Category FASD

NACCHO welcomes contributions , articles and photographs for this category
Contact Colin Cowell
NACCHO Communications and Media
nacchonews@naccho.org.au
Tel 0401331251

Nov 24 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Webinar: The emerging shortage of long-acting benzathine benzylpenicillin

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.

Webinar: The emerging shortage of long-acting benzathine benzylpenicillin

The NACCHO medicines team and medical advisors are hosting a webinar on the emerging shortage of long-acting benzathine benzylpenicillin, under the name Bicillin LA on Tuesday 28th of November from 3:30 – 4:30pm AEDST. This is an important medication for our sector, particularly for rheumatic heart disease and syphilis. 

The webinar will provide further details on the expected scale of the Bicillin LA shortage and provide information on access to an alternative product from ORSPEC Pharma which has been approved for use in Australia under Section 19A. The webinar will also discuss possible alternatives to Bicillin LA as outlined in national guidelines and the CARPA manual and will provide a forum to ask questions of NACCHO staff and representatives from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Please register here.

 For people who are unable to attend, a recording will be made available for people who have registered.

First Nations wisdom harnessed to protect the environment

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been caretakers of Australia’s diverse environments and its wildlife for tens of thousands of years. The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rangers is set to double by 2030 as part of federal government efforts to close the gap and centre First Nations knowledge in environmental protection. Linday Burney, Minister for Indigenous Austraians announced that the scheme will receive a $359 million boost to increase the number of Indigenous rangers from 1900 to 3800 by 2030. 

“With more than 65,000 years of experience caring for country, Indigenous rangers hold unique and valuable skills in managing Australia’s natural environment,” Ms Burney said. 

“This will mean more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isaldner people will have the opportunity to do things like protect precious endangered species and control weeds and feral animals.” 

The investment prioritises establishing new Indigenous Rangers Groups in protected areas that don’t already host the program, and hiring more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isaldner women as they currently represent just 33 per cent of the program’s workforce.

“It’s important they have the opportunity to continue the work of their mothers, grandmothers and all their women ancestors and pass this knowledge onto the next generation, because there are no text books, no manuals,” Ms Burney said. 

Read the full NITV article here.

Image source: Source: AAP / Stephanie Rouse.

‘Healthy Skin, Healthy Heart: Let’s END RHD Together’

An initiative to end the spread of skin- and heart disease in Cherbourg received national recognition at an inaugural healthcare award ceremony in Canberra last week. ‘Healthy Skin, Healthy Heart: Let’s END Rheumatic Heart Disease Together’, a joint initiative between Darling Downs Health and the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, received the Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthcare trophy at the National Rural and Remote Health Awards. 

The award recognised the initiative’s efforts to deliver culturally-appropriate, collaborative and sustainable healthcare to Cherbourg, in an effort to stop the epidemic of rheumatic heart disease in the Burnett First Nations community. The rollout of the ‘Healthy Skin, Healthy Heart’ project by a dedicated team of DDH staff included a mobile heart screening initiative, a skin clinic, community education, and mass administration of medicine to Cherbourg’s residents.

“RHD disproportionately affects First Nations people and is a disease of disadvantage and we all have a role in closing the gap and achieving health equity,” said Dr Priya Janagaraj, Darling Downs Public Health physician. 

“Mobilising actions within a community requires a ‘ground up’ approach, leveraging on collective expertise and commitment of a multidisciplinary team, united by a shared passion and drive to make a difference.”

Read the full article here.

Cherbourg Council and Darling Downs Health representatives accepted the Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healthcare award in Canberra. Image source: Burnett Today.

‘ALIVE & Kicking Goals!’ takes home the WA Mental Health Award

Individuals, schools and organisations have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to mental health at the 2023 WA Mental Health Awards. The Awards recognise and reward the achievements of those who demonstrate excellence, innovation and initiative in supporting consumers of mental health services, their families and carers.

ALIVE & Kicking Goals! Youth Suicide Prevention Program (AKG!) took home the Prevention and Promotion Award. Managed by Mens Outreach Service Aboriginal Corporation, AKG! focuses on early intervention and youth suicide prevention through peer-led workshops and one-on-one mentoring. The program was awarded for establishing a program which addresses rising suicide rates, primarily in the West Kimbelery. 

Learn more about the program here. 

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

Truth-telling, local voices still on government’s radar

Truth-telling along with local and regional voices remain on the government’s agenda despite the failed referendum earlier this year. Linda Burney, Indigenous Australians minister will attend a Closing the Gap meeting, along with Aboriginal affairs ministers around the nation and peak body representatives. Just a month on from the failed Indigenous voice referendum, Ms Burney acknowledged that how community can move forward from the setback, would be top of the agenda. She said there would be specific discussions about housing, education and inland water targets. But she wouldn’t close the door on the government’s commitment to the Uluru Statement, which calls for a truth-telling process and a treaty along with a voice.

“Very much what I’m hearing moving around the country is ‘what does it mean for the rest of the Uluru statement?'” Ms Burney told ABC Radio.

“In particular, I’m hearing the importance of truth-telling. I am not saying I’ve got a model in my mind, but I am saying that what I’m hearing very clearly from Aboriginal communities is the importance of truth-telling.”

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

NDIS experiences told at the International Indigenous Disability Research Symposium

Professor John Gilroy, A Yuin man from the NSW South Coast, will see decades of his work come together in the International Indigenous Disability Research Symposium, commencing with the official opening of his art exhibition ‘People’s experience of the NDIS.’ 

“There is still a lot of work to be done to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians living with disability, but the events this week have helped me reflect on how far we have come in our knowledge and understanding,” said Professor Gilroy. 

With representation from academics from Australia, the USA, Canada and Sweden, the goal of the event is to develop a global collaborative research community in Indigenous disability research guided by the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. One of the key focus areas of the symposium will be on how scholars can both empower and respect Indigenous people in disability research.

The artwork by Professor Gilroy seen below, surrounds incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. There is a high prevalence of Aboriginal people with disability being unfairly and unjustly incarcerated due to the criminal justice system not properly equipped to support people with disability, such as brain injury or foetal alcohol syndrome (FASD). The NDIS is not properly engaged with state/territory health and housing systems to appropriately support people with disability to live in the community and prevent reoffending. People with disability have reported that the prison system punishes them as a person rather than helping them with issues pertaining to their mental health and disability. 

Read more here.

Incarceration of Disability and Aboriginality by Professor John Gilroy.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 29 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: NACCHO launches Strong Born videos to wrap up FASD Awareness Month

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.

NACCHO launches Strong Born videos to wrap up FASD Awareness Month

Strong Born is a communications campaign designed to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the harms of drinking alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote communities.

 NACCHO was successful in securing additional funding to expand the campaign nationally. As part of the expansion, existing resources will be customised for urban communities along with the creation of animated videos to help continue spreading the campaign’s strength-based messaging among community members.

 NACCHO is excited to launch the Strong Born animated videos as part of the communications awareness campaign this FASD Awareness Month.

 Working alongside Rhythm Creative, NACCHO has developed seven animated videos to join the campaign’s resources.

 The existing Community and Health Professional’s Booklets have been turned into animations along with five additional 30-second videos each targeted at a different audience to help create awareness of the invisible disability.

  • Community
  • Women
  • Men
  • Parents
  • General FASD Awareness video

 The videos can be found on the NACCHO YouTube channel.

 The customised Community Booklet which has been adapted for urban communities will be available on the NACCHO website (and sent to Urban ACCHOs) in the coming weeks.

New partnership to improve health outcomes across NSW North Coast

Six NSW North Coast Aboriginal Medical Services, in partnership with Healthy North Coast have launched an agreement that will place an increased focus on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the North Coast. The partnership seeks to progress the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021-2031 vision whereby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enjoy long, healthy lives that are centred in culture, with access to services that are prevention-focused, culturally safe and responsive, equitable and free of racism.

The agreement will include the development of a joint North Coast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Needs Assessment, an Aboriginal specific Mental Health, Suicude Prevention and Alcohol and Other Drug community-controlled service model, a collaborative Integrated Team Care service model, and a Healthy North Coast preferred provider model. 

Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Scott Monaghan said, “This partnership has been years in the making, and it is exciting to see it come to fruition through aligning the vision of seven passionate and committed primary health care organisations.”

Werin Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Faye Adamson said the partnership “is an important step in advancing the work we all do in delivering high-quality local health services for Aboriginal people in our region.” 

Read more here.

Grafton Bulgarr Ngaru CEO Scott Monahan, Healthy North Coast CEO Monika Wheeler, Kempsey Durri CEO Steve Blunden, Coffs Harbour Galambila CEO Tracey Singleton, Port Macquarie Werin CEO Faye Adamson and Ballina Bullinah CEO Payden Samuelson. Image source: News of the Area.

Voice information released in 30 First Nations languages

First Nations Peoples whose first language is not English will be able to hear information about the Voice in their own language as the Uluru Dialogue releases translated information about the Voice in 30 First Nations languages. The new translations complement existing translations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Cobble Cobble woman and Uluru Dialogue Co-Chair Professor Megan Davis said it is critical First Nations Peoples have an opportunity to hear about the Voice in their own language. 

“We have worked with translation services in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory to translate information about the referendum, what the Voice is and encourage people in these communities to vote. 

“This referendum is about bringing the nation together, and First Nations Peoples in remote communities across the country must have information in their own languages. 

“It’s critical we reach as many First Nations Peoples as possible to ensure they are making informed decisions about their vote,” Professor Davis said. 

To access the translations, visit here.

Voice information translations NT First Nations languages.

Managing ‘cultural load’ of the referendum

Gamilaroi man and psychologist Clinton Schultz says many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are experiencing concerning levels of psychological distress in the lead up to the referendum. Also the director of First Nations strategy at the Black Dog Institute, Dr Schultz says a big driver of stress in the lead up to the October 14 vote is the “cultural load” born by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This term refers to the invisible workload that falls on Indigenous people: things like educating non-Indigenous people, or being expected to speak for First Nations Australians. 

Burnout is a common consequence of cultural load. It can feel like exhaustion, the inability to perform basic tasks, emotional numbness or irritation over small things. Fiona Cornforth’s team at the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the Australian National University (ANU) are investigating how prevalent these emotions are, as part of a study into the psychological impacts of the referendum. They interviewed 84 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all different ages, across six locations in Australia, about their wellbeing. Many said walking non-Indigenous people through history was re-traumatising for them. 

“It’s like they’re constantly putting that Blackfella hat back on us in the sense of having to educate constantly, which then is traumatising… it takes a toll. Massive toll. Burnout,” said one interviewee. 

Tips to manage the ‘cultural load’ and look after wellbeing:

  • Staying connected to what gives you purpose; whether that’s culture, community or country, can be a source of healing.
  • Dr Schultz recommends yarning up — a respectful discussion in a culturally safe way — so you don’t bottle up negativity which can catch up with you in the long run.
  • Take a step back – It might be helpful to disengage from all media including television, news sites, Facebook and Instagram.

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

Access NACCHO’s Voice Referendum: Social and Emotional Wellbeing Resources and Information here. 

Read the full ABC News article here.

Indigenous mental health providers shortlisted for Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards

Leichhardt One Mile Community Centre, Selectability (Palm Island) – Mahie Club, and 13YARN are finalists in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander awards category for the annual Queensland Mental Health Week Achievement Awards. The three finalists have been selected for delivering culturally specific mental health related services, programs, projects and initiatives. 

One Mile Community Centre is nominated for their works to improve the education, support and connections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The organisation works with vulnerable people with challenges including domestic and family violence, mental illness, income access, and referrals to housing services. 

Selectability (Palm Island), Mahie Club has been nominated for providing culturally safe services and programs to improve the mental wellbeing of locals and to reduce stigma. Mahie Club was created in 2022 to allow people to get hands-on in the kitchen, whilst enjoying a cuppa and a yarn. 

13YARN Crisis Support Service, are the first national 24/7 crisis support line specifically for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or have difficulty coping. The winner will be announced Friday 13 October. 

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Integrated Team Care Program a success

An evaluation of the Integrated Team Care Program for First Nations people, underpinned by the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, has found the program by the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network is achieving its desired outcome of improving quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with complex chronic health conditions. The program aims to contribute to improving health outcomes through access to care coordination, multidisciplinary care, and support for self management. As well as improve access to culturally appropriate mainstream primary care providers (including general practice, allied health and specialists) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isladner people. 

The evaluation found patients highly valued the program and reported having their medical, physical, social, emotional and cultural needs met. Stakeholders reported the program supported patients to increase their ability to treat and manage their health conditions, increasing overall health, wellbeing, and quality of life. The program was also seen to be especially effective for patients living with diabetes. 

Read more here.

Members of the Primary Health Network’s First Nations Health Access Team. Image source: Gloucester Advocate.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 28 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Everything you need for the NACCHO 2023 Members’ Conference

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

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

Everything you need for the NACCHO 2023 Members’ Conference

The NACCHO 2023 Members’ Conference website is now live with everything you need to know in one spot! Head on over to see the program, check out the presenters and sponsors and register if you haven’t already!

Conference ticket prices increase from 1 October 2023.

This year’s conference is in beautiful Noongar Boodja and include three deadly events:

  • NACCHO Youth Conference – 23 October
  • NACCHO AGM and EGM – 24 October
  • NACCHO Members’ Conference – 25-26 October

The Conference is an annual gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector leaders from across the country. With over 400 delegates expected each year, the conference brings opportunities for attendees to network, learn, influence and celebrate our ongoing drive to self-determination.

Visit the NACCHO Conference website for more information and to register here.

AWAHS sets breast screening record

Across NSW only 35% of Aboriginal women aged 40-74 participate in breast screening every two years as recommended, but now in Albury the results are at an all-time high of 80%, the highest in the state. It comes after a mobile clinic was stationed at Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS) for three days in August, offering Aboriginal women a convenient location to have their mammogram. AWAHS also provided a free bra fitting and bra giveaway event, resulting in more participation of Aboriginal women being screened for breast cancer in three days than over the previous 12 months.

AWAHS Acting CEO, Catherine Coysh said many women who screened for the first time were scared that screening would be painful, however left the mobile van smiling and relieved.

“We are pleased that this event has encouraged so many Aboriginal women to screen for the first time and hopefully they’ve overcome their concerns and will continue to screen every two years,” she said.

BreastScreen NSW Director, Veronica Scriven said of the 89 women who screened at the event, 64 were screening for the first time, with the majority of women who had been screened before overdue for their two-yearly breast screen.

“When breast cancer is found early, it’s easier to treat and most women recover and get back to their normal lives.

“We want to ensure Aboriginal women are supported in accessing breast screening and are thrilled to see so many women access this life-saving service,” Miss Coysh said.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Representatives from Support the Girls, AWAHS and BreastScreen NSW. Image source: BreastScreen NSW.

Growing awareness about risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding

Red Shoes Rock, a global awareness campaign giving voice and support to those affected by prenatal alcohol exposure, has been making a high-visibility splash across Australia this past month. Many activities across FASD Awareness Month have highlighted the progress that is being made to prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The Red Shoes Rock campaign was started a decade ago by RJ Formanek, an adult with FASD living in Canada. He decided to wear red shoes to stand out and start a conversation about his invisible disability. Now, the movement has spread across the globe, including Australia, with people wearing red shoes and cities lighting up monuments to help raise awareness.

Foundation of Alcohol Research & Education (FARE) CEO, Caterina Giorgi writes: caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, FASD is a lifelong disability. People with FASD can experience challenges such as developmental delay; impaired speech and language development; learning problems; and difficulty controlling behaviour. This is why the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that people should not drink any alcohol when pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

September has been an opportunity to raise awareness of FASD and the need to create supportive communities for alcohol-free pregnancies. However, it is also an opportunity to acknowledge progress that has been made in preventing and diagnosing FASD. Providing support, as well as the need to continue to take action. This includes NACCHO’s Strong Born communications campaign, designed to raise awareness of FASD among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Read the full article here.

Image source: FARE.

MyMedicare Webinar for ACCHOs

On Friday 29 September, NACCHO is hosting a webinar with the Department of Health and Aged Care for information on the MyMedicare practice and patient registration process. This aims to go into greater detail on how aspects of MyMedicare specific to the ACCHO sector.

MyMedicare is a new voluntary patient registration model that will formalise the relationship between patients, their ACCHO or general practice, general practitioner (GP) and primary care teams. MyMedicare will give patients and their care team access to new MBS items and new blended funding.

Registration in MyMedicare is voluntary for patients, practices and providers. MyMedicare patient registration opens on 1 October 2023 and will be available to patients with a Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Veteran Card. ACCHOs and Aboriginal Medical Services can register in MyMedicare as a practice to be ready for patient registration from 1 October.

In this webinar the department will provide information to be MyMedicare ready and will answer your questions. There will be a focus on issues that impact the ACCHO sector including hub and spoke practice registration and the interaction of MyMedicare registration with the Practice Incentive Payment – Indigenous Health Incentive (PIP – IHI).

Register here.

Further information about MyMedicare can be found here.

Calls to Protect the human rights of people with disability

With the final report of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability being delivered today, Thursday 28 September, the Federal Government is being urged by People with Disability Australia (PWDA) to enact national human rights legislation to address long-standing inequalities. In a statement, President of PWDA, Nicole Lee said, “our laws must change so that disabled people have equal access to human rights just like everyone else.”

Once released, First Peoples Disability Network Australia said they will address the report and advocate for necessary actions.

“Our experiences as First Nations people with disability deserve full representation in the DRC’s final report. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough – we need to be heard.”

PWDA has outlines 10 actions Australian governments must take in response to the DRC, including:

  1. Address the drivers of and end segregation of people with disability in all settings and contexts.
  2. Ensure all people with disability enjoy legal capacity and equality before the law.
  3. End all forms of forced treatments and restrictive practices, including seclusion and restraint.
  4. Ensure people with disability, particularly women and girls, enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights on an equal basis as others.
  5. Urgently address indefinite detention and deprivation of liberty of people with disability, particularly First Nations people with disability, people with intellectual disability, and people with psychosocial disability.
  6. End discrimination against migrants and refugees with disability
  7. Urgently address the over-representation of people with disability living in poverty and ensure an adequate standard of living and social protection.
  8. Ensure full participation of people with disability, including through their representative organisations, in all matters that affect them.
  9. Implement a full Disability Royal Commission Redress and Reparation Scheme.
  10. Undertake reform of Commonwealth, State/Territory laws to ensure compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

Image source: Unspalsh.

Digital inclusion crucial for access to services and informed decision-making

Research by RMIT University has found a significant gap in digital inclusion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, compared with other Australians. According to The Mapping the Digital Gap 2023 Outcomes Report, about 43% of the 1,545 First Nationals communities across Australia have no mobile services, some with only a shared public photo or no telecommunications access. Nationally, the gap in digital access between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians is 7.5 points out of 100. The gap widens significantly to 24.5 points for remote communities.

Lead investigator and Senior Research Fellow, Dr Daniel Featherstone said with government and other services increasingly moving online, it is crucial that all Australians can effectively access and use digital technologies.

“We use these technologies to access essential services for health, welfare, finance, and education, participate in social and cultural activities, follow news and media, as well as connect with family, friends, and the wider world.

“Improving digital inclusion and access to services is critically important to ensure informed decision-making and agency among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Read more here.

Gangan co-researcher Djamika Ganambarr uses public phone which the primary means of phone communication for most Gangan residents. Image source: RMIT University.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 15 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Community-led approach to suicide prevention

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care

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

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

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

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

Pilbara GP says more help is needed

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

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

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

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

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

Impact of parasites a national shame

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

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

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

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

human threadworm – Strongyloides stercoralis under microscope

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

Summit to address rural medical workforce dilemma

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

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

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

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

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

Strong Born campaign support mob

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

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

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

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

 

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 8 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: ATSICHS Mackay afterhours health service

The image in the feature tile is of ATSICHS Mackay. 

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.

ATSICHS Mackay afterhours health service

A new face-to-face general practice service, which aims to address the current gaps in afterhours primary health care delivery is now open for residents in Mackay and surrounding areas. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Mackay will deliver comprehensive and integrated primary care services for those whose health conditions cannot wait for health care during normal hours. ATSICHS Mackay executive manager, Valerie Pilcher said the services would help community members access care without having to travel to the Emergency Department.

“Having an alternative option to attend a clinic that offers afterhours emergency services will benefit our community positively, especially those living in the Northern Beaches and Bucasia area,” she said.

ATSICHS’ afterhours primary care service will operate Monday and Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm, and Saturday from 2pm to 5pm.

Read more here.

ATSICHS Mackay. Image Source: Mackay and Whitsunday Life.

FASD screening tool grant

A project designed to help screen children and adolescents at risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has been awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Grant worth $1.49 million. The Tracking Cube is a culturally responsive, tiered neurodevelopmental screening approach which can be integrated with child well-health checks. A pilot implementation was conducted at an Indigenous remote primary health service which found neurodevelopmental concerns were four times more likely to be identified using the Tracking Cube compared to usual care. The pilot was also about to place the 11% of children identified as at-risk of FASD on local pathways of support.

Griffith University’s Professor Dianne Shanley and co-designer of the Tracking Cube said it “originated when community members from remote Queensland voiced their concern around long waitlists for children.

“They wanted to ensure their children were supported close to home and placed on local treatment pathways as quickly as possible,” she said.

Read more here.

Tracking Cube. Image source: Griffith News.

National Rural Maternity Forum

A National forum on rural maternity services has delivered suggested high-priority actions and solutions for governments and health services to vastly improve access to local maternity care for rural women and their babies. Discussions at the National Rural Maternity Forum were focused on developing a suite of agreed solutions that could help return, retain, and develop maternity services in rural and remote communities. Attendees included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies, midwives, GPs, representatives from the state and federal health departments, as well as rural mothers with direct knowledge of the challenges in accessing maternity care.

A key action which came out of the forum is the expansion of the use of the RISE Framework to not only increase Birthing on Country services nationally, but also more broadly to include rural and remote maternity care. The RISE Framework’s pillars to drive this important reform include redesigning health services, investing in the workforce, and embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community governance and control. Another key action was to secure funding for a National Maternity Workforce Plan, in order to build and sustain a strong rural maternity care workforce of midwives, GP and RG obstetricians, consultant specialist obstetricians, Aboriginal health workers, and allied health professionals.

Read the full article here.

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Language as medicine

Last month over 900 languages workers, speakers, teachers, linguistics, and others gathered on Larrakia Country (Darwin) for the PULiiMA Indigenous Languages and Technology Conference, which celebrates Indigenous excellence and commits to the conservation and revitalisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. It comes as around 800 Indigenous languages in Australia are expected to have no fluent speakers within 50 years. PULiiMA 2023 heard triumphs and challenges in Indigenous language health, from languages spoken as first language, to those critically threatened, as well as those asleep and those awoken.

Larrakia Elder, Dr Bilawara Lee (Aunty B) welcomed attendees and presented an ‘Introduction to Larrakia’ session describing language as medicine.

“Many people only experience language as a tool for communication. For us, it is much more,” she said.

Read more here.

Replanting the Birthing Trees

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and communities are working with researchers to create safe and sacred places for babies and families in the first 2,000 days of life. A new research project by the University of Melbourne ‘Replanting the Birthing Trees’ is working with Community, Elders, leading researchers, midwives, parents, and other healthcare professionals to develop resources for parents, healthcare professionals and advocacy to create better systems for the best start to life.

University of Melbourne’s Professor Cath Chamberlain writes, “The best ‘life-course opportunity’ for preventing intergenerational and complex trauma is the transition of becoming a parent. Working with families during pregnancy, birth, and the early years – the first 2,000 days – provides a critical opportunity to support the healing of intergenerational trauma in young parents and to support nurturing care and the best possible start to life for the child as well.”

The project is grounded in the idea of a Birthing Tree and recreating the safe and sacred spaces used by Aboriginal women for millennia. One of the ways the project does this is by aligning the six project streams with a part of the birthing tree; the six streams come together to recreate safe and sacred birthing practices.

Learn more about the research project here.

Replanting the Birthing Trees research project diagram.

COVID-19 vax competition offering HUGE prizes

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

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

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

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

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

Category 2

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

Category 3

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

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

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

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

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 7 2023

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

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

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

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

Creating supportive communities for alcohol-free pregnancies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ knowledges

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

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

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

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

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

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

I Pledge to Champion a Respectful Referendum

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

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

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

The Respectful Referendum Pledge asks politicians to:

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

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

Respectful Referendum Pledge.

Blood cancer booklets

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

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

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

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

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

Page from the Leukemia Foundation First Nations blood cancer booklet.

Let’s Yarn about Sleep

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full ABC article here.

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

COVID-19 vax competition offering HUGE prizes

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

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

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

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

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

Category 2

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

Category 3

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

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

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

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

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Women’s Health Week

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

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

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

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

Learn more about Women’s Health Week here.

Sep 1 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: 60-day prescribing gets started

many different bright coloured tablets; text 'Today’s START of 60-day prescribing hailed as a big win for patients'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Medicines Australia Still Seeking Certainty published by AJP.com.au on 18 May 2015.

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.

60-day prescribing gets started

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has welcomed the start of 60-day prescribing from today as a big win for patients. AMA President Professor Steve Robson said patients are now able to access cheaper medicines and will save money with fewer tips to the pharmacy. “This initiative, which we have supported since it was first recommended by the independent expert Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee five years ago, will provide much-needed financial relief amid a cost-of-living crisis,” Professor Robson said.

Professor Robson said while there had been a concerted scare campaign against the change, common sense had prevailed, and patients would benefit from the decision by most Senators to support it. “This initiative is supported by many doctor, health and consumer groups, including the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Consumers Health Forum, NACCHO, Asthma Australia and Breast Cancer Australia.” Prof Robson also warned that any attempt to reverse the initiative will cause chaos and confusion.

Under the policy change, more than 300 medicines will eventually become available for 60-day prescriptions. A list of medicines now available for 60-day dispensing is available here.

You can view the AMA’s media release 60-day prescribing gets started in full here, NACCHO’s media release here as well as a related article New 60-Day Prescriptions: Impacts on You and Your Wallet by University of Sydney’s Andrew Barlett, Associate Lecturer Pharmacy Practice and Nial Wheate, Associate Professor of the Sydney Pharmacy School here.

hand putting a tablet in a 7-day tablet dispenser

Photo: Laurynas Mereckas – Unsplash; Image source: Mirage News.

QLD’s Human Rights Act breach condemned

More than 180 human rights, Indigenous and legal groups have written an open letter to the QLD government, condemning their decision to allow children to be housed in adult watch houses. The letter argues the state government continues to “impose punitive and carceral solutions onto vulnerable and marginalised children.” The letter says “These changes in law undeniably violate children’s rights and exacerbate the human rights emergency in QLD’s already broken youth justice system that disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Although making up less than 5% of the child population in QLD, First Nations children comprise 62.6% of the youth prison population.”

The outcry has led to QLD Council of Social Service CEO Aimee McVeigh exclaiming dismay that the QLD government is seemingly unable “design and implement policies that treat children humanely, keep all communities safe, and act in accordance with established democratic processes.” Chief executive of Sisters Inside, Debbie Killroy OAM, led a protest at QLD Parliament last Thursday, calling for an immediate repealing of the laws. “Children lives must never be used as political pawns,” she said. The watch house amendments, which were rushed through QLD parliament last Thursday and resulted in a provision to override the state’s Human Rights Act, had no oversight from any independent parliamentary committee. QLD is the only state without an upper house in parliament and therefore does not see the same parliamentary scrutiny over legislation.

The open letter notes that the Palaszczuk government has a history of defiance and contempt of UN protocols. “In 2022, it blocked the UN torture prevention body from visiting places where people are detained. It now wishes to exclude indefinite detention of children by police from human rights oversight. These are the places where human rights safeguards are needed most.” It goes on to say: “The QLD government’s actions are of such dire concern that our colleagues at the First Peoples Disability Network have taken the step of notifying the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT).” “This situation has resulted in the systematic denial and breach of the human rights of children in custody, and failure to hold Australia accountable to our UN commitments. Overwhelmingly it is First Nations children and children with disabilities who are experiencing this shocking abusive treatment.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Over 180 organisations condemn Queensland government’s latest breach of Human Rights Act in full click here.

front gates of Qld Government Brisbane Youth Detention Centre

Photo: Darren England. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Griffith University wins FASD grant

A project designed to help screen children and adolescents at risk of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has been awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Grant worth $1.49m. Professor Dianne Shanley from Griffith University’s School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute QLD is one of the Chief Investigators on the Tracking Cube which her team co-designed. “The Tracking Cube originated when community members from remote QLD voiced their concern around long waitlists for children,” Professor Shanley said.

“They wanted to ensure their children were supported close to home and placed on local treatment pathways as quickly as possible. The Tracking Cube is a culturally responsive, tiered neurodevelopmental screening approach that can be integrated with child well-health checks. Ultimately, it’s about screening at risk children and young people in primary healthcare so we can start them on early pathways of support and catch those who might otherwise fall through service gaps.”

A pilot implementation was conducted at an Indigenous remote primary health service which found neurodevelopmental concerns were four times more likely to be identified using the Tracking Cube compared to usual care. The pilot was also able to place the 11% of children identified as at-risk of FASD on local pathways of support. Professor Shanley said the project will follow a Type 1 hybrid design using a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial to measure the effectiveness of the Tracking Cube at eight diverse Indigenous primary healthcare partner sites. “The Tracking Cube will increase identification of neurodevelopmental concerns which will enable early support for children at-risk of FASD in primary healthcare,” she said. “It will also increase the appropriateness of specialist referrals without further overburdening waitlists.”

To view the Griffith University article Griffith research into Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder wins $1.49m grant in full click here.

FASD screening tool - Tracking Cube - cube with ATSI art on each side

Tracking Cube. Image source: Griffith News, Griffith University website.

Youth in detention dying prematurely

Young people in contact with the criminal justice system – be it under community-based orders or in youth detention – are among the most marginalised in our society. And the health and health-care disadvantage faced by these young people may be evident for years. Dr Lucas Calais Ferreira, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne says the research he’d been involved in found high levels of largely-preventable diseases and avoidable premature deaths for these young people in Australia, indicating inadequate health care both in youth detention and in the community.

Almost 50% of young people under youth justice supervision are Indigenous, and they are 24 times more likely than non-Indigenous young people to go into youth detention. Young people in detention commonly have very poor health. This includes high rates of one or more physical and mental health problems, cognitive and neurodevelopmental disabilities, and substance dependence. Dr Calais Ferreira said that in the nearly 25 years of data covered by the research it was found that young people with a history of contact with the youth justice system died at a rate more than four times higher than those of the same age and sex in the general Australian population. Those most at risk of dying prematurely are Indigenous children, males, and those whose first contact with the youth justice system was before they were 14 years old.

The research findings highlight the need for young people involved with the justice system to access high-quality and holistic health care that’s age- and culturally appropriate. This is essential to identify and manage their complex health conditions, both during periods of supervision and – critically – after return to the community. Dr Calais Ferreira said ACCHOs are well placed to provide this and to support continuity of care as these children transition in and out of detention. But the NT is the only jurisdiction where they are funded to provide health care in youth detention. ACCHOs are unable to access Commonwealth funding to support health care in detention elsewhere. Discriminatory exclusion from access to Medicare, which typically prevents access to ACCHOs in detention, is an example of the “inverse care law”. This is when those most in need of high-quality health care are least likely to receive it.

You can read The Conversation article Too many young people who’ve been in detention die prematurely. They deserve better in full here and also listen to a related story, the first episode of an ABC Listen three-part ABC podcast series The outland or the cage about the ineffectiveness of youth detention for children with disabilities such as FASD here.

5 unidentified ATSI inmates at a youth detention centre

Unidentified inmates at a youth detention centre. Photo: Eleni Roussos, ABC News.

Rural maternity services need to be on agenda

When a rural town’s maternity unit shuts down, it has a domino effect and other healthcare services quickly follow. Almost 100 maternity experts met recently in Canberra, calling for the federal government to step in and end the steady decline of services for regional mothers. Their list of demands included a national minimum standard for access to rural maternity care and funding for a maternity workforce plan. Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) president Megan Belot said none of the solutions were new or radical, but they needed political willpower and funding. “We know the solutions, we just want them to be implemented… it’s not something that we can wait another five or 10 years for,” Dr Belot said. “We need the PM to understand our issues and look at our solutions that we came up with.”

The issue had become so desperate, states have begun poaching health professionals from each other by offering incentives to those who relocated to their regional area. “This is why it needs to be on the National Cabinet agenda, we need the states working together,” Dr Belot said. Maternity services are often the lynch pin that holds together other medical services in rural areas. “When you lose a maternity service, there’s no need to keep a theatre running anymore,” Dr Belot said.

Australian College of Midwives chief midwife Alison Weatherstone said of the 300,000 women giving birth in Australia each year, 30 per cent (roughly 90,000) live in rural areas. “Women in rural and regional areas deserve access to models of maternity care equivalent to those women in families in the cities… our targets at the moment are well below what’s acceptable for women,” Dr Weatherstone said. National Rural Health Commissioner Ruth Stewart said the government had give Indigenous women the option to give birth on country. “First Nations’ women have to have access to culturally-safe care – we know that if care is not culturally-safe, they are reluctant to seek it,” she said.

To read the Farmonline National article Rural maternity services urged to be National Cabinet issue in full here.

ATSI baby Judy on lap of mum Leah Ngalirrwuy, Galiwin'ku East Arnhem Land, NT

Judy Mununggrruitj’s mother Leah Ngalirrwuy had to leave her home in Galiwin’ku to have her baby in Darwin 500kms away. Photo: Emma Vincent, ABC News.

Ungooroo August 2023 Newsletter

Yesterday Ungooroo Aboriginal Corporation released the August 2023 edition of their newsletter.

Topics included in the August newsletter edition include:

  • Ungooroo Health and Wellbeing Expo a Huge Success
  • Book your 715 Health Check
  • GP Management Plan
  • Welcome to GP Dr Nicole Payne
  • Welcome to new Practice Manager, Stephen McBride
  • Multiplex training and employment program graduation ceremony
  • New look Websites
  • Speaking in Colour
  • Wattaka Cafe Click & Collect
  • Catering with Flavour

The newsletter is available on Ungooroo’s website here and their social media platforms.

part of the front page of the Ungooroo Aboriginal Corporation August 2023 newsletter

 

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

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Aug 24 2023

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

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

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

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

Funding to address FASD in Central Australia

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

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

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

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

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

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

NACCHO Strong Born Campaign social media tile.

Goondir Health Services and UQ improving oral health

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full ABC News article here.

UQ Dental Clinic. Image source: ABC News.

New GP clinic to South Hedland

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

The practice will offer a variety of medical services including:

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

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

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

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

Sonic Health Plus.

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

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

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

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

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

Read the full article here.

Image source: Close the Gap Campaign Instagram.

Lessons in heat resilience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Expression of interest AMC Member Council

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

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

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

Image source: AMC website.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Aug 4 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes

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

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

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

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

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

Purpose built AMS planned for Brewarinna

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

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

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

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

external view of Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aboriginal & Australian flags flying

Image source: Pearls and Irritations.

National Cervical Screening Program update

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

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

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

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

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

FASD Communications and Engagement grants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

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

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

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

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

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

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

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

World Breastfeeding Week – 1–7 August 2023

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

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

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

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

Aug 1 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Important conversations about bowel cancer screening

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.

Important conversations about bowel cancer screening

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 50 to 74 are urged to do a free bowel cancer screening test. Bowel cancer is Australia’s second biggest cancer killer and one of the most common cancers impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, if detected early, almost all bowel cancers are treatable. Approximately one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are completing their bowel cancer screening tests as part of the national program. Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke is advocating for more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to take up the free test, part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening program.

“As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, we need to have important conversations about our health.

“Bowel cancer screening is something that is simple, free and easy to do. We need to encourage our brothers and sister to participate, there’s absolutely no shame in looking after your health and wellbeing,” Mr Janke said.

All eligible Australians aged 50 to 74 receive the free bowel cancer screening test in the mail every two years, or through their healthcare professionals. Replacement kits can be ordered through your local health clinic.

For NACCHO Bowel Cancer Screening resources go here.

To read the full Canberra Weekly article click here.

Improving access for patients and attracting medical professionals to the regions: RACGP tours WA

Last week, RACGP President, Dr Nicole Higgins toured WA to discuss doctor shortages, workforce challenges, and culturally safe care. Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal Health Service was on the list of stops, the ACCHO providing expertise on how to best provide care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. RACGP WA Chair, Dr Ramya Raman said, “many of us, including myself, have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and we need to be understanding and respectful to the cultural aspects, as well as being able to manage some of the health conditions in a culturally sensitive manner.”

Attending other health services throughout the state, RACGP said the main concerns raised about rural healthcare include improving access for patients, and how to best attract medical professionals to the regions. COVID-19 exacerbating workforce challenges, and creating changes across general practice, which are expected to be felt for years to come.

“There is a level of isolation that many practitioners, medical students, as well as nursing and allied health staff and other colleagues are feeling. There’s a sense of burnout,” Dr Raman said.

Read the full News GP article RACGP tours WA to discuss doctor shortage here.

National Road Safety Action Grants Open

Grants to help reduce road fatalities and injuries are now open. On Friday 28 July Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Senator Carol Brown announced the opening of the National Road Safety Action Grants Program. The program will deliver key non-infrastructure commitments critical to the delivery priorities outlined in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 and National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25.

The program will provide funding across five key focus areas critical to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on our roads:

  1. Community Education and Awareness, including workplace road safety.
  2. Vulnerable Road Users
  3. First Nations Road Safety
  4. Technology and Innovation
  5. Research and Data

Applications for the first two focus areas (Community Education and Awareness, and Vulnerable Road Users) are now open. The program is open to a range of organisations including not-for-profit and research, as well as local, state, and territory governments.

Application for the next two streams (First Nations Road Safety, and Technology and Innovation) are expected to open later this year.

Applications for focus areas one and two close Friday 25 August.

For more information go here.

Image source: The Conversation.

AIDA and AMA sign agreement to help close health gap.

The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding, cementing a shared commitment towards tackling serious health inequalities affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to empower future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors.

“Clinical safety is cultural safety, and it is essential we continue to improve outcomes for our people. By uniting in purpose, we can continue to unlock endless possibilities through our work towards a shared vision of a culturally safe healthcare system,” said AIDA President, Dr Simone Raye.

AMA President, Professor Steve Robson said the new agreement would unlock further collaboration with AIDA and foster growth of a culturally safe expert medical workforce.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a right to affordable and culturally safe healthcare, no matter where they are in Australia,” he said.

Read more here.

AIDA President Dr Simone Raye and AMA President Professor Steve Robson. Image source: AIDA Facebook.

What does ‘Culture First’ mean to you? SEWB Gathering 4 gets underway.

The fourth Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Gathering is in full swing, kicking off yesterday Monday 31 July and is on until Wednesday 2 August in Darwin. Delegates from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies, community organisations, leaders, and experts from across Australia joining forces to discuss social and emotional wellbeing topics, centered around the theme ‘Culture First.’ The upcoming referendum was a key discussion yesterday, with the question ‘How does the Voice and political issues impact on SEWB?’

Taking to the podium Professor Tom Calma said, “I emphasis youth because this referendum is about the future. Young Australians will be a driving force in this referendum, they have been spared the miseducation and misinformation that was received by their parents and grandparents.”

Image source: Centre of Best Practice Facebook.

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: World Breastfeeding Week

World Breastfeeding Week runs from Tuesday 1 August to Monay 7 August. The global campaign aims to raise awareness among decision-makers, workplaces, and the wider community about the importance of breastfeeding and its benefits.

Key messages of the campaign include:

  • Breastfeeding is easier when everyone steps up to support mothers.
  • Women everywhere need paid maternity leave.
  • Breastfeeding is easier when workplaces provide support and dedicate time and space to breastfeed or express milk.

NACCHO’s Strong Born Campaign, in collaboration with the National FASD Campaign Working Group, aims to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the harms of drinking alcohol while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Messaging surrounding breastfeeding includes:

“No alcohol during pregnancy or when breastfeeding is the safest way for mum and baby.”

“If breastfeeding bub, they can get charged up too and get really crook.”

Strong Born Campaign resources are available here.