing negative impacts of colonisation. On Thursday last week (14 September 2023), the shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, gave an address to the National Press Club. When asked if she felt there were any ongoing, negative impacts of colonisation on Indigenous Australians, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price responded, “No, there’s no ongoing negative impacts of colonisation.”

Yued Noongar man Dr Jason King, who is the director of Clinical Services at the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation in Yarrabah, far north QLD disagrees, “In my day-to-day job and through my lived experience I see and feel every day the impact of colonisation.” Dr King said he was “deeply saddened and disappointed” to hear an Aboriginal politician with a high profile making statements that, he says, “blatantly deny the existence, history, lived experience of so many Australians”.

“The community I work for sits no more than an hour out of Cairns and yet there’s 4,000 people there that live in 350 houses,” Dr King said. “We have a Rheumatic Heart Disease rate, a medical condition which has been eliminated from the broader Australian population to a larger extent, that is 100 times the average in this country.” Dr King linked Yarrabah’s high rates of diabetes, heart disease, and suicides to “policies of the past and the future”, rather than the choices of Yarrabah residents.

To view the ABC News article First Nations health professionals ‘deeply saddened’ following Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s colonisation claims in full click here.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney with creek in background

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney described Jacinta Price’s comments as “offensive”. Photo: ABC News.

Cathy Freeman: a ‘Just One Breath’ ambassador

Seven million Australians, the equivalent to one in four of us, have a chronic respiratory disease. Sporting hero Cathy Freeman discovered she had asthma at age 18 and she says it has worsened since. Cathy was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma, triggered by vigorous physical exertion and prescribed preventative puffers and Ventolin. Even after Cathy won the 400m gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics she was breathing quite heavily, trying to gulp in as much air as possible. Then, over a decade ago, Cathy was diagnosed with full blown asthma.

It was only a few years ago that Cathy said she finally came to terms with her condition, “Up until then, I just didn’t want to admit I had asthma. As a former professional athlete it didn’t sit well with me, and I was only able to fully accept the condition earlier this year.” Cathy said that when she was asked by Lung Foundation Australia to become an ambassador for their ‘Just One Breath’ initiative, she didn’t hesitate. The campaign aims to inspire conversations about lung health and Cathy said she is passionate about helping others because she sees herself in other people.

To cope with her lung disease Cathy strengthens her lungs through exercise, healthy living and avoiding asthma triggers. Cathy also makes sure she gets plenty of rest and keeps up her water intake. Cathy said people commonly think of lung disease as a smoker’s disease, however lung disease doesn’t discriminate – it affects the young, old, male, female, smokers, former-smokers, and non-smokers. Indigenous people die of lung disease at a rate three times higher than non-Indigenous Australians.

You can check how healthy your lungs are by taking the Lung Foundation’s interactive Lung Health Checklist here and view The Carousel article Lung Disease: Cathy Freeman Reveals Her Secret Battle in full click here.

Cathy Freeman in jeans & white t-shirt standing in white empty room with blue circle with words 'just one breath'

Cathy Freeman. Image source: The Carousel.

Bed bugs, a potentially serious public health issue

Norman Frank Jupurrurla, a Warumungu Elder and traditional owner is living in public housing that’s been stripped bare after bed bugs ripped through his three bedroom home. The contents of his house are at the local tip. It’s the second time in six months that bed bugs have spread throughout his home in Village Camp, a community living area on the outskirts of Tennant Creek. The parasitic insects feed on the blood of humans and animals and have wrongly been associated with poor hygiene. “It’s like hell, mate,” Mr Frank said. “You will be scratching and itching all night and you won’t be able to sleep because of the bugs.”

Dr Simon Quilty, who has lived and worked as a specialist physician in remote NT for most of the past two decades, personally contacted several people in the NT Health Department to sound the alarm. “It’s just astounding that the department doesn’t see the need for early identification of a potentially serious public health, infectious disease,” he said. “Mr Frank has very serious health issues, he’s immunocompromised and the bed bugs can cause sores that eventually can become infected. For people that have chronic disease, bed bugs pose a real threat to their health — more importantly, it’s their psychological wellbeing.”

Dr Quilty has been collaborating with Mr Frank to develop culturally safe, and climate appropriate housing for Aboriginal communities through their organisation, Wilya Janta. Together they hope to solve some of the complex public housing issues places like Tennant Creek face. “Different agencies like housing and health need to be truly collaborative,” Dr Quilty said. “To solve complex problems, the community needs to be in the driving seat and needs easy ways to be heard.”

To view the ABC News article ‘It beggars belief’: Bed bug outbreaks highlight Tennant Creek public housing issues in full click here.

Norman Frank at front of Tennant Creek House with small child

Norman Frank, Tennant Creek, NT. Image source: SBS News

Nurse practitioners can help address workforce shortages

The persistent challenges arising from nationwide shortages of general practitioners in regional, rural and remote Australia are well known. Recent calls for new approaches incorporating effective team-based care and improved coordination combined with funding models specific to rural health care reflect demands for a shift from business as usual. More recently, the Australian Government has turned its attention to strategies to improve availability and access to primary health care (PHC). One of the many strategies includes a debt waiver for Higher Education Loans for doctors and nurse practitioners who meet the eligibility criteria and will work in rural, remote or very remote areas. Nurse practitioners are not a replacement for doctors but can be an important part of the solution.

The nurse practitioner role was first introduced in Australian more than 20 years ago with an intention that nurse practitioners would support the delivery of PHC in rural and remote Australia; however, uptake in primary health care has been slow. The 2022 workforce data report that 69% of nurse practitioners are in metropolitan areas, while in 2019 the Australian Department of Health reported that only 4.4% of all nurse practitioners worked in general practice nursing.

One factor integral to success was both community and medical practitioner acceptance of the nurse practitioner role. Where collaborative arrangements across services are in place, the nurse practitioner is able to work across hospital, residential aged care and general practice, resulting in improved continuity of care. Reports continue to describe uncertainty about the role of the nurse practitioner combined with limited understanding of the scope of practice of the role.

To view the InSight Plus article How nurse practitioners can help address rural health workforce shortages in full click here.

Australia's first Aboriginal Nurse Practitioner Lesley Salem

Australia’s first Aboriginal Nurse Practitioner was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia in 2022 for her significant service to nursing and Indigenous health. Image source: The Northern Daily Leader.

AI revolutionising diabetes treatment

Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun revolutionising the way people with diabetes receive life-saving medicines. Speaking at a parliamentary inquiry into diabetes, endocrinologist Associate Professor Roger Chen said AI had been developed that enabled continuous glucose monitors to interact with insulin pumps. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a wearable device that tracks blood glucose (sugar) every few minutes, throughout the day and night. The readings are relayed in real time to a device that can be read by the patient, caregiver or healthcare provider, even remotely.

A/Proff Chen told a public hearing in Canberra last Friday (15 September 2023) “that from an emotional, face-to-face at the coal face and also from a publication and research perspective that this really has revolutionised type 1 diabetes, it has changed people’s lives and management.” Diabetes Australia says only around 24% of people living with type 1 diabetes are currently able to access the technology. The number of Australians living with diabetes has more than doubled since 2000 to reach more than 1.5m, and the country is on track to reach 3.1m by 2050.

The disease disproportionately affects people in Indigenous communities, and the inquiry heard from one health expert calling for a fresh approach to tackle the problem, led by First Nations people. “The impact of diabetes in Indigenous communities cannot be overstated with around one in 10 adults living with diabetes,” said NACCHO’s senior medical adviser Dr Jason Agostino. Dr Agostino, who practises as a GP in Yarrabah, far north Queensland, and whose son has type 1 diabetes, said there is a high degree of overlap between diabetes, cardiovascular disease and renal disease, “This leads to early heart attacks, people ending up with kidney failure on dialysis, to blindness and amputations. In Yarrabah I suspect every family has been affected by the loss of someone early to the consequences of diabetes.”

You can view the HealthTimes article AI is revolutionishing diabetes treatment, inquiry told in full here.
DailyDose app being displayed on a smartphone and the related diabetes tools with which it works: a glucose sensor transmitter and a smart insulin pen

DailyDose app being displayed on a smartphone and the related diabetes tools with which it works: a glucose sensor transmitter and a smart insulin pen. Photo: Christine Torres Hicks. Image source: OHSU website.

Restoring Smiles of Yarrabah Shire

Monthly shuttle buses from Yarrabah to the James Cook University (JCU) Dental Clinic started last week as part of a new initiative bringing free dental care to the community after claims that only 100 of the 4,000 residents have seen a dentist all year. JCU’s initiative ‘Restoring the Smiles of Yarrabah Shire’ will provide free basic treatments for all Queensland Government issued concession card holders in Yarrabah, running monthly shuttle buses until May 2024.

JCU’s Professor John Abbott is leading the project and said JCU Dentistry staff and students visited Yarrabah for three days in early September to run education workshops, promote health and provide free dental examinations. “Senior dentistry students will be providing a range of dental treatments, under the supervision of experienced clinicians,” Professor Abbott said. He said the project has been made possible by grants from the Australian Dental Health Foundation and the Mars Wrigley Foundation and is being run in partnership with the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation.

“The oral health Queensland Government statistics show that only 100 members of the community have received treatment since January at the Yarrabah clinic, with another 100 persons on a waiting list for non-urgent treatments,” Professor Abbott said. “Delayed treatments have caused this already undeserved ‘at-risk’ community to have poorer health outcomes, increased incidence of dental cavities, tooth loss or hospitalisations.

The above story is an extract from an article JCU will start free monthly shuttle buses from Yarrabah to offer basic dental care published in the Herald Sun earlier today.

Kayleen Jackson from Yarrabah being attended by 4th year dentistry student Olivia Gables at JCU Dental Clinic

Kayleen Jackson from Yarrabah being attended by 4th year dentistry student Olivia Gables at the JCU Dental Clinic. Image source: Herald Sun.

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 – Dementia Action Week – 18–24 September 2023

Dementia Action Week is a major leadership, awareness and advocacy campaign led by Dementia Australia as the peak body for people living with dementia, their families and carers. Dementia Action Week 2023 is from 18–24 September, which includes World Alzheimer’s Day on Thursday 21 September.

Around two-thirds of people with dementia live in the community. A lack of knowledge and understanding of dementia may lead to people living with dementia experiencing stigma and discrimination in the community.

Dementia Australia research shows 81% of those with a loved one living with dementia felt that people in shops, cafes and restaurants treated people with dementia differently. That’s why this Dementia Action Week, Dementia Australia is encouraging everyone to take a few simple actions to create a dementia-friendly future for all Australians, a future that is better for everyone in the community.

You can find out more information about Dementia Action Week 2023 on the Dementia Australia website here. You can also watch the below video You’re Not Alone: Discussing Dementia – it is one of a series of videos and other resources, available here, developed by Dementia Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Aug 28 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: VAHS marks 50 years of saving lives

feature tile image VAHS premises on Nicholson Street, Fitzroy; text 'Victorian Aboriginal Health Service celebrates 50 YEARS making a difference and saving lives'

The image in the feature tile is of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) premises on Nicholson Street, Fitzroy. The image appeared in an article by Bertrand Tungandame – VAHS celebrates 50 years making a difference and saving lives, published by NTIV Radio on 25 Auguste 2023.

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.

VAHS marks 50 years of saving lives

The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) was set up in 1973 by Aunty Alma Thorpe, Uncle Bruce McGuiness and other Aboriginal community advocates as a place where Aboriginal people could access medical and social care in a time when racism and other barriers prevented Aboriginal people accessing care. Marking the 50th anniversary on August 18, 2023, VAHS Chairperson Tony McCartney reflected on the importance of the date in the history of not only Aboriginal health, but in the Aboriginal rights movement of Melbourne, Victoria, and Australia at the time.

“…VAHS is the oldest Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in Victoria, and second oldest in the country. Since its inception VAHS has been instrumental in self-determined Aboriginal health and wellbeing in Australia. Since starting from humble beginnings and with volunteers at the small shop front in Fitzroy to a place community members called a home away from home – we have grown into a service with sites across Fitzroy, Preston, Epping and expanding to St Albans in our 50th year,” Tony McCartney said.

Over the years VAHS has achieved many supports and firsts in Australia – including establishing the first Aboriginal dental clinic that travelled around Victoria and to border towns, the first Aboriginal women and children’s program and the country’s leading Aboriginal health worker education program Koori Kollij.

To read the VAHS media release VAHS celebrates five decades of making a difference and saving lives in full click here. You can also listen NITV Radio podcast of VAHS Chairperson Tony McCartner talking about the history of VAHS here.

tile VAHS 50 years 1973-2023 Respect our past. Honour our present. To build our future.

UQ student dental clinic making a difference

Gavin Saltner, Wulli Wulli man is among more than 800 rural patients who attend a student-run dental clinic in SW Queensland each year. The UQ Dental Clinic — run by supervised fifth-year dental students — opened at Dalby 10 years ago, with another practice opening more recently at St George. Mr Saltner said having access to the clinic was important, with cost and travel time making dental treatment prohibitive for some Western Downs residents.

A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) earlier this year found that regional and remote populations had poorer oral health standards than those in the city. It also found that access to fewer dentists, longer travel times and limited transport options impacted the oral health care rural residents received. But the model of the dental clinics in SW Queensland has been deemed so successful it could be used elsewhere. The clinics are a partnership between the university and Indigenous organisation Goondir Health Services.

Goondir Health Services executive Shubham Weling said the unique co-location model and a student-led workforce had the potential to be replicated across a range of allied health fields. “We’re opening a clinic in Chinchilla as well and we want to advocate for this model out there,” Mr Weling said. He said placing the clinics’ treatment rooms within the Indigenous organisation’s building allowed for easy referrals to other services. “So you’ve got cross influence between GPs, dentists, as well as disability support workers for the one client,” Mr Weling said. “It improves the uptake of services and just overall health outcomes and family gain because it’s all interrelated.”

To view the ABC News article UQ free dental health clinic in Dalby improves Indigenous oral health outcomes in full click here.

ATSI man Gavin Saltner in in dental chair at UQ Dalby Dentral Clinic, Goodnir Aboriginal Health Services & Dental Clinic

Gavin Saltner is a regular patient at the UQ Dalby Dental Clinic. The clinic is embedded within the Goondir Health Services facility and treats about 800 Indigenous patients a year. Photo: Laura Cocks, ABC Southern Qld.

Kidney Health 4 Life effectiveness study

Newly diagnosed with kidney disease and want more support? Then Kidney Health 4 Life might be for you!!

This September, Kidney Health Australia is launching a research study to assess the effectiveness of Kidney Health 4 Life , a pilot program designed to help people with kidney disease to self-manage their condition. By participating in the study, you will have access to the program before it goes to the wider public, as well as helping to shape the future of kidney disease support.

You may be eligible for the study if you meet the following criteria:

  • Adults (18+ years) diagnosed with early to mid-stage CKD (Stages 1-4) within the past 12 months (from time of enrolment)
  • Adults (18+ years) who have commenced dialysis (both PD and HD) in the past 12 months (from time of enrolment)

Eligible participants will be assigned to either the program group or standard support group. This will help determine how effective the program is compared to Kidney Health Australia’s standard support. People assigned to the program group will have access to online modules covering topics such as diet and nutrition, disease management, exercise, and managing stress and sleep. Health coaching will also be offered.

People assigned to the standard support group will have access to Kidney Health Australia’s current services including Helpline and Kidney Buddy peer support program and extensive resources. The good news for those assigned to the standard support group is that they will have access to the full KH4L program once the study is complete

If you think you fit the eligibility criteria, you can submit an EOI form on the Kidney Health Australia website here. HURRY. Places are limited.

Kidney Health Australia tile text 'are you new to kidney disease or dialysis & need more support? Apply for the KH4L research study today.

Just 3 in 10 kids had a health check in 2021–22

Just three in 10 First Nations children aged 0–14 years received a health check within the past year, according to new data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The AIHW report — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific primary health care: results from the OSR and nKPI collections, available here, contained data collected from more than 200 organisations.

A total of 586,000 First Nations patients were treated between 2021 and 2022, but only 30% of children had a formal health check in the previous 12 months, making target 4 of the Closing the Gap agreement’s socioeconomic outcome areas — which reads “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive in their early years” — seemingly further away than ever.

With regards to other preventive health measures, 45% of patients received an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment and 47% received a risk assessment for heart disease in the last two years. 70% of patients aged 11 and over had their smoking status recorded in the past year, of which 53% reported quitting smoking or never smoking. Among First Nations patients assessed for CVD risk, 58% aged 35-74 with no known history of CVD reported a low absolute risk within the last two years, 35% were high risk and 7% had a moderate risk. 65% of First Nations patients with type two diabetes reported blood pressure results within recommended guidelines in the past six months, while more than half had a chronic disease management plan completed within the past two years.

To view the Health Services Daily article Just three in 10 First Nations kids had health check in past year in full click here.

young ATSI child having ear check

Image source: QLD Government Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service webpage.

Mental Health for Mob fills service gap

Walgalu-Ngambri and Dharawal woman and Mental Health for Mob founder Kristen Franks has seen and heard a lot over the past decade working in the mental health sector. She has worked across towns in central west NSW and in Canberra and its surrounding regions and helped an array of people – from children, the young, schools and families to pregnant women, the suicidal or self-harming, those with behavioural disorders and in the criminal justice system.

“Throughout all this, I noticed that I was often the first Aboriginal mental health clinician an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person would see,” Kristen says. “It was incredibly difficult to hear this was the first time they’d felt culturally safe [and that] they’ve never felt heard or connected because there was no lived experience understanding.” A decade of hearing this message reached fever pitch in late 2021 when Kristen’s community and Elders supported her to meet this cultural need.

While Kristen never intended to make a profit from offering free mental health care, she soon found herself staring down the hard realities of starting a non-profit organisation. Insurance, registrations and finding a space for clients, to name a few. All while Kristen held down a full-time job and tried to begin to address an “overwhelming” community need. Over the following six months, crowdfunding and some modest grants transformed Mental Health for Mob from an Instagram page that shared mental health resources to a fully fledged mental health service.

You can read the Riotact article How Kristen turned an Instagram page into a culturally safe mental health service in less than six months in full here.

Kristen Franks' face with white body paint & Mental Health for Mob logo

Kristen Franks established Mental Health for Mob. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Emergency aeromedical evacuation training

About 7 million of Australians (about 30%) live in rural and remote areas. People living in these areas have poorer health outcomes overall according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), and also have access to fewer primary, secondary and tertiary health services. Potentially preventable hospitalisations are twice as high as for those in metropolitan and regional areas. A 2023 Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) report found that Australians in rural and remote settings are at substantially higher risk of heart, stroke and vascular disease (accounting for a quarter of all RFDS missions), and the health services are not always there to support them.

A new agreement between CareFlight and Charles Darwin University (CDU) will give health students the opportunity to work in the Top End with emergency aeromedical retrieval teams on flights. The agreement creates clinical placements for future medical students at the CDU Menzies School of Medicine. The university will apply for 40 of 80 places in the Australian Government’s $114.2m Increasing Rural Medical Training Grant Opportunity to support the placements.

Ms Quinn is excited about the CDU partnership. “It is something we have wanted to do for years,” Ms Quinn said. “It is really important for building our workforce for the future. Our patients are some of the most disadvantaged in Australia; they have complex medical problems and disease processes. Students will see what it’s like to be an independent practitioner. It’s not just the medicine – it’s about logistics and making quick decisions,” Ms Quinn said, who added it was a privilege to work in those remote locations.

To view the InSight+ article Tyranny of distance: emergency aeromedical retrieval in outback Australia in full click here.

CareFlight van, plane, patient on gurney, 3 medical professionals

CareFlight treats and transports patients needing specialist care. Photo: CareFlight NT. Image source: InSight+.

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 3 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Have your say on diabetes in Australia

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.

Have your say on diabetes in Australia

NACCHO is making a submission to the parliamentary committee inquiry into diabetes in Australia and wants to hear from member services. Across three webinars (Monday 7 August, Tuesday 8 August, and Friday 11 August) NACCHO members are invited to have their say on how they work with local community around diabetes diagnosis, support, and management; Including what works for their communities, and what resources are needed to better support Community.

The inquiry follows a referral on May 24 from the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler and is investigating the cause of diabetes in Australia, risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, management, and the effectiveness of current Australian Government policies and programs surrounding the disease.

Written submissions closing on Thursday 31 August.

There are three opportunities to contribute. Registration links are below:

Pat Turner to speak on Closing the Gap at University of Canberra

NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner will speak at the University of Canberra (UC) Thursday August 10 on Closing the Gap, in a series of public lectures on the Voice to Parliament. It comes as UC launches a Virtual Freedom Ride paying tribute to 1965 student activism in the lead up to the 1967 referendum. Ahead of the 2023 referendum the university has created its own Freedom Ride in digital form. Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Leadership, Professor Maree Meredith said it’s a platform for students and staff to access important information about the Voice to Parliament.

“The Virtual Freedom Ride honours the work that was done back in the ‘60s and it was those students that were really critical to build that awareness. This is why we are making sure that the students have a role,” said Professor Meredith.

Professor Meredith said the lectures and the Virtual Freedom Ride would help counter misinformation surrounding the Voice.

“As a civic institution, that’s our role. It’s to promote the debate but with facts and with evidence. That’s the role of universities,” she said.

Find the Virtual Freedom Ride here and the full Canberra Times article here.

The freedom ride bus outside Hotel Boggabilla in 1965. Image source: The Canberra Times.

Calls to ignore scare campaign over 60-day prescribing reforms

NACCHO, CHF, RACGP and the AMA have joined together to call on the Opposition and the Greens to support 60-day scripts to save patients money and time, and free up GPs for other patients. The 60 Day Dispensing reform is due to commence on 1 September, however, a “scare campaign” over the past several months to stop the changes has triggered concerns that the Opposition and The Greens will try to block the reform in the Senate with a disallowance motion.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said, “I’m calling on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and The Greens to put Australians first and rule out a disallowance. 60-day dispensing is in patients’ best interests – it will save around 6 million people money and time, and free up GP consults for other patients.”

Health Minister, Mark Butler also urged the Coalition to reconsider its opposition to the introduction of 60-day scripts. The Minister said 30-day scripts makes “no sense for people who are on the same medicine, year in year out, decade in decade out, sometime for the rest of their lives.”

Read NACCHO’s June media release here and the RACGP media release here.

You can also read the Croakey Health Media article in full here.

Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara youth speak up for each other

Friday 4 August marks National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. Ahead of the day to celebrate and stand up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, a group of young people from Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands met with the National Children’s Commissioner last week to discuss the needs of young people “to keep them out of trouble.”

NPY Women’s Council said the group spoke with the Commissioner about the underlying factors causing young people to “muck up”, which included social media fueling negative stereotypes, racism, negative relationships with law enforcement, and difficult home lives.

Making suggestions on what’s needed to better support the young Community, they discussed the importance of meaningful and purposeful engagement. One young person said, “getting to keep language and culture and learn at school – having both – makes people happy,”

Another talked about the importance of family and culture, “Family can help show us the right way… Nana’s, older cousins, Elders…family is comforting.”

The Children’s Commissioner will be travelling around Australia to talk to young people and will create a report to government.

Read more here.

Image source: NPY Women’s Council.

Making decisions about a child in care

WA’s Department of Communities has created a decision-making guide to support foster and family carers. Who can say OK in WA was developed in consultation with ACCHOs and community service organisations to support decision-making about children in care. It will be a resource for foster and family carers who are frequently presented with everyday decisions that all families make about children and young people. It is designed to make carers feel confident about which decisions they can make, so that childhood experiences for children in care are as normalised as possible.

It includes guidance on identity and culture, helping carers honour, respect, and maintain the child’s birth family’s culture. As well as advice on decisions for household rules and discipline, education, physical and mental health, sexuality and gender diversity.

Learn more here.

Who can say OK in WA resource

Deadly start to providing culturally safe care

A new school-based traineeship program is helping build Townsville University Hospital’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce. The Deadly Start program provides year 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with 12-months workplace experience within the hospital and a Certificate III in Health Service Assistance or Allied Health Assistance. Pimlico High School student Bevan Kepa said the course helped him find a path to a career in healthcare.

“It’s been really helpful because I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do after school…”

“It’s important for me to go down this path so we can have more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in the health industry,” he said.

The program comes alongside the University Hospital’s Reconciliation Action Plan, to have greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workplace representation, which reflects the region’s population. Workforce programs co-ordinator, Alisha Kyle said programs like Deadly Start help to improve cultural safety, “by having a workforce that represents our First Nations consumers, we are improving access to healthcare for our mob, and ultimately improving their health outcomes.”

Read more here.

Pimlico High School student Bevan Kepa. Image source: Townsville Bulletin.

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.

Jul 25 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Local care needed to lessen diabetes gap

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.

Local care needed to lessen diabetes gap

NACCHO medical advisor, Dr Jason Agostino says Australia needs to invest in local community-led health providers to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It comes as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 18 are diagnosed with diabetes at a rate three times higher than the rest of the population. Dr Agostino said a lack of local health services is a key contributor to the higher rates.

“We don’t want people running from this clinic to that clinic.”

“We want people to be able to access care in a clinic that they feel safe, where they know the people there and understand the treatments,” he said.

The disease is increasingly being diagnosed in younger children. Dr Agostino said childhood diagnosis is often in cases where their mother had already been diagnosed, “We’ve always thought [of the disease] as adult onset, but the patients are getting younger and younger… A lot of them under the age of 10,” he said.

Calling for more localised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations that could work to prevent the disease, through education, health advice, and diagnosing and treating the disease earlier and quicker.

Read The Guardian article Investment in Indigenous community health key to reduce diabetes rates in full here.

NACCHO medical advisor, Dr Jason Agostino.

ACCHO plans $22 million hub in Murray Bridge

Moorundi Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service CEO, Steve Sumner has been advocating and planning for a combined physical and mental health service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since 2002. At the end of 2022, Sumner was one step closer to achieving that dream, when the federal government announced a $9 million grant for stage one of a primary health care clinic, where service providers will come together at a single site.

“It’s like this legacy I’ve had for 20 years, where I’ve had to really focus on and be true to what they wanted back then.”

“You get on with life, but you’ve got this little thing burning inside, saying ‘at some stage you’ve got to get on with this,” said Sumner.

The health centre will include two buildings with a health and community wing. However, Stage two of the $22 million reimagining of the former Lower Murray Nungas Club is not yet fully funded. Sumner said the two buildings would create a safe, welcoming space where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people could seek care for their health and wellbeing issues. The centre will also feature telehealth facilities, four GP consulting rooms, and space for registered nurses and allied health professionals.

“You can’t fix your physical health if your mental, spiritual and cultural health aren’t well,” said Sumner.

Read the full Murray Bridge News article here.

Moorundi Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service CEO, Steve Sumner. Image Source: Murray Bridge News.

Digital Inclusion Plan

The federal government has released a First Nations Digital Inclusion Plan, which outlines priorities to close the digital gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The plan provides a framework for delivering Target 17 of Closing the Gap – the elimination of digital inequality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. That includes identifying priority actions for Government, Community, and industry to deliver reliable and affordable telecommunications services and appropriate consumer training. The plan will focus on three key dimensions of digital inclusion: access, affordability, and ability.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney said, “Digital inclusion means all Australian, including First nations people, have access and use digital technologies effectively to improve their everyday lives.”

“Strengthening digital inclusion for First Nations people, especially of they live in regional or remote Australia, provides significant opportunities for increased connections to community, country and cultural identity,” said Minister Burney.

Read the First Nations Digital Inclusion Plan here.

ACCHO key player in health justice partnership research

Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS) has been at the centre of a UK study by Nottingham Law School which is exploring trust in the legal system, through health and justice partnerships. The project looked at Aboriginal community members in NSW and Victoria who experience poor mental health and wellbeing. Lawyers from the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service were placed at AWAHS to provide free legal advice and assistance and to work collaboratively with AWAHS staff to support client wellbeing.

Results from the project found that marginalised communities would benefit from having “trusted legal advisors” within health and social care settings. Systemic racism has meant many of the participants don’t trust the law and hold it responsible for their bad experiences. Building up trust was seen as key to engagement, in particular the need for lawyers to listen and “be real,” as well as the need for institutions to go beyond symbolism and make genuine efforts in their practice. Further, showing respect, being approachable, using culturally appropriate and understandable language, and involving the community in decision making were seen as significant factors in building trusted relationships.

Read the full article here.

Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS).

Aboriginal Languages Week

Aboriginal communities across NSW are encouraged to celebrate and showcase their language this October during the first ever Aboriginal Languages Week. Between 22 October and 29 October will be a permanent spot in NSW residents’ calendars, to coincide with the passing of Aboriginal Languages legislation into law on 24 October 2017. Events and activities will be supported by a new grants program of $250,000 administered by the Aboriginal Languages Trust.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said, “Aboriginal Communities work tirelessly to keep their Languages alive, and the NSW Government is proud to support them in their endeavors.”

“Today I visited the La Perouse Aboriginal Community who shared with me the history of their language reclamation. I was humbled to hear the children in the Gujaga Pre-School and La Perouse Public School learning and speaking Dharawal and how happy and excited they were,” he said.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available for eligible groups to deliver Languages events and activities, in addition to a free to public NSW Aboriginal languages Week Festival on 21 October in Syndey.

Applications close Wednesday August 23. Find more information here.

NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris. Image Source: NSW Government.

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.

Jul 24 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Aboriginal-run health services kicking goals

Launceston AHS staff chronic care feature tile image: coordinator Di Spotswood & Dr Josh Anand at clinic reception desk'; text 'Review finds ACCHOs achieving better health outcomes than private general practice'

The image in the feature tile is of Dr Josh Annand talking to Chronic Care Coordinator Di Spotswood at the Aboriginal Health Service (AHS) reception desk. Dr Anand says the AHS is more collaborative than private practice. The image appeared in the ABC News article Aboriginal-run doctors clinics are succeeding where many other GP services are failing published yesterday, 24 July 2023. Photo: Erin Cooper-Douglas, ABC News.

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

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

Aboriginal-run health services kicking goals

“How’s the bowls going, Smokey?” As he’s offered a cuppa, Michael “Smokey” Beeton tells his greeter he “just got beat” on the green on the weekend. You might think he’s at a community house or a friendly barbecue, but you’d be wrong — he’s at the doctors clinic. He’s been walking through these doors for 20 years, and while the staff have changed over that time, they all know Smokey. The 73-year-old has been treated for a range of issues from diabetes, to chronic back pain and even breast cancer.

He thinks many of these things would have gone untreated if it weren’t for the service. “I lived about half an hour out of town and I very rarely went to the doctor — very rarely,” he says. “But they’d come out to do my sugar checks and see if I needed anything, so it became a bit of a habit.” Smokey says it’s because he got to know everyone so well that he keeps coming back. “I used to go to the doctor and you’d be in there for 10 or 15 minutes, they’d give you a prescription, and you’d never hear from them again,” he says. “Here, it’s very special. You’re treated like family.”

This is the Aboriginal Health Service in Launceston, and while the service is norm for patients like Smokey, it’s worlds away from what many Australians experience when going to see a doctor. According to a recent review Challenges for Medicare and universal health care in Australia since 2000, available here, First Nations-run services are achieving better health outcomes for their patients than private general practice. Amid ever-present headlines about the GP crisis, much can be learnt from Aboriginal health services.

To view the ABC News story Aboriginal-run doctors clinics are succeeding where many other GP services are failing in full click here.

Launceston ACCHO patient Michael "Smokey" Beeton

Michael “Smokey” Beeton says visiting the health service feels like visiting his family. Photo: Erin Cooper-Douglas, ABC News.

Culturally-relevant wellbeing resources

For time poor health practitioners, social and emotional wellbeing can often take a back seat to treating physical ailments. But a more holistic approach can produce much better outcomes for Indigenous patients. In the most recent SBS BLA.C.K. Medicine podcast episode Dr Mikayla Couch chats with Uncle Dave and Angela from Wellmob, about the social and emotional wellbeing model of health care, and their mission to make the resources available to all.

The social and emotional wellbeing model emphasises the importance of a holistic approach to healthcare, especially for Indigenous patients. Along with looking after physical and mental health, it promotes measures that address social and emotional needs as well. Uncle Dave said “The social emotional wellbeing model gives a more holistic perspective, as opposed to maybe a non-Indigenous model where those connections to cultures, spirituality, community and kin may not make up such a strong part of someone’s wellbeing.”

But locating culturally-relevant and accessible resources that use this model can be hard. Angela Sheridan said “We found that all these deadly resources were tucked away in the deep dark corners of the internet… So the idea was conceived to host them all in one place and have a one-stop shop of Indigenous-specific online resources.” The Wellmob website, available here, was created to direct time-poor health practitioners to resources that can improve the wellbeing of Indigenous people and help them stay connected to culture; whether it’s a mindfulness app, a video on healing from trauma, or a collection of healthy recipes.

You can listen to the Making mob well: A new way to find culturally-relevant wellbeing resources SBS NITV podcast episode in full here.

banner SBS BLA.C.K. Medicine, text ' Making mob well: A new way to find culturally-relevant wellbeing resources - 16:14 minutes

Image source: SBS NITV Radio website.

Australia’s first wellbeing budget revealed

Australians live longer, are happier in their jobs and trust each other more than they did two decades ago. But more people are also battling chronic diseases, struggling to make ends meet and having bad experiences online. These are some of the findings of the first national wellbeing framework, released by Treasurer Jim Chalmers last Friday 21 July 2023.

So why is the government measuring wellbeing, what does it have to do with the economy, and will this actually mean anything for you? Chalmers first floated the idea of a “wellbeing budget” in 2020 when the Coalition was in power. Wellbeing is a combination of physical, social, economic and emotional factors, and overall quality of life.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), focusing on wellbeing supports the tracking of the equitable distribution of resources, overall thriving and sustainability. Measuring What Matters, Australia’s first national wellbeing framework, uses 50 indicators to track how healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive and prosperous Australia is. The framework also includes an overall life satisfaction indicator.

To view the SBS News article Australia’s first wellbeing budget has been revealed. What does it mean for you? in full click here.
3 ATSI women in park with arms around each other, smiling

Photo: Bobbi Lockyer / Refinery29 Australia – Getty. Image source: SBS News.

SEWB Gathering’s theme ‘Culture First’

The fourth Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Gathering is around the corner. It is being held from Monday 31 July to Wednesday 2 August in Darwin. Over three days delegates from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies, community organisations, leaders, experts across Australia will come together to discuss social and emotional wellbeing topics.

The theme for this year’s SEWB Gathering is ‘Culture First’ with a focus on implementing this idea in the workforce, systems, and services.

Like previous SEWB Gatherings there is likely to be many enriching discussions and transformative insights.

tile text 'SEWB Gathering 31 Jul - 2 Aug Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin; Co hosted by TIMHWB, NACCHO, AIPA, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia

Calls for more midwives, shortfall of1,300

Gabby Petersen is a second-year midwifery student and First Nations woman with Aboriginal, Torres Strait and Samoan heritage. “I’m the eldest of three girls, I have two younger sisters and I think my mum has a little bit of birth trauma, and that inspires me to be that midwife to make sure people have safe experiences,” she said. Ms Petersen said there needed to be changes in the industry to accommodate the different needs of First Nations people. “They’re at this really important, really special moment in their lives and they’re shoved into a hospital room that doesn’t look like home, with white lights and unknown linen and it can be so disorientating,” she said.

Ms Petersen said having more First Nations midwives in the industry could see cultural safety improved. “Having that First Nations background, you have a perspective on cultural safety that some people just don’t and that’s not their fault, you just have that extra consideration for what would make them feel safe because that’s what would make you feel safe,” she said.

There are currently 305 registered First Nations midwives in Australia — making up only 1.3 per cent of the workforce. “So, to reach population parity, we’d need 650 midwives. But if you factor in our higher fertility rate, plus the disparity we see in health outcomes, we’ve estimated that we’d need around 1,300 more,” PhD student and First Nations registered midwife Karel Williams said.

To view the ABC News article Calls for more Indigenous midwives as experts estimate national shortfall to be 1,300 in full click here.

First Nations student Gabby Petersen is in her second year of midwifery studies in Canberra

First Nations student Gabby Petersen is in her second year of midwifery studies in Canberra. Photo: Donal Sheil, ABC News.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date International Self-Care Day – 24 July 2023

24 June marks the start of Self-Care Month, which ends with Self-Care Day on 24 July. This symbolic day was chosen because self-care can be practiced “24 hours a day/7 days a week”. During the month, people around the world will be celebrating self-care practices and interventions and the difference they can make to everyone’s lives.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self-care as individuals, families and communities’ promoting and maintaining their own health, preventing disease, and coping with illness and disability, with or without the support of a health worker. Self-care interventions are the evidence-based tools that support self-care. They include medicines, counselling, diagnostic kits, and digital technologies. Now is an exciting time with more and more tools being developed. Self-care is about empowering people to be active agents in their own healthcare. Doing so not only puts people at the centre of their own healthcare, but also relieves pressures on health systems.

Self-care interventions give people choice and the option to access healthcare wherever and whenever they want to. Self-care interventions do not replace health systems, they enhance them. They are part of a holistic approach to healthcare which improves Primary Health Care and contributes to Universal Health Coverage. You can find more information about Self-care month on the WHO website here.

You can access a Self-care Toolkit – A healthy happy mob, means a well done job produced by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC) here; an Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet webpage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professions – Taking care of yourself here; and a VACCHO produced video Self-care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers below.

Jul 12 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Place-based approaches improving health and wellbeing

feature tile: image of 10+ hands forming circle in the sand; text 'ACCOs are LEADERS in place-based approaches to improving health and wellbeing'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Meeting in the middle: How governments and Indigenous communities can work together, differently published in The Mandarin on 23 May 2022.

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.

Place-based approaches improving health and wellbeing

ACCOs are leaders when it comes to principles of place-based approaches to improving health and wellbeing and addressing complex challenges. ACCOs and ACCHOs emerged from the failure of mainstream services to address their communities’ needs. They have also been leaders in taking holistic and responsive approaches, with community engagement and control central to all they do.

According to an Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC) 2016 review, available here, ACCHOs “have always been at the heart of Aboriginal communities, grounded in local values and culture, and providing a place for engagement, activism, employment and safe haven, in addition to delivering high quality evidence-based health care.”

CEO of FamilyCare Inc, David Tennant, says that place-based approaches can transform communities. But, he says, echoing the warnings of ACCHOs over decades, if they are done to a place or community, rather than with them, place-based approaches can not only fail but cause significant harm.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Place-based interventions: reflections on what helps, and what doesn’t in full click here.

ATSI man having chest checked by health professional at Ummoona Tjukagka Health Service SA

Ummoona Tjukagka Health Service website.

Targeted funds needed to address oral health inequities

The Australian Medical Association  (AMA) is calling on Commonwealth, state and territory governments to collaborate and make targeted investments in programs that provide health care services based on need. AMA President Professor Steve Robson said achieving health equity required a broad focus beyond just treating disease and managing risk factors, “There are many social inequalities within Australia that give rise to serious health issues among disadvantaged communities. Poverty, discrimination and a worrying lack of appropriate health care all contribute to significant oral health inequities between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.”

The AMA’s submission highlights the several oral health inequities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face, including higher rates of dental disease, which can lead to other health issues such as heart disease and strokes. Professor Robson said many Indigenous Australians relied on public oral health services, which were in short supply, “Government funding for these services is typically provided in short term arrangements, meaning the availability of oral health care is often very limited for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

Increasing Indigenous Australian participation in the dental practitioner workforce, improving oral health awareness and collecting comprehensive oral health data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are among other recommendations emphasised in the submission. The AMA is also calling for service models to be developed and implemented in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, while ensuring investments reflect the varying cost of providing services in remote areas.

To view the AMA’s media release Targeted investments needed to address oral health inequities in full click here.

gloved hands holding X-ray of human teeth

Image source: AMA website.

First of its kind study explores mob’s experiences of cancer

A first of its kind study exploring cancer in Indigenous Australian communities has begun data collection. The Kulay Kalingka study led by the Australian National University (ANU) will gather information about First Nations’ experiences of cancer where no data currently exists – it will fill important gaps in understanding experiences of cancer – the fourth leading cause of burden of disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“The Kulay Kalingka cancer study arose from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community needs, to better understand cancer attitudes, beliefs and experiences and from calls for the inclusion of First Nations patients, families and communities in cancer research,” Professor Ray Lovett from ANU said. Funded by the Australian Government, through Cancer Australia, it’s the first cancer study designed, governed and controlled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The study is being led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research team at the ANU National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research.

While Australia’s cancer survival rates are among the best in the world, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience higher incidence and cancer mortality rates, and lower participation rates in bowel, breast, and cervical cancer population screening programs. The collection of up to 3,000 stories told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as part of this study will provide the evidence needed to inform the Government’s policies, programs and services to improve cancer outcomes.

To view the ANU article Data collection underway in First Nations-led cancer study in full click here.

Professor Ray Lovett in suit standing at base of staircase

Professor Ray Lovett. Photo: ANU. Image source: ANU Newsroom webpage.

$150m+ for healthcare in Far North QLD and Torres Strait

More than $150m will be invested into six new or updated primary healthcare centres on Badu, Boigu and Horn Islands, and in Laura, Lockhart River and Bamaga. The investment is part of the Queensland Government’s $943m Building Rural and Remote Health Program. Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman and Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui announced the new investment ahead of their arrival into Thursday Island yesterday.

To help grow the workforce in the region an additional $1.1m will be invested into the First Nations workforce in the Torres and Cape through traineeships, scholarships and leadership programs. This includes $800,000 in scholarships for up to ten students who reside in the Torres Strait Islands to assist with the travel and living costs associated with studying tertiary health courses away from home.

An additional $300,000 will be invested into the Deadly Start program, to provide 15 new traineeships to First Nations health students in the Torres and Cape Region.  Minister Fentiman said “We know that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in our hospitals directly helps us improve health outcomes for First Nations people. To improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples we need more First Nations doctors, specialists, nurses, carers and allied health professionals.”

To view the Queensland Government media statement Health boost for the Torres Strait, Cape York and Northern Peninsula in full click here.

aerial photo of Thursday Island township

Photo: Brendan Mounter, Far North. Image source: ABC News.

Funding boost for SA community initiatives

The SA government has announced a more than $1m investment to support vulnerable members of SA’s Aboriginal communities. The funding package has allocations to programs offering rehabilitation, counselling and advocacy for members. The package includes a $100,000 allocation to the SA Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation (SASGAC) to strengthen advocacy and support for Stolen Generations survivors.

Aboriginal population data from 2018 provided by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Healing Foundation reported there are 2,100 Stolen Generation survivors in SA, and Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants account for 46% of the state’s Aboriginal population. “The report also identifies that Stolen Generations and their descendants experience higher levels of disadvantage across all social and economic indicators than the Aboriginal population as a whole,” SASGAC chair Dr Jennie Caruso said. “It is well known that the best people to find the solutions to problems are those who are experiencing or have experienced the issues.

The funding allocation also contributes $140,000 to the SA ACCO Network to co-design a new support service for female Aboriginal victims of crime, and $945,000 for the Department for Correctional Services to design, develop and deliver cultural programs for Aboriginal people in prison and under community supervision to support rehabilitation.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Funding boost for South Australian Aboriginal community initiatives in full click here.

SA Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation chair Dr Jennis Caruso

SA Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation chair Dr Jennis Caruso. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – National Diabetes Week – 9–15 July 2023

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are almost four times more likely than non-Indigenous Australians to have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Each day during National Diabetes Week 2023 NACCHO is sharing information relating to diabetes as it impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Diabetes Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit lobby state and federal governments to provide culturally appropriate services, support and education programs that align with the National Diabetes Strategy. They work closely with communities, health sectors and government agencies to ensure this support is community-centred.

Jul 11 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: First Nation handling of COVID shows why the Voice to Parliament is needed

Feature tile Tue 10.7.23 - Handling of COVID shows why Voice to Parliament needed

The image in the feature tile is of Professor Fiona Stanley from ABC News: Daryna Zadvirna.

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.

First Nation handling of COVID shows why the Voice to Parliament is needed

During a panel discussion supporting the Voice to Parliament, former Australian of the Year, Fiona Stanley praised the response of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to COVID-19, stating that they had the best response “in the world.” She attributed their success to the presence of a voice through organisations such as the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

According to Professor Stanley, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians had significantly fewer COVID-19 cases compared to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, despite the high-risk factors they faced.

“We would have anticipated because of the high risks of Aboriginal people — chronic disease, overcrowded conditions, and most Aboriginal people actually live in cities, only 18 per cent live in remote communities – they were of high risk [of contracting the virus],” she said.

“Well, within the first 18 to 20 months of the pandemic, Aboriginal people had six times fewer cases than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people did. How did they do it? They had a voice.

You can read the full story in ABC News here. 

Boost for health care centres in the north east

The State Government plans to allocate over $150 million to establish or upgrade primary healthcare centres in the Torres Strait and Cape York regions. Health Minister Shannon Fentiman will visit the area following significant demands for an inquiry into health services. The funding will be used for the development of centres in Badu, Boigu, Horn Islands, Laura, Lockhart River, and Bamaga. An additional $1.1 million will be invested to support the growth of the Torres Strait health workforce through traineeships, scholarships, and leadership programs.

Among the initiatives, scholarships will be provided to up to 10 students from the Torres Strait Islands to assist with the costs of studying tertiary health courses away from home. The Deadly Start program will receive $300,000 to offer 15 new traineeships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health students in the Torres and Cape regions.

The investment aims to enhance health services for individuals living in the Torres Strait while creating employment opportunities for residents of the region. Minister Fentiman highlighted the importance of having more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals, including doctors, specialists, nurses, carers, and allied health professionals, to improve health outcomes for First Nations people.

You can read the media statement by Queensland Government here.

Torres Strait Islanders family living on the coast of Cape York Queensland Australia

Torres Strait Islander family living on the coast. Country around the tip of Cape York.
Image source: chameleonseye

Medical Termination Pill access expanded in landmark move

Australia is set to expand access to medical abortions through significant regulatory changes that will allow all doctors and nurse practitioners to prescribe the pregnancy termination pill and all pharmacies to stock it. Currently, only a small percentage of healthcare professionals are certified to provide the medication, leading to obstacles for women seeking timely care. The new rules, which will come into effect in August, remove certification requirements and allow all pharmacies to dispense the medication. Nurse practitioners, who represent about 1% of nurses and can work in various healthcare settings, will also be able to prescribe the pill for the first time.

The move marks the first major regulatory change since the abortion pill was approved for use in Australia in 2006. It aims to improve equitable access to healthcare for all Australians, particularly in regional and rural areas where structural barriers exist. The Australian College of Nursing Practitioners and the Royal College of Australian General Practitioners have praised the changes, stating that they will have a significant impact and improve access to medical abortions, especially in remote areas.

The decision aligns with a Senate inquiry’s recommendation to make the medical abortion pill easier to prescribe. The Australian government is yet to formally respond to the inquiry’s report.

For related article, visit SBS NITV here.

You can read the full story in The Sydney Morning Herald here.

The abortion pill will this year be available to be prescribed by every doctor.

The abortion pill will this year be available to be prescribed by every doctor. Image source: JAMES ALCOCK

ILSC offers grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities impacted by natural disasters

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) is providing up to $20,000 in funding through the Disaster Recovery Quick Response Grants to support First Nations organizations affected by natural disasters. This initiative builds upon the ILSC’s previous commitment of $250,000 in funding to 13 remote Indigenous community groups across Australia that were severely impacted by floods earlier this year.

The ILSC aims to streamline the application and approval process to allow Indigenous corporations more time to focus on immediate recovery efforts following disasters.

Joe Morrison, the CEO of the ILSC, highlighted the increasing occurrence of bushfires, storm damage, and floods due to climate change. With the Bureau of Meteorology and the UN World Meteorological Organization predicting an El Niño cycle and potentially challenging bushfire seasons, the ILSC wants to ensure it is prepared to support Indigenous communities. The funding provided through the Disaster Recovery Quick Response Grants will assist Indigenous organizations in recovering and getting back on their feet swiftly.

Interested parties can find additional information on how to apply for the grants on the ILSC website here.

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

Fitzroy river flood

Western Australia’s Fitzroy Valley region.
Image source: Foundation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sustainable Health

Climate change and the effects of fire on peoples’ connection to Country

The devastating impact of bushfires on First Nations communities and their connection to the land is being explored through an innovative art and yarn program led by Kisani Upward, a Gamilaroi, Yinaar, and Wiradjuri woman and PhD candidate at the University of New England. The program aims to address the trauma experienced by Aboriginal communities by providing a space for conversations and artistic expression. Through painting and casual discussions, participants have found healing and a sense of rejuvenation as they reconnect with their culture and express their experiences.

The program, which consists of eight sessions, facilitates discussions about the bushfires while participants engage in painting and share cups of tea. Upward, who works with the university’s Bushfire Impacts Project, initially started the program to explore how Aboriginal communities could heal from such traumatic events. The sessions have had a profound impact on participants, helping them build confidence and move forward from the devastation caused by the fires.

You can read the full story in the ABC News here.

Uncle Alex Munro shoeing his painting of Mother Earth

Uncle Alex Munro says creating a painting of Mother Earth nurtured him.
Image source: ABC New England: Lani Oataway

Diabetes – Great Debate Series

It is National Diabetes Week (NDW) from Sunday 9 to Saturday 15 July 2023. The national campaign aims to kick-start Australia’s biggest conversation about the impact of diabetes, to drive change and create hope for the future.

The theme for NDW 2023 is Join the conversation. Diabetes Australia will host a Great Debate Series over five days featuring people living with diabetes and diabetes experts discussing topics relevant to the future of diabetes in Australia. The debates will be a mix of in-person (livestreamed) and virtual events.

During the week people are also invited to provide feedback to Diabetes Australia’s national community consultation to inform a response to the Australian Government Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes.

This series of debates will run during National Diabetes Week 2023 and feature people living with diabetes and diabetes experts discussing topics relevant to the future of diabetes in Australia. The series is co-hosted by Diabetes Australia’s Group CEO Justine Cain and Dr Norman Swan AM. Debate topics include:

  • Monday 10 July – Timely and affordable access: Who cares?
  • Tuesday 11 July – Brain drain: Is diabetes research in Australia in crisis? 
  • Wednesday 12 July – Australia’s obesity crisis: Is there a magic pill?
  • Thursday 13 July – Type 2 diabetes remission: Hype, hope or happening?
  • Friday 14 July – Keeping pace with treatments and tech: Is Australia falling behind?

The debates can be attended online or in-person.

For more information on times and how to register click here.

Test Blood Glucose For Diabetes in Pregnant Woman With Glucometer

Type 2 diabetes check. Image source: Good Medicines Better Health

 

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.

 

Jul 10 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Environmental Trachoma Health Project helps WA mob

hairdresser with ATSI man happy with his new mullet; text 'Environmental Health Trachoma Project helping remote WA communities with health, housing and haircuts'

The image in the feature tile is of an Irrungadji resident who is very happy with the new mullet hairstyle given to him by Mrs DeBonde. Photo: Amelia Searson, ABC Pilbara. Image source: ABC News article Environmental Health Trachoma Project helping remote WA communities with health, haircuts and housing published on 9 July 2023.

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.

Environmental Trachoma Project helps WA mob

Tyron Colley usually has to travel hundreds of kilometres to get something as basic as a haircut. He lives in the small Aboriginal community of Irrungadji, in WA’s Pilbara region, where the nearest town with a hairdresser is almost 200 kms away. The lack of accessible basic services in remote Australia extends beyond haircuts to more serious issues, with communities like Irrungadji also facing significant housing and health challenges.

Environmental Health Trachoma Project (EHTP) lead Melissa Stoneham said poor hygiene combined with living conditions and overcrowding can lead to bacterial infections like trachoma – an eye disease that can cause blindness. Australia is the only developed country to still have endemic trachoma, and almost all cases are found in remote Aboriginal communities. In an effort to stop the spread, EHTP is working with the state government, Curtin University and other advocacy groups to take health and housing programs to remote WA communities. The team recently visited Irrungadji to assess its housing situation. Dr Stoneham said a major focus for the team was on plumbing and “anything that helps these people living in their homes with the ability to wash their face, hands, body and clothes”.

Dr Stoneham said health should be approached as a “holistic concept”, with mental and physical wellbeing going hand-in-hand. She said when heading out to remote communities, it was important to provide culturally respectful services that helped people feel taken care of. “We have free haircuts, we have de-licing of hair, we have free clothes that we are giving out,” she said. “Interactions have been great, you know, they’ve been getting a new outfit, a new haircut, they’re feeling fresh and good about themselves.”

To read the ABC News story Environmental Health Trachoma Project helping remote WA communities with health, haircuts and housing in full click here.

Dr Melissa Stoneham - Environmental Health Trachoma Project

r Melissa Stoneham says health should be seen as a “holistic” concept. Photo: Amelia Searson, ABC Pilbara. Image source: ABC News.

Meta to crack down on VTP misinformation

Facebook and Instagram want to be “contributing to democracy” and not exacerbating harms surrounding the Indigenous voice referendum, the company’s Australian policy head has said, as the social media giant beefs up protections on misinformation, abuse and mental health before the national vote. Meta, the parent company of the two apps, has announced it will boost funding to factcheckers monitoring misinformation, activate global teams to locate and respond to potential “threats” to the referendum – including coordinated inauthentic behaviour – and form a partnership with ReachOut for mental health support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“We are also coordinating with the government’s election integrity assurance taskforce and security agencies in the lead-up to the referendum,” said Mia Garlick, Meta’s director of public policy for Australia. “We’ve also improved our AI so that we can more effectively detect and block fake accounts, which are often behind this activity. “Meta has been preparing for this year’s voice to parliament referendum for a long time, leaning into expertise from previous elections.”

Meta will tap Australian knowledge to respond to abuse and hate speech. “We have hate speech advisory groups and First Nations advisory groups giving insight and advice on issues they see on the ground,” Ms Garlick said. “Building off our experience with the marriage equality postal survey and elections, unfortunately when a particular group is the focus of debate, vulnerable groups can feel more vulnerable.”

To view The Guardian article Meta vows to crack down on abuse and misinformation surrounding voice to parliament referendum in full click here.

background text Meta & logo, foreground Facebook logo

Groups behind the no campaign against the referendum have already had online posts and ads flagged as ‘false information’ by factcheckers. Photo: NurPhoto/Shutterstock. Image source: The Guardian.

BlaQ CEO on the Voice to Parliament

Shane Sturgiss has been the CEO of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, a national organisation founded to provide visibility to Queer Indigenous peoples and communities, for 18 months. Asked about what inspires him the most about his role, he said, “I think the idea of seeing people’s lives change, knowing that there’s a better tomorrow, knowing that the work that I’m doing will have an impact– will make a difference.”

According to Sturgiss, the aim of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation is to “bring visibility and provide a platform to address the intersectionality of our LGBTIQ+SB Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in order to provide a service where they can identify as their whole authentic self when accessing services.” He added, “To bring a level of comfort, provide safe spaces, and hopefully educate people on how to address intersectionality for our people and provide those safe spaces to create safer communities.”

The biggest challenges facing Queer Indigenous people are disparities in health and education as well as “the lack of awareness and acknowledgement of intersectionality and the idea that we are a homogenous group,” he explained. When it comes to the upcoming Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, Sturgiss stressed the point that, for Queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this will be the “second time in six years that they’ve invited the entire nation to vote on their rights as humans, and as people, and as citizens. Regardless of where your vote lies. This is still something that needs to be done with respect and dignity because it does involve people’s lives and the negative fallout from that can be a loss of life.”

To view the Star Observer article Shane Sturgiss, CEO of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, On The Indigenous Voice to Parliament in full click here.

BLAQ Aboriginal Corporation logo & large group of people on outdoor concrete steps

Image source: Star Observer.

Health Performance Framework summary report

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework summary report summarises the latest information on how Indigenous Australians are faring, drawing from the Health Performance Framework (HPF) measures.

In 2018, the burden of disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 2.3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians. Among Indigenous Australians, mental and substance use disorders were the leading contributor to disease burden (24%). Measures of health status, determinants of health, and health system performance drawn from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF) show mixed results. It is important to note that measures in the 3 tiers are interconnected, and understanding the reasons for progress (or lack thereof) in the health status and outcomes of Indigenous Australians may often be best understood by examining relevant measures in determinants of health and health system performance.

Analysis by the AIHW of ABS survey data indicates that about 34% of the total health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is due to social determinants, and 19% due to individual health risk factors (e.g. smoking). It is likely that differences in access to affordable and nearby health services explain a significant proportion of the health gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. In many cases, Indigenous Australians have poorer access to health services than non-Indigenous Australians, for a range of reasons including barriers such as availability, cost and a lack of culturally appropriate health services. For Indigenous Australians to have better health outcomes, improvements in the health system are required.

To view the AIHW’s Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework Summary report July 2023 in full click here.

cover of AIHW 'ATSI Health Performance Framework Summary report July 2023'

Best reform for child wellbeing: raising criminal age

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Professor Steve Robson said child incarceration in Australia is a national problem that requires a nationally consistent response. In a submission to an Australian Human Rights Commission investigation into possible reforms to youth justice the AMA has called on Australia’s Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, to show leadership by encouraging state and territory attorneys-general to raise the age  of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.

Professor Robson said “The medical evidence is clear, jailing harms children mentally and impairs their physical development and the younger the child is at first contact with the legal system, the higher the rate of recidivism. We cannot accept a stepped approach of raising the age to 12 — let’s remember that children this age are still in primary school — 14 is the absolute minimum age that we should set criminal responsibility. Countries comparable to Australia don’t lock their children up. We really should be ashamed to know that right now there will be around 4,500 children as young as 10 under youth justice supervision in Australia. 10-year-olds are in year four and year five at school, they still have baby teeth, some still need booster seats in the car and at school they have to earn a pen license. They should not be in jail, no matter where they live in Australia or whatever their personal circumstances may be.”

The AMA’s submission also highlights the disproportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in detention, making up almost half of all the 10–17 years olds in detention (despite making up only 6% of the population in this age group).

To view the AMA media release Best reform for youth justice and child wellbeing is raising the criminal age across Australia in full click here.

tile text '10 year olds are children, not criminals.' drawing of child in jail cell with head & arms on knees

Image source: UNICEF Australia Tweet 30 November 2017.

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 – National Diabetes Week – 9–15 July 2023

National Diabetes Week runs from Sunday 9 to Friday 15 July 2023. Diabetes Australia want a future where diabetes can do no harm, but say that to achieve this ambition we must act now to change the trajectory of diabetes in Australia and better support people living with or at risk of diabetes.

The Australian Government recently announced an Inquiry into Diabetes in Australia. It is time to amplify the voice of the diabetes community to ensure this Inquiry focusses on the priorities that will change the numbers, change the future, and change lives.

This National Diabetes Week Diabetes Australia are kick-starting Australia’s biggest conversation about the impact of diabetes in this country – a conversation to drive change, and to create hope for the future. No one understands diabetes more than a person who lives with diabetes. Driving change starts with hearing the views and amplifying the voices of the diabetes community.
For more information about National Diabetes Week 2023 click here.
tile text ' National Diabetes Week 2023 - Join the Conversation - Diabetes Australia'
Jun 29 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Balgo patients to receive dialysis on Country

The image in the feature tile is of dialysis patients in a Purple House centre in Newman.

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.

Balgo patients to receive dialysis on Country

Balgo WA is one of Australia’s most isolated communities. Locals needing life-saving dialysis treatment must leave their Country for towns more than 10 hours away to receive care. Purple House has plans to open a local service including a four-chair nurse-assisted hemodialysis unit operating six days a week by 2024. CEO of Purple House, Sarah Brown AM says keeping people on Country is essential, “It’s about ensuring that senior community members are home on Country for important cultural business to teach the younger generations and keep culture strong.”

Balgo man Eric Moora currently lives in Perth, where his partner receives treatment for type 2 diabetes. Without access to care on Country, Eric has flown three hours from Perth to Kununurra and then driven eight hours to get to Balgo to take part in cultural practices, “We have to go right back to the bush, back to my Country, you know, to eat,” he said. Eric also has diabetes but doesn’t need dialysis; he sees bush tucker as a way to stay healthy and avoid highly processed food contributing to his condition.

“My people eat wrong thing, you know, sugar. We need to stop the Coke, making people sick from the Coke, diabetes, all that,” Eric said.With Elders receiving life-saving treatment away from Country, Eric fears younger generations will go without the cultural knowledge that was passed onto him from Elders, “Today has changed now because we got no old people.I want my people to come back home,” he said. The dialysis unit will be one of six in remote communities, in a

To read the full ABC article Diabetes patients in remote Balgo will soon be able to receive dialysis on country here.

Eric Moora. Photo: Elsa Silbertstein. Image source: ABC News.

2023 NAIDOC Elder Awards finalists

The National NAIDOC Awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who go above and beyond to contribute and fight for the preservation of their culture and community. In line with the 2023 NAIDOC Week theme ‘For Our Elders,’ the Elder Award celebrates an Elder whose dedication to people, culture and future generations has been lifelong and has left an indelible impact in their communities.

Proud Ngambri (Kamberri) Wallabalooa (Ngunnawal) and Wiradyuri Elder, Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams is a Female Elder Award nominee for her deep roots in advocacy and activism. Aunty Matilda has been involved in Indigenous Affairs since 1963, and has played key roles in establishing Winnunga, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, the Aboriginal Legal Service, and alongise her brothers, founding the Ngambri Land Council.

The awards ceremony will kick off on Saturday 1  July and will be broadcast on NITV from 7.30pm AEST. To read the NITV article, including more about the finalists click here.

Aunty Dr Matilda House-Williams. Photo: Blacklock Media. Source: NITV.

Changing conversations about lung cancer

Researchers at the University of Sydney say it is time to remove the stigma around lung cancer and to disrupt assumptions about it being solely attributable to someone’s decision to smoke. A range of other factors are at play, with lung cancer disproportionately affecting people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, those in regional and rural areas, and those with lower socioeconomic backgrounds. While public health campaigns have successfully raised awareness about the dangers of smoking, they have been accompanied by growing stigma around lung cancer. For example, a study by the Global Lung Cancer Coalition found that 28% of Australians admit they have less sympathy for lung cancer sufferers than those with other forms of cancer.

Patients undergoing lung cancer treatment have spoken out about the stigma they face alongside managing their illness and treatment. One patient said, “It’s the first time I’ve really been aware of the sort of shame attached to an illness.” Patient support groups, professional associations and peak bodies are all in agreement that we need to rethink and modernise our understanding and approach to lung cancer, smoking and stigma.

To read the full Croakey Health Media article Identifying some opportunities to change conversations about lung cancer click here. 

Image: CDC Unsplash. Source: Croakey Health Media.

New research on bush tucker nutrition

Rich in essential nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, and minerals, yams are gaining attention in the food industry. In a research project with the University of Queensland, PhD candidate Fawale Samson Olumide is studying Australian yams, which were a vital food for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rainforests along the east coast. The project aims to bridge the gap between Indigenous knowledge and Western science and report on the nutritional and health benefits of the bush tucker staple.

The Yidinji community in Far North Queensland is collaborating on the project, alongside community Elder Professor Henrietta Marrie from the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation. Professor Marrie said, “There is so much work we need to do to record Indigenous knowledge about the food and its use, to pass on to our younger generations.”

To read the full article click here.

Source: Food Processing.

Unpaid work during NAIDOC WEEK

With NAIDOC Week just around the corner, there is a surge in expectations for extra labour from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in workplaces. This includes the planning and organising of cultural events and experiences, which is rarely reflected in their job description. The Make us Count report found these expectations are not limited to events like NAIDOC Week. Reflecting on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in workplaces within the Victoria public sector, female participants reported uncompensated labour is a burden.

One participant said, “The value of [Aboriginal cultural knowledge] is only when I organise NAIDOC or Reconciliation Week celebrations. The worst part is that it is up to me to drive recognition of these important events and for the rest of the year, culture and I are forgotten.”

The Healing Foundation describes ‘cultural load’ as an accumulative trauma and stress experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are navigating systemic adversity in their lives while they are also trying to succeed in their careers. The report found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women feel overworked and undervalued in the workplace, and face discrimination and a systemic barrier to career progression. One participant said, “Unless you’re always performing at 150% or more, people don’t see you.”

Findings from the report demonstrate an urgent need for workplaces to take action to address racism and misogyny. This includes unpaid labour, short-term contracts, and workplace harassment and violence.

“I just want to be able to be in a job where I can actually do the job and then still have the capacity to give back to the community,” said a participant.

To read the full The Conversation article During NAIDOC Week, many Indigenous women are assigned unpaid work. New research shows how prevalent this is in the workplace click here. Read the Make Us Count report here.

Source: Analysis & Policy Observatory.

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.