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.
$200 Million Boost for Aged Care Services
The Albanese Government is investing $200 million in infrastructure grants to support residential aged care services in regional, rural and remote locations. The choice to enter residential aged care shouldn’t mean a choice to leave your community.
The government’s $200m funding package, in addition to $135 million recently awarded under Round 1, will improve access to quality aged care in small rural towns and remote communities, including for older First Nations people.
This $200 million will allow successful applicants to build new facilities as well as upgrade existing infrastructure. Funding under the Aged Care Capital Assistance Program supports the basic rights of all older people in Australia to have access to safe and high-quality aged care services regardless of where they live.
For this round eligibility has been expanded to include all regional areas (MM 2-7) with grants also available to help providers build and improve services for First Nations communities in any location, including major cities.
Grant information, including eligibility requirements are on GrantConnect.
Image source: iStock.
Carbal Medical Services, Jannah De-Bressac enhances immunisation support for First Nations Communities
Carbal Medical Services is proud to announce that Jannah De-Bressac, Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) at Carbal Warwick, has successfully completed the First Nations Immunisation Course. With a dedicated service spanning five years, including 3.5 years as an Aboriginal Health Worker (AHW) and 1.5 years as an AHP, Jannah brings a wealth of experience and cultural insight to her role. Jannah is the first AHP in Queensland to have obtained this competency.
The completion of the First Nations Immunisation Course will significantly benefit Jannah’s practice by enabling her to provide robust support to the nursing staff. Leveraging her established relationships with the local community, Jannah will discuss vaccination benefits, importance, side effects, and concerns with families. She will also provide necessary resources to alleviate any apprehensions regarding immunisations.
Jannah’s familiarity and long-term engagement with the community play a crucial role in building trust.
“Having a familiar face to discuss concerns is invaluable. Over the years, I have built strong relationships, and having the time to discuss immunisations, address concerns, and explain vaccination benefits in a safe and culturally sensitive environment is vital,” says Jannah.
She emphasizes the importance of clear communication, free from jargon, particularly when discussing catch-up schedules. Jannah strongly advocates for the inclusion of the First Nations Immunisation Course in all AHW and AHP training programs.
“It is a great asset to any Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) clinic and to the health workers. I am now confident in discussing the benefits of vaccination and the process of vaccine creation with the community.”
Expressing her enthusiasm, Jannah stated, “I am excited to have completed the First Nations Immunisation Course because I can now confidently assist in the clinic. I am well-equipped to talk to parents, carers, and patients about vaccinations, their benefits, and to address any concerns they may have. The course has provided me with the tools to alleviate those concerns effectively.”
Jannah highlights the course’s family-friendly e-Learning approach and the strong support system it offers.
“The course allowed time for family, which is very important to me. The support was excellent, with prompt replies to any questions I had. It was interesting, and I learned a lot of new skills and information while having fun. I highly recommend it!”
For more information on Carbal Medical Services and the initiatives undertaken to support First Nations health, please go here.
Carbal Medical Services, Jannah De-Bressac successfully completed the First Nations Immunisation Course. Image source: Carbal Medical Services.
Raising awareness of blood borne viruses
The WA Department of Health has launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness of blood-borne viruses (BBVs), and the importance of BBV prevention among Aboriginal people aged 16-39 years. Blood-borne viruses – such as hepatitis B (Healthy WA), hepatitis C (Healthy WA) and HIV (Healthy WA) – are transmitted by blood, and hepatitis B and HIV can also be transmitted through sexual activity (sexual transmission of hepatitis C is also possible if blood is present). The campaign was developed in consultation with Aboriginal health workers and leaders from regional and metropolitan areas and community-based organisations including a peer organisation for people who inject drugs. Interviews with Aboriginal people in WA that have a lived experience of hepatitis C and HIV also shaped the campaign development.
People with blood-borne viruses often look and feel healthy, so encouraging people at risk to get tested is a key factor in addressing blood-borne viruses. Hepatitis C notifications are disproportionally high in the Aboriginal population. In WA, hepatitis C notifications in Aboriginal people are 13-times higher than reported among non-Aboriginal people. Injecting drug use also contributes to a proportion of newly diagnosed HIV infections in WA.
Testing is crucial as a range of treatments are now making it possible for people with blood-borne viruses to continue to live long and healthy lives. Treatments are now available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. A cure is now possible for 95% of people with chronic hepatitis C. Highly effective treatments are also available for people living with HIV.
Encourage your community to get tested for blood-borne viruses.
To learn more about the campaign, go here.
WA Department of Health Look After Your Blood campaign tile.
Aspiring doctor wants more “familiar faces” in health
From bandaging up mannequins at the local TAFE, to studying medicine at the University of Western Australia, Kahlie Lockyer has always wanted to make a difference. The Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Yawuru and Nyulnyul woman from Port Hedland grew up travelling to remote communities with her mother, a nurse who taught first aid and health courses to First Nations people. Her mum was her first inspiration.
“She really wanted to make a difference,” Ms Lockyer told AAP.
“Trying to help educate our people as well … I guess it was her way of doing her part to close the gap in Indigenous health.”
But it was when the accomplished 35-year-old artist had her second son, who was born with congenital complications, that she was propelled into the world of medicine.
“I knew what it felt like being an Indigenous mother and not having an understanding of what was going on with my boy, and coming up against a lot of racism,” she said.
“Some of the paediatricians we encountered were so amazing … I thought, we need more paediatricians that can provide the health care that our people need.”
Ms Lockyer is in her third year of medical school and after receiving the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship to help with her studies said she feels empowered and excited for the future.
Getting through university has had its challenges but Ms Lockyer has loved her studies and she knows how important it is to have more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people working in the health sector.
“If an Indigenous person can get the care from someone who has the same understanding of how things are different for us and be a familiar face, it could give them more trust in the healthcare system,” she said.
To read the full article, go here.
Artist Kahlie Lockyer (centre) is the latest recipient of the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship. (Image: HANDOUT/AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION).
Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) bus visit to Winnunga
Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjha was pleased and honoured to welcome the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) to Winnunga Nimmityjah last month. KBHAC is a Stolen Generations Survivor led organisation which was established by the survivors of Kinchela Boys Home.
The Home was run by the NSW Government for over 50 years to assimilate Aboriginal boys who, in their words, were kidnapped from their families. KBHAC was represented during the visit by three Kinchela “boys, notably Uncles Roger Jarrett, Richard Campbell and Willy Nixon, each of whom had spent their childhoods, in the 1950’s and 60’s at the Kinchela Boys Home after being forcefully removed, or in their words “kidnapped”, from their families. The “boys” were accompanied on the visit to Winnunga Nimmityjah by Aunty Lesley.
Before addressing staff a heartbreaking film, produced by KBHAC and which focussed on life at the Kinchela boys home, highlighted the inhuman and heartless treatment and abuse endured by the boys detained at the “home”.
KBHAC has developed a wide range of programs and services aimed at addressing the reconstruction of identity, restoration of family structures and improving social inclusion in the community. They also provide a range of services focussed on supporting Stolen Generations survivors and their descendants.
To read the full story, go here.
Shannan Dodson, Uncle Roger Jarrett, Julie Tongs, Uncle Willy Nixon, Aunty Lesley and Uncle Richard Campbell. Image source: Winnunga Nimmityjha.
Path to healthcare advocacy
In Yarrabah, Charanti Andrews found her calling at home. Her close-knit family, especially her grandfather, played a pivotal role. After he suffered a stroke in 2019, Ms Andrews cared for him during his rehabilitation. Once he recovered, she focused on her two younger nephews, both diagnosed with ADHD, and one also with autism, dedicating time to helping them manage their challenges. These experiences clarified her purpose: to make a meaningful impact in healthcare and transform lives with compassion.
Ms Andrews was fortunate to have supportive parents who valued hard work and resilience. Her mum, the CEO of the local health service, and her dad, the Mayor of Yarrabah, inspired her through their leadership. With their encouragement, Ms Andrews applied for and was accepted into the Cape York Leaders Program, securing a scholarship to attend one of Queensland’s top boarding high schools.
Joining the University of Queensland’s Health Science Camp, her passion for health sciences was clear, but the opportunity to explore disciplines like occupational therapy, nursing, dentistry, psychology, midwifery, and pathology provided the clarity she needed.
“I liked being surrounded by other Indigenous kids who have a passion for health, and I really enjoyed visiting the Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation Centre,” Ms Andrews said.
“I love interacting with people with sensory disabilities. It just makes me happy.”
She has now completed Year 12 and has started turning her dream into a reality after enrolling in a Bachelor of Public Health at The Queensland University of Technology.
To read the full National Indigenous Times article, go here.
Charanti Andrews’ shift from family caregiving to healthcare advocacy shows her commitment to compassionate change. (Image: Cape York Partnership).
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