Category Health Promotion

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Contact Colin Cowell
NACCHO Communications and Media
nacchonews@naccho.org.au
Tel 0401331251

Nov 17 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Calls for AHWs in prisons “day and night”

feature tile: ATSI man's hands through blue prison bars; text 'Calls for Aboriginal Health Workers to be based in the prison system “day and night”

The image in the feature tile is from an article Calls for ‘Urgent Reform’ to Address Skyrocketing Indigenous Incarceration Rate published by Pro Bono Australia on 11 July 2017.

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.

Calls for AHWs in prisons “day and night”

The mother-in-law of Wayne Ugle, the young Noongar father who died in custody on 6 November, has called for Aboriginal Health Workers to be based in the prison system “day and night”. Margaret Kelly said the family received formal confirmation that Mr Ugle had dies in custody eight hours after he passed away, having heard earlier only through a relative in prison.

Mr Ugle’s family said earlier this week that Mr Ugle had asked for heart medication before his death in custody, but his requests were ignored. Ms Kelly said she had urged investigating officers to get Aboriginal Health Workers in to work in lock-ups. “We spoke with the Coroner Detectives and we put it to them they need to get Derbarl Yerrigan (Health Service) in the prison system, even for the overnight prisoners in the Watch Houses, they need to get Aboriginal Health Workers in there night and day.

Ms Kelly said the detectives had provided a pamphlet to her with a counseling service number, and that the Department of Child Protection had offered to assist her daughter Natasha, who, with Mr Ugle, had been caring for six foster children (four of whom are still minors) in addition to their three children.

You can view the National Indigenous Times article Family calls for Aboriginal health workers in prison system “day and night” after death in custody in full here.

Margaret Kelly (right) with her daughter Natasha Ugle (centre) with two of Ms Ugle's children

Margaret Kelly (right) with her daughter Natasha Ugle (centre) with two of Ms Ugle’s children. Photo: Rhiannon Clarke. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Work with researchers to prevent cervical cancer

NACCHO members are invited to consider working with researchers to help prevent and eliminate cervical cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Screen Your Way is one of a number of research projects designed to work in concert in achieving elimination of cervical cancer by reducing incidence and lives lost from this almost entirely preventable cancer. The research, which aims to increase participation in cervical screening among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix using self-collection cervical screening, will be led by Associate Professor Lisa Whop (Wagadagam), who is based at the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research.

Screen Your Way aims to support services to increase screening in a sustainable, community-led way, through working with your service and community to design and put in place strategies to increase self-collection and cervical screening in line with your community priorities. This research will be conducted by, with, and for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait lslander communities.

To find out more, submit an expression of interest or get in touch, you can visit the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research website here. You can also contact the research team directly by email here for more information .

Senator the Hon Penny Wong and the Hon Ged Kearney MP’s joint media release Making History by Eliminating Cervical Cancer in Australia and Our Region issued today (Friday 17 November 2023) can also be read in full here.

poster aqua & purple snake with text 'Eliminate Cervical Cancer' by ATSI artists Simone Arnol and Bernard Lee Singleton, Yalma

Artwork by Simone Arnol and Bernard Lee Singleton, Yalma. Image source: Cervical Cancer Elimination website.

HIV Awareness Week community grants now open

The NACCHO BBVSTI and ESR Programs have secured funding from the Commonwealth to fund ACCHOs who are raising awareness for HIV in Community. Funding of up to $1000 (excl. GST) is available to support your ACCHO to participate in for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV Awareness Week 2023!

To apply: please complete this form, including a description of HIV awareness activities to be undertaken, if successful in receiving funding.

Funding can be used for:
– Internal ACCHO wide training and presentations (tea break, or lunch sessions)
– Health promotion stalls in the clinic waiting room or at another event
– Community engagement activities
– Incentives to encourage screening during HIV awareness week
– Art and/or design competitions promoting awareness, screening, treatment etc.

Reporting requirements for the funding will be involve completion of an online form (similar to this one) with a few paragraphs and lots of photos!! If you have any photos in the lead up to your event, please send to the NACCHO BBVSTI team using this email, so NACCHO can promote your event!

NACCHO would like to acknowledge Prof. James Ward, University of Queensland’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and SAHMRI, creators of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV Awareness Week. HIV Awareness week will continue to build on the successes of the previous programs for years to come. For more information on the original program and the history, please visit the ATSIHIV website here.

tile text 'HIV AWARENESS WEEK COMMUNITY GRANTS NOW OPEN! etc. Aboriginal art & vector blue condom face, red ribbon & red cape

Mt Druitt Elder who touched lives, honoured

When the students from Chifley College in Mount Druitt speak about Aunty Gloria Matthews, their faces light up. One of the students whose life was touched by Aunty Gloria is Shaylah Hampton Dixon, a young Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri student at the college. He says that she meant everything to him. “She was the first Aboriginal Education Officer here and helped us with our education,” he said. “She gave me freedom.”

Aunty Gloria, a Yorta Yorta Elder from Cummeragunja Mission, began as an Aboriginal Health Worker in 1973, working at the grassroots level in health and education. The mural celebrates the work that Aunty Gloria did for mob, as well as where she came from and her story. The mural features Cummeragunja Mission, where Aunty Gloria grew up, and the Murrumbidgee River, where she used to swim and fish.

Words like ‘activist’ adorn the mural, highlighting what Aunty Gloria meant to the community. Artist Alex Grils worked on the mural for three weeks alongside students from Chifley College. “I came into the project and spent three weeks learning about her achievements and the things she’s done for the people and community here,” Mr Grils said.

To read the NITV article This Elder touched the lives of school students in Mount Druitt. Now she’s being honoured with a mural in full click here.
mural of Aunty Gloria Matthews at Chifley College in Mount Druitt

The mural of Aunty Gloria Matthews at Chifley College in Mount Druitt. Photo: Tim Hagan/NITV.

First Nations runners complete New York Marathon

Ten First Nations people have embarked on the trip of a lifetime, travelling over 15,000 kms to successfully complete the 2023 New York Marathon. The participants formed the squad of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), a health promotion charity that uses running to celebrate Indigenous resilience and achievement, and create inspirational Indigenous leaders.

Sissy Austin, Jamie Collins, Peter Farrell, Joel Etherington, Arthur Pitt, Jobastin Priest, Faith Stevens, Jack Stevens, Lauren Vanson and Jade Ware were the ten members who passed the final selection stage, which included the successful completion of a 30 km test run in Alice Springs. The majority of the squad were from non-running backgrounds and had to work hard throughout the year to prepare their bodies for the arduous 42km run. The marathon was the culmination of a six-month program, which also included a personal commitment to health and nutrition, engaging in a Cert II or IV in Indigenous Leadership and Health Promotion, and specialised training in running, coaching, media, First Aid and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Aid.

The IMF’s official website states that the completion of the education and leadership component will ‘give them the skills and confidence to be impactful role models within their communities’. Former marathon world champion and founder of the IMF Robert de Castella says the squad showed a tremendous commitment to the project. “The marathon is synonymous with struggle, endurance, and achievement, so to go from no running to running the biggest marathon in the world, in the biggest city in the world, in just six months, is almost beyond comprehensive,” de Castella said.

To read the National Indigenous Times article First Nations runners complete New York Marathon in full click here.

Gunai Kurnai, Yuin and Palawa man Joel Etherington wearing black polo with Indigenous Marathon Project 2023 Squad logo

Gunai Kurnai, Yuin and Palawa man Joel Etherington ran a time of 3:54:42 at this year’s New York Marathon. Image source: National Indigenous Times

Deadly Runners a way to improve mob’s health

Pro Bono Australia has run a story about change maker Georgia Weir, founder of Deadly Runners. Georgia’s vision is to grow the network of local Indigenous running clubs by upskilling and employing local community leaders. Georgia is an Aboriginal woman who experienced the transformative power of running first-hand. She had been struggling with addiction and mental health issues and says running saved her life. She wants to enable First Nations people across Australia to experience the power of running, as well as the social connections that come from being part of a local group that gathers around a positive activity.

Deadly Runners is a grassroots running club for First Nations people, working in collaboration with local community leaders and Aboriginal Health Organisations to improve physical and mental health outcomes and enable people to make life changes. Pro Bono Australia interviewed recently interviewed Georgia, asking the following questions:

  • Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.
  • What does this role mean to you?
  • Take us through a typical day of work for you.
  • What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?
  • If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on
    your career?
  • How do you unwind after work?
  • What was the last thing you watched, read or listened to?

To view the Pro Bono Australia article Improving Aboriginal health through the power of running in full click here.

Georgia Weir wearing running tank top with words 'Deadly Runners'

Founder of Deadly Runners, Georgia Weir. Image source: Pro Bono Australia.

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.

Nov 15 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: New report identifies key incarceration factors

feature tile image: ATSI hands gripping jail bars, superimposed with Aboriginal transparent flag; text 'New report finds mental health, poverty, family history and unemployment all key factors in incarceration'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Indigenous Australians’ incarceration Gap widens during the pandemic published  in the Public Health Association Australia’s blog Intouch Public Health on 18 March 2021.

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

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

New report identifies key incarceration factors

More than half of prison entrants have previously been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and almost half expect to be homeless upon release, the sixth survey on the health of people in Australian prisons has found. The study also found that 36% (more than one third) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prison entrants reported that during their childhood, one or both parents or carers had spent time in prison. For non-Indigenous prisoners the rate was 15%. 42% of prison entrants aged 18–24 had a parent or carer in prison during their childhood.

Today the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released The health of people in Australia’s prisons 2022, which includes information gathered from 73 of 87 prisons across Australia (excluding Victoria) to develop “a comprehensive view of the health, wellbeing and social factors that affect people before, during and after time in prison”. AIHW spokesperson Amanda Donges noted that “many people in prison come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with poorer physical and mental health outcomes than the general population.” Nearly one-third of prison entrants had an education level of Year 9 or below. In the 30 days before entering prison, more than four in 10 (43%) were homeless, nearly half (46%) were unemployed and only one in 20 (5.1%) were studying.

Nearly half (48%) of prison dischargees expected to be homeless on release from prison, with 45% planning to sleep in short term or emergency accommodation and 2.8% expecting to sleep rough. Only 52% of prison dischargees had their own stable accommodation arranged. More than half of surveyed prison entrants (51%) reported a previous diagnosis of a mental health condition, including alcohol and other drug use disorders. Almost three quarters (73%) of prison entrants reported using illicit drugs at least once during the previous 12 months.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Mental health, poverty, family history and unemployment key factors in incarceration – new report in full click here.

inmates walking along walkway Lotus Glen Correctional Centre, N Qld

Lotus Glen Correctional Centre in northern Queensland. Photo: Daniel Soekov, Human Rights Watch, via AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Dialysis 900kms from home and family

When Robyn Neade isn’t strapped to a chair receiving life-saving dialysis treatment, she wanders around a strange city 100s of kms away from family and friends. The Indigenous Mount Isa resident is on the North West Hospital and Health Service’s (NWHHS) waiting list to access dialysis treatment back home.

But with no spots available she has had to move to a boarding house in Townsville, 900kms away, to receive treatment. She is terrified of dying alone without her loved ones by her side, “We have to go down to Townsville and wait for a seat to come back to Mount Isa — how many years is that [going to be]?” She is one of 30 people on the waiting list for a renal chair in Mount Isa. “We’ve got to be here in Townsville wishing that someone’s going to hurry up and die,”Ms Neade said.

Dialysis is used to treat chronic kidney disease by removing extra fluid and waste products from a patients’ blood. It’s an intensive treatment which patients must commit to for hours at a time, most days of the week. Ms Neade was completing dialysis treatment at home, but when her kidney issues worsened, she was forced to move to Townsville for treatment. “I miss my family, it’s very, very sad, it’s heartbreaking,” she said.

To view the ABC News story Renal patient Robyn Neade faces heartbreak of dialysis 900km from her Mount Isa home and family in full click here.

dialysis patient Robyn Neade, Mt Isa

Robyn Neade is scared she’ll die 900km from her loved ones. Image source: ABC News.

Coproduced research empowers communities

In a recent study published in Nature Medicine, researchers reviewed the evolution of health research co-production with Indigenous peoples, where a collaborative effort explores shared control and reciprocity in health research while examining the divergent aspects of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, political and strategic differences, and ethical standards.

The concept of co-production has recently gained much attention in health research in a push to enhance health research outcomes through a process that is responsive to the participants and stakeholders. It fosters collaborations between health researchers and a wide range of stakeholders such as Indigenous peoples, patients and their families, service providers, communities, and the general public, and the design, analyses, dissemination, and evaluation of results is conducted through shared control.

The primary goal is to improve the meaningfulness and tangibility of the results from the outset for all the parties involved in the process. Co-production is also thought to enlarge the scope of the study and improve the possibility of uptake. The long history of colonisation of Indigenous communities has naturally resulted in a level of mistrust and suspicion among Indigenous researchers towards Western research methodologies. Furthermore, the structural nature of research design can also perpetuate discrimination and prejudice if conducted in an unethical and non-inclusive manner.

In the present study, the researchers discussed co-production as a distinct form of collaborative research, examined the evolution of co-production involving Indigenous peoples, reviewed some illustrative examples involving Indigenous peoples, such as the Indigenous Maori of NZ, and presented recommendations for effective and responsive methods of co-production with Indigenous peoples.

To view the News Medical Life Sciences article Empowering indigenous communities through coproduced health research in full click here.

Training researchers to take clinical measurements as part of the Next Generation study. L-R: Ricky Mentha (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Bobby Porykali (The George Institute), Robyn Williams (University of Melbourne), Elizabeth Hillmann

Training researchers to take clinical measurements as part of the Next Generation study. L-R: Ricky Mentha (Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Bobby Porykali (The George Institute), Robyn Williams (University of Melbourne), Elizabeth Hillmann (The George Institute). Image source: University of Melbourne Pursuit.

Lowitja Institute CEO Victorian 2024 Australian of the Year

Narungga Kaurna woman Janine Mohamed, a pioneer for Indigenous healthcare, has been named Victoria’s 2024 Australian of the Year. Ms Mohamed has dedicated her life to fighting racism and improving health outcomes for Australia’s Indigenous communities. She has spent the last five years as CEO of the Lowitja Institute, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led community health research organisation based in Melbourne, and before that, she was CEO of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives.

While she refers to herself as an “accidental CEO”, her experience suggests otherwise — Ms Mohamed has worked for 25 years in nursing, health policy and Indigenous health and wellbeing research. Ms Mohamed said growing up in a mission in SA’s Point Pearce inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare. “I saw the amazing work of healthcare professionals, but I also saw the devastating work of health professionals and the missed opportunities,” she said. “I really wanted to understand that more.”

Ms Mohamed said her work has involved celebrating excellence in her community, but also has required her to talk about the “tough stuff”, which is racism. “It is something that our people have been asking for for a long time – it is the eradication of racism,” she said. “I think we have to understand what racism looks like and feels like and what it produces to be able to envision a different future. “For me, an amazing future would be that everyone is practising cultural safety and anti-racism.”

To view the ABC News article Indigenous healthcare pioneer Janine Mohamed takes out top honour as Victoria’s 2024 Australian of the Year in full click here.

Lowitja Institute CEO Janine Mohamed holding Australian of the Year for Victoria Award

Lowitja Institute CEO Janine Mohamed is the Australian of the Year for Victoria. Photo: NADC/Salty Dingo. Image source: ABC News.

VACCHO celebrates shawl project documentary launch

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) has launched a new documentary showcasing the staunch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have brought the Beautiful Shawl Project to life over the past year, and their stories. The feature shares Aboriginal and Torres Strait women’s breast screening experiences in Victoria through the Beautiful Shawl Project. And includes personal insights from women who screened with the Beautiful Shawl Project – as well as those who carry out vital work increasing Community awareness and engagement around the Project.

Yesterday (14 November 2023) VACCHO paid tribute “to the many women who generously shared their stories, wisdom, and insight as part of this inspiring film”. The Beautiful Shawl Project is a collaborative program between VACCHO and BreastScreen Victoria. It is a Community-led initiative providing “safe and empowering” breast screening experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in a culturally safe setting.

Since its launch in 2019, The Beautiful Shawl Project has worked in partnership with over 25 ACCHOs and other organisations with their Aboriginal-led teams to provide over 1000 lifesaving breast screens to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Of those screened, 29% were first time screeners and 39% were lapsed (overdue) at the time of their breast screen. VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher AO said The Beautiful Shawl Project documentary demonstrates the transformative health outcomes that can be achieved by culturally safe and responsive cancer screening initiatives.

You can view the National Indigenous Times article VACCHO celebrates launch of Beautiful Shawl Project Documentary on Indigenous health in full click here and watch the full documentary online here.

Aboriginal woman draped in Beautiful Shawl in front of Breast Screen pink bus

Beautiful Shawl art by Alkina Edwards, Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba, Mutti Mutti and Wiradjuri. Art Title: dj, which means Woman Shield. Photo: VACCHO. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Parental stress and child asthma symptoms link

University of Queensland (UQ) research has shown a link between parental stress stemming from financial hardship and exacerbated asthma symptoms in children. Dr K M Shahunja from UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health led a study that analysed the data of more than 3,900 children collected over 14 years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Dr Shahunja said the study was the first in Australia to look at the association of psychosocial factors with asthma symptoms through longitudinal analyses of one- to 15-year-olds.

“People are generally aware that environmental factors like smoking, traffic pollution and allergens can trigger asthma symptoms, but perhaps don’t realise psychosocial stressors can also have a harmful effect,” Dr Shahunja said. “It’s important parents and health professionals understand the significant influence the psychosocial environment has on children and how stressors can exacerbate asthma symptoms. Further research is needed to develop effective strategies to address maternal depression, financial hardship, and parental stress for long-term asthma control in children.”

Dr Shahunja worked with co-authors Associate Professor Abdullah Mamun from UQ’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and Professor Peter Sly from UQ’s Child Health Research Centre.

To view The University of Queensland article Asthma symptoms more common in children with stressed parents in full click here.

young ATSI girl with blue puffer

Image: Asthma (Short Wind) information booklet developed by Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital and the University of WA.

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.

Nov 13 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Those who’ve gone before never gave up

feature tile: portrait image of Sen McCarthy; text 'Senator McCarthy urges mob to get back to “business” after the disappointment of the Voice to Parliament referendum'

The image in the feature tile is of Senator Malarndirri McCarthy from an ABC RN Breakfast broadcast Malarndirri McCarthy on the Voice: ‘I think we could have been better’ published by ABC Listen on 17 October 2023.

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.

Those who’ve gone before never gave up

Speaking at the 11th annual Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on Friday 10 November 2023, NT Labor Senator McCarthy said the deep hurt and devastation felt by so many who supported the Yes vote was evident, straight after the October 14 referendum. “We are such a resilient people, as First Nations people,” she said. “…resilience really is the key to moving forward. After the referendum, it’s also now about accepting and respecting that decision, which is a really difficult thing for people to do.”

The proud Yanyuwa Garrawa woman from Borroloola, in the NT, said whatever the outcome of the referendum, First Nations people continued to be incarcerated at rates way too high and experience poor rates of domestic violence and unemployment. The Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Indigenous Health said the First Nations economic sector had a critical role to play in making changes to the broader Australian community.

In concluding her speech, Senator McCarthy said the most important issue post the referendum was improving the lives of First Nations people in Australia. “I do look at the example of those who’ve gone before us and the struggles and I where I come from,” she said. “When in 1976, we were the first to go for land of this area with we didn’t succeed. But it was difficult to give evidence in a former courthouse where their families had been jailed. I remember watching the Elders sitting there, speaking largely in language, but not really understanding what that Westminster System of law was all about. But we never gave up. And there’s always hope for a better future for all of us, for First Nations people.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Malarndirri McCarthy tells AEDF now is the time for Indigenous people to show respect and resilience in full click here.

Senator Malarndirr McCarthy who spoke at the Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on 10.11.23 with a a group of 4 ATSI women & young child

Speaking at the Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on Friday, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy (back, centre) urged First Nations people to get back to “business” following the referendum’s defeat. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

What to say and do after suicide

April Burgoyne is not a counsellor but knows she has a key role to play in helping tackle Ballarat’s suicide rate, one of the highest in Australia. Ms Burgoyne, who is the Cultural Care Connect network coordinator for Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC) was among more than 30 representatives from different health and welfare organisations who recently attended a forum, led by StandBy Support After Suicide and Wellways. Data shows that those bereaved by suicide are at a higher risk of suicide amid ongoing ripple effects. Forum participants shared learnings and advice on what to do and say in the wake of lives lost to suicide.

“It’s good to connect and share cultural understandings to help up-skill other service organisations and to help up-skill our community in return,” Ms Burgoyne said. The BADAC program stems from a NACCHO move in post and prevention crisis support for Indigenous communities. Ms Burgoyne said this was focused on Aboriginal circle elements for social and emotional well-being support, including connections to ancestor spirit, culture, community and Country and kinship.

At the same time, it is also vital to work closely with other community organisations. StandBy Support After Suicide’s western Victoria program Coordinator Kristy Steenhuis, said one of the biggest barriers in her work has been awareness, “A lot of people have never heard of our service, that if someone’s bereaved, we’re someone to call.”  For Ms Burgoyne, there is still much work to do in developing what BADAC can offer. She said a long-term goal was after-hours crisis support. While BADAC has crisis support in business hours, Ms Burgoyne said a lot of clients reported needing to go to the hospital emergency department and have the traumatic experience of having to re-tell their stories without a warm hand-over. She also hoped to develop healing workshops with other health organisations to promote cultural awareness.

The above is an extract from an article What to say and do after suicide: welfare leaders face the question published in The Courier on 12 November 2023. You can access the StandBy – Support After Suicide website here.

StandBy Support After Suicide's western Victoria program coordinator Kristy Steenhuis giving a presentation at BADAC

StandBy Support After Suicide’s western Victoria program coordinator Kristy Steenhuis says there were “rich conversations” in a postvention awareness forum for community health leaders at Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative. Photo: Kate Healy. Image source: The Courier.

Cancer plans focus on those with worst outcomes

Although cancer care has improved dramatically in Australia over the past few decades, two new cancer plans, announced in the past fortnight, one launched by the Australian Government and the other developed by the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, NACCHO, aim to improve the cancer experiences of population groups who have the worst cancer outcomes. The plans hope to prevent Australians most at risk from “falling through the cracks”.

The Australian Cancer Plan, available here, was developed by the Australian Government’s cancer control agency Cancer Australia. Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Dorothy Keefe, said the plan sets out improvements and actions that can be made to improve Australia’s cancer control system, “This isn’t a plan to replace the state and territory plans. This is a plan to embrace them all, so that we can actually do the things together that are better done together and enable the jurisdictions to continue doing the great work that they do. The plan focuses on improving experiences and outcomes for priority population groups and improving outcomes for people with low survival rates.

Separately, a new cancer plan, available here, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been developed by NACCHO. The plan, which was codesigned with the Aboriginal health sector, aims to change cancer experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “Consultations highlighted the need to focus on structural reform including sustainable funding, increasing accessibility of services and ensuring mainstream cancer centres are culturally safe and responsive,” NACCHO said. The plan acknowledges the goals of the broader Australian Cancer Plan in improving Aboriginal health outcomes. “By working together, these two plans will achieve better outcomes for more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families and Communities at a faster pace,” said Dr Dawn Casey, NACCHO Deputy CEO.

To view the InSight+ article New cancer plans focus on Aboriginal health and priority populations in full click here.

Cover of ATSI Cancer Plan document

Image source: NACCHO website.

Djäkamirr – caretaker of pregnancy and birth

Labor MLA Lisa O’Malley is backing the screening of a documentary which she hopes will lead to more culturally-appropriate birthing experiences for Indigenous women  Filmed over two years on the ancestral home grounds of Yolnu First Nations people in NE Arnhem Land, Djäkamirr: Caretaker of Pregnancy and Birth follows sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah as they journey through ancestral time, country and culture, working with the community to pilot the training of Djäkamirr (maternity caretakers).

The screening is being organised by maternity consumer representative Kylie Ekin, WA Country Health Service regional Aboriginal health consultant Janinne Gliddon, WA Country Health Service midwife Maddison Bell and Birth Tribe Midwifery founder Melissa Lynch. Ms Ekin said the documentary was a rare insight into Indigenous birthing culture and the importance of incorporating ancestral wisdom in contemporary maternity care.

“We must now implement Birthing on Country in WA and ensure continuity of midwifery-led care models are accessible for all Aboriginal women,” Ms Ekin said. Ms O’Malley said the documentary opened up an important conversation. 

To view the Fremantle Herald Interactive article Rebirthing in full click here.

poster for the film Djakamirr - caretaker of pregnancy & birth; image of Yolngu sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah

Yongu sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah on the film poster. Image source: Fremantle Herald Interactive.

Camp Jungai hosts historic ‘Gathering of Mob’

Taungurung Country hosted an historic ‘gathering of Mob’ over the weekend, which saw more than 300 people from across Victoria come together to share stories, yarn and heal. Held at Camp Jungai in central Victoria, a place of cultural significance for Indigenous Victorians that comes from the Wurundjeri language meaning “place of many possums”, 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture was brought together in a gathering of Elders, youth, and leaders from clans across the state.

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) helped organise the weekend, with VACCHO CEO, Gunditjmara woman Aunty Jill Gallagher, saying the gatherings and events were vitally important for all Indigenous communities. “It’s crucial. Not only because of the disappointment that we’re dealing with because of the referendum, but it’s crucial that we stay strong together,” Aunty Jill said. “The Gunditjmara mobs can come down and hear Taungurung stories, and we can all dance our different culture dances. We’re just all together. That is how we keep our culture both strong, and alive.”

All the attendees helped deliver the message that First Nations communities were as strong as ever and would not falter. Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri man Jessie Williams said the importance of a gathering of Mob was the facilitation and continual connection for various communities throughout the state. “Making sure that our relationships are strong within our own community and being able to return to that on Country, while practising culture, it’s invaluable,” he said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Camp Jungai hosts a historic ‘Gathering of Mob’ in full click here.

Koori Youth Will Shake Spears dance group and their back-up dancers

The Koori Youth Will Shake Spears dance group and their invaluable back-up dancers Photo: Dechlan Brennan. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Teens get a head start in careers in health

More than 30 Riverina high school students are set to embark on their healthcare careers through a school-based traineeship with Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD). As a part of the program, the Year 10 students will go on to complete a qualification in nursing, allied health or health administration. The program can be included as one subject for their High School Certificate and contribute to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.

MLHD education and trainee support officer Laura Strano said the program offered students a supported pathway from school to work and further study options, “Our school-based traineeship program aims to help grow the rural health workforce, with a ‘grow your own’ model at the heart of its inception. The program focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student engagement and employment in health careers, with a holistic and supportive approach to completing the program and beyond. The program provides students with income while they are studying. Over the two-year traineeship, they complete a minimum of 100 days of paid, on-the-job training in their chosen area, one day a week during school term and the rest during the school holidays.”

Wagga Wagga High School student Darnee Doherty says she knows plenty of nurses around her and has always heard “good things” about the profession. “I was a late submission, but I’m glad I decided to get the application in on time,” Darnee said. “I’ve been given a great opportunity. Not many of my friends are doing anything else like this, but they all support me and have my back. I’m hoping for a healthcare career. I’m excited for it. I want to jump right in and get started and working already.” Darnee is set to start her midwifery training and hopes to stay in the region for her work. “I wouldn’t want to go too far away. If I can stay, that will be good,” Darnee said.

To view the Region Riverina article Local teens get a head start in their careers in health in full click here.

school students learning about CPR at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital

Students learn about CPR at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen. Image source: Region Riverina.

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.

Nov 6 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: CTG is possible with proper use of information

feature tile image ATSI mum holding baby; text 'Closing the Gap can only be achieved if service gaps are identified and filled'

The image in the feature tile is from the Strong Mothers, Strong Families webpage of the Carbal Medical Services webpage.

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.

CTG is possible with proper use of information

Ian Ring AO, a Professor in tropical health and medicine at James Cook University says if there was general agreement about anything in the recent Voice referendum, it was that progress in Closing the Gap (CTG) has been unacceptable. Given this, Professor Ring said you would have thought, the key question asked by all might be “Why has progress been so slow – and what needs to be done to turn that around?” According to Professor Ring there are steps that could be taken right now to put the targets for life expectancy and child mortality “on track”. They are not unaffordable, do not require new knowledge and have been sought by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for a very long time. But they would require governments to heed the voice of Indigenous people, strengthen Indigenous leadership and conduct a root-and-branch overhaul and upskilling of key government agencies – and make proper use of information that has long been available to it.

Professor Ring points to child mortality as an example. He explains that most childhood deaths occur very early in life and are driven by birthweight, and that healthy birthweight is much more likely in those who start to access antenatal services early in pregnancy and receive adequate care for a range of health conditions and effective health promotion strategies for nutrition, smoking and other important factors. The Strong Mothers, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program, first developed by Aboriginal women and health workers in the early 1990s and was followed by various adaptations of this approach has led to improvements in the birthweight distribution and a reduction in perinatal mortality.

In 2014 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) said “Evidence shows that models of care tailored specifically for Indigenous women result in quantifiable improvements in antenatal care attendance, pre-term births, birth outcomes, perinatal mortality, and breastfeeding practice. These models include culturally appropriate and safe care as well as continuity of care, collaboration between midwives and Indigenous health workers, and involvement of family members such as grandmothers.” Professor Ring says that given this information, it might have been expected that the Commonwealth would conduct a service inventory of existing ACCHO services for mothers and babies, identified service gaps and then developed a forward plan to fill the service gaps across Australia. Sadly, that has not been the case and there has been no significant change in the Indigenous low birthweight rate between 2013–2019, and between 2010–2019 there was no significant change in the Indigenous child and infant mortality rates.

Major changes to improve ACT justice system

The ACT Government has formally announced several major changes to key laws in a bid to improve current performance and trajectory in the justice system, including increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years of age to 14 years by the year 2025.  By raising the age of criminal responsibility the ACT Government is hoping to divert youth away from the criminal justice system and ensure they receive the therapeutic rehabilitative support needed to address the underlying cause of their behaviour. Attorney General Shane Rattenbury said “children in our community, especially those engaging in harmful behaviour, need our care and attention, not to be locked away in prison. Barbara Causon, the current Advocate, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People in the ACT, said First Nations’ children “are currently over-represented in the juvenile justice system and this important reform, along with carefully considered, culturally informed, alternative service responses aims to address this concerning issue”.

“The importance of involving our local Aboriginal community in the development and implementation of an alternative service response will go a long way to addressing the significant over-representation of our children in the juvenile justice system and have the potential to improve lifelong outcomes for our First Nations children and young people,” she said.

First Nations leader, Bundjalung man and Joe Hedger said “the issues of over-representation are interconnected, part of a web of poverty, limited access to education, healthcare, housing and cycles of disadvantage. By collaborating closely with First Nations people and organisations, the ACT Government can unlock the tremendous expertise and insights they bring to the table. This not only addresses immediate challenges but sets the stage for holistic reform in areas like education, healthcare, employment, housing and mental health, ensuring a brighter future for all.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article ACT leading the way with historic changes to justice system in full click here.

Joe Hedgers (left) with Alicia Payne, Aunty Violet Sheridan, Noah Allan, Paula McGrady and Katy Gallagher at Parliament House

Joe Hedgers (left) with Alicia Payne, Aunty Violet Sheridan, Noah Allan, Paula McGrady and Katy Gallagher at Parliament House. Photo: Jess Whaler. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Top End life expectancy research wins award

NT Health research looking at the life expectancy of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the NT has won the 2022 Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) Award for Excellence in Medical Research. The research conducted by Dr Yuejen Zhao, Shu Qin Li, Dr Tom Wilson, and Professor Paul Burgess, found that life expectancy for Indigenous people in the NT improved markedly from 1999 to 2018, with fewer lives lost to cancer, injuries and chronic disease.

The MJA Editor-in-Chief, Professor Virginia Barbour said “Their important research has helped contribute to the growing Australian academic literature about Indigenous health and wellbeing. We know that more needs to be done to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, so the MJA really encourages more research into this area. It is also vital that the research community recognises the importance of research into the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Co-author Professor Paul Burgess, the Senior Director of Health Statistics and Informatics at NT Health, said the team were honoured to receive the award. “We are delighted and humbled to accept the MJA award for Excellence in Medical Research,” Professor Burgess said on behalf of the team. “As public health officials, we generally eschew the limelight — outside the occasional pandemic! However, we think the true recognition for this work belongs to the many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who have volunteered or worked tirelessly over the past 20 years to improve health outcomes across the NT.”

You can read the research in the Medical Journal of Australia here and the InSight+ article Indigenous research wins MJA Award for Excellence in Medical Research in full here.

Aboriginal man's hand being held by health worker in hospital

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Important others see racism called out

A GP has been banned from registering as a doctor for a year in Australia because of discriminatory behaviour toward an Indigenous doctor he accused of being a “fake Aboriginal” akin to “like a watered down bottle of Grange”. The medical board describedthe decision as a “landmark outcome” as it is the first case to make reference to changes in the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) national law introduced last year to include a definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s findings, the Canberra-based GP’s name was suppressed but the Indigenous doctor, Yuggera, Warangoo and Wiradjuri man associate professor Kristopher Rallah-Baker, made the unusual request that his name be published. “It was important for me that this outcome wasn’t faceless, for people to see they won’t be brought down if they complain about racism,” Rallah-Baker said. “Racism in the healthcare system contributes to patient harm and premature death.”

The nation’s first Indigenous eye surgeon knows the consequences of racism all too well. He was inspired to become a doctor to stem the cycle that saw his grandmother orphaned at 12. “My nanna lost her own mother from pneumonia after refusing to see the white doctors for medical assistance. She was a member of the stolen generation.” While still at the University of Newcastle medical school Rallah-Baker became one of the founding members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association,, developed and managed the Indigenous Health Unit in the Logan-Beaudesert Health Service District, as well as developing the Deadly Ears Indigenous Hearing Health Program for Queensland, which has now been adopted as the National Indigenous Hearing Health Program by the federal government.

To view The Guardian article Doctor banned for 12 months after sending racist email to Australia’s first Indigenous eye surgeon in full click here.

Australia's first ATSI eye surgeon Ophthalmologist Kristopher Rallah-Baker in scrubs in theatre

Ophthalmologist Kristopher Rallah-Baker received an offensive email from a GP. That doctor has now been reprimanded over misconduct. Photo: Michael Amendolia. Image source: The Guardian.

Suicide prevention, postvention support

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

The suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is more than double that of the Australian population overall, a terrible legacy of the dispossession and trauma wrought by colonisation. But those supporting Aboriginal people in the Illawarra say First Nations people have a lot of strengths to focus on as work continues to drive down the tragic toll. Suicide rates were especially high among males, and suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Kim Reid works with Thirrili, a postvention service that supports Indigenous people and communities after a suicide or traumatic death. Mr Reid said he believed the high suicide rates were the result of generational trauma stemming from colonisation, leading to lower socio-economic status, lower employment rates and poorer health. Racism also takes its toll.

Sharlene Cruickshank, Aboriginal mental health clinical lead with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, works with a team of Aboriginal clinicians and mental health workers who ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the region are supported in a culturally safe and sensitive way. “We need to make sure that people feel safe, they trust the service, they trust the people around them, they feel comfortable,” Ms Cruickshank, a Wandi Wandandian, Wodi Wodi and Jerrinja woman, said.

To view the Illawarra Mercury article Suicide prevention, postvention support for Aboriginal community in full click here.

Kim Reid from Thirrili and Sharlene Cruickshank from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

Kim Reid from Thirrili and Sharlene Cruickshank from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Photos: Ainslie.Co. Images source: Illawarra Mercury.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Healing power of art for doctors and patients

Medicine cannot cure all diseases, but one simple yet powerful tool – art – can help patients and doctors alike. It is well known that art is good for patients. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” as stated by the 1947 Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO uses art in health promotion and communication. In 2019, the WHO tested the effect of arts in advancing specific health goals, including improving mental health, suicide and blindness prevention, and maternal health. The WHO’s Regional Office for Europe is conducting research on the effect of art in health, in its Behavioural and Cultural Insights Program. Art also helps communicate health messages across different cultures and helps with emergency preparedness.

Indigenous artwork displayed in hospitals is one means to aid a culturally safe environment for Indigenous patients. It is also a reminder to non-Indigenous people in the hospital, to mentally acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land that the hospital lies on. Engaging in art is instrumental in the wellbeing and healing of Indigenous patients. For many Indigenous people, art is not a commodity but rather as “something akin to a family member”. Engaging in and displaying art, when treating Indigenous patients, could be a valuable part of the management plan. However, it remains widely unadopted. The incorporation of Indigenous artwork into staff uniforms of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Queensland, which they report has helped improve engagement of Indigenous people in their mental health programs.

Art as a method of healing is still viewed as an accessory tool, rather than a primary tool, in the doctor’s toolbox. This likely stems from a multitude of factors: a lack of education of doctors and medical students in the importance of art for patients and themselves, a lack of time in a busy hospital system for the doctor to remember and use available hospital art services, perhaps a feeling that art is not as important as current clinical practice backed with research, a lack of funding for art services in hospitals, and a lack of research studying the effect of art on the physical and mental health of patients. There are likely many other reasons why today, there are still hospitals in Australia without an arts service for its patients or an Arts in Medicine program for its doctors.

To view the InSight+ article The healing power of art for doctors and their patients 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.

Oct 30 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: It’s a wrap – 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference

Feature tile: image of Walter McGuire giving Welcome to Country; text 'NACCHO Members' Conference 2023 lives up to theme: Working Together, we are Stronger'

The image in the feature tile is of Walter McGuire giving the Welcome to Country on Day 1 of the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference. Walter McGuire is a descendent of several tribal groups in the SW of WA and a Traditional Owner of Noongar Boodjar which includes the Whadjuk lands on which Perth City stands.

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.

It’s a wrap – 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference

A record-breaking year, the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference saw more than 800 delegates come together on Noongar Boodjar (Perth). Surrounding the theme Working Together, we are Stronger, the conference did just that – with feedback from delegates reporting the collaborative nature of the conference was invaluable. Members and affiliates attended numerous sessions on topics spanning from cancer screening to syphilis outbreak response in ACCHOs, prison health care, and many more. The sessions saw the sector celebrate successes, provide advice and guidance, and advocate for community-developed health solutions that contribute to the quality of life and improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In her address to the conference, NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills touched on the referendum result and the role of the sector moving forward, “If anyone can lead us out of a crisis, a crisis of division, it is this sector. In the context of our disappointment in the wake of the 14 October result, we now, more than ever, need to build a stronger NACCHO and get a stronger commitment from the nine governments to the Coalition of Peaks National Agreement on Closing the Gap,” she said.

Breaking out in song and even a booty boogie, Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler performed his rendition of Burning Love, available here, by Elvis Presley on karaoke night. However, when addressing the conference the minister opted for a more serious tone, praising the leadership that NACCHO and ACCHOs around the country played in rallying the health sector behind the Yes vote.

“The theme of this conference is timely: ‘Working Together, we are Stronger,’” he said. “Working together, we are stronger. Because if ever there was a time to come together, to work together, to be stronger together, it is right now.”

The NACCHO Youth Conference saw more than 80 young people from across the country yarn about youth leadership, their place in the community-controlled health sector, and their unique position of being able to learn from Elders and determine what the future looks like. AHCWA Youth Committee member, Soleil White said her main takeaway from the Youth Conference was “just the whole room, you’re bringing youth from all around the country together and that’s really powerful, and it just empowers me to go home and to keep fighting the battles and to keep moving ahead so that we can have a voice for our youth and that we can have better outcomes for our First Nations people.”

A sincere thank you from NACCHO to all who attended and contributed to making it a deadly week.

NACCHO 2023 Members' Conference Smoking Ceremony

2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference Day 1.

Helping mob live healthy and prevent cancer

The Cancer Institute NSW has released a new Helping Mob Live Healthy and Prevent Cancer toolkit – a free online resource that provides culturally tailored, strengths-based information on cancer screening and prevention for the Aboriginal health workforce.

The toolkit features:

  • cancer screening information – breast, cervical and bowel cancer screening + tips on testing for other cancers
  • cancer prevention tips about healthy living and being smoke- and vape-free
  • social and emotional wellbeing information and links to trusted resources and support services
  • downloadable resources which can be used to support yarns with your clients about the benefits of taking part in cancer screening and healthy living. They include tailored checklists for men’s and women’s business and templates to support local promotion of screening and prevention programs
  • a resource directory featuring links to a range of tailored cancer screening and healthy living resources from trusted Australian health and cancer organisations.

All resources have been developed in consultation with Aboriginal health organisations, workers and community members.

Please explore the toolkit here and help spread the word by sharing it with your networks.

For more information, please contact the Cancer Institute NSW using this email link.

You can also view the NSW Government Cancer Institute webpage NSW Promote this toolkit with your networks here.

NSW Government Cancer Institute NSW tile text 'New online toolkit for the Aboriginal health workforce' with image of relevant webpage to toolkit resources

Image source: social media tile from NSW Government Cancer Institute NSW webpage: Promote this toolkit with your networks.

“Our work continues as it has always done”

Less than 14 days after the resounding rejection of the Voice, Indigenous leaders and thinkers are already in talks with each other and with the government in order to find a new path for better outcomes and social justice. In response to the referendum result, and after a week of silence, a 12-point open letter, drafted by up to 85 Indigenous leaders from various fields, was sent to the PM and every member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In stark contrast to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the letter was no humble offering on a united way forward.

The letter offered no pragmatic resolution or new beginning. Instead, it gave an early, detailed synopsis of what had just happened and why. It acknowledged the shock and grief at the result and the rejection both of First Nations people and their good-faith attempts at reconciliation. “The truth is that the majority of Australians have committed a shameful act whether knowingly or not,” the letter reads, “and there is nothing positive to be interpreted from it. We needed truth to be told to the Australian people.”

The letter continued, “We want to talk with our people and our supporters about establishing – independent of the Constitution or legislation – an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to take up the cause of justice for our people. Rejection of constitutional recognition will not deter us from speaking up to governments, parliaments and to the Australian people. We have an agenda for justice in pursuit of our First Nations rights that sorely need a Voice – we will continue to follow our law and our ways, as our Elders and Ancestors have done. We will regather in due course and develop a plan for our future direction. While this moment will be etched into Australia’s history forever, today we think of our children, and our children’s children. Our work continues as it has always done. We will continue to fight to seek justice for our peoples.”

To view The Saturday Paper article The ‘Yes’ case responds: ‘It’s a white flag from Labor’ by Yorta Yorta man and award-winning writer and broadcaster Daniel James in full click here.

stacks of Indigenous VTP ballot papers

Australia has voted against enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, with the results being called early. Photo: Con Chronis, AAP. Image source: NITV.

Dedication, empathy and leadership

In a ceremony that took place on Gadigal Land last week, inspirational GPs received awards from Dr Karen Nicholls, Chair of the RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Faculty, and RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins.

Duel winners of the Standing Strong Together Award were:

  • Dr Kali Hayward – Dr Nicholls paid tribute to Warnman woman Dr Hayward, describing her as ‘an outstanding mentor’, and a ‘shining example of dedication, empathy and leadership, both regionally and nationally’ whose ‘unwavering commitment’ to quality healthcare and raising awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture has led to ‘more respectful, inclusive healthcare services’ as well as improved patient satisfaction and outcomes.
  • Dr Mark Daley – Dr Nicholls described Dr Daley, a GP at the First People’s Health and Wellbeing clinic in NSW, as “passionate and committed to providing the highest quality of culturally safe, trauma-informed care to his patients, many of whom have some of the toughest and most complex health, social and emotional wellbeing issues as a result of colonisation, and the impacts of intergenerational trauma, dispossession and discrimination.”

The Growing Strong Award, which goes to a GP in training, went to Dr Patrick McNamara, who is one of only two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors in the Australian Defence Force. “He continuously strives to provide the highest care for Defence Force personnel, and goes above and beyond to ensure that healthcare received by Indigenous soldiers is safe and culturally appropriate,” Dr Nicholls said.

This year’s Medical Student Bursary went to Loyala Wills, a Torres Strait Islander woman and final year Flinders University medical student who runs an online platform called Med School Made Colourful, which offers medical education support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

To view the RACGP newsGP article ‘A shining example of dedication, empathy and leadership’ in full click here.

RACGP ATSI Health awards 2023 4 images clockwise from top left: Dr Karen Nicholls; Dr Nicole Higgins with Dr Kali Hayward; Associate Professor Brad Murphy; Dr Mark Daley

Clockwise from top left: Dr Karen Nicholls; Dr Nicole Higgins with Dr Kali Hayward; Associate Professor Brad Murphy; Dr Mark Daley. Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Vaping resources for young mob

Together with the Tackling Indigenous Smoking team, Na Joomelah and National Best Practice Unit (NBPU), Lung Foundation Australia has developed new vaping resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The resources include three short animations and an accompanying fact sheet covering key topics in vaping and helping empower young people to choose to be vape free.

You can watch the animations, including the one below, and download the factsheet by visiting the Lung Foundation Australia First Nations e-cigarettes and vaping webpage here.

If you have any questions please contact Paige Preston from Lung Foundation Australia using this email link.

Concerns on handling of public drunkenness

Melbourne’s new sobering up centre will have capacity for 140 people a week when public drunkenness is decriminalised next month, but the state’s new system for handling intoxicated Victorians could quickly be tested. The centre’s capacity could be strained if the changes lead to major diversions of low-risk patients away from hospitals. The state government has used 2019 crime statistics for the public intoxication offence to predict that the new sobering-up centre would handle at least 3,700 people a year. But the documents warn that estimate may drastically understate the total demand.

From November 7, the offence of public drunkenness will be abolished and health services will take charge of many cases typically handed by police or paramedics. The reform was legislated in 2021 following the death of Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day, who suffered a fall while in custody. Intoxicated people who commit crimes, are dangerous or need serious medical support will still be handled by emergency services, but people who are merely drunk in public and need help will be treated by support workers from different providers cross the state. Call-outs for Aboriginal Victorians in Melbourne will be handled separately and have been estimated to be in the range of 330 per year.

Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation CEO Jill Gallagher said repealing public drunkenness was vital to improving safety for First Peoples. “For the same behaviour, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria have faced inordinately higher rates of incarceration for public drunkenness than non-Aboriginal Victorians face,” she said. “Alcohol misuse is a public health issue, not a crime, and therefore should be treated as such.”

The above has been extracted from an article Sobering concerns on new handling of public drunkenness published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 29 October 2023. A related article Melbourne sobering centre facing delays ahead of Victorian public drunkenness overhaul published by ABC News yesterday can be view in full here.

location of Melbourne's sobering-up centre in Collingwood

The location of the Victorian Government’s first sobering-up centre in Collingwood. Photo: Joe Armao. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Sep 20 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Community investment key to reducing diabetes

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

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

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

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

Climate action must be accelerated

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

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

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

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

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

MyMedicare webinar for GPs and Practice Managers

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

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

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

Panellists will include:

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

Representatives from Services Australia will facilitate a system demonstration.

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

You can invite friends to the webinar using this link.

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

Common dermatological conditions webinar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

High blood pressure risk for NT mob

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Dementia Action Week 18–24 September 2023

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

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

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

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

Sep 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 14 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Don’t miss out – HUGE PRIZES to be won

feature tile text 'HUGE PRIZES to be won - DON'T MISS OUT on the COVID-19 Vaccination Promotion Competition'

The red and yellow dots in the feature tile are from the National NAIDOC Secretariat website.

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

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

Don’t miss out – HUGE PRIZES to be won

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. All entries must be submitted by Thursday 28 September 2023.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

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

Elders say aged care system needs to change

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety recognised the aged care system has failed to provide culturally safe care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as they age. It recommended major reforms, including active partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Australian government has also committed more funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care services, with a focus on boosting the role of ACCOs.

So what do older Aboriginal people need to age well? And how can aged care funding and systems enable that? This was at the centre of a study, led by the Dharriwaa Elders Group in its long-term partnership with the University of NSW, known as Yuwaya Ngarra-li. The study involved speaking with 22 Elders in the remote NSW town of Walgett about what ageing well means to them.

Aboriginal Elders play an important role as community leaders and protectors of cultural heritage. This involves passing down knowledge and stories, leadership, care-giving and safeguarding family, community and intergenerational wellbeing. Supporting this aspect of ageing well is crucial. As one Elder explained: “Talking about our stories and storylines, and telling those stories […] It’s Aboriginal culture – it’s an oral system of educating people and giving people information. It’s part and parcel of Aboriginal life […] you know your stories, you know where you come from. For Elders who have worked away from Walgett in various careers, this means a kind of “active retirement” – returning to Country to bring back knowledge and continue a legacy for future generations.

To view The Conversation article The aged care system has failed Aboriginal people. Here’s what Elders say needs to change in full click here. You can also access information about NACCHO’s Elder Care Support Program here.

Dharriwaa Elders Group members sitting at table in staff room - 1 woman, 3 men

Dharriwaa Elders Group. Image source: The Conversation.

Noongar mob encouraged to reach out

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

This year’s theme of World Suicide Prevention Day (Sunday 10 September 2023) was “Creating hope through action” and South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) chairperson Megan Krakouer, who has worked for a decade in suicide postvention and prevention, is leading a push to raise awareness in Indigenous communities.

Suicide is the leading cause of death of First Nations people under 40 and almost all First Nation deaths by suicide involve individuals who were living below the poverty line. SWALSC encourages the Noongar community, and all First Nations people, to reach out to those around us and offer love and support to people who are struggling.

Ms Krakouer, who is also the Director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, said suicide is “the most pressing issue that affects our people. This needs to be prioritised by this nation, by every government in this country, before all other issues,” she said. According to the Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention website, available here, data from 2017–2021 shows the rate for suicide among Indigenous Australians is twice the rate of non-Indigenous Australians.

An important step towards suicide prevention and mental wellbeing is connection to community and it’s one of the seven domains of social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Social and emotional wellbeing is a holistic way of looking at relationships between individuals, family, kin and community in the context of land, culture, spirituality and ancestry.

To read the National Indigenous Times article SWALSC encourages Noongar community to reach out on World Suicide Prevention Day in full click here. You can also access information about a recent documentary, Keeping Hope, presented and co-produced by actor and proud Nyikina man Mark Coles Smith (below) here.

Mark Coles Smith at Hovercraft Bay, Broome, WA

Presenter and Co-producer of documentary Keeping Hope, Mark Coles Smith at Hovercraft Bay, Broome, WA. Photo: Torstein Dyrting. Image source: SBS.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, click here

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Voice is a chance to close economic gap

The Liberal MP Julian Leeser, esigned in April as the shadow attorney general and shadow minister for Indigenous Australians after the Coalition decided to oppose an Indigenous voice in the constitution, says a voice to parliament is not about “special treatment or privileges” but about getting Indigenous Australians “to the same starting line that other Australians are at”. Amid rising partisan rancour in the referendum debate, with his own side leading the charge for the no campaign, Leeser told parliament he supported the voice because it was a manifestation of “deeply Liberal and conservative ideas”.

Leeser said he is supporting the voice to parliament because “my concern, as a Liberal, is that Indigenous Australians are not sharing in this country’s opportunities”. Leeser said establishing a constitutionally enshrined advisory body was about “Indigenous children, their lives and their future; and trying to create the conditions so that Indigenous children can walk confidently in two worlds”. It was also about “empowerment, respect and the strengthening of Indigenous civic infrastructure, all within our democratic system”. He said the disconnect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia was “the root cause of the economic disconnection in Indigenous communities and lives”.

“In our country, the Indigenous employment rate is around 49% – this compares with 75% for non-Indigenous Australians,” he said. “In terms of household income, the latest data of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has found that 43% of Indigenous adults receive a total weekly pre-tax income of $500 a week or less. The poverty line in Australia is $489 a week for a single person. Almost one in two Indigenous adults live on the poverty line.” He said closing the gap meant creating opportunity. It meant “jobs, not welfare. It’s about universities not prisons.” Leeser invited “all Australians to lift up their eyes, and despite their own challenges, to see the gap that does not close.”

To view The Guardian article Voice can close economic gap for Indigenous Australians, says Julian Leeser in full click here.

Liberal MP Julian Leeser holding papers, facing press

Julian Leeser says closing the gap is about ‘jobs, not welfare. It’s about universities not prisons.’ Photo: Bianca de Marchi, AAP. Image source: The Guardian.

Prenatal program helps mums and bubs thrive

When Natalie Page went into labour suddenly with her first baby she was quite frightened. Ms Page’s mother drove her to the nearest hospital to give birth to her oldest daughter Emariah. “I was so scared, my mother had a very traumatic time giving birth and I kept thinking, ‘What if this is me? What if I don’t make it?’,” Ms Page said. But by the time she had her third daughter Unarra at the Mater Mothers’ Hospital she benefited from having a midwife by her side who made her feel at ease. Birthing in Our Community (BiOC) is a partnership program between Mater Hospital, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane (ATSICHS).

The prenatal health care program, now in its 10th year, is promoting a self-determination model that prioritises Indigenous mums’ physical and mental wellbeing. Ms Page said she benefited and wished she had been able to access the BiOC program with her first pregnancy. “They have provided so many services, including transport to medical appointments and have been there to provide milk and bread if needed,” she said.

ATSICHS Brisbane CEO Renee Blackman said the success of the birthing program showed what could be achieved when partners worked together with a shared vision and commitment to Aboriginal-led models of care and IUIH CEO Adrian Carson said improved outcomes demonstrated the success of ACCHOs leading reform with mainstream maternity services, such as Mater Mothers’ Hospital. “The ACCHS sector has long advocated that models of care specifically designed for First Nations people and delivered by ACCHSs can achieve better outcomes for our people and be more cost-effective,” Mr Carson said.

To view The West Australian article Prenatal program helps Indigenous mums and bubs thrive in full click here.

Natalie Page sitting on beach with children: baby, toddler & older girl

Natalie Page and her children were helped by a birthing program for Indigenous mums and babies. Photo: from PR handout, AAP. Image source: The West Australian.

Mornington Island store engages Outback Stores

Mornington Island’s only grocery store and takeaway outlet are under new management. Gununamanda Limited Deputy Chairperson Roxanne Thomas says Outback Stores had been awarded a three-year management agreement to manage the store and lift standards after a select tender process was conducted. “We have undertaken a major restructure in the last 12 months, and Outback Stores have agreed to work with the directors to improve our store and we welcome them to Mornington Island,” Ms Thomas said.

The store is in the town of Gununa on Mornington Island, the largest of the North Wellesley Islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria, 125kms north-west of Burke and 444 kms from Mt Isa. The community of about 1,000, about 80% are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, is serviced by five weekly flights from Mount Isa and Cairns and a weekly barge freight service. “Outback Stores was selected as the successful tenderer due to its retail expertise and successful track record over the last 15 years in assisting remote communities,” Ms Thomas said. “They operate as a not‑for-profit, provide a range of support services and return all profits to the community.”

CEO Michael Borg says Outback Stores was founded in 2006 to improve the health of Indigenous Australians living in remote Australia by addressing nutrition-related health problems, unreliable food supplies and poor management practices associated with many remote stores. The company operates 52 stores in the NT, SA, WA, NSW and now QLD. “Our priority will be to get the Mornington Island store back on its feet, ensure people have access to healthy food and provide a good range of produce at affordable prices. In particular, we will look at reducing prices on staples such as milk, bread, potatoes and carrots,” he said.

To read the RetailWorld article Mornington Island store engages Outback Stores in full click here.

Gununamanda Limited Deputy Chairperson Roxanne Thomas with Store Manager Tyler Sandercock

Gununamanda Limited Deputy Chairperson Roxanne Thomas with Store Manager Tyler Sandercock. Image source: RetailWorld.

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 13 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: ‘Indigenous paradigm’ to tackle RHD

feature tile image of Dr Jessica O'Brien & text 'Applying an 'Indigenous Paradigm' to tackle RHD'

The image in the feature tile is of Dr Jessica O’Brien from an article Q&A with Dr Jessica O’Brien published on the Heart Foundation website.

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

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

‘Indigenous Paradigm’ to tackle RHD

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) tells us that the median age at death for Indigenous Australians with RHD is 43, with half of those who died aged under 45. Three years ago, cardiologist and Monash PhD student Jessica O’Brien began an important heart research project looking at ways to understand a potentially fatal but preventable disease affecting mainly young Indigenous Australians – rheumatic heart disease (RHD).

Then, two-thirds of the way into it, everything changed. After all her clinical and research training in a biomedical system, O’Brien underwent a kind of academic and cultural awakening in terms of Indigenous health and the problems with what the researchers describe as an overwhelmingly “colonial” health system.

Dr O’Brien said she began talking with Professor Karen Adams, Director of Gukwonderuk, the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences’ Indigenous engagement unit at Monash University, about the paradigmatic clash between biomedicine and Indigenous health. “What I needed to learn is, how do we make our very colonial hospital and medical systems appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I’m Aboriginal myself, but I’m new to Indigenous research. I’m only now learning and trying to apply new ideas in an Indigenous research paradigm.”

To read the Monash University Lens article Applying an ‘Indigenous paradigm’ to tackle rheumatic heart disease in full click here.

young Aboriginal boy having RHD heart check

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Nyikina woman wins Human Rights Award

Today, Janine Dureau was announced as the 2023 Bill Armstrong AO Human Rights Award winner at an online event livestreamed from Vancouver, Canada. Hosted by Community First Development, an Aboriginal community development and research organisation, the Award provides an opportunity to identify and honour those who are doing outstanding work with First Nations’ people and communities, exemplifying self-determination in practice.

This year, the fourth year of this Award, Community First Development received many strong and worthy nominations, including for several inspiring First Nations’ leaders. “The Bill Armstrong AO Award has gone global. As well as our presenting team coming from different continents this year, this extended reach was also reflected in the range of nominations of people working in support of the human rights of First Nations Peoples across different countries and continents… including for several inspiring First Nations’ leaders.”

Following the Panel’s deliberations, Janine Dureau, a Derby born Nyikina woman, was announced as the 2023 Award winner in recognition of her passion and dedication to empowering and strengthening the capacity of Aboriginal people, families and communities to improve their quality of life. Over a 30-year period, Janine has led several campaigns and initiatives focused on culture and leadership for and on behalf of the Aboriginal community. She is currently the Chair of the Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council which she established with the support of 100 Aboriginal women.

To view the Community First Development media release Tireless efforts of two inspiring First Nations women recognised at Human Rights Award click here.

L-R: Janine Dureau, Chairperson at the Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council; Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People; June Oscar, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner; Mary O’Reeri, Former Local Hero Award Winner

L-R: Janine Dureau, Chairperson at the Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council; Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People; June Oscar, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner; Mary O’Reeri, Former Local Hero Award Winner. Photo: Commissioner for Children and Young People WA. Image source: Community First Development.

FASD Awareness Month

To mark Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day, Saturday 9 September 2023, the Australian Government National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) produced a video explaining FASD. In the video Katerina Giorgi, CEO of the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE), says that during September – International FASD Awareness Month, we need to draw attention to this often invisible disability by:

  • asking what FASD it means
  • asking what the guidelines say around alcohol and pregnancy
  • hearing the stories of people who are impacted by FASD

NACCHO Executive Director Monica Barolits-McCabe, also featured in the video, said FASD is a fully preventable disability, and “if we have more awareness out there, we take the stigma out of FASD and alcohol consumption.” More conversations about FASD, she said, will result in prevention, earlier screening, early detection and more support.

The third speaker in the video, NOFASD Chief Operating Officer Sophie Harrington, said FASD is often a diagnosis that is misdiagnosed. It can often be seen as other disabilities, and other disorders like autism or ADHD or can masquerade as developmental trauma. Ms Harrington said FASD is preventable only if we understand from the very first time someone decides they want to start trying for a baby, they actually stop drinking.

You view the video below or by clicking on this link.

Dr Demmery: 2023 ACT Woman of Spirit

Dr Karen Demmery, Wiradjuri from Dubbo and Barkindji from Bourke, was kicked out of school in year nine, “My parents had divorced, I wasn’t sure where I was going or what I was doing, so then I got into trouble with the police, drugs and alcohol, and my life began spiralling out of control.”

Many years later Dr Demmery is celebrating her win as the 2023 ACT Woman of Spirit. “It’s the first award I’ve ever won,” she says. “I’m so passionate about what I do now, because I know the impact that it can have and obviously there are more people who are needing help.

“Winning, for me, was the coolest thing, next to so many other brilliant women. We don’t do what we do for recognition, but it’s great when we get it. When they read out my name I started laughing, I was not expecting it and I had no speech written.”

When Karen first started her business, it was called the Trauma, Leadership, Mental Health and Coaching Institute. “I know that when you’re in the midst of it, you don’t realise how bad it is,” she says. “These options for help now, what I am doing, is for my grandkids that aren’t even here yet.”

To view the CBR City News article Dr Karen knows trouble, setbacks and success in full click here.

Woman of Spirit Dr Karen Demmery - 4 different poses collage

Woman of Spirit Dr Karen Demmery… “What I do now is really about helping people to figure out why they do what they do, because once you know, then you can change it.” Photos: Andrew Campbell. Image source: CBR City News.

VIC Aboriginal Aged Care Summit

A 2-day Victorian Aboriginal Aged Care Summit to be held in Melbourne from 3–4 October 2023 will commemorate and celebrate the vital role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders play as the heart and soul of their Communities. The summit will be co-convened by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and the Victorian Committee Aboriginal for Aged Care & Disability (VCAACD).

Abe Ropitini VACCHO’s Executive Director of Population health said at the summit “We’ll be hearing from them (the Elders) about the changes that they have witnessed over their lives and their aspirations for the future of their communities and the quality of life that we need to ensure we maintain for all of our Elders, both Elders that we have now and our emerging Elders as well.”

You can listen to the NITV Radio interview here and find more information about the summit on VACCHO’s website here.

NITV Radio logo banner text ' Victorian Aboriginal Aged Care Summit to discuss what it's like to be an Aboriginal Elder today' & portrait image of Abe Ropitini VACCHO's Executive Director of Population Health

VACCHO’s Executive Director of Population Health, Abe Ropitini. Image source: NITV Radio.

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.

Anniversary of UNDRIP

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday 13 September 2007. The Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous peoples.

It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to Indigenous peoples.

The Declaration is particularly significant because Indigenous peoples, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, were involved in its drafting.

You can access more information on the Australian Human Rights Commission’s website here.

Sep 11 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Lung cancer screening chance to have impact

feature tile: vector image of pink lungs, magnifying glass & black dot on one lung; text 'Lung cancer screening: a significant opportunity to address intractable health problem for mob'

The image in the feature tile is from the Lung Cancer Screening Program Saves Lives webpage of the the Lexington Medical Center Blog published on 30 June 2021.

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.

Lung Cancer screening: chance to have an impact

The recently announced National Lung Cancer Screening Program (NLCSP) has the potential to deliver significant health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but only if the program is codesigned by the communities who need it most, according to an article published today in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA). The NLCSP, announced by the Australian Government in May 2023 and due to begin in July 2025, will refer individuals aged 50–70 years with a significant history of cigarette smoking for a low dose computed tomography (LDCT) to help identify lung cancer at an early stage where survival rates are improved.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a disproportionate burden of lung cancer in Australia, experiencing double the rates of lung cancer compared with non-Indigenous populations. Lung cancer mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are increasing, in contrast to falling rates in non‐Indigenous Australians. These diverging trends are expected to increase disparities for many years to come and clearly demonstrate the health system is failing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The disproportionate lung cancer burden means that an NLCSP could deliver greater benefits to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and reduce the disparity with non‐Indigenous Australians.

Senior article author, Associate Professor Lisa Whop, believes the new program could deliver improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, but a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. “We know existing cancer screening programs have struggled to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and this is reflected in low participation rates, and ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community leaders and organisations and those with lived experience are key architects in designing this program will help address some of these participation barriers” A/Prof Whop said.

You can read the MJA article Lung cancer screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: an opportunity to address health inequities in full here and the Insight Plus article Lung Cancer Screening Program must be codesigned with Indigenous Australians in full here. You can also find more information about the NLCSP on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website here.

x-ray of lungs on computer screen & rack of medical files

Image source: Oncology News.

The Deadly Physios: taking action as an ally

Actions speak louder than words in allyship and it’s better to make mistakes than not to try at all. But how do you know when to speak up, when to step up and when to shut up? These questions are explored in Episode 5 of The Deadly Physios podcast where Dr Rachel Toovey and Associate Professor Shawana Andrews talk about listening and learning, the keys to building allyship skills and reciprocal relationships.

Associate Professor Shawana Andrews is a Palawa Trawlwoolway woman with a background in social work and public health. She worked in Aboriginal paediatric health and mental health for 13 years prior to moving into higher education. Shawana has been a Senior Lecturer and Academic Specialist in Indigenous Health for many years and is currently the Director of the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests include Indigenous doctoral pathways, Aboriginal women’s experiences of family violence and cultural revitalisation.

Dr Rachel Toovey is a non-Indigenous woman living and working on Bunurong and Wurundjeri land in Naarm (Melbourne). Rachel is a lecturer in Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne, and the co-lead of the First Nations, Health Promotion and Equity Teaching Team in the Department of Physiotherapy. She was a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee from 2012–2020 and is current Vice-President of the Victorian Branch of the APA.

You can listen to Episode 5 of The Deadly Physios podcast – Taking action as an ally – Dr. Shawana Andrews and Rachel Toovey in full click here.

tile for The Deadly Physios podcast; logo Australian Physiotherapy Association; L-R Associate Professor Shawana Andrews & Dr Rachel Toovey.

L-R Associate Professor Shawana Andrews & Dr Rachel Toovey. Image source: Australian Physiotherapy Association.

Moves to control APY Lands TB outbreak

The SA government has bolstered efforts to counter a rising tuberculosis outbreak on the state’s Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. More than 700 people have been screened for the potentially life-threatening disease, which was first declared as an outbreak within the Aṉangu community in March this year. Ongoing community-wide screening has focused on those most at-risk including close contacts and school children.

SA Minister for Health Chris Picton said he has been visiting the APY Lands this week to see the first-hand impact of SA Health’s response. “Tuberculosis is preventable and curable and we are committed to doing all we can to stop this cluster from growing. We are promoting awareness and facilitating quick testing and treatment,” Mr Picton said.

The Aboriginal Public Health team from the Department for Health and Wellbeing, SA TB Services within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Pathology and South Australia Medical Imaging (SAMI) have been working closely with the Nganampa Health Council (NHC) and local Anangu community leaders to coordinate testing, screening, contact tracing and treatment for those who require it.

To read the National Indigenous Times article SA government moves to control tuberculosis outbreak on APY Lands in full click here.

boxes of Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccines given to infants in TB endemic regions of the world

Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccines are given to infants in TB endemic regions of the world. Photo: Mick Tsikas, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Kununurra: new Elders residential complex

In a significant boost for Aboriginal Elders and seniors in Kununurra, the WA Government this week announced the completion of a 16-unit Aboriginal Elders Residential Complex. The project aims to cultivate cultural connection, reduce isolation, and furnish culturally appropriate housing for First Nations people in the East Kimberley region.

In addition to residential units, the complex includes an indoor community room and an outdoor meeting space. Joining with Kimberley MP Divina D’Anna and community members in officially opening the new facility Housing Minister John Carey spoke to the importance of co-designing and having a genuine partnership with the Aboriginal community. “Co-design and genuine partnership are essential to ensuring that this new housing development is a successful and vibrant place for community members.”

State Member for Kimberley, Divina D’Anna, celebrated the project as a “great outcome for the Kununurra community.” D’Anna highlighted the multi-pronged impact of the project, “These homes will provide new, culturally appropriate accommodation for our Aboriginal elders.” She also remarked that the facility will address health and well-being issues, including overcrowding, among Aboriginal people over 50 in Kununurra.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Carey & D’Anna open new Aboriginal Elders residential complex in Kununurra in full click here.

L-R Kununurra community member Teddy, Housing Minister John Carey & Kemberley MLA Divina D'Anna cutting ribbon at opening of Aboriginal Elders Residential Complex, Kununurra

L-R Kununurra community member Teddy, Housing Minister John Carey and Kimbeley MLA Divina D’Anna at opening of 16-bed unit Aboriginal Elders Residential Complex. Image credit: John Carey. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

TAMS: supporting women’s health decisions

Women’s health, and supporting women to make informed decisions about their health, was the focus of an informative morning tea and lunch hosted by Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) and the Bumbira Arts and Culture Program, last Thursday during Women’s Health Week 2023 (4–8 September).

About 50 to 60 women took part in the TAMS event, held at Tamworth Botanic Gardens, which started with a smoking ceremony performed by Bumbira Arts and Culture’s Kaliela Thornton. Ms Thornton then kicked off the guest speaker program with a discussion about bush medicine, which was followed by sessions from TAMS women’s health nurse, Alicia Bonomo and diabetes educator Sally Endacott.

Tamworth Family Support Service and HealthWISE also took part in the day, which included a meditation session with Charlie Abra, from Tathra Collective and Bumbira. The day was organised by TAMS Aboriginal health practitioner Kathie Williamson.

The above is an extract from the article Women’s Health week supports women to make informed decisions published in The Northern Daily Leader on 8 September 2023.

TAMs Women's Health Week event, 7.9.23 at Tamworth Botanic Gardens, 3 TAMS staff & guest speaker on bush medicine

The TAMS Women’s Health Week event, held on 7 September 2023 at the Tamworth Botanic Gardens, featured guest speakers who discussed bush medicine, women’s health and diabetes. Photo: Peter Hardin. Image source: The Northern Daily Leader.

Medical community has a role to play in Yes vote

Professor Kelvin Kong, a prominent otolaryngology, head and neck surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, believes the majority of Australians would vote Yes to the Voice to Parliament if given the right information, and that the medical community has a role to play. Professor Kong is a Worimi man, working on Awabakal and Worimi Country at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital and John Hunter Children’s Hospital.

Earlier this year, Professor Kong was named NAIDOC Person of the Year for his work with Indigenous children at risk of hearing loss due to otitis media. “Unfortunately, Australia still has the worst ear disease rates in the world,” Professor Kong said. “Chronic suppurative otitis media affects from 40% to 85% of children in Indigenous communities. It is disheartening discussing my mob on an international scale because of the dichotomy that exists with ear disease here.

“Every kid endures otitis media at some point in their life. Most get it at around two years of age. In our population, we’ve seen it occur in under-12-months. The big difference is whether you identify the issue early and whether you get access to the help required.”

To view the InSight+ article Medical community has role to play in achieving a Yes vote: Kelvin Kong in full click here.

Professor Kelvin Kong at reception of medical centre

Professor Kelvin Kong. Image source: InSight+.

Sector Jobs

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

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