Category Health Promotion

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

Aug 4 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes

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

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

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

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

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

Purpose built AMS planned for Brewarinna

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

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

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

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

external view of Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aboriginal & Australian flags flying

Image source: Pearls and Irritations.

National Cervical Screening Program update

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

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

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

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

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

FASD Communications and Engagement grants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

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

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

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

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

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

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

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

World Breastfeeding Week – 1–7 August 2023

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

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

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

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

Jul 26 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Governments failing to share decision-making

feature image: NAIDOC march Melbourne 7.7.23; text 'Governments are failing to SHARE Decision-making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'

The image in the feature tile is from on a NAIDOC march in Melbourne earlier this month. The image appeared in The Conversation article Governments are failing to share decision-making with Indigenous people, Productivity Commission finds published this morning, Wednesday 26 July 2023.

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

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

Governments failing to share decision-making

Governments have failed to properly share decision-making with Indigenous people to accelerate Closing the Gap, despite formally undertaking to do so, according to a scathing indictment by the Productivity Commission. The commission says too many government agencies consult Indigenous people “on a pre-determined solution, rather than collaborating on the problem and co-designing a solution”.

The broad-ranging criticism is contained in the commission’s first review, available here, of the 2020 “National Agreement on Closing the Gap”. The Albanese government will use the findings to reinforce its pitch for the Voice – which is that Indigenous people are not being properly heard on what needs to be done to tackle the problems in health, housing, employment, education and other areas of disadvantage.

The review says: “There appears to be an assumption that ‘governments know best’, which is contrary to the principle of shared decision-making in the Agreement.” The national agreement was put in place in negotiations with the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations. Federal, state, territory and local governments and the Coalition of Peaks share accountability for the agreement’s implementation. Then-prime minister Scott Morrison lauded it as a new collaborative way forward. But Productivity Commission chair Michael Brennan says while the agreement holds significant promise, “so far we are seeing too much business as usual and too little transformation”.

To view The Conversation article Governments are failing to share decision-making with Indigenous people, Productivity Commission finds in full click here.

cover of Aust Govt Productivity Commission July 2023 Review of the National Agreement on CTG draft report

Mental health issues for LGBTIQA+ youth

Nearly one in two young Indigenous LGBTIQA+ Australians have attempted suicide at some point in their life, new research has found. More than 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, aged between 14–25 and who also identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or asexual, were surveyed as part of a national study. The findings, published today, show nearly one in five of the participants had tried to take their own life in the past year.

The Walkern Katatdjin: Rainbow Knowledge survey — the first of its kind — also found more than 90% of those surveyed experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress in the prior two weeks.

Lead author of the report Shakara Liddelow-Hunt said the extent of the poor mental health among the Indigenous, LGBTIQA+ youth was “shocking” but not unexpected, saying “Our findings confirm what our communities have known for a long time. But capturing these statistics through the survey was an important step.”

To view the ABC News article Walkern Katatdjin: Rainbow Knowledge survey shines spotlight on mental health issues faced by Indigenous LGBTIQA+ youth in full click here.

James Hill is a queer Ngarrindjeri

James Hill is a queer Ngarrindjeri man who took part in the survey. Photo: Daryna Zadvirna, ABC News.

Rural GPs on climate change front line

A heavy burden of responsibility for responding to climate-induced health impacts will likely fall to rural GPs, so our National Health and Climate Strategy should reflect this, says the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). “Rural generalists are uniquely placed to lead the response to the burden of disease resulting from climate change, including mental illness, and to provide high quality care and keep people healthy and out of hospital,” ACRRM says in its response to the strategy.

Noting the intertwined health disparities of rural and Indigenous Australians, ACCRRM’s submission highlights the need to defer to Indigenous traditional knowledge of the environment and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to lead climate action planning. “Best practice principles to facilitate this will include place-based adaptation and mitigation strategies, leveraging valuable biocultural knowledge and sustainable resourcing, all as outlined in the recent Lowitja Institute discussion paper,” the college says.

ACRRM specifically calls out “one-size-fits-all” approaches outlined by the strategy and highlights the challenges, and higher costs, smaller practices will likely face in implementing the climate change strategies. “The Strategy must recognise that there will be different challenges for different communities, requiring purpose-built solutions. Strong partnerships and a multi-agency approach, which is flexible to adapt to the specific needs of rural and remote communities is required to address health inequity.”

You can access more information on the National Health and Climate Strategy on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website here.

To read the Medical Republic article Rural GPs on the Climate Change front line in full click here.

housing in Aboriginal town camp

Aboriginal town camps Town camp housing typically lacks simple features to keep cool, such as insulation and wide awnings. Photo: Mike Bowers. Image source: The Guardian.

Students spend day in the life of a physio

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from across SEQueensland have experienced a day in the life of a physiotherapist thanks to a new pilot program at Mater Hospital Brisbane. The school-based trainees from the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), Pathways Our Way Academy (POWA) were part of The High School Health Adventure program for First Nations students, run by Mater Education, in conjunction with Mater Physiotherapy.

The enthusiastic cohort learned how to strap an ankle injury, assist with movement and baby handling techniques and took part in simulation physiotherapy sessions in a make-shift Intensive Care Unit. Mater physiotherapist Felicity Prebble facilitated the program and said that, according to the Australian Physiotherapy Association, only 0.7% of physiotherapists are recognised as a First Nations person.

“Increasing the representation of this population in healthcare is vital to ensure we are delivering considered and specific healthcare,” Mrs Prebble said. “Research has shown that increasing the involvement of First Nations people within healthcare delivers positive outcomes, helping to close the gap and leading to increased cultural awareness, understanding and exposure.”

To view the Mater article First Nations students inspired to pursue career in healthcare in full click here.

group of 10+ students who took part in the 'day in the life of a physio' Mater program

School-based trainees from the IUIH, Pathways Our Way Academy were part of The High School Health Adventure program for First Nations students, run by Mater Education, in conjunction with Mater Physiotherapy. Image source: Mater News.

BRAMS funded to pilot Kids Club program

Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (BRAMS) will receive more than $230,000 in Cook Government funding through Healthway to pilot the Kids Club program. The program will address health behaviours such as unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity and poor mental and oral health in young children aged 0–16 years and is set to benefit nearly 3,000 Aboriginal children and their families living in and around Broome.

Aboriginal people make up 43% of the Kimberley population with half under the age of 20 years. BRAMS, in conjunction with the community, identified a need for a community-based, early intervention and prevention program to address poor health and social outcomes for young people, which can lead to health issue.

The pilot project which aims to instil lifelong habits and promote the importance of regular health check-ups, vaccinations, and screenings will:

  • facilitate culturally appropriate relationship building, engagement, and education opportunities for local Aboriginal children on improving health and wellbeing;
  • develop a youth committee of young Aboriginal people who can support project co-design and provide guidance on health promoting strategies for Aboriginal youth;
  • develop a ‘Kids Club’ that will utilise birthday incentives, prizes, and culturally appropriate mascots to motivate Aboriginal children and their families to complete annual health checks and engage in healthy lifestyles;
  • deliver school holiday family activities that provide educational and participation opportunities; and
  • build capacity of families through educational sessions and appropriate activities during their annual health check.

To view the media statement Keeping Kimberley kids healthy now and into the future released earlier today by Hon. Amber-Jade Sanderson, WA Minister for Health and Mental Health in full click here.

ATSI kids eating fruit

Image source: UNICEF Australia website.

Study backs tax on sugar-sweetened beverages

New research showing more than 500,000 cavities could be prevented over 10 years if a sugar tax was introduced provides yet another reason for the federal government to introduce the AMA’s proposed sugar tax. The research from three Australian Universities has concluded a tax on sugar sweetened beverages would have a major positive impact on dental heath in Australia and save the country millions of dollars.

The Monash University-led collaboration with Deakin University and the University of Melbourne provides important new data for Australia. AMA President Professor Steve Robson said there is now more impetus for the government to adopt a sugar tax which both improves health outcomes and raises revenue. “We’ve known a lot about how high sugar consumption contributes to obesity and chronic disease, but oral health is often excluded from studies.

“This important research deepens our understanding of the impact of sugary drinks on dental health across a wide range of age groups in the Australian context. It’s further evidence a tax on sugary drinks is the right decision for Australia and puts to bed industry arguments there is insufficient evidence to support a sugar tax. We know the government is focusing on ways to prevent chronic disease in Australia and we continue to urge them to implement a sugar tax like more than 85 other jurisdictions across the world.

You can read the AMA’s media release Australian study backs AMA calls for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in full here.

group of different softdrinks

Image source: The Conversation.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Jul 17 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Congress assumes Kaltukatjara health centre operations

teenagers playing AFL in red soil at base of hills in Kaltukatjara; text 'Central Australian Aboriginal Congress assumes operations of Kaltukatjara health care centre'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Central Australian Aboriginal Congress takes over Kaltukatjara Health Centre published in The Chronicle yesterday, Sunday 16 July 2023.

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

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

Congress assumes Kaltukatjara health centre operations

Yesterday the NT Chief Minister and Minister for Health Natasha Fyles and Member of Gwoja, Chansey Paech announced Kaltukatjara Health Centre would transition to Aboriginal community control. In a media release they said “the Territory Labor Government knows that health care provided in community is the best type of health care. Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (Congress) has this month assumed operations of the health care centre in Kaltukatjara (Docker River).

Congress already provides care at nearby Mutitjulu, an Aboriginal community adjacent to Uluru, as well as other communities in the region. Earlier this year, Congress assumed operations for the health centres in Imanpa and Yulara. One of the most experienced services in the country in Aboriginal health, Congress is the largest ACCHO in the NT, a national leader in primary health care and a strong advocate for the health of Aboriginal people. The transfer of service delivery of the Kaltukatjara Health Centre joins other remote services provided by Congress in Central Australia including Amoonguna, Ntaria (and Wallace Rockhole), Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa), Utju (Areyonga), Mutitjulu, Imanpa and Yulara. Evidence shows that increasing community involvement in the planning and delivery of local health services brings additional health benefits to local residents.

Ms Fyles said “Local Decision Making is the Territory Labor Government’s commitment to provide opportunities to transfer government service delivery to Aboriginal people. The movement towards increased Aboriginal control of health services in the NT is motivated by two main factors — a commitment to Indigenous rights and international evidence showing better health outcomes when there is community participation in health care delivery. Congress and NT Health have worked in partnership to transition operations to Aboriginal community control in Kaltukatjara in line with community needs and local decision making. NT Health will continue to provide support in the community, including visiting specialist services such as paediatrics and BreastScreen NT.”

You can read the media release Kaltukatjara Health Centre transitions to Aboriginal community control in full click here.

exterior of CAAC building

Photo: Blake Sharp-Wiggins. Image source: ABC News.

Governments still failing public on COVID control

Health sector leaders are calling for governments to take more action to reduce the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for people who are at greater risk of severe outcomes from the virus. Many people are still dying and being hospitalised from COVID in Australia, and many more are being impacted by long COVID. Inequities in the burden of COVID are clearly evident, with some groups disproportionately at risk of dying from the illness.

A recurring theme is the disproportionate impact upon at-risk groups, including the aged, people with disabilities and medical vulnerabilities. This applies not only to their increased risks from infection but also to the wider impacts upon their lives. People with disability or who are immunocompromised “have been left behind and their needs have been rendered fairly invisible in recent times, including their right to access safe spaces where they can be part of society”, Professor Deborah Lupton, from the Centre for Social Research and Health at University of NSW said.

Similar concerns have also raised by Dr Rebecca Ryan and Dr Louisa Walsh, Research Fellows at the Centre for Health Communication and Participation at La Trobe University. “…one group that has been particularly affected [by COVID-19] but remains largely invisible in public health communications are people who are medically vulnerable (including the chronically ill, immunocompromised and elderly).”

To read the Croakey Health Media article How governments are (still) failing the public on COVID control in full click here.

COVID-19 virus cell with text 'COVID-19'

Photo: Marin Sanchez, via unsplash. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

AH&MRC appoints new CEO

Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC), NSW’s peak First Nations health body representing the state’s 49 ACCHOs that provide comprehensive, holistic, and culturally safe primary health care to First Nations communities across NSW has appointed a new CEO, Associate Professor Boe Rambaldini. Boe, a First Nations Elder of the Bundjalung Nation on the north coast of NSW, has significant experience in the Indigenous health sector, as the director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney from 2017 to 2022 as well as an Associate Professor at Macquarie University and the co-lead at the Djurali Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and Education Centre.

His current work at Macquarie University has strengthened his relationships and desire to improve the health of Aboriginal people across NSW, as has his work as chief investigator on several health-related grants, including ARDAC (Antecedents of Renal Disease in Aboriginal Children and young adults study) at Flinders University and improving care pathways in First Nations children.

AH&MRC board chair Professor Phil Naden expressed gratitude at Boe’s appointment after a rigorous recruitment process, “We look forward to working closely with Boe to further improve Aboriginal Health outcomes for our people across NSW. Professor Rambaldini brings to the role a deep understanding of the complex issues surrounding Aboriginal health, with a strong focus on cultural governance, outcomes and research design.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article NSW AH&MRC appoints prolific Indigenous health leader Boe Rambaldini as new CEO in full click here.

new AH&MRC CEO Assoc Prof Boe Rambaldini

New Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW CEO Boe Rambaldini. Photo: Poche Centre for Indigenous Health Facebook. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

$42m to ease regional QLD’s maternity crisis

Queensland’s beleaguered regional maternity centres will receive a $42m injection, with plans to boost the obstetric workforce key to easing the maternity crisis. Up to 20 GPs and rural generalists will be supported in completing advanced diplomas in obstetrics after the state government partnered with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) off the back of the Ministerial Roundtable held last month. It is one of five new initiatives that has the backing of the Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ).

As part of the cash injection Queensland Health will introduce “digital passports” to help clinicians easily move between hospitals for work which will assist in filling workforce gaps The government is also reviewing Queensland Health’s locum policies to maximise incentive options. And there will be more funding to train doctors, nurses and midwives on best practice, woman-centred care and collaboration. First Nations midwifery models of care services will be boosted across Hospital and Health Services and ACCHOs. Queensland’s Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said, “boosting our First Nations midwifery models of care will be invaluable.”

AMAQ president Dr Maria Boulton has praised the Minister for listening to what was needed, “We welcome the support announced today by the Minister and the news our recommendations have been adopted. The Ministerial Maternity Roundtable and five new initiatives are the direct outcomes of our advocacy over the past year to ensure families in these communities have access to fundamental healthcare services and the health workforce is best supported to deliver those services”.”

The above was taken from an article How $42m will help ease maternity crisis by Jackie Sinnerton published in the Cairns Post earlier today.

Maternity & Gynaecology visiting hours sign Gladstone Hospital

Gladstone Hospital. Photo: Tobi Loftus, ABC Capricornia. Image source: ABC News.

Health Worker builds on work of past generations

Murri and Gomeroi woman Amy Rose Creighton says she is “very lucky” to be named after her two grandmothers. “I carry their strength, as well as their names, so I regard myself as honoured to carry both their names and with that comes responsibility and strength,” Mrs Creighton said.  Throughout her childhood, Mrs Creighton grew up surrounded by her culture, as her parents were active members of the Aboriginal Progressive Association. “They were strong for our people, always fought for Indigenous rights, and I grew up hearing about our strengths, not the negative,” she said.

Mrs Creighton’s parents were founding members of the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service, Birralee MACS, the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, while her mum sat on the Tamworth hospital Aboriginal Advisory Board in the ’80s, working with their community to provide spaces and services as needed. Mrs Creighton’s journey would eventually take her to Newcastle, where she completed her Higher School Certificate at an Aboriginal girls’ college, and from there, she applied for her first job at the Awabakal Aboriginal Corporation.

Mrs Creighton has compiled a long list of accolades throughout her career, she has always made sure to emphasise that many Indigenous families and elders have made similar contributions to their communities. What makes her proudest is knowing the next generation is continuing the good fight.”

To view The Northern Daily Leader article Tamworth’s Amy Creighton evokes the strength of her community through her work in full click here.

Health worker and academic Amy Creighton

Health worker and academic Amy Creighton continues to build the work of generations who came before her. Photo: Gareth Gardner. Image source: The Northern Daily Leader.

Mobile childcare helps prevent poor health

A not-for-profit, mobile childcare service is attempting to help solve poor health and dental outcomes in rural multicultural communities. Gnowangerup Family Support Association’s pop-up services, based in the town 350 kms SE of Perth, are sent to neighbouring towns including Borden, Ongerup, Newdegate and Nyabing. The area is a big farming community where many Aboriginal people and migrants call home. The association’s unique mobile, occasional childcare centres not only help parents and carers in isolated areas get back to work, but also try to improve the health of children in the area.

A 2022 impact report showed concerns around dental-related hospitalisations of babies and toddlers in the Great Southern region. That area included Katanning, Gnowangerup, Kojonup, Broomehill, and Tambellup. The report found that young children in the Great Southern were hospitalised at a rate almost double that of the WA state average. Dental problems were found to be “one of the highest causes” of hospitalisation in kids under eight years of age in the area. The report found that health promotion, early identification, and early treatment could help solve the problem.

Gnowangerup Family Support Association director Denise Franco said there were no other childcare centres across the shire and the not-for-profit was helping many families. Ms Franco also said the centre had helped bring free dental van check-ups to its students. This helped make sure any issues in gums and teeth were detected early.

To view the ABC News article Mobile childcare in Gnowangerup shire on the front foot to solve poor health outcomes in full click here.

Denise Franco, Gnowangerup Family Support Association director

Denise Franco says the service helps children and parents. Photo: Briana Fiore, ABC Great Southern. Image source: ABC News.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Jun 21 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Raising awareness of COVID-19 antiviral treatments

antiviral tablet smashing into COVID-19 virus cell; text 'Raising awareness of COVID-19 antiviral treatments has the potential to SAVE LIVES'

The image in the feature tile is from the NPS MedicineWise webpage Antiviral treatments for COVID-19 available here.

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

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

Raising awareness of COVID-19 antiviral treatments

A new local campaign encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members to check in with their doctor or AMS about their eligibility for COVID-19 antiviral treatments. Terry Hill, Aboriginal Health Community Engagement Consultant with COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN said the organisation recently met with local Elders to yarn about prevention and treatment options for COVID-19. “We yarned with Aboriginal Elders and young people across South Eastern NSW and the majority were not aware of these potentially lifesaving COVID-19 medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS),” said Terry.

Elias Rees a videographer with Beyond Empathy said: “I didn’t know anything about antivirals until today which I’m a bit annoyed about because I could have gone and gotten some when I had COVID a couple of weeks ago because I felt like crap!”  Terry added: “We need to get the word out that this product is available, especially for our Elders.

We’ve created a couple of videos to share with communities with the message that eligible people can get COVID-19 antivirals after speaking to a doctor, but they need to act fast. Making a plan now will help save valuable time if you test positive for COVID-19.” By reducing how severe the illness is, people are less likely to need to go to hospital, or develop breathing difficulties and need assistance with oxygen or intensive care treatment.

Dr Katherine Michelmore, COORDINARE’s Medical Director said: “COVID-19 can be very serious for adults in high-risk groups, even when they are fully vaccinated. Antiviral treatments, taken as tablets or capsules, help to stop COVID-19 infection from becoming severe – but they need to be started early after testing positive, within 5 days of developing symptoms.” Antiviral medicines target the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 to prevent it infecting healthy cells in your body and multiplying. This helps stop the spread of the virus inside your body and helps your immune system to fight off the infection. COVID-19 antivirals do not work against other viruses like the flu. There are different antivirals for the flu and antivirals are not a substitute for vaccination. Vaccination is still the best protection against COVID-19.

The images below if from the campaign videos, available here and here and you can view The Beagle article Raising awareness of potentially lifesaving COVID-19 antiviral treatments in full here.

screenshots of young ATSI man & older man speaking about COVID-19 antivirals

Screenshots from the COVID-19 antiviral treatments campaign videos. Image source: The Beagle.

How can institutions centre Indigenous knowledge?

Raelee Lancaster from the University of Queensland has written an article for THE (Times Higher Education) Campus providing four reflective questions that institutions can ask themselves when considering how to respect and elevate Indigenous knowledge.

Decolonisation seeks to reverse the violent acts of colonialism and is a popular concept within higher education institutions (HEIs). However, the very definition of decolonisation centres the coloniser. That’s not to say that decolonisation cannot be effective, but there are other conceptual frameworks that centre the colonised. Indigenisation recognises Indigenous people’s sovereignty, the erasure of which enables and emboldens colonialism. Seeking to elevate and respect Indigenous perspectives and knowledges, Indigenisation shifts the focus away from colonial power.

Indigenisation is increasingly popular within Australian HEIs. There are movements to Indigenise the curriculum, engage Indigenous data, engage Indigenous data practices and employ ethical considerations in research. However, a foundation on which to implement these initiatives is required. While many institutions are eager to engage in Indigenisation, the focus tends to be on the challenges instead of the opportunities. The reflective questions and examples outlined here are a starting point. It’s time to recognise the invisible labour Indigenous people exhaust in institutions and to engage Indigenisation in a genuine, reflective way.

1. How do you support the social, emotional and cultural well-being of Indigenous staff and students?

2. How do your recruitment strategies consider lived experience and transferable skills?

3. How do you minimise cultural load for Indigenous staff and students?

4. How are you implementing Indigenous governance practices and procedures?

To view THE Campus article Decolonisation to Indigenisation: how can institutions centre Indigenous knowledge? in full click here.

close up image of Aboriginal flag flying

Image source: THE Campus.

Healing Landon’s hearing

Just months after an unexpected hearing loss diagnosis, two-year-old Landon pointed up with amazement to a plane in the sky. For the first time he could not only see the plane but hear it too. Since he was little, Landon has suffered from recurring ear infections – a common problem disproportionately affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Landon was referred for a priority diagnostic hearing assessment, which revealed he was experiencing partial hearing loss. Further consultation also determined he would need Grommets.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, a diagnosis such as this can significantly impact development and overall health when healthcare is not accessed in a timely manner. This is where HEALS comes in. HEALS (Hearing EAr health Language and Speech services) is an NSW Health initiative aimed at providing ENT and speech-language pathology services for Aboriginal and Torres Straight children. The program is led by The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network in collaboration with ACCHOs, with support from Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, and helps families circumvent barriers in access to care such as distance, waiting lists and other financial considerations, in order to improve healthcare outcomes.

For Landon’s mother, Jayla, the help HEALS provided was invaluable. “I remember getting an unexpected call from RivMed (Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation), they had received the letter for Landon from the ENT and were coordinating the HEALS program,” Jayla said. “We found out they could assist in getting Landon’s surgery organised and fully funded, with a wait time of only three weeks.”

To view The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network article Healing Landon’s hearing in full click here.

2-year old ATSI boy in hospital bed with spoon to his mouth

Two-year-old Landon in hospital. Image source: The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network website.

Family fought for self-determination: Voice, next step

In an opinion piece written for SBS NITV, Daniel Morrison, whose “bloodlines flow from the Noongar, Yamitji, and Giga clans of WA, the says constitutional change is the continuation of the fight of our past generations, for the benefit of future ones. Mr Morrison is the CEO of Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, an ACCO, with a staff of over 250 people who work across Noongar Boodja.

They run preventative, therapeutic and accommodation services in important areas like alcohol and other drug support, homelessness, child protection, justice, and family and domestic violence. Over the last five years, they have expanded rapidly to the point were they were able to support nearly 10,000 people across their programs in the last financial year.

Mr Morrison said he was writing the opinion piece not only as the CEO of this organisation, where he has worked for the last 13 years, but also in his own right as a father of two, who simply wants his children and his grandchildren “to have it a little easier than me”.

To view the SBS NITV article My family fought for self-determination. A Voice is the next step in full click here.

Noongar man Daniel Morrison, CEO Wungening Aboriginal Corporation

CEO Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, Noongar man Daniel Morrison. Image source: SBS NITV.

Special court for kids aims to reduce prison rate

A special court to hear cases involving Aboriginal children and a series of diversion and assistance programs are among a suite of measures to reduce the level of Indigenous incarceration in SA. The state government will establish an Aboriginal Justice Agreement to develop a collaborative approach to improve justice outcomes. It will also build a new community corrections centre at Port Augusta with culturally appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration spaces, develop a program to ensure Indigenous offenders are ready to return to the workforce upon their release, and establish a drug and alcohol treatment facility.

In a two-year trial, a Youth Aboriginal Community Court in Adelaide will aim to address escalation points in the offending of young people and implement protective strategies to divert them away from a life of crime. Children aged between 10 and 13 and charged with minor offences will be specifically directed away from custody through a program of assistance, including short-term accommodation where no other suitable bail option has been identified.

The government has allocated $25m over four years to cover the initiatives. It said Aboriginal people in SA were 12 times more likely to be imprisoned than the general population, with that figure rising to 18 times greater for youth offenders. “The rates at which Aboriginal people are imprisoned are unacceptable. Past government policy has not worked to change this state of affairs,” Attorney-General Kyam Maher said. “This needs to be addressed urgently. Providing a significant investment and concentrated effort will work to achieve the transformative change that is required.”

To view The Canberra Times article Special court for Aboriginal kids to reduce prison rate in full click here.

entrance to SA sandstone court with 4 large Greek style pillars

SA will establish a special court for Aboriginal children among measures to reduce incarceration. Photo: Kelly Barnes/AAP Photos. Image source: The Canberra Times.

16-year-old involved in Banksia Hill riot speaks out

A 16-year-old girl who was among the last kids to be brought down from the roof of Perth’s Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre during last month’s riot, has spoken of the experience for the first time. The girl was doing a three month stint in the facility and said the riot was sparked by anger amongst the detainees over continual lock downs lasting up to 23 hours per day. She stayed on the roof for almost 9 hours during a wet and cold night. “I was angry and upset, you’re in a cell 4m by 3m  and it’s so tiny and there’s not much you can do. It was cold, I wasn’t thinking about nothing when it poured down. I would rather sit on the roof than in my cell. You get fresh air and a large space to walk around,” she said.

Lawyer Dana Levitt is spearheading the Class Action against the WA government involving more than one thousand current and former Banksia Hill detainees from across the state, alleging serious mistreatment by the WA government since it opened in 1997. “This is state-sanctioned child abuse and it’s not right. The images of female detainee being held at gunpoint on a roof ought to shake the nation out of their stupor,” she said.

It is not a trauma-informed age appropriate culturally adapted place, it is, in many ways I think, it’s worse than an adult prison. “What’s going on inside Banksia Hill is concentration-camp-esque. This is a situation of hopelessness. These kids don’t have a voice, they don’t have any power.”
To view the SBS NITV article 16-year-old girl involved in recent Banksia Hill riot speaks out for the first time in full click here.
aerial view of Banksia Hill Detention Centre, Perth

Banksia Hill Detention Centre is located in the southern suburbs in Perth. Image source: SBS NITV website.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Mar 29 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Better online experiences for young mob

Aboriginal mum & 2 daughters looking at iPhone; text 'ATSI youth MORE LIKELY to be exposed to harmful online content'

The image in the feature tile is of Wyonna Palmer (Telegraph Station, Alice Springs) looking at her phone as her 6-year-old daughter, Lakayla, and her sister, Anna Maria, look on.  Photo: Matt Rogers/The World. Image source: Petchary’s Blog, 28 December 2020.

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.

Better online experiences for young mob

Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said the Albanese Government is supporting better online experiences for First Nations people as new research shows that more young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are turning to technology for cultural expression and engagement. Findings released earlier this week by the eSafety Commissioner reveal First Nations youth are collectively using the internet in greater than average numbers to explore the world, make new friends, connect with people from different backgrounds, and discuss social or political issues.

eSafety’s research, Cool, Beautiful, Strange and Scary: the online experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their parents and care givers, available here, shows that First Nations youth are almost twice as likely as young Australians overall to post original video or music online, and more than twice as likely to post their own story or blog.

The Hon Linda Burney MP – Minister for Indigenous Australians said “Technology can be a great tool to build connection, support identity and boost civic engagement. “But today’s research from the eSafety Commissioner is a reminder it also carries risks, with young Indigenous Australians more likely to be exposed to harmful content or hate speech attacks. “As with so many other areas where disadvantage undermines health and wellbeing, more work is needed to ensure equal protections and access to the good things the internet can provide. This is especially so as we begin the referendum process to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to the Australian Constitution.”

To view the joint media release (The Hon Michelle Rowland MP – Minister for Communications, The Hon Linda Burney MP – Minister for Indigenous Australians and Julie Inman Grant – eSafety Commissioner) Culture, connection and creativity: better online experiences for First Nations people in full click here.

cover of report Cool, beautiful, strange & scary: the online experiences of ATSI children, their parents & caregivers - Aussie Kids Online, March 2023, Aust Govt eSafety Commissioner

Senate backs inquiry into ADHD care

Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson on Disability Services, Health and Mental Health, says the Australian Senate has formally backed a proposal from Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John to hold a Senate inquiry into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and support services in Australia.

Senator Jordon Steele-John proposed the inquiry in the hope of addressing common barriers to adequate ADHD assessment and care, as well as establishing possible policy interventions to improve accessibility and outcomes in this space. Around a million Australians are directly impacted by ADHD, a widely misunderstood neurodevelopmental disability that can cause significant impairment and dysfunction in people’s lives.

To view Senator Jordon Steele-John’s media release Senate Backs Greens Proposal for Senate Inquiry into ADHD Care in full click here.

youth ATSI girl & boy both with their hands behind their heads

Image from the Sparkles playgroup – Fact Sheet webpage. Intereach website.

Culturally safe resources for kids with disability

There’s a movement afoot to provide more culturally safe resources to Aboriginal children with disability. Called the I Am, Movement it came from one mother’s quest to better support her son in his diagnosis and focuses on grassroots conversations and Indigenous experiences to create a more supportive and appropriate environment for these children.

Founder Tanika Davis found there was a lack of culturally appropriate information when her son Slade began his autism diagnosis journey. “We had a lot of information about what autism was, but essentially not much [was] culturally safe or appropriate,” she explained.

But because of her background in Indigenous health promotion, she knew what she was looking for and what others would need. “And one of the first things that we ever did as a family after his diagnosis was basically [say] how can we support our son better and maintain his culture throughout this journey?” Davis knew there was a gap that needed to be filled, and in 2019 she started the I Am, Movement.

To view the Pro Bono Australia article Moving towards cultural safety for Aboriginal children with disability in full click here.

Tanika Davis speaking with microphone to audience with HEYWIRE Trail Blazer banner in the background; The I Am, Movement flashcards for letters & numbers

Ms Davis’s background in Aboriginal health promotion helped her develop The I Am, Movement. Photo: Mark Graham, ABC Heywire. Examples of The I Am, Movement flashcards.

Eye health data shows decrease in trachoma

Annual eye health data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people shows a decrease in active trachoma in children and an increase in the number of Indigenous Australians having eye checks. The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released its sixth annual report to update the eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The report said the overall prevalence of active trachoma among children aged 5–9 in at-risk communities fell from 15% in 2009 to 3.3% in 2021.

Trachoma is a highly infectious disease of the eye and repeated infections can result in scarring, in-turned eyelashes (trichiasis), and blindness. In 2021, the overall treatment coverage of active trachoma cases in at-risk communities was 71%—that is, 1,666 community members identified as having trachoma received treatment. This included children with active trachoma, along with their household contacts and other community members.

Between 2010–11 and 2020–21, the proportion of Indigenous Australians who had an eye health check as part of a health assessment increased from 11% to 29%, based on age-standardised rates.

To view the mivision article Indigenous Eye Health Data in full click here.

NT Health nurse Imogen McLean flips the eyelids of kids to see if there are any traces of trachoma

NT Health nurse Imogen McLean flips the eyelids of kids to see if there are any traces of trachoma. Photo: Stephanie Boltje, ABC News.

Sistergirl helps others find their voice

Ever since she was a kid, Jo’s known she was “different from the others”. You can’t tie a neat bow around the nuances of her life — it’s just “me being me”, she explains. “I just love being myself, you know?” Jo is a sistergirl — a term used by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to describe gender-diverse people that have a female spirit. At its most simple “it’s another way of saying a trans woman”, she says. While she found strength in the support of those around her, her journey “wasn’t always easy”.

Through her own experiences, Jo is now determined to become an “outspoken advocate for Indigenous queers” in her community. “Because I see none of them that have voices,” she says. “I want to be there and talk up for them and help them build their confidence and courage so they can be able to talk.”

Dr Farrell, a queer-identified Wodi Wodi descendant from Jerrinja Aboriginal community on the South Coast of NSW, says that means LGBTQIA+ Indigenous people continue to be discriminated against “in places that stand to close the gap for Indigenous people”, and their needs aren’t taken into account when formulating health and other policies. It renders trans communities, queer communities broadly, as invisible in those services and in resources.”

To view the ABC News article Jo always knew she was a sistergirl. She wants to help others find their voice in full click here.

Sistagirl Jo looking at mirror surrounded by light bulbs

Jo wants to be an advocate for the Indigenous LGBTQIA+ community. Image source: ABC News.

Tahnee helps mob achieve better health

TAFE Queensland’s Toowoomba Indigenous Student of the Year, Tahnee Hooper, has been recognised for her outstanding achievements during her studies and in her role within a Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisation, as she guides clients towards a healthier tomorrow.

The Diploma of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health (HLT50113) graduate received the special award in front of her family and friends, and more than 600 students celebrating the completion of their studies, at a recent TAFE Queensland Darling Downs and South West Graduation Ceremony for the graduating class of 2022.

Putting into practice the advanced community health skills and knowledge she gained during her course, complemented by her existing experience in the health sector, Tahnee is leading the delivery of holistic, whole-of-life care programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Toowoomba and the wider Darling Downs region. “I want to make a difference in people’s lives and to help our mob and communities achieve better health outcomes,” Tahnee explained.

To view the TAFE Queensland article Tahnee is empowering people to achieve better health outcomes in full click here.

Tahnee Hooper in graduate robes holding wooden goanna plaque for winning TAFE QLD Toowoomba Indigenous Student of the Year award; text 'Congradulations - tafe - make great'

Tahnee Hooper. Image source: TAFE Queensland website.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Mar 16 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: 2023 CTG report calls for greater and faster change

feature tile, image of Australian and Aboriginal flags flying; text '2023 Close the Gap Campaign Report highlights essential role of ATSI-led decision-making and self-determination

The image in the feature tile is a photo taken by Lukas Coch/AAP published in The Guardian on 8 October 2020.

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.

2023 CTG report calls for greater and faster change

This years 2023 Close the Gap (CTG) Campaign Report was launched earlier today at the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) in Little Bay Sydney. The theme this year is, ‘Strong Culture, Strong Youth: Our Legacy Our Future’ which highlights the essential role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led decision-making and self-determination in shaping a vision of health and wellbeing built upon a strong cultural foundation.

You can download the report here and watch a video of the launch using this link. You can also watch a short ABC News video Close the Gap report calls for greater and faster change here.

A bit of history. . .

The CTG Campaign is an independent, Indigenous-led campaign that calls on political leaders from all levels of government to take action on health and life expectancy equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It is separate to Closing the Gap, which is an Australian Government strategy.

The CTG Campaign, launched in 2006 to address the unacceptable gap in life expectancy and other health indicators between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians, helped influence the establishment of the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, and the formation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap in July 2020.

The Campaign is made up of 52 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health, NGO and human rights organisations. More than 200,000 Australians have signed a pledge supporting the Campaign.

cover of the Close the Gap Campaign Report 2023; 9 photos of ATSI people/children; text 'Strong Culture, Strong Youth: Our Legacy, Our Future

Early Years Strategy must focus on equity and justice

Experts in child and family health are developing submissions for the Federal Government’s new Early Years Strategy, which it says will “shape its vision for the future of Australia’s children and their families”. Among a number of groups who have shared their concerns and priorities the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) is concerned the early focus of the strategy “does not demonstrate a health equity lens”. We note the verdict on that is mixed. The ACN points to the Discussion Paper’s aim that a national Strategy “will seek to ensure that all children, wherever they live, enjoy the same opportunities to learn, develop and thrive.”

The ACN says “this is not a health equity lens. Instead, it assumes all children, irrespective of class, culture and context, require the same opportunities. This ignores some of the children who need this most, like those children that have different abilities or grow up in specific cultural contexts like First Nations children.”

Maybe the Federal Government should also be turning a sharp eye on all the policies, programs and, of course, politics that are currently causing major harm to young people in Australia, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, and/or threaten to further entrench inequity.

To view the Croakey Health Media article As governments entrench disadvantage, will Australia’s Early Years Strategy focus on equity and justice? in full click here.tile purple, lime green, pink, orange; text Australian Government The Early Years Strategy in white font & Australian Coat of Arms

First podcast for mob with disabilities

Having to learn how to walk and talk again after an incident left him in an induced coma, Bernard Namok, a proud St Paul, Badu, and Erub Torres Strait Islander man, is now advocating for Indigenous people living with disabilities in the Far North. Mr Namok is teaming up with the First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) to help empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with a focus on giving a voice to the voiceless. Today, on National Closing the Gap Day, Mr Namok and the FPDN launched a first-ever podcast dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with disabilities.

Mr Namok said one of the barriers facing people with disabilities from Indigenous communities is simply knowing what help is out there and how to access it. “Creating the podcast was about finding a way to get information to people who may be living in remote areas in places like Thursday Island where I grew up, as well as telling their stories,” he said

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that almost a quarter (24%) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia living in households lived with a disability with 8.8% living with a profound or severe limitation.

The above story featured in the Herald Sun article First podcast for First Nations people with disabilities launches published earlier today.

Bernard Namok, TSI disability advocate

Bernard has been working in disability advocacy in Cairns after previously working in radio broadcasting in the NT.

Culture + Kinship program has positive outcomes

Yesterday the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) launched the groundbreaking Culture + Kinship program evaluation report in the lead up to today’s National Close the Gap Day. VACCHO noted that last year’s Closing The Gap report data and the Coroners Court of Victoria suicide Report in February this year provided “unmistakable evidence” that the devastating gaps in health and wellbeing outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Victorians continue to blight health equality in Victoria.

VACCHO said its Culture + Kinship Report demonstrates that by focusing on the cultural determinants of health, “there are constructive approaches that can be taken to close the gaps in health and wellbeing disadvantage”. The report notes that through the Culture + Kinship program, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been able to re-connect with Community, Culture and Country.

VACCHO said “The Culture + Kinship program was uniquely Community driven with a flexible funding model that empowered Communities to lead the way with their own solutions in the form of self-determined, locally led programs.” VACCHO also said a social return on investment analysis showed the program “produced significant value for its stakeholders, with Community Members benefiting especially through reconnecting with Community, Culture and Country, and in doing so, experiencing a range of positive health and wellbeing outcomes”.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal-led Culture + Kinship program makes breakthroughs in health and wellbeing in full click here.

Budja Budja Yarning Circle

Budja Budja Yarning Circle

Scholarship helps Palm Is AHW realise dream

A young Indigenous woman awarded a scholarship to study nursing at Mater Private Hospital Townsville is realising a dream to follow in her family’s footsteps. “My grandma is a twin and she and her sister worked at Mater for many years as registered nurses,” said Tehanna Tanerau-Love, who works part-time as a health worker on Palm Island.

Ms Tanerau-Love, 20, a Yorta Yorta woman with Māori ties, said she had a number of great role models. “My other grandma is a CEO of an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation and my sister is a social worker,” she said.

Ms Tanerau-Love said the Indigenous scholarship to study a Diploma of Nursing at Mater would help her connect with her community and provide the opportunity to give back to her mob. “My ultimate goal is to work in remote and rural Aboriginal communities to have a meaningful impact on people’s lives,” she said.

The above story featured yesterday in the Cairns Post article Palm Island health-worker Tehanna Tanerau-Love to become nurse at Mater Townsville.

Tehanna Tanerau-Love in hospital room

Young North Queensland woman Tehanna Tanerau-Love has been awarded an Indigenous scholarship to study a Diploma of Nursing at Mater Private Hospital Townsville. Image source: Cairns Post.

Pioneering Cape ear health program gaining traction

The Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service Integrated Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) program, launched as a pilot in 2021 to target hearing problems in Cape York and the Torres Strait, is seeing exponential growth, with the number of patients seen almost doubling within 12 months.

The team includes a GP with specialist ENT training, a senior ENT nurse, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker, an audiologist and a speech pathologist who travel to 13 remote communities across the region. They treat both children and adults, predominantly for hearing issues, but also with other ear, nose and throat conditions. The team saw more than 1,300 patients during 2022, well up from the 861 seen in 2021.

A further $1.6m of state government funding has been committed to the program over 18 months which will allow for additional staff to support the huge growth. Senior audiologist Kristen Tregenza said she believed the project’s success was due to the culturally-appropriate service they were providing, with patients now seeking them out instead of learning about them via referral. She said most of the hearing conditions being seen and treated were caused by treatable ear infections. “It is well documented that remoteness, lower socio-economic living and all the things that come with that – access to nutritious foods, housing conditions, exposure to passive cigarette smoke – significantly increase the number of ear infections, severity and recovery time,” she said. “It is all preventable.”

To view the Cape York Weekly article Pioneering program launched in Cape gaining traction in full click here.

Kowanyama’s Naveen Accoom getting his ears tested by Dr Stephen Johnston

Kowanyama’s Naveen Accoom getting his ears tested by Dr Stephen Johnston as part of the successful ENT program. Image source: Cape York Weekly.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Feb 28 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: ARF and RHD resources available on NACCHO website

 

feature tile NACCHO ARF RHD logo and text 'ARF and RHD resources now available on the NACCHO website'

The image in the feature tile is the NACCHO designed ARF and RHD logo.

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

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

ARF and RHD resources available on NACCHO website

NACCHO now has an Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) webpage. The webpage includes general information about ARF and RHD including:

  • Why are ARF and RHD an important priority for NACCHO?
  • What is ARF?
  • What is RHD?
  • Would you like to learn more about ARF and RHD?

In addition, the webpage includes links to a range of resources tailored for community and professionals including: guidelines and report; visual resources; eLearning modules, apps and videos (such as the one below).

To access the NACCHO webpage Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease click here.

Small amounts of drinking may change baby’s face

It is well known that heavy drinking while pregnant has a range of negative effects on an unborn child, and can disrupt development of the brain and other organs. What is less well known is the effects, if any, of drinking a glass of wine here or there throughout pregnancy. As facial features are determined by brain development during the first trimester, the way a child looks can also be affected along with motor skills, behaviour and learning.

A new study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, sought to understand whether low doses of alcohol during pregnancy changed children’s faces as they can be a reflection of overall health and development. They found that drinking the equivalent of one glass of wine a week during pregnancy may make a difference to the way a child looks.

For the study, researchers from Erasmus University in Rotterdam asked women about their drinking habits in the three months before becoming pregnant, whether they drank alcohol during the pregnancy and, if so, the quantity and for how much of the pregnancy they drank.

To read The Age article Can drinking small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy change a baby’s face? in full click here.

torso of pregnant Aboriginal woman with hands resting above and below pregnant belly

Image source: Gomeroi Gaaynggal Study website.

PIP-IHI updated and improved

Medical clinics have been encouraged to provide better, ongoing care to Indigenous Australians following the revamp of an incentive program designed to achieve better, long-term health outcomes. The Practice Incentives Program – Indigenous Health Initiative (PIP-IHI) has been updated and improved and will boost quality of care and outcomes for Indigenous people living with chronic health and mental health conditions.

The PIP-IHI pays medical practices to sign up to the program when a patient is registered and when certain patient outcomes are reached. A 2019 review of the initiative found that while many practices signed on and registered patients, there were low numbers of payments based on outcomes. This showed the program wasn’t doing what it was designed for – achieving continuity of care for patients with high needs.

To remedy these shortcomings and ensure efficiency, changes to the PIP-IHI include:

  • making some GP Mental Health Care Plan Medicare items eligible for outcome payments
  • shifting payment amounts to incentivise follow up care for patients, rather than registration
  • making patients under the age of 15 eligible for outcome payments
  • giving GP practices a 12-month rolling window to provide the required number of services.

Initial changes began earlier this year, with the updated payment structure transitioning in 2023 and 2024 to give practices time to adjust to the changes.

To view Senator Malarndirri McCarthy’s media release Strengthening GP care for Indigenous Australians in full click here.

orange Aboriginal body paint art on dark blue background and words in white font 'Practice Incentives Program Indigneous Health Incentive'

Image source: Department of Health and Aged Care’s Changes to the Practice Incentives Program Indigenous Health Incentive webpage.

VACCHO “deeply disturbed” by latest suicide report

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and the Balit Durn Durn Centre have expressed deep sadness at the findings of new report, Suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, by the Coroners Court of Victoria which reveals an “alarmingly high” suicide rate among Indigenous people, three times higher than that of the non-Indigenous population

In a statement VACCHO said “Of particular concern in the Coroners Court Of Victoria report are the stressors that were identified among the suicides of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria. Breakdowns in interpersonal relationships, experiences of family violence, experiences of abuse, and substance abuse left untreated were all noted as stressors and factors that significantly contributed to losses of life. Alarmingly, over one third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who passed by suicide reported childhood exposure to family violence, and nearly 50% had experienced separation from parents.”

VACCHO noted the report revealed more than 80% of people who passed by suicide had been diagnosed with a mental health issue, such as depression, anxiety and/or mood disorders, “suggesting if services were responsive and able to meet the needs of Aboriginal people, these deaths could have been prevented. These stressors highlight the failings of fragmented mental health and child protection systems that do not provide people with culturally safe, holistic health and wellbeing services that they need.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Victoria’s peak Aboriginal health body “deeply disturbed” by latest report on suicide in full click here.

external view of VACCHO building with mural, VACCHO logo & name VACCHO

Image source: VACCHO website.

New Lowitja Journal invites submissions

Lowitja Institute and Elsevier are pleased to announce the launch of a new international journal in 2023. This community-controlled journal aims to uphold Indigenous rights to sovereignty and self-determination within research practice. The first issue, entitled First Nations Health and Wellbeing – The Lowitja Journal, is scheduled to be published in line with Lowitja Institute’s 3rd International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2023 from 14–16 June 2023.

The First Nations Health and Wellbeing – The Lowitja Journal invites submissions in a range of formats, including original research, reviews, case studies perspectives and commentaries. You can submit your next research article to this important new journal via  the First Nations Health and Wellbeing – The Lowitja Journal online portal here.

Papers should reflect the values and principles of Lowitja Institute and adhere to the policies outlined in the journal guide for authors, available here. There is also a requirement that the first, second or senior author are First Nations peoples. All articles in the first issue will be published open access with no article processing fee.

Submissions for this inaugural issue are due on or before Friday 10 March 2023 for peer review.

Submit your paper via the online submission system here or email any questions to Editor using this email link.

cover of First National Health and Wellbeing: The Lowitja Journal

Image source: First National Health and Wellbeing – The Lowitja Journal portal.

Mental health support for Northern Rivers mob

Northern Rivers residents are being reminded that free mental health support is only a phone call or web chat away, with in-person counseling also available. Healthy North Coast Chief Executive, Monika Wheeler, said that these next few weeks could be particularly challenging for Northern Rivers residents and urged locals to prioritise their mental health.

Ms Wheeler said “Looking out for each other is what has got our community through the past 12 months. There are many things about our current situation that we cannot change, but we can all take steps to look after our heads and hearts. If you or someone you know is struggling or could simply benefit from a friendly and supportive chat, I urge you to reach out. Healthy North Coast offers a range of free and after-hours services to support mental health and wellbeing for all ages, with a number of them made available through Australian Government and NSW Government flood recovery. There’s no shame in saying you’re feeling overwhelmed or just want to talk things through. I encourage all community members, including our hardworking primary care professionals, to prioritise their mental health care over the coming weeks.”

One of the services offered is the The Strong Community Program which provides free specialist mental health support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Rivers, age 12 years and over. Mental health and wellbeing supports include in-person counselling, mental health promotion in schools and outreach to communities in Cabbage Tree Island, Wardell, Ballina, Box Ridge, Woodburn, Lismore and neighbouring areas.

To view the Echo article Free mental health support for Northern Rivers communities in full click here.

backs of 4 young ATSI adults, sunset in the background

Image source: The Strong Community Program webpage of the Lives Lived Well website.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Feb 27 2023

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

part of Aboriginal town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs

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

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

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

ACCHO social determinant approach to health

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diphtheria spreading in the north

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

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

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

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

Dementia – what it means for mob

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

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

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

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

KAMS to support Kimberley flood victims

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digital wound imaging for diabetic foot ulcers

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

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

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

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

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

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

Health researcher to participate in talks program

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

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

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

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

portrait shot of Roxanne Ngarulya Highfold

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

Sector Jobs

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

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

Feb 20 2023

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

Feature tile - NACCHO ATSI Pharmacist Scholarship applications open

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

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

Pharmacist Scholarship Applications Open

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

Scholarship opens door for speech pathology career

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

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

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

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

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

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

Celebrating WorldPride with WSLHD’s Darren Lee

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

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

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

To view The Pulse article in full click here.

Long COVID causing job losses and homelessness

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

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

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

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

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

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

Virtual reality part of mental health trial

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

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

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

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

Aboriginal teenager at Darwin school using virtual reality

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

Alice Springs alcohol rehabs desperate for support

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

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

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

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

portrait shot of Jocelyn Dhu, Eastern Arrernte woman

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

Sector Jobs

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

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

Dec 13 2022

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: 2023 National COVID-19 Health Management Plan

The image in the feature tile is from the cover of the Australian Government’s 16 page National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023.

2023 National COVID-19 Health Management Plan

A National COVID-19 Health Management Plan (the National Plan) has been developed to outline the Australian Government health supports to manage COVID-19 over the next 12 months. These health supports have been informed by the likely 2023 Australian epidemiological outlook and advice from the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly.

Over 2023, Australia will transition to managing COVID-19 in a similar way to other respiratory viruses, moving away from COVID exceptionalism and bespoke arrangements. While we are learning more about the virus and its impacts on the community and health systems all the time, we are not yet at a “steady state” where we can predict and manage it within normal systems. This means health response measures are still required.

The National Plan summarises the interconnecting whole-of-system measures to transition our management of COVID-19, while maintaining a state of readiness and capacity to respond as the pandemic continues to evolve.

You can access the Australian Government’s 16 page National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023 in full here.

NACCHO affiliates doing us proud

The Aboriginal Health Council of SA (AHCSA) Sexual Health Team has won the People’s Choice Awards Sexual Health Poster! The AHCSA Sexual Health team beat 150 other entrants to claim top prize for this incredible piece of work that we are so proud of.

Have a read below of the significance of the work and how the group achieved the unbelievable outcome in the link here.

AHCSA Sexual Health Team’s winning People’s Choice Award Sexual Health Poster.

Meanwhile last week VACCHO co-hosted a workshop with the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA), bringing together representatives of 12 Specialist Medical Colleges.

The workshop centred on improving the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors in Specialist training. Whether it’s radiology, dermatology, surgery, or any other specialty, colleges need to develop culturally safe and supportive training pathways to help grow the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Specialists in our health services.

VACCHO acknowledged the deadly work AIDA is doing to build strong partnerships across the health workforce, to develop future generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors.

Participants of the VACCHO and AIDA workshop.

Governments must act to raise the age

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, health, legal and human rights organisations have welcomed the release of a government report and called on Attorneys-General to immediately act on its recommendation to raise the age of criminal responsibility with no exceptions. The report was prepared by a Working Group chaired by the WA Department of Justice, and included representation from justice departments from each state, territory and the Commonwealth government.

The Council of Attorneys-General Age of Criminal Responsibility Working Group report lists recommendations based on the findings of the review stating: “A primary recommendation to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years without exceptions.” The report, prepared in 2020, was informed by over 90 public submissions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, health, legal and human rights organisations and experts. The Human Rights Law Centre previously made repeated Freedom of Information requests to obtain a copy of the report, with all requests refused.

The current low age of criminal responsibility disproportionately impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and is a key driver of contact with police and the criminal legal system. Raising the age would reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in prisons and help governments meet their Closing The Gap targets. The report noted that to turn “the tide on First Nations incarceration rates requires Commonwealth, state and territory governments to work in partnership with First Nations people and organisations.”

To view the Human Rights Law Centre article Governments must act on justice department advice to #RaiseTheAge to at least 14 in full click here.

Improving lives and mental health of youth

Each year the achievements and contributions of eminent Australians are celebrated through the Australian of the Year Awards by profiling leading citizens who are role models for us all. They inspire us through their achievements and challenge us to make our own contribution to creating a better Australia. The Awards honour an exceptional group of highly respected Australians who ignite discussion and change on issues of national importance. The Australian of the Year Awards provides everyone with the opportunity to recognise any Australian who makes them proud. The four Australian of the Year categories are:

  • Australian of the Year
  • Senior Australian of the Year (those aged 65 years or over)
  • Young Australian of the Year (ages 16 to 30)
  • Australia’s Local Hero

Jahdai Vigona has received the 2023 NT Young Australian of the Year award. Jahdai Vigona is at the forefront of mental health programs educating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. A proud Tiwi Islands man, he is passionate about improving the lives of Indigenous people.

WellMob: An Introduction

WellMob have produced a short, animated video WellMob: An Introduction describing the WellMob website. WellMob is a digital library of wellbeing resources made by and for our mob. These resources include apps, podcasts, websites, videos, social media and printable wellbeing materials. There are also training resources to support workers.

The WellMob: An Introduction video is for anyone interested in digital wellbeing resources, including health and wellbeing workers – it is from e-Mental Health in Practice and hosted by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet.

You can access more information and training resources from the WellMob website here.

Trailblazing Indigenous doctor

Trailblazing Indigenous doctor Dr Mark Wenitong has received an honorary Doctorate from Central Queensland University Australia, celebrating almost three decades of work to improve the health and wellbeing of First Nations peoples. Dr Wenitong, who is also board deputy chair of Community Enterprise Queensland, is one of Australia’s first Indigenous doctors and a leader and mentor in driving better First Nations healthcare.

Since graduating from Newcastle University Medical School in 1995, Dr Wenitong has practiced across central Australia and now in Far North Queensland, and was a founding member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA). Dr Wenitong has been the Public Health Medical Advisor at Apunipima Cape York Health Council since 2008, where he continues to practice clinical medicine and remote health service systems and program delivery.

In addition to being an adjunct professor at the Queensland University of Technology, Dr Wenitong is the strategic advisor for the Lowitja Institute, Research Knowledge Translation and the inaugural Co-Chair of the Queensland Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statewide Clinical Network. Dr Wenitong was previously appointed as the Aboriginal Public Health Medical Officer, and the acting chief executive at the NACCHO in 2012. It has been a long and remarkable journey.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Trailblazing Indigenous doctor honoured for outstanding career and contribution to First Nations health in full click here.

Dr Mark Wenitong. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs

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

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