Category Elder Care

May 26 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: National Sorry Day 2023

Feature tile image of Katrina Fanning; text 'National Sorry Day is about having empathy - providing support to others should not be limited to people you have personally wronged'

The image in the feature tile is of recently named 2023 Canberra Citizen of the Year – Wiradjuri woman Katrina Fanning AO PSM. The image appeared in today’s ABC News article Today is National Sorry Day, but many Indigenous Australians say they’re still being asked: ‘Why should I apologise?‘.

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. The content included in these news stories are not necessarily NACCHO endorsed.

National Sorry Day 2023

Australia marks National Sorry Day on 26 May each year, remembering and acknowledging the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed as children from their families and communities, otherwise known as the Stolen Generations. Children were taken because of official laws and government policies at the time, which aimed to assimilate the Indigenous population into the non-Indigenous community. The children were renamed, forced to stop speaking their native language, and were told their parents no longer wanted them. The policies were in effect right up until the 1970s, and many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still searching for lost parents and siblings today.

The first National Sorry Day was held 25 years ago, commemorating one year after the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in federal parliament. The report found the forced removal of Indigenous children had caused lifelong impacts on Stolen Generations survivors and their families. Ten years later, in February 2008, then-prime minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; saying sorry to the Stolen Generations.

Former rugby league star and proud Wiradjuri woman Katrina Fanning says National Sorry Day is about having empathy. “Where there’s parts of our history where there’s tragedy, where there’s struggle, I feel emotions for those people,” she said. Ms Fanning said providing support to others should not be limited to people you had personally wronged. “I haven’t caused a drought, I never fought in a war, but I have empathy for the situation that fellow Australians went through and the sacrifices they made to make this country a better place.”

Ms Fanning said she felt a sense of sadness for those who did not acknowledge the Stolen Generations or want to say sorry, as they weren’t able to understand the shared history of Australia. “They don’t understand that this whole community of people exemplify what it is to be Australian, with resilience and toughness and dignity and pride,” she said. “I feel like they’re missing out on the fabric of Australia, not the other way around.” Ms Fanning said her family had been subject to similar comments about not wanting to apologise, but they tended not to react. “They lived at a time where reacting would have them arrested, have them banned from town, have them banned from school,” she said. “I see a simmer in them. I see something that they’ve had to carry, and a burden that they’ve had to shoulder for a very long time.”

To view the ABC News article Today is National Sorry Day, but many Indigenous Australians say they’re still being asked: ‘Why should I apologise?‘ in full click here.

Trauma and poor mental health linked

The link between exposure to trauma and increased risk of poor mental health is well established. Where trauma is unacknowledged, it can result in the re-traumatisation of later generations. The colonisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the oppressive practices that followed has resulted in a legacy of unaddressed intergenerational trauma. This prolonged and continuing exposure to trauma and risk factors places Indigenous Australians at a heightened risk of mental ill-health.

A paper Intergenerational trauma and mental health recently released by the Australian Government Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) aims to define the link between intergenerational trauma and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health and to identify current best-practice policies and programs to address this issue.

You can view the AIHW paper Intergenerational trauma and mental health in full here.cover of AIHW Intergenerational trauma & mental health paper 2023

Butt Out Boondah tackles youth smoking

Butt Out Boondah, the Tackling Indigenous Smoking team of Grand Pacific Health, is urging young mob in Cooma, Yass, Queanbeyan and Goulburn to take a stand against tobacco use and vaping ahead of World No Tobacco Day, which is being held on Wednesday 31 May 2023. Butt Out Bondah focuses on educating Indigenous communities in the aforementioned areas about the dangers of Tobacco smoking and e-cigarettes to help in bridging the health gap.

The program addresses the pressing concern of vaping among young people in these communities, which is mistakenly seen as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco. Butt Out Boondah’s Strategic Coordinator for Aboriginal Health, Iona Marsh said World No Tobacco Day provides an opportunity to emphasise the detrimental effects of smoking and vaping.

“The concerning reality is that Indigenous young people in regions like Cooma, Goulburn, Yass and Queanbeyan are often unaware of the hazardous substances they are inhaling, and it is our duty to equip them and their parents with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions about their health,” she said. To raise awareness, the program actively engages with local primary and high schools, educating school-aged children about the dangers associates with smoking and vaping.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Butt Out Boondah tackles Indigenous youth smoking and vaping ahead of World No Tobacco Day in full click here.

Butt Out Boondah promotion stand in school grounds under a tree

Butt Out Boondah is encouraging First Nations peoples to take a stand against tobacco use and vaping ahead of World No Tobacco Day Photo: Butt Out Boondah. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Darwin, Broome, Port Hedland will be uninhabitable

Three major economic centres, Darwin, Broome and Port Hedland, are set to become uninhabitable by the end of the century, with global temperatures on track to warm by 2.7C. The destinations are just three of many in the northwestern section of Australia facing “niche displacement” in the next 70 years. New research by The University of Exeter, published in the science journal Nature Sustainability this week, calculates the human cost of climate inaction based on current insufficient policies and government inaction. Two billion people will be living with unprecedented mean average temperatures (MAT) above 29C, the report states.

MAT >29C is the point at which wellbeing scientifically declines, labour productivity and cognitive ability shrinks, negative pregnancy outcomes are produced, and mortality rates soar. 20% of Australia — about 374,977 Australians — will be impacted in this way by a 2.7C temperature increase, the report calculates. They would join a third of the world’s population, including in South-East Asia, India, Africa and South America. In Darwin, a 3C warmer world would mean that, for 265 days of the year, temperatures would soar higher than 35C. At 40C, humidity increases and temperatures become lethal, according to the Australian Academy of Science.

The University of Exeter report also explains the effects of a “wet-bulb temperature” — where temperature and humidity are combined. In temperatures above 28C (WBT) the body struggles to cool itself by sweating, and fails to do so in temperatures above 35C (WBT), which can be fatal. By limiting global warming to just 1.5C — which is the aim of the Paris Agreement — 80% of those globally at risk of rising temperatures would remain in their climate niche. But a 1.5C increase will still unleash severe and irreversible effects on people, wildlife and ecosystems, scientists warn.

To view the 7 News article Three Australian regions that will become unlivable within a lifetime due to climate change in full click here.

GYHSAC videos amplify public health message

Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation (GYHSAC) has just released a deadly public health promotion music video produced for GYHSAC by Saltwater People. The video’s message, in Language, encourages kids to keep their bodies and minds strong. The tune and accompanying music video are not only catchy but have an important health literacy message for all young mob out there.

The video was a project involving the GYHSAC Public Health team and several outside groups, including:

  • Singer / Songwriter / Producer Normey Jay
  • Patrick Mau – One Blood Hidden Image Entertainment Group (the first Torres Strait independent record label operating out of the Torres Strait Islands)
  • Yarrabah State School
  • David Mundraby – Local Language Translation

GYHSAC have thanked these groups and the incredible Yarrabah kids for their willingness to work with the GYHSAC Public Health team to help create a positive public health message, and assist GYHSAC to amplify the positive message to community and the wider social media world.

You can view the 3-minute Bina-N Wanggi music video below as well as the 1 minute Bina-N Wanggi Behind the Scenes video, which gives you a look behind the scenes of the filming and production of the music video.

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 Palliative Care Week 2023

As part of National Palliative Care Week 2023 (21–27 May) NACCHO has been sharing a range of information and resources specifically developed for for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and professional workers. The term palliative care refers to person and family-centred care provided for someone with an active, progressive, advanced disease, who has little to no prospect of cure and who is expected to pass on, and for whom the primary goal is to optimise the quality of life. Palliative care identifies and treats symptoms which may be physical, emotional, spiritual or social. Due to a person’s individual needs, the services offered can be diverse. The term end-of-life care refers to the last few weeks of life in which a patient with a life-limiting illness is rapidly approaching passing. Of note, sometimes these terms can be used interchangeably or have different definitions.

When providing person-centred care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it is important to ask the person who they would like involved in discussions about their health care as they may have decision makers or spokespersons who should be involved in all discussions and decisions regarding that person’s care. The time surrounding the end of someone’s life is precious and needs to be respected and approached in a safe, responsive and culturally appropriate manner. It is important that a person has the option to decide where they will pass, if possible. This may include a choice to be on Country, at home or in a hospital at the time of passing.

A collaboration between Palliative Care Australia and the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet with funding from the Australian Government have developed the Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care portal. The portal is designed to assist the health workforce who provide care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their families and communities. It seeks to support both clinicians and policy-makers in accessing resources, research and projects on palliative and end-of-life care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The above information has been extracted from the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet’s webpage Palliative Care and End-of-Life Care, available here. In the video below you can hear Aboriginal Community Support Worker, Chris Thorne talk about his personal experience with a family member and the value and importance of having an advance care plan in place.

May 24 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: ACCHO’s partnership delivers great outcomes

feature tile, image of Senior Lawyer John Cattanach & Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer Belinda Foley in front of Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative building; text 'Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative's partnership with Victoria Legal Aid is delivering GREAT OUTCOMES'

The image in the feature tile is of Senior Lawyer John Cattanach and Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer Belinda Foley standing in front of the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative building. The photo appeared in a Victoria Legal Aid article Creating stronger connections to community in partnership with Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative published yesterday, 23 May 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.

Partnership with ACCHO delivers great outcomes

Geelong Senior Lawyer John Cattanach has always wanted to be part of positive change for First Nations peoples. He says closer ties between Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) and the local Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative to support First Nations people with legal needs – a model being replicated across other regional offices – is helping him achieve that goal. He and Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer Belinda Foley are both based in our Geelong office  and regularly receive referrals through the co-operative in a partnership they established in March last year. The co-operative is a holistic service that provides health, family, community and cultural services to First Nations peoples in the Geelong, Bellarine and Colac region. The partnership with VLA links First Nations peoples to early support from Belinda and John to prevent escalating legal issues, as well a culturally sensitive service that responds to their individual needs.

John is a Marrithiyel man whose mob is located five hours southwest of Darwin, and Belinda is a Central Arrernte woman on her mother’s side (Alice Springs). Both grew up in community (Wadawurrung Country). Their background is crucial for the important work they undertake through the co-operative. In addition to providing practical assistance to First Nations peoples, John and Belinda derive great satisfaction from being connected to their community. “Growing up, I saw firsthand how our mob is treated by police, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the change and the healing,” said John. “From a legal standpoint, I am a lawyer who seeks to keep police accountable, and achieve the best outcomes for our mob. And from a First Nations perspective, I’m here to help Indigenous clients who present with a broken or wonky spirit, and help nurture that spirit so it becomes strong once again.”

Belinda is also proud of the difference the clinic has made in the community and to the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, “I’m delighted that this clinic has been able to provide a service to more than 100 clients in under 12 months,” she said. “It has given our First Nations community a safe environment, passed our knowledge to the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative to use in their service delivery and provided comfort to First Nations peoples in that they know a specialist legal service is available to support them.”

To view the Victoria Legal Aid article Creating stronger connections to community in partnership with Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative in full click here.

external view of Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative building

Image source: City of Greater Geelong website.

The system is the real “terror” in youth justice

In an opinion piece published today in the National Indigenous Times,  CEO of the National Justice Project, Adjunct Professor George Newhouse says “It’s the WA Government and not “terrorists” that are the cause of the troubles in Banksia Hill youth detention centre. How can the WA Premier Mark McGowan get away with describing a group of kids with disabilities as “terrorists”? Especially when we know that many of them grew up in the care and control his own State’s Child Protection system. Most of these so-call “terrorists” are in Banksia Hill on remand. Tragically, children are often held in Banksia Hill because they have nowhere to go if they were released. They could and should be supported in a group home or a purpose-built boarding house instead of prison.

So, who are these children? It’s a fact that around 89% of the kids in Banksia Hill have been found by the Telethon Foundation, one of Australia’s leading children’s’ health research organisations, to have a severe neurodevelopmental impairment, and over one third of the children were found to have been suffering from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD). These are significant impairments. But to deflect attention away from his own government’s abject failure to protect children in State “care”, Premier McGowan launches an attack on them. He wants us to believe that the problems are caused by a few ‘rotten apples” and not his own government’s systemic failures. Failures that have been obvious for decades.

During a recent visit to the facility, Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said: “These are children in need of care and treatment for complex disabilities and serious mental health problems.” Allegations that the children are “monsters” or “terrorists” have been slammed by the former President of the Children’s Court of WA, Denis Reynolds who said: “The Premier and the Minister are saying these are bad, bad children behaving badly, ignoring deliberately any reference to [their] unlawful treatment. It’s the treatment in that place that is causing the behaviour and that’s what we want to stop.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article The system is the real “terror” in youth justice in full click here.

ATSI male youth holding sign 'Close Down Banksia Hill Detention Centre', Aboriginal flag in the background

Photo: Giovanni Torre. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Drinking fountains alone won’t fix water issues

Water plays a significant role in Aboriginal culture. Respect for and understanding of water has enabled Aboriginal people to thrive for millennia in very hot and remote places. The impacts of colonisation including introduced species of plants and animals, farming and overuse of rivers and ground water, compounded by global warming, has dramatically reduced water access and quality, and in some places threatened the water supply. Recent coverage of the quality of drinking water in Walgett, NSW, again highlights that clean, safe drinking water is not a right in Australia. Walgett residents say the water is unsafe to drink and they’re backed by scientists from the George Institute who report an urgent need to address drinking water quality.

The reasons for poor or limited water supply vary. They include river flows and environmental health issues, infrastructure, and insufficient skilled, credentialed staff available to conduct water quality checks. But understanding the causes is one thing. Taking active steps to address them is another. When clean, safe water doesn’t flow to communities, they are more likely to drink sugar-sweetened beverages. A 2020 study, available here, visited three remote schools with high proportions of Aboriginal students. Initial results, gathered in 2014, found 64% of children regularly drank sugary drinks. Some 5% thought drinking water was “unhealthy”. In some places in Australia that’s true at least some of the time.

The availability of safe drinking water impacts tooth decay, obesity and diseases like diabetes. Australia has drinking water quality guidelines but they are not mandatory.

When cold, filtered water fountains were installed in 2018 that 84% of children at those same schools drank water every day. The percentage who regularly drank sugary drinks shrank to 33% in the intervening four-year period. A follow-up study found towns of lower socioeconomic status were less likely to have access to community drinking water and more likely to have a high Aboriginal population. So, Aboriginal people are particularly disadvantaged by this issue. It also found that in many towns the cheapest drink is soft drink.

To view The Conversation article Drinking fountains in every town won’t fix all our water issues – but it’s a healthy start in full click here.

young ATSI girl drinking from water fountain

Image source: Government News.

Victoria’s budget delivers health funding boost

Yesterday three Victorian Ministers released a joint media release Doing what matters for patients and healthcare workers. They said the Andrews Labor Government is doing what matters: giving our healthcare system – and the dedicated workers who care for Victorians – a $4.9b boost in the Victorian Budget 2023/24. This Budget will deliver on every promise we made to Victorians at the election – with more healthcare workers, new services, the latest equipment and new and upgraded hospitals across the state. That’s on top of more than $54b we’ve invested in our healthcare system – as well as the workers we need to run it – since coming to government in 2014.

Of particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is:

  • $153m to establish 20 new comprehensive women’s health clinics, an Aboriginal-led clinic and a mobile health clinic, nine new women’s sexual and reproductive health hubs, scholarships to expand the women’s health workforce, an inquiry into women’s pain management and 10,800 extra laparoscopy surgeries
  • $2.5m to establish an LGBTIQ+ suicide aftercare service, continue Strong Brother Strong Sister for young Aboriginal Victorians in Geelong and deliver Youth Live4Life for young regional Victorians
  • $256m to support a health‑based response to public intoxication, continue the life-saving North Richmond Medically Supervised Injecting Room and expand our Naloxone and Pharmacotherapy programs
  • $35.1m to Aboriginal community health organisations to deliver 100,000 extra additional Aboriginal community healthcare appointments
  • $86m to increase the time newborns spend with maternal nurses, help mums struggling with breastfeeding, support new dads – and expand our Early Parenting Centre network with a new centre in Northcote and an Aboriginal-led centre in Frankston

To view the Victorian Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas, Minister for Ambulance Services and Mental Health Gabrielle Williams and Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Lizzie Blandthorn’s joint media release Doing what matters for patients and healthcare workers click here.

group of Strong Brother Strong Sister participants & staff holding Aboriginal flag

The Strong Brother Strong Sister program will receive funding under the 2023–24 Victorian budget to continue to operate. Image source: Strong Brother Strong Sister Foundation website.

Copper detected in Yarrabah health service’s tap water

Staff at an Aboriginal community health facility near Cairns have been offered bottled water and precautionary blood tests after tap water at the service was found to contain elevated levels of copper. Testing of the Yarrabah Health Facility’s mains water in March detected the presence of high levels of copper. It’s understood the issue is isolated to the clinic and has not affected the quality of the drinking water in the wider community. Tropical Public Health Services director Richard Gair said investigations into the facility’s plumbing system were ongoing. Meanwhile, bottled water was being provided to staff and visitors.

“The health service has engaged an expert hydraulic engineering firm to investigate the plumbing system within the facility and make recommendations,” Dr Gair said in a statement. He said senior officers from the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, including experts in environmental health and medical doctors, had met twice with staff at the Yarrabah Health Service in May to answer questions and share with them plans to address the water quality issues.

“Any staff who work within the health facility, including Gurriny Yealamucka and Queensland ambulance staff, have been offered a precautionary blood test for elevated copper levels,” Dr Gair said. “The testing is free and voluntary. The drinking water elsewhere in Yarrabah community complies with the Australian drinking water guidelines.”

To view the ABC News article Water at Yarrabah Aboriginal community health precinct found to have elevated copper levels in full click here.

aerial view of Yarrabah, N Qld

Users of the Yarrabah community Aboriginal health facility are on alert. Photo: Brendan Esposito, 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 – Palliative Care Week 2023

During this year’s Palliative Care Week (21–27 May 2023) NACCHO is showcasing some of the amazing programs and resources available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Gwandalan Project is one such program that supports palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. ‘Gwandalan’ is a word from the Darkinjung and Awaba language meaning rest, peace or resting place. For this project, the Gwandalan word represents the spiritual aspect of the palliative and end-of-life journey, with the hope that the spirit is at rest and peace as a result of good palliative care and a ‘good death’.

Education and training materials for the Gwandalan Project aim to support relationships between service providers, frontline staff and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities through cross-cultural education and the sharing of knowledge. This will be achieved through the provision of education and training to support increased capacity in those who care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during their palliative and end-of-life journey. The Gwandalan Project does not address clinical palliative care content but rather, supports the provision of culturally safe and responsive palliative care by upskilling frontline staff to contextualise care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and deliver services in a way which supports a good ‘finishing up’.

Access to all Gwandalan education and training materials, listed below, is free of charge, thanks to funding by the Australian Government under the Public Health and Chronic Disease Care Grant, National Palliative Care Projects.

  • eLearning Modules – a series of engaging eLearning modules to support frontline staff to deliver culturally responsive palliative care
  • Workshops – face-to-face workshops across Australia to learn about delivering culturally safe palliative care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  • Webinars – a series of interactive webinars on various aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander palliative care which expand on the learnings from the Gwandalan online modules

You can find more information on the Gwandalan website here.

tile Gwandalan logo & text 'Gwandalan Supporting Palliative Care for ATSI Communities'

Image source: Gwandalan website.

May 23 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Stan Grant steps down as Q+A moderator

feature tile image of Stan Grant with hand to his heart; text 'The media "is the poison in the bloodstream of our society" - Stan Grant's last stand on ABC's Q+A'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Stan Grant: Q+A presenter cites ‘poison’ of the media as he steps away from ABC show published earlier today in The Guardian.

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.

Stan Grant steps down as Q+A moderator

Last night at the end of the ABC Q&A program presenter Stand Grant explained why he was stepping away from his role as moderator:

“Sometimes, we need to just take time out. Sometimes, our souls are hurting and so it is for me. I’ve had to learn that endurance is not always strength. Sometimes, strength is knowing when to say stop.

“And to those who have sent messages of support, thank you so much. But I’ll be OK. Please, send that support and care to those of my people, and all people who feel abandoned and alone, who are wondering whether they have a place in this country and who don’t have my privileges.

“To those who have abused me and my family, I would just say – if your aim was to hurt me, well, you’ve succeeded, and I’m sorry.

“I’m sorry that I must have given you so much cause to hate me so much, to target me and my family, to make threats against me. I’m sorry. And that’s what yindyamarra means. It means that I am not just responsible for what I do, but for what you do. It’s not just a word. It is sacred. It is what it means to be Wiradjuri. It is the core of my being. It is respect. It is respect that comes from the Earth we are born into. From God. Baiame. If I break that, I lose who I am.

“I am down right now, I am but I will get back up. And you can come at me again, and I will meet you with the love of my people. My people can teach the world to love. As Martin Luther King Jr said of his struggle, ‘We will wear you down with our capacity to all love’.

“Don’t mistake our love for weakness it is our strength. We have never stopped loving and fighting for justice and truth – the hard truths – to speak in our land.

Yindyamarra Winanganha means to live with respect in a world worth living in. And we in the media must ask if we are truly honouring a world worth living in.

“Too often, we are the poison in the bloodstream of our society. I fear the media does not have the love or the language to speak to the gentle spirits of our land. I‘m not walking away for a while because of racism – we get that far too often.

“I’m not walking away because of social media hatred. I need a break from the media. I feel like I’m part of the problem. And I need to ask myself how, or if, we can do it better.

“To my people — I have always wanted to represent you with pride. I know I might disappoint you sometimes but, in my own little way, I’ve just wanted to make us seen. And I‘m sorry that I can’t do that for a little while. To my family – I love you. And to my mum and dad, Balladhu Wiradjuri Gibir Dyirrimadalinya Badhu Wiradjuri Mandang Guwu. Good night.

You can view Stan Grant’s speech on video by clicking this link.

Stan Grant speaking on Q+A Monday 22 May 2023

Stan Grant’s impassioned Q+A speech last night. Image source: The Guardian.

Bowel Cancer – Just Get Screened

Bowel cancer is a preventable cancer and if caught early it can be successfully treated in more than 90% of cases. We know that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in bowel cancer screening means that more cancers will be prevented or detected early, and more lives will be saved.

Next month is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month so in preparation, we are getting in early to remind people between the ages of 50–74 to complete a bowel cancer screening test. It is quick, easy to do and can be done in the comfort of your own home.

 

Birthing healthy, strong babies on Country

Professor Yvette Roe leads a collaborative partnership that is transforming maternity care to promote the best start in life for First Nations children. The partnership is translating the successful Indigenous Birthing in an Urban Setting study (IBUS) into rural, remote and very remote settings.

First Nations mothers are 3–5 times more likely to die in childbirth than other mothers. Their babies are almost 2 times more likely to die in their first year, often because they were born too soon (preterm). Changing this is a priority for closing the gap in First Nations health outcomes. Closing the Gap Target 2 is ‘Children are born healthy and strong’.

Yvette led the IBUS to help close the gap in Brisbane. The exemplar Birthing in Our Community service reduced First Nations preterm births from 14.3% to 8.9%. There were other improvements:

  • more First Nations women were seen in early pregnancy
  • women needed less intervention during birthing
  • more mothers were breastfeeding
  • fewer babies were admitted to neonatal units.

‘We saw all these amazing clinical outcomes that we have not seen before in Australia,’ Yvette says. ‘The Birthing in Our Community service also saw a cost saving of $4810 for every mother-baby pair to the health system, compared to standard care.’

To view the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care article Birthing healthy and strong babies on Country in full click here.

tile: image of Professor Yvette Roe & text ' Medical Research Future Fund - Professor Yvette Roe, Co-Director, Molly Wardaguga, Research Centre, Charles Darwin University

Image source: Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart

The Board of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT (AMSANT) has reconfirmed its strong support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its recommendations regarding the establishment of a constitutionally enshrined ‘Voice to Parliament’ alongside a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making and truth-telling.

At its meeting in Katherine on 12 May, the AMSANT Board considered current circumstances impacting on the recognition and achievement of the Statement’s objectives. “Our Board Directors are strongly of the view that the Uluru Statement from the Heart provides the nation a precious opportunity to begin to resolve our unfinished business and to achieve fundamental change for our people”, said AMSANT Acting Chair, Rob McPhee. “The vision and goodwill that has been offered to the nation through the Statement requires and deserves our trust.”

The AMSANT Board emphasised its strong endorsement of the First Nations-led process that culminated in the National Constitutional Convention at Uluru in May 2017, bringing together First Nations delegates from across Australia to meet and to form a consensus position on the form that constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should take.

To view AMSANT’s media release Supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full click here.

Uluru Statement from the Heart document

Photo: Richard Milnes, Alamy. Image source: The Guardian.

Mental health crises linked to deaths in police ops

Almost half the people involved in critical incidents with NSW police over the past five years were experiencing a mental health crisis, while the number of Indigenous people killed and seriously injured doubled last financial year, according to a new report.

The NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission’s (LECC’s) 5-yearly report into “critical incidents” included seven recommendations including an urgent call for better mental health training for officers. A critical incident is a police operation that results in a death or serious injury. The commission looked at incidents from mid–2017 to mid–2022, of which 12% involved First Nations people. Thirteen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died, while six were seriously injured. Between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people died, while two were seriously injured. That represented at least double the numbers for each of the four years prior.

The report also warns of significant delays to internal investigations of critical incidents. The delays are caused by police practice to wait for the conclusion of criminal or coronial court proceedings before commencing critical incident investigations. “This process can take years,” the report said. “The chance to swiftly improve policies and practices is being missed.”

To view The Guardian article Mental health crises linked to almost half of all deaths or serious injuries in NSW police operations in full click here. You can also read a related ABC News story Man shot dead by police after reports of stabbing in Brisbane suburb of Grange here.

shoulders of NSW police showing NSW Police badge

The NSW Law Enforcement Conduct Commission five-yearly report into critical incident investigations shows 12% involved First Nations people. Photo: Dean Lewins, AAP. Image source: The Guardian.

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 Day – National Palliative Care Week 2023

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says National Palliative Care Week, running from 21−27 May, is a good time to have important conversations about death and dying with loved ones.  The AMA welcomes this year’s National Palliative Care Week with the theme: ‘Matters of Life and Death’ and its special focus on the palliative care workforce and volunteers who support patients and families living with a life-limiting illness.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said  “Death, dying, and bereavement are all unavoidable and integral parts of life, but we struggle with them. Even for health care professionals, reflecting on and discussing death with patients and their families can be profoundly confronting and difficult. We need to be able to have open and frank discussions and be educated about death and dying, so we can normalise and encourage discussion on these topics, both in the medical profession and in the wider community.

“There is a lot to understand about the role and purpose of palliative care, advance care plans, non-beneficial treatment, caring and bereavement. We could all be better prepared if we took the time to look into these issues and what it means for families. National Palliative Care Week is the perfect time to do this.”

The National Palliative Care Week website, available here, profiles a range of health professionals and volunteers highlighting their experience and life lessons in supporting patients and their families with life-limiting illnesses.

The AMA’s Position Statement on End-of-Life Care and Advance Care Planning 2014, available here, lays out what good quality end-of-life care should look like.

You can view the AMA’s media release Matters of life and death should be discussed and normalised in full here and a video on Advance Care Plans especially for mob below.

May 22 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: World first online mental health screening

feature tile image of ATSI mum & newborn; text 'World-first online digital tool helps facilitate faster and more effective perinatal mental health screening'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Why did nobody tell me how hard it would be? The plight of perinatal mental health published in the InPsych 2022 Vol 44 Summer 2022 available on the Australian Psychological Society website here.

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.

World first online mental health screening

Founder and executive director of Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Australia’s peak body for reducing the impacts of perinatal anxiety and depression, and perinatal mental health specialist, Dr Nicole Highet said the COVID-19 pandemic increased the incidence and severity of perinatal depression and anxiety, and had a dramatic effect on the mental health of new and expectant parents. “Becoming a parent is challenging enough, but now new and expectant parents are experiencing the additional long-lasting mental health effects of living through a global pandemic” Dr Highet said.

COPE has developed a world-first online screening program to support the mental health of new and expectant mums. The iCOPE digital screening tool can be used to identify mums at risk and facilitate faster and more effective mental health screening in the perinatal period.  It enables perinatal mental health screening to be undertaken across all clinical settings, from in-person to remote screening via the patient’s mobile phone. “iCOPE is changing the way perinatal mental health screening is conducted across the country to ensure all mums-to-be have the opportunity to undertake regular mental health screening, in line with the National Perinatal Mental Health Guideline,” Dr Highet said.

“It’s now more important than ever to be using this world-leading technology to implement regular, faster and more efficient perinatal mental health screening to identify those at risk and those experiencing symptoms.” The sooner symptoms are detected, the faster the treatment can begin, which is why it’s so important to spot the signs early. The iCOPE screening tool also includes two perinatal mental health screening tools that have been developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: the Kimberly Mum’s Mood Scale and the Mt Isa Postnatal Depression Scale.

To view the Kyabram Free Press article World first online mental health screening service rolled out in Benalla in full click here.

COPE Centre of Perinatal Excellence logo; iCOPE Digital Screening Platform; image of woman using app on iPhone

Image source: COPE website, iCOPE Digital Screening webpage.

New MBS education webpage

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President Dr Nicole Higgins describes the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) as overly complex and difficult to interpret. Dr Higgins says RACGP members frequently report it is difficult to keep up with regular changes to item numbers and claiming rules. In late 2021, the RACGP surveyed members to collect feedback on the value of existing Department of Health and Aged Care resources and what topics GPs would like to see covered in future resources. Responses revealed that there is a lack of awareness around existing resources, and these are underutilised by health providers.

The RACGP have now developed a new publicly accessible webpage, available here, which contains links to Medicare and compliance education resources. Resources are grouped together in one central location so general practitioners (GPs) do not have to search across multiple websites to find what they are looking for. Links are grouped under key themes, which are in alphabetical order. We have also included short descriptions of each resource to help GPs find what they need. This new webpage compiles links to resources such as MBS explanatory notes, fact sheets, education guides, eLearning programs, infographics and case studies. It includes links from various sources, including the Department of Health and Aged Care, Professional Services Review, Services Australia and the RACGP.

Dr Higgins said that while there has been extensive discussion about the need for more education on the MBS and the RACGP is working to identify gaps by reviewing existing materials, there is a range of useful resources already available that GPs may not know about. Dr Higgins said the RACGP is encouraging GPs to bookmark this webpage and RACGP staff will continue to add to it as new resources become available.

RACGP logo & ribbon of MBS Medicare compliance - Summary of useful links on website

Helping improve LGBTIQ+ workplace inclusion

The Victorian government is supporting hundreds of service organisations across the state become more inclusive for queer communities. Last week Premier Daniel Andrews and Equality Minister Harriet Shing announced the state government is investing $1.85m for Rainbow Health Australia to deliver inclusion training to service organisations to make sure they are safe and trusted by the LGBTIQ+ community.

Rainbow Health Australia is a trusted organisation located in the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, supporting LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing through research, training and resources. This investment will support up to 400 organisations to undertake Rainbow Health Australia’s training program How2 – helping them improve LGBTIQ+ inclusion in their workplaces in a sustainable way, including by developing and implementing an inclusion plan.

Rainbow Health Australia will also partner with an Aboriginal-led organisation to come up with the best approach for supporting Aboriginal-led organisations as they undertake this work. It will also create networks of organisations that have completed the program, providing a place to share experiences and advice.

To view the Premier of Victoria the Hon. Daniel Andrews’ media release Building LGBTIQ+ inclusion across Victoria article in full click here.

rainbow flag

Image source: La Trobe University website.

Integrated practice models key to tackling elder abuse

Elder abuse is a serious problem in Australia and across the globe, with one in six Australians over 65 years of age experiencing abuse. Elder abuse occurs when a person causes harm or distress to an older person. Elder abuse can be psychological, financial, physical, sexual, or neglect. Adult children and family members (including intimate partners) most commonly perpetrate elder abuse.

Established by Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC) and its partners Eastern Health and Oonah Health & Community Services Aboriginal Corporation, the ELSA and ROSE programs were created in 2019 as part of the National Plan to respond to the abuse of older Australians, funded by the Commonwealth Government. ELSA and ROSE provide integrated practice models that combine lawyers and other community service professionals including elder abuse advocates (often social workers) and financial counsellors to provide a wrap-around service for those experiencing elder abuse.

Michael Smith, ECLC CEO says that the Centre is proud of its ongoing work to prevent, intervene early and respond to elder abuse. “The ROSE and ELSA programs demonstrate that collaborative approaches improve access for older people needing assistance and the wrap around service model works to provide the best level of support for victim survivors in the community,” said Smith.

To view the Star Mail article Integrated practice models key to tackling elder abuse in full click here. The below video is one a number of resources included in the Queensland Government’s Together we can stop elder abuse campaign available here.

How Wreck Bay was left asking “who will die next?”

A two-year investigation has revealed devastating sickness and death in an Indigenous community located next to a defence base that used toxic firefighting foam. When Peggy Carter, a resident of the Aboriginal villiage, Wreck Bay, died in 2019 at the age of 39, following a short struggle with a savage cancer, the three children she cared for lost their world.

Residents of Wreck Bay, on the edge of Jervis Bay’s southern peninsula, 200 kms south of Sydney, know more about grief than most. They say sickness and death cast an ever-present pall over their community. An assault of heart attacks, kidney disease, cancer after cancer. Aunty Jean, 90, said she was one of the few locals who had survived to see old age. “There’s no old men and no old women in Wreck Bay,” she said. “There used to be.” Locals have despaired in their search for answers. What was going wrong in Wreck Bay? Was it hereditary? Bad luck? Something more sinister?

The penny dropped when the Department of Defence disclosed that toxic chemicals in its firefighting foam – known as “forever chemicals” or PFAS – had been seeping into the community’s waterways, food supply and sacred sites for at least three decades. Paradise Poisoned, a two-year investigation by this masthead in conjunction with Stan, iKandy Films and Shark Island Foundation, has delved into the immense loss of life in the community of 400 people and the devastation wrought on their ancient cultural practices by the toxic chemicals. A politician, a doctor and a water board employee all sounded the alarm about a potential cancer cluster in the village, which has recorded some of the worst rates of premature death in Australia.

To view The Sydney Morning Herald article Paradise Poisoned: How the idyllic town of Wreck Bay was left asking ‘Who’s going to die next?’ in full click here.

Wreck Bay (NSW) resident Aunty Jean Carter sitting of rocks at beach

Resident Aunty Jean Carter is amongst those speaking out about fears of a cancer cluster in the Aboriginal community of Wreck Bay. Photo: Rhett Wyman. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

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 Palliative Care Week 2023

National Palliative Care Week (NPCW) runs from Sunday 21 to Saturday 27 May 2023 and aims to put ‘Matters of Life and Death’ front and centre in Australia’s consciousness. Camilla Rowland, CEO at Palliative Care Australia (PCA) says, “We understand that death and dying is a difficult subject to talk about and engage with, but this year we have some powerful voices joining the campaign to inspire and start important conversations. The ‘people at the heart of quality palliative care’ – our workforce and volunteers, have opened their hearts to share the life lessons they learn everyday as they provide care and support to people and families living with a life limiting illness.”

“NPCW and the stories we’ll share will open the door on the full scope and impact of palliative care and the quality of life it delivers. I hope it provides a moment of reflection for all Australians to think about and plan for the last chapter of life,” Ms Rowland says.  

Film screenings and a host of other events will make for a busy NPCW around the country. A full list of events as well as a range tools to help grow awareness of palliative care can be found on the PCA’s National Palliative Care Week 2023 – ‘Matters of Life and Death’ webpage here.

May 12 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Nurse shortage highlighted on International Nurses Day

feature tile image male & female ATSI health workers & patient; text 'Many communities in need of skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workers'

The image in the feature tile is the article $1.1 million grant to research shortage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives published on the a Charles Sturt University News webpage on 16 November 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.

Nurse shortage highlighted on International Nurses Day

Jane Jones has spent over two decades of her career working in healthcare. A finalist for Elder of the Year, she’s got two decades working with ACCHO, Derbarl Yerrigan, in Boorloo (Perth) under her belt. Inspired by her mum, her daughter Tamara Jones followed in her footsteps and became a midwife. On International Nurses Day, the duo acknowledges the need for more skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workers in many communities.

According to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, only 1.4% of registered nurses and midwives in Australia identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. However, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives has increased in the last 10 years with 3,216 First Nations nurses registered in 2019 compared to 1,721 in 2010.

As a Whadjuk, Ballardong and Willman midwife, Tamara knows her patients having culturally appropriate care, is one of the most important parts of her job. Working as a midwife at Wirraka Maya Health Service, a NACCHO member, she runs into points of cultural difference all the time. “The biggest problem with not having an understanding of our culture is that you don’t know how people are living,” Tamara said. “For instance in hospitals they’re just seeing them for 15 minutes, they’re just doing the investigations they need to do and they’re not doing that yarning. In the long run, women are going through sorry business, there are family or domestic violence situations or for some reason they’ve stopped going to see their health provider because they don’t think they’re being heard.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal mother-daughter duo shine light on nurse shortage on International Nurses Day in full click here.

Nurse Jane Jones and her daughter, midwife Tamara Jones

Nurse Jane Jones and her daughter, midwife Tamara Jones. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

ACCHO makes social impact architecture award shortlist

The shortlist for the inaugural ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact has been revealed. The award recognizes projects that promote the common good. It has been conceived to reward practice that preferences empathy over aesthetics, extending the spatial possibilities of architecture to advance the discipline and to empower its users. Projects may relate to social cohesion, racial justice, inclusive housing, accessibility, equity, social sustainability or other areas where design can make a difference to society. This accolade is the only national recognition of this type of work within Australia.

“In recent years, there has been a shift in architectural approach – with emphasis placed on the relationship of a building to its community or users, rather than simply on the built form itself. This increasing focus on social values is something we’d like to celebrate, promote and encourage – prompting us to the launch of the ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact,” said jury chair and editorial director of Architecture Media, Katelin Butler. “The inaugural shortlist demonstrates the multitude of ways that our built environment can have an impact – from taking research into practice and deep community engagement to providing economy opportunities and fostering social cohesion.”

From 139 entries, 39 including Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services have been shortlisted by the jury,  The winner of the prize will be announced on 27 June, 2023 on ArchitectureAU.com and in the July/August issue of Architecture Australia magazine.

To view the ArchitectureAU article The inaugural ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact shortlist revealed in full click here.

collage 4 images Winnunga new health clinic exterior, reception, architect plan

WNAHCS new, purpose-built facility. Images: top two – Canberra City News; bottom two Judd Studio.

Mums hiding pregnancies for fear of losing babies

About 20% of Aboriginal children reported to authorities over concerns for their safety before birth were removed from their mothers within the first three months of life in Victoria in 2021. For Aboriginal children the rate was 21.5% compared to 13.5% for non-Aboriginal children. The stark figures were revealed as Department of Families, Fairness and Housing associate secretary Argiri Alisandratos gave evidence at the Yoorrook Justice Commission  yesterday. He was asked why pregnant women were not allowed to know details about reports against them before giving birth.

Senior counsel Fiona McLeod pointed to previous evidence that often the very first person those mothers saw after delivery was a child protection officer. “I’d be extremely concerned if the very first person in a birthing suite is a child protection practitioner, that clearly is far from ideal,” Mr Alisandratos replied.

Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter said she was among many Aboriginal mothers who were worried about unborn notifications. “The reality of our mothers when they’re pregnant (is) thinking these children are going to be removed before they’re even born,” Ms Hunter said. “If I’m emotional about this (it’s) because it’s the truth, you go to hospital and you’re so worried about a notification happening. You become pregnant, you don’t want to tell anybody.” Mr Alisandratos revealed 40% of all child protection reports about Aboriginal children met the threshold to be investigated, compared to 29% for the total population.

To view the National Indigenous Times article High rate of Aboriginal babies taken from mothers in full click here.

Yoorrook Justice Commission - Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter

Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter says Aboriginal mothers are hiding pregnancies for fear of losing their babies. Photo: James Ross, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Historical trauma, old men and suicide

In a recent article, Bob Morgan, a highly respected and acknowledged Aboriginal educator/researcher who has worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally in the field of Aboriginal knowledge and learning for over 40 years, says

I’ve always been concerned about the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal men in particular, and men generally, and to develop a better understanding of what men were experiencing in an ever-changing world.  I designed and hosted a number of men’s gatherings, where I sat in talking and sharing circles with other men, including Dr Mark Winatong, and non-Aboriginal friends and colleagues, to hear the stories of men’s journeys as they talked openly about the low and high points of their life. The men who attended these gatherings were sons, brothers, uncles, husbands, grandfathers and partners, and all of us were flawed in some way, filled with grief and regrets, but determined to be, and do better, as men. 

The men ranged in age from late teens to older men in the 70s or 80s, some of whom were Elders with years of accumulated life experiences and wisdom.  The diversity between and within the men served to enrich us, and we worked hard to ensure that difference didn’t divide us. One issue that kept emerging during these gathering was historical trauma, and how it affected the mental health of Indigenous men, including associated illnesses such as suicide or suicide ideation. Data from the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) illustrate a situation involving suicide and older male Australians that should be of urgent concern to all Australians. The ABS stats show that for men over 85, the rate of suicide is more than three times the national average. Not enough work is being done to better understand why old men are suiciding at such a rate. 

To view the Echo article Historical trauma, old men and suicide in full click here.

Youth justice needs Indigenous-led solutions

All security footage from within WA youth detention facilities Banksia Hill and Unit 18 should be surrendered to an independent body for review, justice advocates said yesterday. At a press conference held in response to the major disturbance at Banksia Hill this week, Megan Krakouer of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project said “80 to 85% of the abuses (occurring in the youth detention system) are not known (by the public)”.

“If the WA government has nothing to hide whatsoever, they will hand (the footage) over,” she said. Ms Krakouer called for an independent inquiry into the youth detention and justice systems. Ms Krakouer and her National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project colleague Gerry Georgatos have collected testimony from 100s of current and former Banksia Hill detainees for a class action. Stewart Levitt of Levitt Robinson law firm said the statements of claim for the class action would be filed next week.

Dana Levitt from Levitt Robinson law firm said staff in Banksia Hill, particularly in the intensive support unit, were not properly equipped to deliver the environment needed by young detainees. “The intensive support unit is more like an intensive suicide unit… we have kids in there self-harming and attempting suicide at rates that are beyond belief,” she said. “Instead of attracting people who want to help kids, (the Department) is attracting people who want to hurt kids… There is an abject lack of respect for these children.” Mr Georgatos called for a strong focus on support, nurture and psychological care for young detainees to address their trauma and other conditions so they can escape the cycle of re-offending and incarceration. Professor of public health, Ted Wilkes, said the mental health crisis in the youth justice system needs an Indigenous-led solution.”It is a public health emergency for our children. Us Aboriginal leaders seem to get neglected in terms of our knowledge.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Justice advocates urge WA government to hand over security video from youth prisons in full click here.

people at Banksia Hill juvenile detention holding placards 'Shame on you McGowan' ' Rehabilitate not incarcerate'

Protesters at Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre. Image source: ABC News.

New Indigenous aged care home – Whynnum

The former Wynnum Hospital site has been handed over to the Winnam Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Corporation, as the site will be used for a new indigenous health and aged care facility. The hospital will be demolished and a new health hub and 30-bed residential aged care facility, including palliative care beds, will be built.

“The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recommended the aged care system improve their specific provisions for the diverse needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – and we are doing just that,” said Aged Care Minister Anika Wells.

“This development is one of four First Nations aged care services across Australia receiving a collective $115m in funding through the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program (ACCAP) to construct new culturally safe, purpose-built facilities. The handover of the site has been a number of years in the making and it’s great to see it finally come to fruition,” said Winnam Chair Aunty Becky. “The planned redevelopment of the site into a wellbeing precinct hub will be a huge asset to the community.”

To view The Weekly Source article Former QLD regional hospital handed over to local community group for new Indigenous aged care home in full click here.

3 ATSI dancers smoking ceremony for handing over of site for new ATSI aged care home


Former QLD regional hospital handed over to local community group for new Indigenous aged care home. Image source: Yvette D’Ath, Facebook – The Weekly Source.

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.

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – 17 May

Wednesday 17 May 2023 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. It is an important day to remember why we fight for safe, affirming and culturally appropriate care for all LGBTIQ+ communities.

You can find out how your workplace or organisation can show your support for fighting LGBTQ+ discrimination here. You can also access LGBTIQ+ Health Australia’s website here. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, (formerly the National LGBTI Health Alliance), is the national peak health organisation in Australia for organisations and individuals that provide health-related programs, services and research focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people and other sexuality, gender and bodily diverse (LGBTIQ+) people and communities.

globe wrapped with rainbow ribbon; text 'international day against homophobia, transphobia & biphobia - 17 May

Image sources: The World Bank and the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Apr 17 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: PSA launches health care position statement

feature tile; image ATSI man & woman speaking to pharmacist; text 'PSA ATSI people's Healthcare Position Statement drafted in consultation with NACCHO'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Concerns Queensland pharmacy trials will ‘widen the gap’ published in the RACGP newsGP on 24 February 2022. Image source: APP photos.

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

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

PSA launches health care position statement

On Friday last week The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) launched its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health care position statement, which is says recognises culturally safe care and equity of health care access as critical drivers to improving health outcomes. The statement was drafted in consultation with the NACCHO, reaffirming the importance of genuine partnerships and shared decision-making.

In collaboration, PSA and NACCHO have pioneered onsite pharmacists within their network, a program that has been successful. The PSA says it will continue to work to make this service available to as many patients as possible. The PSA said it values its ongoing collaborative relationship with NACCHO and is committed to the principles of community control and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In co-design with NACCHO, the PSA said it has delivered key initiatives including the Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to Improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC)  trial and development of the Deadly Pharmacists Foundation Training Course to equip pharmacists with the skills needed to work within ACCHOs.

PSA National President Dr Fei Sim FPS said that the statement demonstrates pharmacists’ commitment to enhancing the life expectancy, health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “The 2022 Closing the Gap Annual Report highlighted that the target to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation, while trending in a positive direction, is not on track.

To view the APP medianet. article Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health care statement advocates for improved equity of access in full click here.

PSA Twitter tile, PSA logo, Aboriginal dot painint navy, mauve, tan, blue & text 'ATSI people's health care position statement'

Twitter PSA post 14 April 2023.

Elder abuse program hailed a success

In independent review has hailed the success of two programs run in partnership by two local organisations to combat elder abuse. The programs, run by Eastern Health and the Eastern Community Legal Centre (ECLC), have been earmarked for expansion. A launch at Eastern Health’s Box Hill office was attended by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on Wednesday 12 April to release the report into the first three years of the Engaging and Living Safely and Autonomously (ELSA) and Rights of Seniors in the East (ROSE) programs.

ECLC partnered with Eastern Health to launch ELSA and ROSE in 2019, and the programs “have achieved their goals to the highest possible levels” and support the adaption of the ELSA and ROSE models to other geographical locations and their continuation and expansion” according to the report. Eastern Health CEO David Plunkett said “One key aspect that is discussed at length in this report is collaboration with community partners. We know the needs of our community are changing, in fact the proportion of our population over 85 years is set to grow by 75% by the year 2036.”

The ROSE program features a community lawyer, elder abuse advocate, and financial counsellor to respond to older people experiencing or at risk of abuse, working in partnership with Oonah Health and Community Services Aboriginal Corporation and other community partners.

To read the Star Mail article Elder abuse program partnership hailed a success by independent review in full click here. The video below from the Queensland Government’s Stop Elder Abuse campaign, available here.

Spare by cyclone but evacuees unable to return

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa has made its passage through WA but many evacuees from the Great Sandy Desert are yet to return home with remote communities cut off by floodwaters. Pilbara leaders are relieved remote communities went largely unscathed as Isla maintained her strength travelling inland. But authorities said it was difficult to predict when waters would recede, roads would dry out, and residents would be able to return home.

Inland communities such as Punmu and Parnngurr evacuated children and vulnerable residents ahead of Ilsa’s passage, while small numbers of remaining residents and staff sheltered in the limited cyclone-rated accommodation available. Martu leader Bruce Booth said people did the right thing by evacuating, but not being able to return to community was challenging.

To read the ABC News story Remote Indigenous communities spared by Cyclone Ilsa but evacuees unable to return home in full click here.

Road access to the remote community Punmu cut off after Cyclone Ilsa

Road access to the remote community Punmu has been cut off after Cyclone Ilsa. Photo: Edith Costello. Image source: ABC News.

Conference an attempt to solve NT housing crisis

Nine out of 10 people experiencing homelessness in the NT are Aboriginal. In an attempt to solve the housing crisis, Aboriginal Housing NT is hosting a three-day conference from Tuesday 18 April 2023. The group’s chief executive Skye Thompson said Indigenous people deserved sustainable long-term housing solutions. “We have got a lot of work to do, we want long term investment in our ACCOs to deliver the housing-related services to Aboriginal people,” she told AAP. “We know that they do it best for our people.”

Organisers are expecting about 200 delegates from around Australia to attend. Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and Assistant Minister Malarndirri McCarthy will address the conference. So too will heads of First Nations agencies, directors of corporations that serve Aboriginal homelands and community members. “It’s clear that if housing is neglected in remote communities, those issues can compound and come into major centres including Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs,” Senator McCarthy said.

To read the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader article ‘Work to do’: Aboriginal leaders want housing solutions in full click here.

Gwen Brown, 68, standing outside her tin shed house in Tennant Creek

Gwen Brown, 68, says her Tennant Creek home can become stiflingly hot during heatwaves. Photo: Gwen Brown. Image source ABC News.

2050: how’s our health system holding up?

So much of our day-to-day attention is focused on the problems facing healthcare systems now. Lifting our gaze to envision the likely future challenges – say in 2050 – can help set a course forward. In the first of a two-part series, Croakey editor Jennifer Doggett gazes into a health policy crystal ball, providing advice to the policymakers of today around five key themes: health financing; workforce; technology; climate and planetary health; and patient and community involvement in healthcare.

One example given in the article of changing primary healthcare teams is cohealth’s recent move towards making peer navigators a key role in healthcare teams. According to Dr Kim Webber, “Peer navigators understand the system and speak the language of both consumers and providers. They are the key people to join up the system, a role we currently expect GPs to perform but which does not usually occur. We can learn how this works from Aboriginal Health Workers here – they are ten years ahead of the rest of the health system.”

Australia clearly needs to establish a comprehensive health and aged care workforce planning process to set the foundation for a future health workforce that can meet our healthcare needs. Without robust planning and the political will to resist pressure from professional vested interest groups, the most likely scenario in 2030 will be a hyper-concentration of health professionals in areas of high income where they can generate supplier-induced demand. Meanwhile, many other areas, including disadvantaged communities and rural and regional areas, will have little or no access to healthcare.

To view the Croakey Health Media article It’s 2050. How is our health system holding up? in full click here.

Image source; AMA website.

Health workforce older and more female

Women made up 44% of medical practitioners in 2021, up from 41.6% five years before. In 2021 women made up 76.3% of the health practitioners across 15 health professions, a significant increase of 0.5% since 2016, and 44.4% of medical practitioners, with implications for workplace planning and sustainability. Research published in the Australian Health Review used AHPRA registration data to analyse 15 of the 16 regulated health professions between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2021. The total number of registered health professionals increased by 22% (141,161) to 784,421 in that time, and the number per 100,000 population increased by 14% from 2016.

“Demographic trends in the Australian health workforce parallel those in the broader population,” wrote the authors, led by Dr Sarah Anderson, AHPRA’s manager of research analytics and insights. “Some health professions have aged considerably since the mid-1980s … [and there have been] shifts towards feminisation in parts of the health workforce. “This presents unique workforce planning issues, such as the retention of practitioners approaching retirement age or experiencing age-related disabilities and the need to improve understanding of gender-sensitive, supportive working environments.”

There was a 32% growth in the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, with 2.42 per 100,000 population in 2016 jumping to 3.19 in 2021. Almost 80% of them are female, a number that has remained steady of the study period.

To read the Medical Republic article Health workforce getting older and more female in full click here.

Derby's first Aboriginal GP Vinka Barunga at a hospital desk with stethoscope around her neck

Worrora woman Vinka Barunga is Derby’s first Aboriginal doctor. Image source: Pelican Magazine.

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.

Apr 3 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Sod turned on Elders’ independent living project

feature tile; Leonie & 'Big Al' Harris with BADAC CEO Karen Heap at turning of the sod for supported residential village

The image in the feature tile is of Leonie and Alan ‘Big Al’ Harris with BADAC CEO Karen Heap (middle). Image source: the article Supported residential village for First Nations elders in Bakery Hill set for completion late 2023 published in The Courier on 31 March 2023. Photo: Adam Trafford.

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

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

Sod turned on Elders’ independent living project

Aboriginal Elders in Ballarat will soon have access to a culturally specific independent living village, thanks to support from the Andrews Labor Government. On Friday last week Minister for Regional Development Harriet Shing met with representatives of the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC) to turn the first sod on the Elders’ Independent Living Community, backed by a $2.6m investment from the Labor Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund.

Located near Ballarat’s city centre, the village will help older Aboriginal people share their culture and lead their communities. The project includes 8 self-contained units, a central hall for community meals, treatment rooms for medical personnel and a vegetable garden. It will enable Elders to live independently while receiving care. Ballarat-based D.R.A.R. Constructions will build the village, creating 160 jobs during construction and four ongoing roles at BADAC once complete. Cultural themes and spaces are being designed in consultation with Elders.

There are more than 700 Aboriginal people aged 45 and over across five local government areas in western Victoria – including Ballarat, Moorabool, Hepburn, Golden Plains and Pyrenees – who may need support as they get older.

To view The National Tribune article Supporting Aboriginal Elders in Ballarat in full click here.

BDAC CEO Karen Heap

CEO of the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative, Karen Heap says she does not want to put residents in a place where it feels like an institution again. Photo: Christopher Testa, ABC Ballarat.

Podcast aims to raise health literacy

A new podcast called Coffee on Country launched last week aims to raise health literacy among the local indigenous community. There will be an initial six episodes, many featuring notable Indigenous and non-Indigenous health professionals and community members discussing topical health concerns and general health awareness.

It’s the brainchild of the First Nations Health Team at Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network and Community Engagement Officer, Josh Fuller, says the podcast will provide a better understanding of First Nations health in a holistic approach. “The gap is only getting wider, so it’s time we start to increase health literacy,” he said. “The podcast gives us a platform to reach our communities across the Central Coast, Hunter and New England areas especially our mob from rural or remote areas who we wouldn’t cross paths with every day.

“The podcast provides us with a platform to yarn about the health programs available, interview guests, have a laugh and to educate people on our health care system. We want our communities to understand who the Primary Health Network is, what we do, and how they can access services to be proactive about their health care. Voice is a powerful tool that can reach far and wide and my co-host Robbie and I are feeling very grateful to have this platform to be able share these conversations and people’s stories.”

To view the Community Coast News article Podcast raising awareness about Indigenous health in full click here.

Josh Fuller & Robbie Watson recording Coffee on Country podcast

Josh Fuller and Robbie Watson recording the Coffee on Country podcase. Image source: Coast Community News.

New model to deliver mental health, AOD support

Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) has appointed a team of highly experienced health care agencies to deliver improved mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) services in the Geelong Otway region. Neami National, Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, Drummond Street Services and Windana Drug and Alcohol Recovery have been chosen to run the new Regional Care Partnerships mental health and AOD (alcohol and other drugs) program that will start from 1 July 2023. More than $3.5m in funding has been allocated each year for three years towards the program.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative chief executive officer Simon Flagg said the co-operative prided itself on offering a holistic service to the community. “The importance of having integrated care through physical health, mental health and AOD support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and those services being delivered by trusted people in culturally safe environments, is so important.”

The introduction of the new service model for mental health and AOD support follows a lengthy consultation process involving people with lived experience, their families and carers, and the health professionals who are responsible for delivering care. WVPHN will transition to the new model over the next three months.

To view the Bellarine Times article New model to deliver mental health, AOD support in full click here.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative (WAC) CEO Simon Flagg. Image source: WAC website.

Australia has lost a giant – Yunupingyu

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, says Australia has lost a giant. Yunupingu, a Yolngu man of the Gumatj clan, has passed away. A pioneer of the Aboriginal land rights movement, including the landmark Gove Land Rights case and the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, in 1978 Yunupingu was named Australian of the Year. Yunupingu served as the Chair of the Northern Land Council for 23 years.

He worked with more than 10 PMs of Australia on the struggle for Indigenous recognition, and lived through the many disappointments. Yunupingu hosted PM Albanese at Garma last year when the government committed to holding a referendum on constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament.

To view the The Hon Linda Burney MP – Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy – Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health and Marion Scrymgour MP – Member for Lingiari joint media release Yunupingu in full click here.

A related article ‘A giant of the nation’: Indigenous leader Yunupingu dies, aged 74 published today in The Sydney Morning Herald, available here, described Yunupingu as “one of the most prominent and influential Indigenous leaders of the past century” – he advanced Aboriginal rights, particularly land rights, under successive governments, was outspoken about education and housing availability for Yolngu peoples, and more recently focused on the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. His passing brought immediate tributes from national leaders, who praised his passion and dedication to his people.

Yunupingu, pictured in 2019 with toddler on knee in ceremonial body paint, surrounded by young male child & youth in ceremonial body paint

Yunupingu, pictured in 2019, has died at the age of 74. Photo: Peter Eve, Yothu Yindi Foundation. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

Victoria’s suicide rate “deeply concerning”

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

The rate of suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria makes for “sobering” reading, says the CEO of Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS). A recent report by the Coroners Court of Victoria revealed that, despite a slight decline in 2022, the number of suicides among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria continued to be high. The report found between 2018 and 2022, the rate of deaths by suicide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 27.4 per 100,000, compared to a rate of 10.6 per 100,000 for non-Indigenous people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicides happened more frequently in regional areas (52.8%) than metropolitan areas (47.2%). For non-Indigenous people, 65.7% of suicides happened in metropolitan Melbourne.

MDAS cCEO Darlene Thomas said the report highlighted the ongoing divide between metropolitan and regional areas, particularly in relation to Aboriginal people. She said it was “deeply concerning” that three years on from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, and 14 years on from the launch of Closing the Gap, we were still seeing Aboriginal people disproportionately represented in suicide rates. She said this showed a need for increased funding for wrap-around support services with a focus on early intervention and prevention.

Reflecting on what she believed must be done to address the issue, Ms Thomas said that while there had been notable investment in mental health awareness activities, it should be matched with targeted funding for regional services. “We know the need is there, we see it every day and these latest statistics paint the picture – if you live in a regional area, and you’re struggling with mental health issues, you’re less likely to get a good outcome,” Ms Thomas said. “This should not be the case. Geography should not dictate health outcomes any more than cultural background should.”

To view the Sunraysia Daily article Indigenous suicide concern in full click here.

MDAS CEO Darlene Thomas

MDAS CEO Darlene Thomas. Image source: Sunraysia Daily.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Still battling to rebuild months after record floods

Communities in WA’s northernmost region are still battling to rebuild, months after record flooding and widespread damage. Although ringing in the New Year amid torrential rains and the threat of cyclones isn’t unusual for those living in the state’s far north, this year saw strange weather activity that caused a local river to smash previous flood records.

The damage to transport infrastructure effectively cut Fitzroy Crossing off from the rest of the state, and caused massive food shortages at supermarkets across the Kimberley, with supplies unable to be trucked in from Perth or the NT. Now, nearly three months on from the “one in 100 year flood event,” as it was often referred to by WA’s Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson, the clean-up and recovery effort is still under way.

Wheatbelt Development Commission chief executive Rob Cossart was appointed state recovery co-ordinator in late January. He said his focus for the region has been social recovery, but also economic recovery. “A big focus of the role has been meeting with the community … working across the community with state government, the commonwealth, not for profits, and the Aboriginal corporations to co-ordinate flood recovery,” said Mr Cossart. “The role is about ensuring the delivery of that recovery is meeting the needs of the community, and making sure our recovery initiatives are on track.”

To view the news.com.au article Kimberley Floods: Three months since “one in 100 year” disaster in full click here.

young Aboriginal girl & boy with Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health donated critical non-food items

Fitzroy flood affected community members with donated critical non-food items, organised by the Foundation for Indigenous Sustainable Health (FISH) team. Photo: FISH. Image source: news.com.au.

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.

World Autism Awareness Day 2023

April 2, World Autism Awareness Day, has been an officially sanctioned United Nations General Assembly Day of Observance since 2008, with this year’s theme being “Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts and in policymaking”.

This year, Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) asked the Autistic community what they would like people to know if they find out that a person is Autistic. The most important message is that no two Autistic people are the same and that autism may not be what you think it is. It’s not a one-size-fits all approach and there is so much misunderstanding out in the public. You can access the Autism Spectrum Australia website here to find out more about autism and what changes you can make to help support and celebrate Autistic people and get a better understanding of why awareness is not enough!

According to the Macquarie University We Look After Our Own Mob research, very little is known about how autism is understood and supported in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including First Nations People. As a result, there are very few culturally-sensitive resources and teaching materials available. You can also view an article on the launch of the first major report into autism in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, conducted by researchers at Macquarie University here.

Positive Partnerships, is a national project funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment through the Helping Children with Autism package, has created a vast array of dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources to create opportunities for a more inclusive culture where Autistic students belong and thrive. The resources, which include books, videos, podcasts, storyboards and talking points, have been developed with the support, guidance and input of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, schools and communities across the country, and can help guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family’s conversations about how children and students learn and behave.

Below is a short video from Autism Queensland featuring a young boy called Ned created to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families understand and recognise the early signs of Autism.

Mar 15 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Genuine engagement needed over consultation

feature tile text 'NACCHO Chairperson tells conference that Governments need to recognise they do not have the answers; image of Donnella Mills

The image in the feature tile has been extracted from a YouTube video of NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills sharing her message on COIVD-19 and the vaccines in early 2021.

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

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

Genuine engagement needed over consultation

The Australia and NZ School of Government’s (ANZSOG’s) 2023 First Nations Public Administration Conference, held earlier this month, focused on the importance of genuine engagement rather than consultation. Delegates supported a strengths-based approach to policy and programs which recognised First Nations knowledge and culture. The conference was divided into four sessions based around the priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. These were: formal partnerships and shared decision-making; building the First Nations community-controlled sector; transforming Government organisations, and shared data and access to information.

Chair of the NACCHO, Donnella Mills told the conference that Governments needed to recognise they did not have the answers, and that Indigenous people would “work harder than anyone else to take care of our people”. She said structural reform was needed to change the way power was distributed. “If the National Agreement on Closing the Gap isn’t on your desk; if you can’t rattle off the priority reforms, if your Agency hasn’t resourced it — you need to lean in, and quickly. We are now in a new way of operating,” Ms Mills said.

The conference featured more than 20 First Nations speakers who discussed the transformation that was happening in First Nations policy. They outlined how approaches that included First Nations knowledge, perspectives and values could serve the wider public and First Nations interests — and how Governments needed to change to better serve First Nations communities.

To view the PS News article ANZSOC conference backs PS Indigenous in full click here.

portrait shots of John Paterson, AMSANT CEO & Robert Skeen, AH&MRC CEO

AMSANT CEO John Paterson and AH&MRC CEO Robert Skeen, were both speakers on Day Two of the conference. Image sources: ANZSOG website and AH&MRC website.

$32m+ for First Nations health research projects

Through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), nearly 200 ground-breaking medical research projects will share in more than $382m in grants, including more than $32m to improve First Nations health. The projects will help Australia’s outstanding medical researchers, including clinician researchers, discover new ways to diagnose, treat and care for people with a variety of health conditions. They will also support early and mid-career researchers and give more Australians access to clinical trials.

Research projects on cardiovascular disease, primary and preventive health care, respiratory diseases, maternal health, mental health and First Nations health, will receive funding to progress important work.

Two innovative First Nations-led projects to receive funding are:

University of Newcastle – $2m – Gulibaa (Coolamon) Project
This will be a co-designed model of care supporting Aboriginal mothers across NSW to be smoke-free in pregnancy and beyond. The project will co-design, embed in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, and evaluate a group-based smoking cessation program.

The Sax Institute – $1.5m – Healthy Ageing for Aboriginal people
This project will evaluate the implementation and uptake of prevention programs to support healthy ageing amongst Aboriginal people. The Institute will collaborate with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services which run holistic and culturally safe preventive healthy ageing programs for their communities.

Of the 193 projects funded, 19 grants worth more than $32.3m are related to First Nations health and a further 13 grants worth more than $16.9m are related to mental health.

To view the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care’s media release Nearly $400 million for exceptional medical research projects including projects to improve First Nations health in full click here.

Aboriginal woman's hands on pregnant belly; male & 2 female ATSAI Elders, MRFF logo

Image sources: SBS; Aged Care Online website; Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Program to help teens get a good night’s sleep

Karen Chong is the world’s first Indigenous sleep coach. “We are the people of the Dreamtime with the oldest continuing culture shaped by dreams, which is why I became a sleep coach and I want to train others,” she said. Mother of seven and grandmother of 10 Ms Chong, a Waanyi Garawa Gangalida woman, knows all too well how much harder parenting can be if your kids aren’t sleeping properly. “If they weren’t having a proper night’s sleep, they were waking up cranky and moody and it affects their eating too,” she said. “The biggest issue I’ve had with my two girls is that they want to stay up all night on their phones – if you’re a parent you’ll know what kids are like.”

The University of Queensland and Beyond Blue have partnered to deliver culturally responsive sleep health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents in Queensland. Project lead Associate Professor Yaqoot Fatima from UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health said Indigenous teens experience up to twice the rates of poor sleep as other adolescents. “Poor sleep can be caused by medical conditions like sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome, or behavioural issues such as an irregular bedtime, late nights, and not getting enough sleep,” she said.

“Indigenous adolescents sleep better when they feel connected to their culture, which is why this program is important.” The 10-week Sleep for Strong Souls program is holding workshops with more than a hundred 12-18-year-olds in north and western Queensland communities.

To view the Kyabram Free Press article Indigenous sleep coach wants a score of 40 winks all in full click here.

ATSI teenage school kids looking at table of Sleep for Strong Souls program resources with coach

The Sleep for Strong Souls program is aiming to help Indigenous teenagers get a good night’s sleep. Image source: Kyabram Free Press.

Conference to examine rural health challenges

The challenges facing the rural health system are well-documented and well-known: difficulty attracting and retaining staff, fewer resources, lack of access to services, and building capacity and resilience in times of disaster and emergency. The 2023 Shoalhaven Rural Health Research Conference aims to unpack many of these issues, and more, while focusing on how to improve rural health services through collaboration, research and innovation.

The inaugural, nation-wide conference will be held at the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Shoalhaven Campus on Saturday 18 March 2023 with a theme of Connection and Capacity Building. Associate Professor Marlene Longbottom ,a proud Yuin woman from Roseby Park (Jerrinja) Mission in the Shoalhaven, will deliver the keynote address, titled ‘Connection and Country’.

As Principal Research Fellow at the Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre at UOW, Associate Professor Longbottom has worked extensively in the health and human services sector with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from urban, regional and remote areas of New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. The keynote address will be followed by a series of workshops on the rural health and research landscape, hosted by UOW academics and primary healthcare professional across the fields of dietetics and nutrition, nursing, medicine and Indigenous health.

To view the University of Wollongong Australia article Inaugural conference to examine acute challenges facing rural health system in full click here.

portrait of Associate Professor Marlene Longbottom, University of Wollongong

Associate Professor Marlene Longbottom. Image source: LinkedIn.

Scholarship opportunities for First Nations nurses

As part of the Australian College of Nursing’s (ACN) commitment to advancing the nursing profession, the ACN Foundation has just released scholarships, grants and awards exclusively available to First Nations nurses to advance their nursing careers. Applications for the below scholarships are now open:

Graduate Certificate Nursing Scholarship, Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies – 20 scholarships are available for registered nurses to undertake selected ACN Graduate Certificate courses including Cancer Nursing, Community and Primary Health Care Nursing, Critical Care Nursing, Digital Health, Leadership and Management, Orthopaedic Nursing or Perioperative Nursing. Of the twenty available, five scholarships will be allocated to First Nations nurses and five will be allocated to nurses working in rural and remote areas of Australia.

Graduate Certificate Scholarships for First Nations nurses, Sponsored by HESTA – two scholarships are available for First Nations registered nurses to complete an ACN Graduate Certificate course of their choice out of ACN’s Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management, Aged Care Nursing, Perioperative Nursing, Critical Care Nursing or Community and Primary Health Care Nursing, commencing in July 2023.

If you are not at a career stage to apply for a postgraduate nursing scholarship, discover ACN’s scholarships for undergraduates, nursing leadership courses, research and more on their website here.

Applications close 11:59 PM AEDT – Monday 3 April 2023. To apply click here.

Australian College of Nursing Foundation Grants and Awards, HESTA tile; text 'Graduate Certificate Scholarships for First Nations Nurses; photo of ATSI female student

Sector Jobs

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

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

National Close the Gap Day

National Close the Gap Day is being held tomorrow, Thursday 16 March 2023, to raise community awareness about health inequalities facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the SBS News – News in Depth broadcast Health differences for First Nations people targets on Close the Gap Day,available here, Karl Briscoe, CEO of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) said “we believe the Close the Gap campaign priority reform areas are the biggest areas that will get the better gains that are required to close the gap”. Mr Briscoe said First Nations people must have access to appropriate housing, he said that with “Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) a fix that can be done straight away is adequate housing, we know that overcrowding is a huge component of RHD being prevalent within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and it is really quite solvable by having adequate housing.”

In this broadcast, Dr Thalia Anthony, University of Sydney Law Professor commented on the National Agreement on Closing the Gap target of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and young people not being overrepresented in the criminal justice system.

banner SBS News, News in Depth, text: Health differences for First Nations people targeted on Close the Gap Day; image of Uni of Sydney Law Professor Thalia Anthony

University of Sydney Law Professor Thalia Anthony. Image source: SBS News.

Mar 2 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: PHC investment needed for people living in poverty

 

elderly ATSI woman sitting head in hands, black dog, One Mile Dam community camp near Darwin

The image in the feature tile is on an Aboriginal woman at One Mile Dam, an Aboriginal community camp close to Darwin, where Indigenous people live in extreme poverty. Photo: Jonny Weeks, The Guardian.

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

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

PHC investment needed to help people living in poverty 

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has called on government to help GPs get on with the job of caring for people experiencing poverty. It comes following the RACGP’s submission to the Senate Community Affair’s inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia. RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said that the solutions to poverty must include general practice care. “A key part of tackling poverty is improving the health of people living in poverty,” she said.

“If people are experiencing poor health, it makes it harder to work, and to care for themselves and their family. There are concrete steps government can take to help patients experiencing poverty get the right kind of care when they need it. Longer consultations with a GP are crucial for many people experiencing poverty when you consider that these patients are more likely to present with poorly managed chronic conditions and increased rates of mental health issues. GPs also spend lots of time helping out with complex paperwork for agencies including Centrelink, the NDIS and state housing, just to name a few.”

“The solution is boosting investment in general practice care. That way, we can put primary care on a more sustainable, long-term financial footing and ensure that no patients anywhere are left behind. If patients living in poverty can access care from their GP when they need it, they are far less likely to end up in a hospital bed with a condition that could – and should – have been managed in general practice. Even aside from the consequences of enabling people to work, care for their families and live their lives to the fullest extent possible, it just makes sense economically. To take one example, every dollar invested in primary health care in a remote Indigenous community results in savings in hospital care from $4 to $12.

To view the RACGP media release RACGP: Help GPs and practice teams care for people experiencing poverty in full click here.
outside view of Utju Clinic (Areyonga), Central Australia, NT

Utju (Areyonga) Clinic, Central Australia, NT. Image source: Flinders University website.

New my health app is live

As of today the my health app is live and available to download. my health is a secure and convenient way for Australians to view key health information that a consumer or healthcare provider has uploaded to an individual’s My Health Record. You can:

  • visit the Digital Health website here to learn more, and
  • download the app from the Apple App Store here and the Google Play Store here or search “my health gov” in your relevant store.

Please spread the word!

To help with the launch of the my health app, the Australian Digital Health Agency has created a range of promotional collateral that can be used on your channels. Refer to their Communications Overview for Partners here which contains key messages and an overview of how you can use these assets.

If a consumer or healthcare provider needs assistance, they can call the Help line on 1800 723 471 (available 24 hours, 7 days a week).

Shining a light on an invisible disability

Indigenous health experts are eager to shine a light on an “invisible disability” impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The new campaign Strong Born aims to raise awareness of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the dangers of drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding. The program, being run by NACCHO, builds on the research done for the Lililwan (little ones in Kimberley Kriol) Project, led by the Aboriginal community of Fitzroy Crossing in WA, in partnership with Sydney University and George Institute for Global Health.

Chief executive of the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre Emily Carter, a Gooniyandi and Kija woman who was part of the Lililwan Project, said from the beginning of the study in 2010, community had been at the centre. “For a long, long time there, this was seen as an Aboriginal problem,” she said. “But it was Aboriginal people, Aboriginal women as strong women, that brought it out to the wider consciousness of Australian society. “It was because of our grandmothers at that time were saying to us that their grandchildren’s behaviours were so different to their children growing up and they didn’t know why.”

Malarndirri McCarthy, the assistant minister for Indigenous health, said foetal alcohol spectrum disorder was not confined to any one community. “FASD is often referred to as the invisible disability but as far as many families and communities are concerned, it’s a very visible part of daily life,” she said. “It is a disorder that crosses socio-economic, racial and educational boundaries.”

To view the Perth Now article No blame and no shame: Focus on foetal alcohol syndrome in full click here.

Strong Born poster Aboriginal family with baby girl, grandmother, text 'pregnancy and grog don't mix, Our mob, strong babies, strong futures, NACCHO logo

Strong Born poster. Image source: NACCHO website.

NACCHO Chair addresses First Nations Conference

The aim of the Australia and NZ School of Government (ANZSOG) is to build public service capability in First Nations Public Administration, and ensuring public services are culturally competent. Public servants working in all areas of public administration must change their thinking and upskill, in order to engage successfully with First Nations peoples for improved outcomes. Part of this work is ANZSOC’s regular First Nations public administration conferences which bring together public servants, academics and not-for-profit community leaders to engage with First Nations speakers and listen to their views. These events deepen public sector understanding of the value of First Nations knowledges and cultures, and their importance to public policy

This year’s ANZSOG conference First Peoples to All Peoples: partnerships, devolution, transformation and sharing is being held in Brisbane from 1–3 March. The conference will examine First Nations policy through the lenses of Australia’s National Agreement on Closing the Gap commitments, particularly the four Priority Reforms, as well as the NZ Public Service Act 2020, which now clearly sets out the responsibility of the public service, particularly its leadership, in supporting the Crown’s relationship with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi.

The title of Day two: session one held earlier this morning was Building the Community-Controlled Sector. At the opening plenary session NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills was one of three speakers addressing the question How do governments devolve responsibility for service delivery to First Peoples?

For more information about the conference, including details of the key speakers you can visit ANZSOG’s webpage 2023 First Nations Public Administration Conference: First Peoples to All Peoples – Partnerships, devolution, transformation and sharing webpage here.

tile for 2023 First Nations Public Administration Conference First Peoples to All Peoples: Partnerships, devolution, transformation and sharing - Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 1-3 March; portrait of Donnella Mills, NACCHO Chair

Promotion tile for 2023 First Nations Public Administration Conference, ANZSOC website and NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills – image source: Wuchopperen Health Service website.

Pat Anderson – NT women’s leadership award winner

Pat Anderson AO, chair of Batchelor Institute, was announced yesterday as the 2023 NT Award recipient of the Australian Awards for Excellence in Women’s Leadership. The prestigious award celebrates “exceptional Australian women who encourage change and make important contributions to advancing equity across all facets of our society”.

Ms Anderson, a proud Alyawarre woman known nationally and internationally as a powerful advocate for the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, will accept her award at the online Australian Women’s Leadership Symposium on 1 September. “It’s an honour to receive this award, I’d like to thank everyone who nominated me. I’d also like to thank everyone who has supported my work at The Lowitja Institute and Batchelor Institute over the years – and more recently with The Uluru Dialogues. There are so many women out there from different backgrounds doing incredible work, it’s hard not to feel energised and hopeful about the future,” she said.

The Award organisers said Ms Anderson’s work in advocacy for Indigenous rights and health “has had profound impacts on Australia and will continue to do so in years to come”. Women & Leadership Australia chief executive Karen Taylor noted that Ms Anderson has received numerous accolades “for her inspiring work as a human rights advocate”. “Ms Anderson is a role model, not only for Alyawarre women but for women across the nation, as she tirelessly campaigns for improved health, educational, and protection outcomes for First Nations people. We hope to shed light on her integral work in building a better future for First Nations as an advisor to the government on the path to a referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament,” she said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Pat Anderson AO honoured with Excellence in Women’s Leadership award in full click here.

Pat Anderson AO standing at a podium

Pat Anderson AO. Image source: UNSW Sydney Centre for Ideas webpage.

Life-course approach to Aboriginal ageing

While we know that our population is ageing rapidly on a national and global scale, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations are in fact ageing at a faster rate than our non-Indigenous population. Aboriginal Australians also record high mid-life rates of multiple chronic diseases including heart disease and stroke, lung disease and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes, for example, is more than twice as common in the Indigenous population than the non-Indigenous population. There remains a life expectancy gap of approximately ten years between the Aboriginal population and the non-Indigenous population.

Research conducted by Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) is centred on partnering with communities to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians and find better ways to support their cognitive health as they age. An important part of this work involves finding better ways for Aboriginal communities to gain access to the health services they need as well as suggesting positive changes to services dedicated to improving Aboriginal health, especially in older populations.

Researchers at NeuRA have found that dementia prevalence is three to four times higher in Aboriginal people compared to estimates for the general Australian population. This disparity in dementia rates is consistent across remote, regional and urban communities. By liaising with Aboriginal communities and representatives, we have identified that there is great interest amongst Aboriginal people to understand the scope of age-related diseases like dementia in their communities.

For more information visit NeuRA webpage Aboriginal Ageing here.

Aboriginal female Elder & Aboriginal male Elder

Image source: NeuRA webpage Sharing the Wisdom of our Elders.

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Feb 27 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: ACCHOs prioritise social determinant approach

part of Aboriginal town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs

The image in the feature tile is part of an Aboriginal town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs. Photo: Helen Davidson. Image source: Guardian Australia article Australia’s Indigenous housing won’t cope with climate change, research finds, published on 4 November 2021.

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

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

ACCHO social determinant approach to health

Homes should be safe and secure spaces that support our health and wellbeing. Our homes should provide us with shelter, access to efficient and healthy energy sources, sufficient space, as well as a sense of belonging, security and privacy. Dr Ben Ewald from the University of Newscastle says recent consumer research by Asthma Australia revealed that there are many asthma triggers in Australian homes. Their nationally representative survey of over 5,000 people focused on indoor air pollution from cooking, gas or wood heating, mould and dampness and pests (including ants, spiders, mice, cockroaches and dust mites). They found that many people are exposed to these triggers in their homes and that some population groups are more likely to be exposed to certain triggers. Those most at risk include people with asthma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living in social housing and people with children in their homes.

Dr Benjamin Ewald, Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the School of Medicine and Public Health at The University of Newcastle previously worked for 10 years at Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal Corporation in Alice Springs where ‘he saw for the first time a community health centre that could identify its community, and had a realistic involvement in their public health issues as well as the provision of sick care.’

Dr Ewald said the ACCHO model has prioritised the social determinant approaches. We consider housing security, daily living expenses, and access to the range of social financial support to be as important, sometimes more important, than prescription of medicine or referral to diagnostic tests or specialist appointments. The call by Dr Ewald for GPs to consider engaging with landlords and social housing providers to advocate for improved housing conditions for those most vulnerable is potentially significant and realistic. We already regularly advocate for individual patients for improvements to their housing that impacts their health. Such improvements might now include installing or servicing appliances that are known to reduce risk and harm, like rangehoods, convection stoves, and overall ventilation. Having a diagnostic test or prescribing inhalers is ineffective if I am just sending people back to the conditions causing their problem in the first place.

To view The Medical Republic article Gas Hazards in Homes: What’s the GP’s Role? in full click here. The quote about Dr Ewald’s time spent at CAAC is from the Staff Directory on The University of Newcastle website.

Irene Williams standing next to the stove in her kitchen of her Yarralin house

Irene Williams has no bathroom or kitchen sink in her Yarralin house. Photo: Jane Bardon, ABC News – 18 May 2018.

Diphtheria spreading in the north

Cases of toxigenic diphtheria are rising in north Queensland and experts warn that other states should be on alert for the potential spread of the disease. Between 2020 and 2022 there were 29 reported cases of diphtheria in North Queensland – eight respiratory diphtheria and 38 cutaneous diphtheria – compared to 46 cases in the two decades prior.

In that preceding decade, C. diphtheriae accounted for 87% of cases, according to data from Queensland Health’s Notifiable Conditions Register. Since 2020, a genomically linked clone of tox gene-carrying diphtheria bacteria has spread across North Queensland. This diphtheria outbreak, almost exclusively in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, highlights the continuing impact of social determinants on disease in vulnerable populations.

Unvaccinated people were at highest risk of severe disease, including classic diphtheria, myocarditis and neuropathies. Vaccination remains imperative and timely vaccinations are essential.

To view The Medical Republic article Diphtheria spreading in the North in full click here. Below is July 2022 ABC News report about diptheria identified in two children in northern NSW – NSW’s first recorded cases of diptheria in 100 years.

Dementia – what it means for mob

The Dementia in Australian Summary report 2022 released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) last week, available here, shows that although dementia seems to occur in all socioeconomic groups relatively equally, how those different groups deal with dementia varies. The burden of disease is least in the highest socioeconomic group, hospitalisations are fewest for the rich, and those in the most affluent group are less likely to live in permanent residential aged care.

It will come as no surprise, given what we know about health inequities facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, that dementia deaths in the Indigenous population have skyrocketed by 70% between 2011–15 (296 deaths) and 2016–20 (503 deaths), according to the AIHW. Dementia was the fifth leading cause of death among Indigenous people aged 65 and over during 2018–2020.

Between 137,600 and 354,200 Australians are “informal” carers for someone with dementia. That is, they are not “providing care to those living in permanent residential aged care and paid workers or volunteers arranged by an organisation or formal service”. The AIHW says those numbers are likely to be an underestimate. Three in four of those carers are women. Half of them are caring for their partner. According to the AIHW report, by 2058, 850,000 of us will be living with dementia. And yet aged care in general, and dementia care in particular, continues to be underfunded, underresourced, underserviced and underappreciated by politicians and policymakers.

To read The Medical Republic article Let’s Fix Aged Care, if Only Out of Selfishness in full click here. You can find a range of resources, including the video below, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on the Dementia Australia website here.

KAMS to support Kimberley flood victims

The Australian Government is providing $300,000 for social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) support for Aboriginal communities in the flood ravaged Kimberley region of WA. Cyclone Ellie struck last month leading to record flooding, leaving thousands of people displaced, isolated and experiencing trauma. Funding for a trusted local community organisation, the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS) will provide support to people affected by flooding over the coming months.

This will include air travel to communities that are inaccessible, enabling the social and emotional wellbeing workforce to meet people where they are and respond to the unique needs of isolated remote communities. KAMS will deliver this project in partnership with its member services – the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (BRAMS) and the Derby Aboriginal Health Service Council (DAHSC). They will ensure services are culturally safe and prioritise the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

KAMS CEO Vicki O’Donnell OAM said “The Kimberley Floods have had a significant impact for many people in our region. The immediate need to increase the scope and reach of our SEWB services is urgent. KAMS and our Member Services, DAHSC and BRAMS will be able to use this initial support from NIAA to increase our travel and direct support to those in immediate need. We endeavour to work alongside all agencies involved to make sure we effectively support our community members through this crisis and secure ongoing resources as we recover and rebuild our communities over the coming years.”

To view the Hon Linda Burney MP’s media release Support For Flood Ravaged Kimberley Communities in full click here.

Part of the Great Northern Highway bridge across the Fitzroy River at Fitzroy Crossing appears to have completely washed away

Part of the Great Northern Highway bridge across the Fitzroy River at Fitzroy Crossing appears to have completely washed away. Photo: Neville Ripp. Image source: ABC News, 9 January 2023.

Digital wound imaging for diabetic foot ulcers

A NZ-developed digital wound imaging platform to improve treatment of diabetic foot ulcers is being used in Perth hospitals and rural clinics, as well as health facilities across Australia, NZ and the world. The electronic wound assessment system monitors and manages wound healing, aiming to reduce diabetes-related foot complications and ultimately reduce amputations.

NZ healthcare informatics company ARANZ Medical developed its Silhouette suite of products for imaging, measuring and documenting soft tissue and skin lesions including wounds. Royal Perth Hospital vascular surgeon and medical co-director Olufemi Oshin pioneered the use of this technology in Broome in 2019 when Diabetes WA funded seven cameras and SilhouetteLite+ for Aboriginal health workers from Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS) to use in Broome and remote communities.

Australia has the second highest rate of diabetic amputations in the developed world with diabetic foot disease being responsible for about 4,400 amputations nationwide every year or 12 a day. Dr Oshin said “We know that 85% of diabetes related amputations are preventable but only if wounds are detected early and managed appropriately. We have a lot of people who present very late, sadly where there is not much option but amputation.” KAMS medical director Lorraine Anderson said the system had been used in the Kimberley Foot Initiative for nearly four years to increase access to multidisciplinary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with or at risk of diabetic foot disease.

To read the Pulse+IT article Perth hospitals using NZ-developed digital wound imaging system for diabetic foot ulcers in full click here.

Aboriginal Health Workers and Diabetes WA staff using Silhouette at the Kimberley Foot Initiative kickoff

Aboriginal Health Workers and Diabetes WA staff using Silhouette at the Kimberley Foot Initiative kickoff. Photo: ARANZ Medical. Image source: Pulse+IT.

Health researcher to participate in talks program

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light returns to illuminate the Red Centre in April this year in more ways than one, with some of Australia’s most prominent Aboriginal identities set to participate in the In Conversation talks program, where a range of topics, from science and sport to literature and The Voice, will be discussed.

The theme for this year’s Parrtjima is Listening with Heart. Inspired by the artwork surrounding the Statement from the Heart, Listening with Heart embodies the concept of coming together, meeting and taking the time to contemplate, reflect and heal. The In Conversation program is just one part of this festival. Roxanne Ngarulya Highfold, an Aboriginal health researcher who has worked with numerous organisations, including Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) and Central Land Council, will take part in a talk on Tuesday, 11 April on the topic of ‘The spirit of Alice’.

A mother of one, Roxanne Ngarulya Highfold has maternal ties with Central and Eastern Arrernte, and paternal ties with the Wirangu and Nurrunga peoples of SA. She works full time at the Central Land Council, supporting Aboriginal communities through economic growth and development. She is also studying a dual degree in Bachelor of Health Sciences/Masters in Nutrition. Roxanne is an experienced Aboriginal health researcher with a demonstrated history of working in the early childhood, child protection and primary healthcare industry.

To view the Global Travel Media article Parrtjima 2023 talks program filled with leading Indigenous voices in full click here. Details about Roxanne Ngarulya Highfold were sourced from the Parrtjima – A Festival of Light website here.

portrait shot of Roxanne Ngarulya Highfold

Roxanne Ngarulya Highfold. Image source: Parrtjima – A Festival of Light website.

Sector Jobs

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

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