Category Housing

Sep 18 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Dr king sees colonisation’s impact every day

feature tile image of Dr Jason King against tree trunk; text '“I see and feel every day the impact of colonisation.” Yued Noongar man Dr Jason King'

The image in the feature tile is of Dr Jason King, a Yued Noongar man who says the impact of colonisalism is far-reaching. The image appears in the article First Nations health professionals ‘deeply saddened’ following Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s colonisation claims published by ABC News on Saturday 16 September 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.

Dr King sees colonisation’s impact every day

First Nations health professionals and those living with chronic health issues say they are “disappointed” and “deeply saddened” following Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s claims First Nations Australians are not living with ongoing negative impacts of colonisation. On Thursday last week (14 September 2023), the shadow minister for Indigenous Australians, gave an address to the National Press Club. When asked if she felt there were any ongoing, negative impacts of colonisation on Indigenous Australians, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price responded, “No, there’s no ongoing negative impacts of colonisation.”

Yued Noongar man Dr Jason King, who is the director of Clinical Services at the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation in Yarrabah, far north QLD disagrees, “In my day-to-day job and through my lived experience I see and feel every day the impact of colonisation.” Dr King said he was “deeply saddened and disappointed” to hear an Aboriginal politician with a high profile making statements that, he says, “blatantly deny the existence, history, lived experience of so many Australians”.

“The community I work for sits no more than an hour out of Cairns and yet there’s 4,000 people there that live in 350 houses,” Dr King said. “We have a Rheumatic Heart Disease rate, a medical condition which has been eliminated from the broader Australian population to a larger extent, that is 100 times the average in this country.” Dr King linked Yarrabah’s high rates of diabetes, heart disease, and suicides to “policies of the past and the future”, rather than the choices of Yarrabah residents.

To view the ABC News article First Nations health professionals ‘deeply saddened’ following Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s colonisation claims in full click here.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney with creek in background

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney described Jacinta Price’s comments as “offensive”. Photo: ABC News.

Cathy Freeman: a ‘Just One Breath’ ambassador

Seven million Australians, the equivalent to one in four of us, have a chronic respiratory disease. Sporting hero Cathy Freeman discovered she had asthma at age 18 and she says it has worsened since. Cathy was diagnosed with exercise induced asthma, triggered by vigorous physical exertion and prescribed preventative puffers and Ventolin. Even after Cathy won the 400m gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics she was breathing quite heavily, trying to gulp in as much air as possible. Then, over a decade ago, Cathy was diagnosed with full blown asthma.

It was only a few years ago that Cathy said she finally came to terms with her condition, “Up until then, I just didn’t want to admit I had asthma. As a former professional athlete it didn’t sit well with me, and I was only able to fully accept the condition earlier this year.” Cathy said that when she was asked by Lung Foundation Australia to become an ambassador for their ‘Just One Breath’ initiative, she didn’t hesitate. The campaign aims to inspire conversations about lung health and Cathy said she is passionate about helping others because she sees herself in other people.

To cope with her lung disease Cathy strengthens her lungs through exercise, healthy living and avoiding asthma triggers. Cathy also makes sure she gets plenty of rest and keeps up her water intake. Cathy said people commonly think of lung disease as a smoker’s disease, however lung disease doesn’t discriminate – it affects the young, old, male, female, smokers, former-smokers, and non-smokers. Indigenous people die of lung disease at a rate three times higher than non-Indigenous Australians.

You can check how healthy your lungs are by taking the Lung Foundation’s interactive Lung Health Checklist here and view The Carousel article Lung Disease: Cathy Freeman Reveals Her Secret Battle in full click here.

Cathy Freeman in jeans & white t-shirt standing in white empty room with blue circle with words 'just one breath'

Cathy Freeman. Image source: The Carousel.

Bed bugs, a potentially serious public health issue

Norman Frank Jupurrurla, a Warumungu Elder and traditional owner is living in public housing that’s been stripped bare after bed bugs ripped through his three bedroom home. The contents of his house are at the local tip. It’s the second time in six months that bed bugs have spread throughout his home in Village Camp, a community living area on the outskirts of Tennant Creek. The parasitic insects feed on the blood of humans and animals and have wrongly been associated with poor hygiene. “It’s like hell, mate,” Mr Frank said. “You will be scratching and itching all night and you won’t be able to sleep because of the bugs.”

Dr Simon Quilty, who has lived and worked as a specialist physician in remote NT for most of the past two decades, personally contacted several people in the NT Health Department to sound the alarm. “It’s just astounding that the department doesn’t see the need for early identification of a potentially serious public health, infectious disease,” he said. “Mr Frank has very serious health issues, he’s immunocompromised and the bed bugs can cause sores that eventually can become infected. For people that have chronic disease, bed bugs pose a real threat to their health — more importantly, it’s their psychological wellbeing.”

Dr Quilty has been collaborating with Mr Frank to develop culturally safe, and climate appropriate housing for Aboriginal communities through their organisation, Wilya Janta. Together they hope to solve some of the complex public housing issues places like Tennant Creek face. “Different agencies like housing and health need to be truly collaborative,” Dr Quilty said. “To solve complex problems, the community needs to be in the driving seat and needs easy ways to be heard.”

To view the ABC News article ‘It beggars belief’: Bed bug outbreaks highlight Tennant Creek public housing issues in full click here.

Norman Frank at front of Tennant Creek House with small child

Norman Frank, Tennant Creek, NT. Image source: SBS News

Nurse practitioners can help address workforce shortages

The persistent challenges arising from nationwide shortages of general practitioners in regional, rural and remote Australia are well known. Recent calls for new approaches incorporating effective team-based care and improved coordination combined with funding models specific to rural health care reflect demands for a shift from business as usual. More recently, the Australian Government has turned its attention to strategies to improve availability and access to primary health care (PHC). One of the many strategies includes a debt waiver for Higher Education Loans for doctors and nurse practitioners who meet the eligibility criteria and will work in rural, remote or very remote areas. Nurse practitioners are not a replacement for doctors but can be an important part of the solution.

The nurse practitioner role was first introduced in Australian more than 20 years ago with an intention that nurse practitioners would support the delivery of PHC in rural and remote Australia; however, uptake in primary health care has been slow. The 2022 workforce data report that 69% of nurse practitioners are in metropolitan areas, while in 2019 the Australian Department of Health reported that only 4.4% of all nurse practitioners worked in general practice nursing.

One factor integral to success was both community and medical practitioner acceptance of the nurse practitioner role. Where collaborative arrangements across services are in place, the nurse practitioner is able to work across hospital, residential aged care and general practice, resulting in improved continuity of care. Reports continue to describe uncertainty about the role of the nurse practitioner combined with limited understanding of the scope of practice of the role.

To view the InSight Plus article How nurse practitioners can help address rural health workforce shortages in full click here.

Australia's first Aboriginal Nurse Practitioner Lesley Salem

Australia’s first Aboriginal Nurse Practitioner was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia in 2022 for her significant service to nursing and Indigenous health. Image source: The Northern Daily Leader.

AI revolutionising diabetes treatment

Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun revolutionising the way people with diabetes receive life-saving medicines. Speaking at a parliamentary inquiry into diabetes, endocrinologist Associate Professor Roger Chen said AI had been developed that enabled continuous glucose monitors to interact with insulin pumps. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a wearable device that tracks blood glucose (sugar) every few minutes, throughout the day and night. The readings are relayed in real time to a device that can be read by the patient, caregiver or healthcare provider, even remotely.

A/Proff Chen told a public hearing in Canberra last Friday (15 September 2023) “that from an emotional, face-to-face at the coal face and also from a publication and research perspective that this really has revolutionised type 1 diabetes, it has changed people’s lives and management.” Diabetes Australia says only around 24% of people living with type 1 diabetes are currently able to access the technology. The number of Australians living with diabetes has more than doubled since 2000 to reach more than 1.5m, and the country is on track to reach 3.1m by 2050.

The disease disproportionately affects people in Indigenous communities, and the inquiry heard from one health expert calling for a fresh approach to tackle the problem, led by First Nations people. “The impact of diabetes in Indigenous communities cannot be overstated with around one in 10 adults living with diabetes,” said NACCHO’s senior medical adviser Dr Jason Agostino. Dr Agostino, who practises as a GP in Yarrabah, far north Queensland, and whose son has type 1 diabetes, said there is a high degree of overlap between diabetes, cardiovascular disease and renal disease, “This leads to early heart attacks, people ending up with kidney failure on dialysis, to blindness and amputations. In Yarrabah I suspect every family has been affected by the loss of someone early to the consequences of diabetes.”

You can view the HealthTimes article AI is revolutionishing diabetes treatment, inquiry told in full here.
DailyDose app being displayed on a smartphone and the related diabetes tools with which it works: a glucose sensor transmitter and a smart insulin pen

DailyDose app being displayed on a smartphone and the related diabetes tools with which it works: a glucose sensor transmitter and a smart insulin pen. Photo: Christine Torres Hicks. Image source: OHSU website.

Restoring Smiles of Yarrabah Shire

Monthly shuttle buses from Yarrabah to the James Cook University (JCU) Dental Clinic started last week as part of a new initiative bringing free dental care to the community after claims that only 100 of the 4,000 residents have seen a dentist all year. JCU’s initiative ‘Restoring the Smiles of Yarrabah Shire’ will provide free basic treatments for all Queensland Government issued concession card holders in Yarrabah, running monthly shuttle buses until May 2024.

JCU’s Professor John Abbott is leading the project and said JCU Dentistry staff and students visited Yarrabah for three days in early September to run education workshops, promote health and provide free dental examinations. “Senior dentistry students will be providing a range of dental treatments, under the supervision of experienced clinicians,” Professor Abbott said. He said the project has been made possible by grants from the Australian Dental Health Foundation and the Mars Wrigley Foundation and is being run in partnership with the Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation.

“The oral health Queensland Government statistics show that only 100 members of the community have received treatment since January at the Yarrabah clinic, with another 100 persons on a waiting list for non-urgent treatments,” Professor Abbott said. “Delayed treatments have caused this already undeserved ‘at-risk’ community to have poorer health outcomes, increased incidence of dental cavities, tooth loss or hospitalisations.

The above story is an extract from an article JCU will start free monthly shuttle buses from Yarrabah to offer basic dental care published in the Herald Sun earlier today.

Kayleen Jackson from Yarrabah being attended by 4th year dentistry student Olivia Gables at JCU Dental Clinic

Kayleen Jackson from Yarrabah being attended by 4th year dentistry student Olivia Gables at the JCU Dental Clinic. Image source: Herald Sun.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Dementia Action Week – 18–24 September 2023

Dementia Action Week is a major leadership, awareness and advocacy campaign led by Dementia Australia as the peak body for people living with dementia, their families and carers. Dementia Action Week 2023 is from 18–24 September, which includes World Alzheimer’s Day on Thursday 21 September.

Around two-thirds of people with dementia live in the community. A lack of knowledge and understanding of dementia may lead to people living with dementia experiencing stigma and discrimination in the community.

Dementia Australia research shows 81% of those with a loved one living with dementia felt that people in shops, cafes and restaurants treated people with dementia differently. That’s why this Dementia Action Week, Dementia Australia is encouraging everyone to take a few simple actions to create a dementia-friendly future for all Australians, a future that is better for everyone in the community.

You can find out more information about Dementia Action Week 2023 on the Dementia Australia website here. You can also watch the below video You’re Not Alone: Discussing Dementia – it is one of a series of videos and other resources, available here, developed by Dementia Australia for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Aug 18 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Local solutions vital for sustainable healthcare

feature tile image pilbara landscape in heatwave; text 'Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service co-designs culturally appropriate heatwave adaption resources'

The image in the feature tile is of the Pilbara region of WA from the article WA’s Pilbara hits 45C as large swathes of Australia swelter in heatwave published in The Guardian on 17 February 2023. Photo: John White, Getty Images.

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.

Local solutions vital for sustainable healthcare

Amid growing global concerns about the impacts of heatwaves upon health and health services, a regional ACCHO in WA is taking steps to adapt to the changing environment. The Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service (KAMS), which represents eight independent member ACCHOs from towns and remote communities across the Kimberley region, is co-designing culturally appropriate heatwave adaptation resources for the region.

Community consultations as part of the KAMS Climate Health Adaptation Project found that heatwaves are a priority issue in the Kimberley region, according to Dr Sophie Moustaka, public health registrar and project officer employed by KAMS for its Climate Health Adaptation Planning project, “We identified that there was an awareness that it is getting hotter, there is an increased intensity of heatwaves, and also less relief between the heatwaves.”.

How health services are addressing climate mitigation and adaptation will be profiled at the Greening the Healthcare Sector Forum next month on 14-15 September, in-person at the Fiona Stanley Hospital, and online, with the aim of providing “opportunities for connection, knowledge sharing, learning and upskilling for all attendees”. Following its theme, “empowering action for sustainable, climate resilient healthcare,” the forum will focus on ‘how’ to empower action and include sessions on Caring for Country, strategy and systems, engagement, leadership and sustainability in practice.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Cultural context, empowered staff and local solutions are vital for sustainable healthcare in full click here.

exterior of KAMS, WA

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services.

Voice necessary to close the gap

As co-chairs of the National Close the Gap Campaign Karl Briscoe and June Oscar AO say they are privileged to represent 52 First Nations and mainstream organisations, who – since 2006 – have come together as allies to create a national movement committed to ensuring health equity and equality and improved life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Since 2006, this Campaign has advocated for large-scale systemic reform and a paradigm shift in policy design and delivery to truly empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And since the inception of the Uluru Statement from the Heart the Campaign has supported the full implementation of its three components – Voice. Treaty. Truth.

If successful, the Voice, through constitutional recognition, will allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elected representatives to make representations to the Executive and to Parliament. The Executive can choose to incorporate these representations when creating legislation, policy, or program design. Equally, they can choose not to. But key to this structural reform is that it provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with a constitutionally enshrined voice, a permanent seat at the table, and a genuine opportunity to provide advice on matters that directly affect our lives. The intention of the Voice is to change old practices by governments and their agencies. We cannot keep doing more of the same. Large-scale structural reform is necessary if we ever hope to close the gap.

In truth, across the political and policy spectrum there is a tendency to attribute the lack of progress or success of the Closing the Gap Strategy as the individual failures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. But it is in fact systemic political, institutional and policy failures. It is the continual development of poor policies, pursued and implemented by successive Governments, that consistently fail Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. This has real and often detrimental consequences. It is felt in our lived experiences, it is visible in our exclusion, and it is crippling this nation’s ability to pursue justice, equity, and equality for all. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities know when policy is harmful instead of helpful, and we know what our own communities need to thrive.

To view the Law Society Journal article The Voice is necessary if we want to close the gap in full click here.

portrait shots of Closing the Gap co-chairs Karl Briscoe & June Oscar

Closing the Gap co-hairs Karl Briscoe (image source: Law Society of NSW Journal) and June Oscar (Image source: IndigenousX website).

Mob must be central to LGBTQIA+ plans and policy

Yesterday Dameyon Bonson was a guest on the podcast Joy 94.9 Radio Drive with Warren, discussing why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must be central to LGBTQIA+ plans and policies. Dameyon has extensive experience working in and with remote Indigenous communities in suicide prevention and is the founder of Black Rainbow, Australia’s first and only national Indigenous LGBTIQA suicide prevention charity organisation.

Mr Bonson hopes data that has come out of the recent Walkern Katatdjin: Rainbow Knowledge survey will mobilise work that should have been happening decades ago. He explained that until now there has been no data, and when there is no data there is no policy and when there is no policy there is no funding. To date, Mr Bonson said, there has been no formal recognition of First Nations LGBTQIA+ people in any policy across the country, particularly at a Commonwealth level, that one we exist as a population group but also our needs, because as the report stresses the issue is not just about suicidality it is also around mental ill health, homelessness, and drug and alcohol usage. Mr Bonson wants investment in First Nations LGBTQIA+ led work in this space.

To listen to the Joy Drive 94.9 Radio Drive with Warren podcast episode Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must be central to LGBTQIA+ plans and policies click here. You can also read an ABC News article Walkern Katatdjin: Rainbow Knowledge survey shines spotlight on mental health issues faced by Indigenous LGBTIQA+ youth about the report referred to in the podcast here.

banner JOY 94.9 Radio DRIVE with Warren & image of Dameyon Bonson

Banner from Joy Media website. Dameyon Bonson is the founder of Australia’s first Indigenous LGBTI support group. Photo: Anthony Pancia, ABC South West.

Lowitja Institute on health and climate strategy

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and research sectors must be resourced appropriately to respond to climate change, according to the Lowitja Institute’s submission to the National Health and Climate Strategy consultation. The Lowitja Institute said their submission to the National Health and Climate Strategy consultation could be summarised under the following nine themes.

  • strengths-based
  • governance matters
  • resource services
  • emissions reduction
  • building the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mitigation and adaptation workforce
  • dedicated research funding
  • human rights and climate justice
  • terminology matters
  • acknowledgements

You can access the National Health and Climate Strategy consultation paper here and read the Croakey Health Media article Nine key messages for the National Health and Climate Strategy: Lowitja Institute in full click here.

cover of Aust Govt Dept Hlth & Aged Care National Health & Climate Strategy Consultation Paper

Understanding the toll of everyday racism

Everyday racism is a familiar experience for many Indigenous people in Australia. Its impact on wellbeing has been understood anecdotally, but a long-term study has recently been able to demonstrate this with data. In an epsiode of BLA.C.K Medicine, Dr Mikayala Couch chatted with Kirsty Nichols about Mayi Kuwayu, a ground-breaking research project tracking Indigenous health over time. The Mayi Kuwayu Study is a large-scale project tracking 12,000 participants over time, providing data for Indigenous-led research projects.

One project that developed from the study was to determine how much psychological distress is caused by everyday racism. Two thirds of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult population have experienced the eight types of everyday discrimination included in the study. Examples of everyday racism include being treated with less respect than other people or being given worse service. People reported being insulted or yelled at, being treated as stupid, or dangerous, or followed around in shops. The study demonstrated that for those with high or very high psychological stress, up to half of it was caused by everyday racism. If we eliminated everyday racial discrimination, we could hypothetically half the gap in the prevalence of high to very high psychological distress.

The study aims to provide data for research that can address Indigenous health from an Indigenous perspective. People can apply to access data from the study to develop research projects that align with Indigenous needs. These strategies need to be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identified and led. We can no longer afford for anything we do to improve health to be implemented through the white lens. And also, the white savior complex that these western institutional changes are born out of needs to stop.

You can listen to the SBS BLA.C.K Medicine podcast episode Understanding the toll of everyday racism here.
banner for BLA.C.K. Medicine podcast episode Understanding the toll of everyday racism & image of ATSI woman Kirsty Nichols

Kirsty Nichols (pictured left) is a Muran and Kungarakun woman who works in health service policy, public health, system planning and delivery. Image source: SBS.

Too Deadly for Diabetes funding boost

A successful program supporting people living with Type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal communities will benefit from a funding boost so that more people will be able to access the service. NSW Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park has pledged $40,000 to Too Deadly for Diabetes to work with the Walhallow Aboriginal Health Corporation to expand its community-based lifestyle programs. Too Deadly for Diabetes is a research-based lifestyle program developed by Gomeroi man Ray Kelly, and is run primarily through local Aboriginal Medical Services.

“I was so impressed to see this initiative in action through the Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service and the incredibly positive impact it’s having on the local community,” Mr Park said. “We know that communities are achieving great health results, and with the right support they can accomplish even more. I’m pleased to be able to help this program expand into other communities where it can make a big difference. This funding will allow Too Deadly for Diabetes to expand into more regional communities, including Quirindi, Caroona, and for the first time Werris Creek.”

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, David Harris, welcomed the funding that would improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people, particularly in rural and regional areas. “The further you get from major centres in NSW, the worse your health outcomes are. This is particularly the case for chronic disease in our Aboriginal communities,” Mr Harris said. “This funding boost shows our commitment to closing the gap in health outcomes.”

To view the NSW Health media release Too Deadly for Diabetes given funding boost in full click here. You can also find more information about the Too Deadly for Diabetes program, including videos like the one below on the Too Deadly for Diabetes website here.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Aug 16 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: VACCHO CEO recognised with university’s highest honour

The image in the feature tile is of VACCHO CEO, Jill Gallagher AO.

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.

VACCHO CEO recognised with university’s highest honour

Gunditjmara woman and VACCHO CEO, Jill Gallagher AO has been conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Melbourne. Ms Gallagher has been VACCHO’s CEO since 2003 and has been influential in raising awareness of health issues and improving access to dedicated services, including the establishment of the Koori Maternity Service and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council.

As well as being an advocate for self-determination outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Ms Gallagher has led consultations with community for the development of the first piece of Treaty Legislation in Australia, now an Act of the Victorian Parliament. She was honoured alongside disability advocate, Keran Howe OAM and marine science and conservation expert, Professor Emma Johnston AM.

University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell congratulated the three recipients of the University’s highest honour.

“Honorary doctorates recognise the outstanding contributions and distinguished community service of people like Ms Gallagher, Ms Howe and Professor Johnston.

“In different ways, they have made major and lasting impressions on society, and it is very fitting that the University recognises them in this way,” Professor Maskell said.

Read more here.

Jill Gallagher AO, Keran Howe OAM, Professor Emma Johnston AM. Image source: The University of Melbourne.

Health Minister visits AHCSA

On Tuesday 15 August, Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler visited the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA). The minister spoke about the influence the Voice to Parliament would have on closing the health gap; He said health is a key policy area where the Voice would deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“…for years and years now, the community, the Parliament, health ministers of both political persuasions, have been confronted time and time again, the appalling statistics of the yawning hap in health outcomes and life expectancy between First Nations Australians and non-Indigenous Australians.

“The truth is, we need a new approach, and the Voice allows us to turn a new page as a government and as a parliament in listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about solutions that will actually shift the dial,” said Minister Butler.

AHCSA and the health minister also discussed the challenge of vaping for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The health minister said it is a challenge right across the country, however, community-controlled health organisations are in discussions with government on how to best address adolescent vaping.

“There’s a program delivered out of this building by AHCSA as well, but it is now having to come to grips with the very new recent challenges of vaping. We’ve been talking about how best to do that,” said Minister Butler.  

Read the full doorstop transcript here.

AHCSA staff member. Image source: AHCSA Facebook.

CAHS celebrates 15 years

Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service (CAHS) celebrated 15 years of operation on Friday 11 August. More than 200 community members, as well as special guest speakers including Stan Grant came together at the Coonamble Bowling Club to mark the milestone. In a “strong” and “emotional” speech, Stan Grant paid tribute to the Elders and the founding members of the ACCHO for their dedication to improving health outcomes for Coonamble and the wider community.

CAHS CEO, Phil Naden said a highlight of the celebration was sitting down and yarning with mob and hearing about the legacy of such a wonderful organisation.

“I’m privileged to be the CEO of this wonderful organisation and I’m also privileged to know so many beautiful people,” he said.

Read more here.

Image source: Coonamble Aboriginal Health Service Facebook.

Combining curriculum with culture

A new way of learning which combines curriculum with culture is seeing high-school students once at risk of dropping out now excelling. The Wiradjuri-made school program Ngurang-gu Yalbilinya (NgY) is helping schoolboys connect to their identity and increasing school engagement by intertwining curriculum with cultural lessons. In the classroom they are taught the usual school subjects like maths and English, while also learning Wiradjuri language, traditional wood carving, ceremonial song and dance, and painting.

14-year-old student, Steven said before the program he struggled in school, “I was getting in a lot of fights and sometimes I would get a suspension warning or two. I’d be wagging.

“The teachers here really helped me… through the tough times,” he said.

Since the program began more than two years ago, attendance rates have almost doubled from 44% to 94%. Teacher Tim Bennett, said a key to its success is the wrap-around support students can access, which goes beyond the classroom. Teachers work closely with local ACCOs to ensure the students and their families receive the support they need, that includes the Orange Aboriginal Medical Centre providing regular health checks and encouraging healthy eating.

“It’s not just an academic need, if the child or the family suffered trauma that could also affect the student engaging in mainstream classes. So, we have to address that as well,” said Mr Bennett.

Read the full NITV article here.

Students of the Ngurang-gu Yalbilinya education program. Image source: NITV.

Input on National Housing and Homelessness Plan

The Federal Government has begun consultations for the new National Housing and Homelessness Plan. Community organisations are among those Housing and Homelessness Minister, Julie Collins wants to hear from for input on the national plan’s issue paper. Croakey Health Media said given the critical connection between housing and health, health organisations should be encouraged to submit their feedback.

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association recently said, “having access to safe and affordable housing is a key social determinant of health, with many Australians currently facing poorer health outcomes as a consequence of the standard of their living conditions.”

Homelessness Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies are calling for a separate and self-determined First Nations National Housing and Homelessness Plan, to address the unique issues relating to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in homelessness.

Public consultations on the plan will be conducted via face-to-face community events in each State and Territory from Monday 28 August and submissions close Friday 22 September.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article Federal Government seeks input on long-awaited National Housing and Homelessness Plan here.

“It’s important to count the milestones”

Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Richard Weston says we are seeing improvements in areas of the health of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Broken Hill region. In the interview with 2WEB – Outback Radio Mr Weston said while the region is a long way behind the rest of the state and the country and there’s “a lot more work to be done,” it’s important to count the milestones.

Mr Weston said they have seen some improvements in early childhood health and development, “which is really important for those future generations.”

“We [also] have very good programs for supporting people with chronic diseases… and also for preventing and intervening early in chronic diseases,” Mr Weston said.

Listen to the full radio interview here.

Image source: Intereach.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Aug 9 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Safe water for remote NT mob finally possible

feature tile, Yuedumu outdoor tap in poor condition; text 'Funding may finally give Yuendemu and Milingimbi communities access to clean, reliable water'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Yuendumu in Central Australia at ‘severe risk’ of running out of water published by ABC News on 13 August 2019. Photo: Katrina Beavan, ABC News.

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.

Safe water for remote NT mob finally possible

Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Taya Plibersek MP along with her NT counterpart have announced that the Federal and NT Labor Governments are investing in two projects to give First Nations communities access to clean, reliable water. “Most Australians would be shocked to learn that tens of thousands of First Nations people in remote communities still don’t have access to healthy drinking water. It harms people economically, because towns and families can’t get ahead if they can’t rely on the basics of life, and culturally it causes harm for people to see their river and waterways run dry.

“That is why the Federal Government is investing $17.5m with $9.1m from the NT in two new projects to start to fix this problem as part of the Albanese Government’s $150m fund to close the gap on First Nations water security. In Yuendemu we’re together investing $15.3m for three critical construction projects in the Central Desert community. The project includes a water service line replacement, equipping of two existing bores and a rising main replacement which will prevent leakage and provide increased water transfer capacity that can support new housing development. In Milingimbi we’re together investing $11.4m for three critical construction projects to improve access and reliability of water supply in the East Arnhem Land. Across three locations, the project includes upgrading and new bores which will improve access and reliability of Milingimbi’s water supply, unlock the opportunity for new housing development to reduce overcrowding and enable community development.

“Construction will commence in the 2023 NT dry season and will be delivered closely with the Yuendumu and Milingimbi communities to ensure their views and priorities for their own communities are heard. But these two projects are just the start. The Albanese Labor Government is investing $150m in projects like this right around Australia – to make sure communities have access to clean water. These are the first construction activities under this fund, and a clear demonstration of this government‘s efforts to Close the Gap on essential services and water infrastructure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”

To view the joint media release Delivering water to remote Northern Territory First Nations communities by the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP and the NT Minister for Environment, Climate change and Water Security, the Hon Lauren Moss MLA in full click here. You can also access a related ABC News article NT government’s first water plan to focus on safe drinking water for remote communities here.

4 Aboriginal women from Laramba community NT holding a glass of water

In April the Laramba community celebrated the opening of a water treatment plant for the town, after years of lobbying. Photo: Charmayne Allison, ABC Alice Springs.

SEWB gathering focused on Culture First

Participants at last week’s fourth Social and Emotional Wellbeing Gathering (SEWB 4) in Larrakia Country (Darwin), focused on the importance of ‘Culture First’ and particularly its importance to healing. Speakers included Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney and some of Australia’s leading human rights advocates such as Professor Tom Calma and Thomas Mayo. The University of WA’s Professor Helen Milroy, psychiatrist, and Professor Pat Dudgeon, psychologist, were also key speakers. In her opening address, Minister Burney stressed the historic and important opportunities for shared decision making, and for establishing a voice and meaningful representation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Participants from government, non-government organisations, academia, and consumer advocates shared their perspectives on culture and what it meant to them, including tradition, ancestors, language, dance, food and connection to Country.

Feedback also mentioned that culture was diverse and that while cultural problems required cultural solutions, there was no ‘one size fits all’. “Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing are often not recognised, and for First Nations workers lived experience and deep cultural and community knowledge are marginalised,” one respondent said. Participants shared that formal qualifications weren’t the only things that counted towards best practice in supporting communities, and that across organisations, culture needed to be a foundation that created culturally safe and responsive workplaces and practices.

Collectively, the long-term benefits of a successful referendum of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament were seen as moving towards closing the gap and better outcomes for First Nations people and communities; an opportunity to be recognised, to have a say, and to be heard. It would also lead to accountability of governments and better, more informed decision making but most importantly it would enable healing for elders, and for the younger generation to be empowered to lead the way forward. The event was co-hosted by Transforming Indigenous Mental Health & Wellbeing, The University of WA, NACCHO, Gayaa Dhuwi, and The Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA).

To view the University of WA article Social and Emotional Wellbeing gathering focused on Culture First in full click here.

Uni WA Professor Pat Dugeon keynote speaker SEWB Gathering 4 - 31.7.23

UWA’s Professor Pat Dugeon was a keynote speaker at the SEWB Gathering #4. Image source: UWA website.

Strengthening communities for future generations

Community organisations in remote Indigenous communities have a vital role in addressing the cultural determinants of health, as well as housing insecurity and other social determinants of health. Community, culture, research and family are core to the work of Yalu Aboriginal Corporation – a grassroots Yolngu organisation in the community of Galiwin’ku on Elcho Island in East Arnhem Land. Helen Westbury, the Executive Manager of Yalu and a Palawa woman said “the child is at the centre of everything they [Yalu Aboriginal Corporation] do – ‘Yalu means nurturing’.”

This is evident in Yalu’s work with families who are at risk, supporting them into a better position so children can remain in community and with their families. Community organisations like Yalu offer much more than just service delivery – they are trusted, holistic and empowering in addressing social determinants of health, including housing insecurity and homelessness. Yalu “has become a centre point for a lot of family members and community members, where they come to us for all sorts of support, not only for the programs that we are funded to deliver, but also many other things,” CEO Anahita Tonkin said.

On 2021 Census night, NT had the highest rate of homelessness in Australia – twelve times the national average. Reasons for the high rates of housing insecurity and homelessness in the NT are complex and longstanding. Skye Thompson, CEO of Aboriginal Housing Northern Territory (AHNT) says that many of the issues AHNT deal with are results of the NT Intervention that disempowered local organisations and people, and their capacity. Tonkin and Westbury say “homelessness in remote communities is different to what you see in other communities and cities – it is not just sleeping rough, but also homelessness due to living in severely crowded houses. 15–20 people may live in a three-bedroom house with one bathroom.” Public housing stock has also become substantially less available in recent years. Up to 5,800 families in the NT are on the waitlist for public housing. “We absolutely have a crisis in the NT,” says Peter McMillan, CEO of NT Shelter.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Nurturing and strengthening communities for future generations in full click here.

Yalu Aboriginal Corporation team, Yolngu organisation, Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island in East Arnhem Land

Yalu Aboriginal Corporation team. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Remarkable COVID-19 outcome for remote population

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) recently released a report Communicable Diseases Intelligence A low burden of severe illness: the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak in the remote Torres and Cape region of Far North Queensland. The report says the COVID-19 Omicron outbreak in the Torres and Cape region resulted in a far lower burden of severe illness than originally anticipated, with the overall and First Nations case fatality and ICU admission rates similar to those reported nationally for the Omicron wave and that this was a remarkable outcome for a remote population with limited access to health services and at increased risk of severe disease. Local councils worked closely with Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) during both the preparation and responses stages of the outbreak, and the COVID-19 outreach vaccination program was strongly supported by community leaders.

While vaccination coverage rates were somewhat lower than those reported across the general Australian population, the outreach vaccination program led to similar double dose vaccination rates among First Nations and non-Indigenous residents at the start of the outbreak and the rate among First Nations residents exceeded that of non-Indigenous residents by the end of the outbreak period. This reflected local leadership in advocating for vaccination and ongoing community engagement across remote communities prior to and throughout the outbreak period and contrasted other parts of Australia where vaccination rates among First Nations people were lower than those of non-Indigenous people.

The Torres and Cape region’s experience aligns with reports from parts of Australia early in the pandemic, where both low case numbers and low rates of severe illness among First Nations people were attributed to outstanding Indigenous leadership. In addition to Omicron variant’s milder phenotype and vaccination coverage, we also credit the low burden of severe illness in the TCHHS region to community leadership in promoting vaccination, to councils’ facilitation of localised outbreak messaging, to community engagement in testing and isolation, to the establishment of a local public health team and to widespread participation in a culturally considered care-in-the-home program. The report concludes that the low burden of severe illness can be attributed to local community leadership, community engagement, vaccination coverage and recency, and community participation in a local culturally considered COVID-19 care-in-the-home program.

To view the DHAC’s report in full click here.

Floralita Billy-Whap, Poruma Is, Torres Strait, gets COVID-19 vax

Floralita Billy-Whap gets vaccinated on the island of Poruma in the Torres Strait. Photo supplied by: Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service. Image source: ABC News.

Lack of access exacerbates youth mental health

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15–44, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reported in 2022, with an alarming rate in Indigenous communities. Australia Bureau of Statistics data show Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are twice as likely to die by suicide than non-Indigenous individuals. Zero2Hero projects manager Gemma West said “We’ve found this crisis is particularly evident while we’ve been on the road in remote areas of WA, where we have observed complex and intergenerational challenges concerning youth mental health. Historical events have inflicted grief and trauma on Indigenous communities, disrupting the transmission of cultural knowledge, stories and identity to young people.”

The high rate of hospitalisations for suicide and self-harm underscores the lack of sustainable mental health resources available for young people in these regions of WA. According to Ms West “The absence of proper mental health education in regional areas leaves vulnerable young minds ill-equipped to understand and cope with emotional struggles. Without essential mental health education and support, their resilience remains low, perpetuating the critical issue of youth suicide. The remoteness of communities in the North West exacerbates the problem by limiting access to critical support services. Addressing this crisis demands a collaborative effort to provide support, education, and proper infrastructure for youth mental health in remote Indigenous regions, offering a lifeline to those struggling and reducing the prevalence of youth suicide.”

Ms West said “Zero2Hero’s goal is to provide every young West Australian with access to good mental health education through school programs, regardless of their location or remoteness. In 2022, zero2hero reached more than 28,000 young people living in the Goldfields, Wheatbelt, Pilbara, Kimberley, South West, Great Southern, Mid West, Gascoyne, and metro regions. Those with capacity in metro areas need to step up and start having more of an on-the-ground footprint in remote areas. Handing out flyers and expecting a young person to be able to navigate everything on their own isn’t enough. There needs to be more in-person work being done.”

To view the Business News article Lack of access exacerbates Indigenous youth mental health in full click here.

2 male teenagers, one ATSI, Zero2Hero Camp Hero participants

Participants of the Camp Hero Youth program run by Zero2Hero. Image source: Zero2Hero 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.

Key Date – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – 9 August 2023

On 23 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples would be observed on 9 August every year. The date marks the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations. This year’s theme is: Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination.

The right of peoples to self-determination occupies an important place in international human rights law, and is recognised as a fundamental right in major human rights instruments (covenants), including the United Nations Charter. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) states that Indigenous Peoples have the right to self-determination (Art. 3) and in exercising this right, they have the right to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Self-determination is fundamental and must be taken together with Articles 1 and 2 of the UN Declaration because Indigenous Peoples are subject to international human rights law and as Peoples are equal to all other Peoples. These three articles of the UN Declaration confirm that Indigenous Peoples, including children and youth, have the right to make their own decisions and carry them out meaningfully and culturally appropriate to them. In other words, Indigenous Peoples have an equal right to govern themselves, equal to all other Peoples. Indigenous youth are playing an active role in exercising their right to self-determination, as their future depends on the decisions that are made today. For instance, Indigenous youth are working as agents of change at the forefront of some of the most pressing crises facing humanity today.

Since colonisation, Indigenous youth have been faced with ever-changing environments not only culturally in modern societies, but in the traditional context as well. While living in two worlds is becoming harder as the world changes, Indigenous youth are harnessing cutting-edge technologies and developing new skills to offer solutions and contribute to a more sustainable, peaceful future for our people and planet. Their representation and participation in global efforts towards climate change mitigation, peacebuilding and digital cooperation are crucial for the effective implementation of the right of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination, and to their enjoyment of collective and individual human rights, the promotion of peaceful co-existence, and ensuring equality of all.

For more information about International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples you can visit the United Nations website here.

Aug 8 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: World Congress on RHD

 

The image in the feature tile is from the Echo in ACCHOs Program workshop in June 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.

World Congress on RHD

Yesterday, 7 August, on the National Day of Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners, NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey addressed the Acute Rhematic Fever (ARF) and Rhematic Heart Disease (RHD) research community ahead of the World Congress on Rheumatic Heart Disease. In her remarks, she reminded the research community that investing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and practitioners, is an essential part of the community-controlled sector’s response to ARF and RHD.

“We have stellar Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners leading the discussion, sharing solutions, and identifying common issues.

“This community of practice is a joy to watch,” said Dr Casey.

Read the full keynote address to the Australian pre-World Congress on RHD meeting here.

Dr Dawn Casey Speaking at the Australian pre-meeting for the World Congress on RHD.

Lorraine Anderson Speaking at the Australian pre-meeting for the World Congress on RHD

Why the Voice is a health issue

NACCHOs response to the pandemic has been recognised as an “extraordinary success story.” In the ABC Health Report, University of Western Australia’s Professor Fiona Stanley said it’s an example of what happens when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a voice.

“The Aboriginal Network of Health and other services worked across Australia to prevent the pandemic from having such a devastating effect on Aboriginal people as it did on other First Nations people everywhere else,” said Stanley.

“… All they need is to have that voice,” she said.

CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Donna Ah Chee said the need for the Voice is about establishing genuine, substantive, and continued representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the policy-making process.

“We know…from our own experience that if you give us a voice, we will make a positive change,” she said.

On the NT Aboriginal Health Forum Mrs Chee said, “It really laid the groundwork for many of our health improvements in the Northern Territory that we’ve seen since.

“We’ve seen in the Northern Territory life expectancy for Aboriginal men improved by 9 years from 1999 to 2018,” she said.

Listen to the ABC Health Report here.

Homes for the future

Local communities, doctors, architects, and tradespeople have teamed up to address the remote housing crisis in the NT. The project, titled Wilya Janta, translates to standing strong, and aims to create culturally safe and climate-appropriate housing for remote Aboriginal communities. Residents in remote public housing currently access electricity through a prepaid system which means power is automatically disconnected when credit runs out. Hoping to change that, Warumunga Elder Norman Frank Jupurrurla and NT doctor Simon Quilty first envisioned Wilya Janta more than three years ago.

“We’ve been talking about better houses for my people for a long time now.

“Houses that are made better for my climate, for my culture, and for my children,” Mr Jupurrurla said.

Wilya Janta designs include solar panels and improved insulation, with a desire to create housing that will not only accommodate the extremes of climate change but help reduce costs for residents.

The project is already taking shape with the process of securing land tenure and housing design currently under way. The next step is to secure funding.

Read more here.

Government house accommodating 13 residents. Photo source: Wilya Janta.

Understanding Dementia

A new study will use yarning circles to examine the direct impact and awareness of dementia, sources of strength, and barriers to care from the perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in urban and remote communities. The PhD research Community, Country, and Cognition: A multi-jurisdictional assessment of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by Monash University’s Dr Antonia Clarke aims to enhance culturally safe clinical practice, education, and community-led dementia care.

“As a researcher, my goal is to contribute to our understanding of the early identification of factors that promote healthy brain ageing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the development of culturally responsive and community-led prevention and risk reduction programs,” Dr Clarke said.

Read more here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners

Yesterday, on the National Day of Recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners, ACCHOs took to social media to acknowledge the dedication of their staff to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

SWAMS Senior Aboriginal Health Professional, Salena Linforth-Milham reflected on her 16-year journey with the ACCHO, “I have been a receptionist, Health Information Officer and now a Registered Nurse. My passion has always been to help my people and my community our way,” she said.

In 2021, Ms Linforth-Milham became involved in an Aboriginal Brain Study, led by SWAMS and Derbarl Yerrigan. The study has been testing whether we can improve brain health by improving heart health.

“We hope the study findings will help us develop effective programs that can reduce rates of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” she said.

SWAMS Senior Aboriginal Health Professional Salena Linforth-Milham. Image source: SWAMS Facebook.

NACCHO would like to thank all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and health practitioners for the wonderful work you do. Below are social media posts from ACCHOs to celebrate the day.

 

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 18 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: QLD ACCHOs to see infrastructure improvements

The image in the feature tile is from Mamu Health Services website.

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

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

QLD ACCHOs to see infrastructure improvements

Wuchopperen Health Service, which provides social and emotional wellbeing support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will receive infrastructure upgrades as part of a nationwide $120m investment announced in December 2022, towards bettering infrastructure and facilities across the ACCHO sector. The ACCHO will use the $1.5m grant for “badly needed” upgrades to its air-conditioning and ventilation systems.

Wuchopperen Health Service chair and NACCHO chair, Donnella Mills acknowledged the mental health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and praised the funding allocation, “Being the year of the referendum, allocation will go across ACCHOs to make sure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are feeling additional pressures [and] trauma, during what is a very big year for us and our community, can receive that additional support locally,” she said.

Mamu Health Service is another QLD ACCHO receiving the infrastructure grant, which will see a new primary care clinic in Innisfail, with an expansion of capacity to deliver GP clinics, consultation, waiting rooms, and staff spaces.

The above was taken from an article Townsville Bulletin article Infrastructure upgrades and a brand new clinic as part of funding towards First Nations healthcare published in the Townsville Bulletin yesterday, Monday 17 July 2023.

Wuchopperan Health Service Executive Director of Primary Health Care Ben Jesser, CEO Dania Ahwang, Chair Donnella Mills. Image by: Brendan Radke. Image source: Townsville Bulletin.

Benefits of genomics medicine

A new national network designed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will bring the benefits of genomics medicine to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with an aim to improve life expectancy which is currently 10 years less than the general population. Lead of The Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN), Professor Alex Brown says “80% of this life expectancy gap is due to chronic diseases.”

“Australia is on the cusp of a new era in personalised medicine that will bring deeper insights into common diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer,” he says.

In a nation-wide effort, a team from Telethon Kids Institute Adelaide will oversee the scientific and operational coordination of the alliance teams. Canberra researchers will lead a team to identify and understand the genomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to better deliver precision health care to them, and NSW researchers will use genomic medicine to identify new and personalised treatments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Charles Perkins Centre Academic Director, NSW Professor Stephen Simpson said, “delivering precision medicine solutions tailored to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities required working with communities to integrate new understanding from genomics with the many other health, social, cultural and environmental factors that contribute to health and wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, a Brisbane team will explore health service and system needs that support genomic medicine to determine which treatments are best suited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, a Victorian team of scientists will use genomic medicine to better understand and treat immune-related disorders, and a Perth team will use advances in genomic medicine to continue and strengthen their work to unlock better health outcomes for those suffering from rare diseases.

Read more here.

Professor Alex Brown. Image Source: Australian National University.

“Easy Read” National Anti-Racism Framework

The Australian Human Rights Commission has released additional “easy read” community guides to better support understanding of the National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report 2022. The framework follows long-standing calls for action to address systemic racism in Australia. The community guide outlines the principles, themes identified in the initial scoping phase, and information on several support services and reporting tools available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other negatively racialised communities across the country.

The new Easy Read Guide includes a series of graphics and simplified text which summarises the key messages in the framework. This includes, why the framework was created, what would the framework do, what has been done so far, what was said by the community, key principles, themes, and what’s next. The latest version also includes translations of seven languages: Arabic, Burmese, Farsi, Samoan, Simplified Chinese, Swahili, and Vietnamese.

The easy read version of the community guide is available here. There is also an amplification kit, including a suite of digital and social media content for organisations that wish to raise awareness, available here.

Amplification kit social media tile.

Walgett homelessness tops state

New Homelessness NSW data has revealed Walgett has the worst rates of homelessness in the state. Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (WAMS) CEO Christine Corby said the ACCHO was fighting a losing battle to care for the community’s health amid the high rates of homelessness, and all levels of government need to step up to tackle the housing shortage.

“Homelessness brings despair… If we don’t fix the cause of this despair then we are contributing to the greater mental health issues for our community requiring holistic care responses from WAMS and the community sector that we are barley resourced to provide,” said Ms Corby.

It comes as the town’s only men’s shelter was demolished more than a year ago to make way for domestic violence units. NSW Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson said the government planned to move the men’s shelter to the current women’s shelter on completion of the new build, however, construction has been halted due to market supply issues and “significant price increases in the construction industry.”

The Dharriwaa Elders Group is backing the push for more joint government investment in Walgett housing. Community trouble-shooter Kim Sullivan said there were 22 clients with complex needs who had been homeless for many years or housed temporarily in motels.

“I work with the homeless of Walgett every day and I find it hard to understand why Australian governments have ignored their need for safe places to stay,” she said.

Read the full ABC article Walgett Aboriginal Elders demand housing help 18 months after men’s homeless shelter demolished here.

Christine Corby. Photo: Kenji Sato. Image Source: ABC News.

The Voice pamphlets published and soon to land in letterboxes

The Yes and No camps in the Voice to Parliament referendum have signed off on their official pamphlets, and every household will get one as well as the referendum question itself: A proposed law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this alteration?

It will also include further information on the vote. However, the pamphlets sent out are not fact-checked and Australians are warned to look out for misinformation. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) says its role is purely as a “post-box” and it will distribute each pamphlet exactly as they’re submitted. Australians are encouraged to use the ‘Stop and Consider’ fact sheet as a guide.

The AEC published both pamphlets online on Tuesday morning before more than 12 million physical pamphlets are printed out and mailed. The AEC says that process will begin “in the coming weeks” and it must happen no later than two weeks before the referendum.

Read the full SBS News article here.

Parliament House. Image Source: Unsplash.

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 10 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Environmental Trachoma Health Project helps WA mob

hairdresser with ATSI man happy with his new mullet; text 'Environmental Health Trachoma Project helping remote WA communities with health, housing and haircuts'

The image in the feature tile is of an Irrungadji resident who is very happy with the new mullet hairstyle given to him by Mrs DeBonde. Photo: Amelia Searson, ABC Pilbara. Image source: ABC News article Environmental Health Trachoma Project helping remote WA communities with health, haircuts and housing published on 9 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.

Environmental Trachoma Project helps WA mob

Tyron Colley usually has to travel hundreds of kilometres to get something as basic as a haircut. He lives in the small Aboriginal community of Irrungadji, in WA’s Pilbara region, where the nearest town with a hairdresser is almost 200 kms away. The lack of accessible basic services in remote Australia extends beyond haircuts to more serious issues, with communities like Irrungadji also facing significant housing and health challenges.

Environmental Health Trachoma Project (EHTP) lead Melissa Stoneham said poor hygiene combined with living conditions and overcrowding can lead to bacterial infections like trachoma – an eye disease that can cause blindness. Australia is the only developed country to still have endemic trachoma, and almost all cases are found in remote Aboriginal communities. In an effort to stop the spread, EHTP is working with the state government, Curtin University and other advocacy groups to take health and housing programs to remote WA communities. The team recently visited Irrungadji to assess its housing situation. Dr Stoneham said a major focus for the team was on plumbing and “anything that helps these people living in their homes with the ability to wash their face, hands, body and clothes”.

Dr Stoneham said health should be approached as a “holistic concept”, with mental and physical wellbeing going hand-in-hand. She said when heading out to remote communities, it was important to provide culturally respectful services that helped people feel taken care of. “We have free haircuts, we have de-licing of hair, we have free clothes that we are giving out,” she said. “Interactions have been great, you know, they’ve been getting a new outfit, a new haircut, they’re feeling fresh and good about themselves.”

To read the ABC News story Environmental Health Trachoma Project helping remote WA communities with health, haircuts and housing in full click here.

Dr Melissa Stoneham - Environmental Health Trachoma Project

r Melissa Stoneham says health should be seen as a “holistic” concept. Photo: Amelia Searson, ABC Pilbara. Image source: ABC News.

Meta to crack down on VTP misinformation

Facebook and Instagram want to be “contributing to democracy” and not exacerbating harms surrounding the Indigenous voice referendum, the company’s Australian policy head has said, as the social media giant beefs up protections on misinformation, abuse and mental health before the national vote. Meta, the parent company of the two apps, has announced it will boost funding to factcheckers monitoring misinformation, activate global teams to locate and respond to potential “threats” to the referendum – including coordinated inauthentic behaviour – and form a partnership with ReachOut for mental health support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“We are also coordinating with the government’s election integrity assurance taskforce and security agencies in the lead-up to the referendum,” said Mia Garlick, Meta’s director of public policy for Australia. “We’ve also improved our AI so that we can more effectively detect and block fake accounts, which are often behind this activity. “Meta has been preparing for this year’s voice to parliament referendum for a long time, leaning into expertise from previous elections.”

Meta will tap Australian knowledge to respond to abuse and hate speech. “We have hate speech advisory groups and First Nations advisory groups giving insight and advice on issues they see on the ground,” Ms Garlick said. “Building off our experience with the marriage equality postal survey and elections, unfortunately when a particular group is the focus of debate, vulnerable groups can feel more vulnerable.”

To view The Guardian article Meta vows to crack down on abuse and misinformation surrounding voice to parliament referendum in full click here.

background text Meta & logo, foreground Facebook logo

Groups behind the no campaign against the referendum have already had online posts and ads flagged as ‘false information’ by factcheckers. Photo: NurPhoto/Shutterstock. Image source: The Guardian.

BlaQ CEO on the Voice to Parliament

Shane Sturgiss has been the CEO of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, a national organisation founded to provide visibility to Queer Indigenous peoples and communities, for 18 months. Asked about what inspires him the most about his role, he said, “I think the idea of seeing people’s lives change, knowing that there’s a better tomorrow, knowing that the work that I’m doing will have an impact– will make a difference.”

According to Sturgiss, the aim of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation is to “bring visibility and provide a platform to address the intersectionality of our LGBTIQ+SB Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in order to provide a service where they can identify as their whole authentic self when accessing services.” He added, “To bring a level of comfort, provide safe spaces, and hopefully educate people on how to address intersectionality for our people and provide those safe spaces to create safer communities.”

The biggest challenges facing Queer Indigenous people are disparities in health and education as well as “the lack of awareness and acknowledgement of intersectionality and the idea that we are a homogenous group,” he explained. When it comes to the upcoming Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, Sturgiss stressed the point that, for Queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this will be the “second time in six years that they’ve invited the entire nation to vote on their rights as humans, and as people, and as citizens. Regardless of where your vote lies. This is still something that needs to be done with respect and dignity because it does involve people’s lives and the negative fallout from that can be a loss of life.”

To view the Star Observer article Shane Sturgiss, CEO of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation, On The Indigenous Voice to Parliament in full click here.

BLAQ Aboriginal Corporation logo & large group of people on outdoor concrete steps

Image source: Star Observer.

Health Performance Framework summary report

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework summary report summarises the latest information on how Indigenous Australians are faring, drawing from the Health Performance Framework (HPF) measures.

In 2018, the burden of disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 2.3 times that of non-Indigenous Australians. Among Indigenous Australians, mental and substance use disorders were the leading contributor to disease burden (24%). Measures of health status, determinants of health, and health system performance drawn from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF) show mixed results. It is important to note that measures in the 3 tiers are interconnected, and understanding the reasons for progress (or lack thereof) in the health status and outcomes of Indigenous Australians may often be best understood by examining relevant measures in determinants of health and health system performance.

Analysis by the AIHW of ABS survey data indicates that about 34% of the total health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is due to social determinants, and 19% due to individual health risk factors (e.g. smoking). It is likely that differences in access to affordable and nearby health services explain a significant proportion of the health gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. In many cases, Indigenous Australians have poorer access to health services than non-Indigenous Australians, for a range of reasons including barriers such as availability, cost and a lack of culturally appropriate health services. For Indigenous Australians to have better health outcomes, improvements in the health system are required.

To view the AIHW’s Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework Summary report July 2023 in full click here.

cover of AIHW 'ATSI Health Performance Framework Summary report July 2023'

Best reform for child wellbeing: raising criminal age

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Professor Steve Robson said child incarceration in Australia is a national problem that requires a nationally consistent response. In a submission to an Australian Human Rights Commission investigation into possible reforms to youth justice the AMA has called on Australia’s Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, to show leadership by encouraging state and territory attorneys-general to raise the age  of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14.

Professor Robson said “The medical evidence is clear, jailing harms children mentally and impairs their physical development and the younger the child is at first contact with the legal system, the higher the rate of recidivism. We cannot accept a stepped approach of raising the age to 12 — let’s remember that children this age are still in primary school — 14 is the absolute minimum age that we should set criminal responsibility. Countries comparable to Australia don’t lock their children up. We really should be ashamed to know that right now there will be around 4,500 children as young as 10 under youth justice supervision in Australia. 10-year-olds are in year four and year five at school, they still have baby teeth, some still need booster seats in the car and at school they have to earn a pen license. They should not be in jail, no matter where they live in Australia or whatever their personal circumstances may be.”

The AMA’s submission also highlights the disproportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in detention, making up almost half of all the 10–17 years olds in detention (despite making up only 6% of the population in this age group).

To view the AMA media release Best reform for youth justice and child wellbeing is raising the criminal age across Australia in full click here.

tile text '10 year olds are children, not criminals.' drawing of child in jail cell with head & arms on knees

Image source: UNICEF Australia Tweet 30 November 2017.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – National Diabetes Week – 9–15 July 2023

National Diabetes Week runs from Sunday 9 to Friday 15 July 2023. Diabetes Australia want a future where diabetes can do no harm, but say that to achieve this ambition we must act now to change the trajectory of diabetes in Australia and better support people living with or at risk of diabetes.

The Australian Government recently announced an Inquiry into Diabetes in Australia. It is time to amplify the voice of the diabetes community to ensure this Inquiry focusses on the priorities that will change the numbers, change the future, and change lives.

This National Diabetes Week Diabetes Australia are kick-starting Australia’s biggest conversation about the impact of diabetes in this country – a conversation to drive change, and to create hope for the future. No one understands diabetes more than a person who lives with diabetes. Driving change starts with hearing the views and amplifying the voices of the diabetes community.
For more information about National Diabetes Week 2023 click here.
tile text ' National Diabetes Week 2023 - Join the Conversation - Diabetes Australia'
Jun 30 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Podcast tackles healthcare inequity

feature tile image of physiotherapist Cameron Edwards & text 'The Deadly Physios podcast returns aiming to promote allyship and amplify leading voices in the field'

The image in the feature tile of proud Kamilaroi man and physiotherapist Cameron Edwards is from the Australian Physiotherapy Association webpage Cameron Edwards and the bridge crossing to Reconciliation published on 15 March 2022.

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

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

Podcast tackles healthcare inequity

In an effort to address healthcare inequity, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is launching the third season of The Deadly Physios podcast during the 2023 NAIDOC Week. With the theme ‘For Our Elders’, the podcast aims to promote allyship and amplify leading voices in the field. Hosted by proud Kamilaroi man Cameron Edwards, the podcast features a lineup of esteemed guests, including former Brisbane Broncos rugby league player Nick Kenny, who is now a practice director and physiotherapist with experience in remote Indigenous communities.

The new season of The Deadly Physios podcast offers valuable insights for allied health practitioners to become better allies and improve their interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. Edwards expressed his pride in the quality of conversations featured this season, which provides practical examples of allyship through skill and leadership development exercises, cultural reflection and responsiveness training, and engagement with local Indigenous health services and communities.

According to Mr Edwards, the podcast is relevant for physiotherapists working in various areas, including private practice, community practice, and education and contributes to the ongoing dialogue surrounding allyship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in allied health.

You can view the Inside Ageing article Indigenous podcast tackles healthcare inequity through allyship: The Deadly Physios Season 3 launches during NAIDOC Week in full here and listen to the Season 3 trailer here.

tile text ' The Deadly Physios Podcast Services - Australian Physiotherapy Association'

Image source: Inside Ageing.

Ageing forum: putting Elders at heart of work

In May 2023, the inaugural Ageing at the Centre: Putting Elders and older people at the heart of our work forum brought together Aboriginal Elders, local service providers and other stakeholders to share their knowledge, skills and insights to improve the experience of ageing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Across the country, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations are ageing at a faster rate than the rest of Australia’s population. For Aboriginal people, health includes physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing. Health is also related to each person’s environment and circumstances. As such, key determinants of health and wellbeing in Aboriginal individuals and communities include cultural identity and activities, language, family and kinship, knowledge and beliefs, Country and caring for Country, and access to traditional lands.

There is a clear need for inclusive and culturally appropriate aged care services for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Elders. These services depend on genuine respect of local, cultural, spiritual and community knowledges, and open collaboration with people willing to share their knowledge and expertise.

To view the Australian Ageing Agenda article Update from inaugural ATSI ageing forum in full click here.

Participants at the inaugural Ageing at the Centre forum in Mpartwe (Alice Springs)

Participants at the inaugural Ageing at the Centre forum in Mpartwe (Alice Springs). Image source: Australian Ageing Agenda.

Tackling STIs among mob

Professor James Ward, Director of the University of Queensland Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, Brisbane and his team are attempting to accelerate improvements in health, especially sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other infectious diseases among these populations, the most disadvantaged of all Australians. While acknowledging Australia has made progress in Indigenous health, Ward says the country “hasn’t come anything like as far as it could or should have”

Professor Ward, a Pitjantjatjara and Nukunu man,  says “despite me being as passionate as hell about bringing down STI prevalence in this population, rates have remained stubbornly high over the past 25 years”. He says the Indigenous Australian population is unique in that HIV rates are low among a population where STI rates are extremely high. “This unique situation is partially attributable to limited sexual mixing between remote community residents and the rest of Australia. Despite the success of low HIV rates, there are major challenges still, syphilis notifications are around 5–8 times higher in Indigenous Australians compared with the general population”.

Today, Ward’s team is planning a precision public health study focused on STI control. “In this study we are combining social determinants data, health services data, qualitative data collected by peers, and genomics data typing both gonorrhoea and syphilis, and then we will map everything at a local level to generate a precision public health approach in shaping our interventions and where best to scale them up”, he explains. “Working with the communities we will then present them with multiple interventions that fit best with their data, so they can decide how to proceed—this could include education, increased access, testing and incentives to encourage young Indigenous Australians at the highest risk of STIs to engage with health services. This will link multiple areas together and remove the traditional silos of criminal justice, housing, and education and health”.

To view The Lancet Infectious Diseases article James Ward—tackling STIs in Indigenous Australians in full click here and a transcript of the article here.

portrait Professor James Ward, Director UQ Poche Centre

Professor James Ward, Director of Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Queensland (UQ). Image source: UQ website.

Roundtable discusses health of kids in care

Members of the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) Public Health team attended the Royal Australasian College of Physicians’ (RACP) Child Health roundtable on 21 June 2023. The roundtable event, held at Parliament House, discussed many important issues impacting the health of children in care and protection services. It brought together doctors, policy makers, stakeholders and politicians to discuss policy approaches to improve health care service delivery models for children in out-of-home care.

RACP President, Dr Jacqueline Small also launched the Health Care of Children in Care and Protection Services Australia 2023 Position Statement, available here, which contains 28 recommendations on how to centre child health and mental and emotional wellbeing in policy making and health care service design.

A panel of experts, which included Ms Elizabeth Harnett, Professor Frank Oberklaid, Professor Jonathon Carapetis, Professor Ngiare Brown and Professor Sharon Goldfield, shared expertise and insight to set the tone of discussion for the day. Presentations were also given by Dr Kim Isaacs and CEO Tracey Brand from Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service in WA, Dr Niroshini Kennedy, Dr Karen McLean, Professor Elizabeth Elliott and Dr Paul Hotton. 

To view the AMA article AMA attends RACP child health roundtable in full click here.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney addressing RACP child health roundtable

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney addressing RACP child health roundtable

Exhibition of homeless on Perth streets

An Indigenous-owned corporation is using film and photography to help combat homelessness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Birdiya Maya Homelessness Research Project is a series of photos and short films taken by the participants, giving an insight into the jarring reality of living on Perth’s streets. It is on display at Curtin University until July 9 2023 and led by the Wungening Corporation — and it’s the first time an ACCO has led a research project of this nature.

The exhibition is backed by research by the Wungening Corporation and the National Drug Research Institute, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people leading the groundwork to make “housing policy and services work better for them.” The study incorporates ongoing engagement with Elders and those with lived experience on the streets of Perth. It aims to address the historical overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians accessing homelessness and social housing services.

Project consultant and Noongar Elder Aunty Millie Penny said she was driven by Indigenous women and children at risk of homelessness. “Children are voiceless,” she said. “They are so disempowered within the family structure that they don’t have a voice to say ‘we don’t want this’.” The corporation was recently recognised in an Indigenous health and wellbeing conference by the Lowitja Institute for its work “elevating the voices of Aboriginal people experiencing homelessness”.

To view The West Australian article Exhibition paints picture of being homeless on streets of Perth in full click here.

Birdiya Maya Homelessness Exhibition is on display at John Curtin Gallery

Birdiya Maya Homelessness Exhibition is on display at John Curtin Gallery. Image source: PerthNow – Central.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Coming of the Light – Saturday 1 July 2023

The Coming of the Light is a holiday celebrated by Torres Strait Islanders annually on 1 July. The Coming of the Light recognises the adoption of Christianity through island communities during the late nineteenth century. Torres Strait Islanders living on the islands or on the mainland come together to honour this anniversary every year. Islanders of all faiths celebrate the Coming of the Light in a festival like no other in Australia.

In the video below, you can watch Nancy Bamaga, a Curtin University graduate with links to the Thabu/Samu Clan from Saibai Island in the Torres Strait, discuss the importance of the Coming of the Light to Torres Strait Islander people, with Diane Moon, Curator, Indigenous Fibre Art, Queensland Art Galley | Gallery of Modern Art (QABOMA) Brisbane. Nancy Bamaga is regarded as one of Australia’s leading Community Management and Cultural Development Practitioners.

Jun 26 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Much to celebrate ahead of NAIDOC Week

AHW checking ear of ATSI child (being held by mother); text: 'There is lot to CELEBRATE in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care'

The image in the feature tile is from the Clinical Services webpage of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (WNAHCS) website.

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

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

Much to celebrate ahead of NAIDOC Week

Australia will mark NAIDOC Week from Sunday 2 July, a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life, history and culture, which is the oldest living culture in the world. Although the roots of NAIDOC were present before the 1920s, when Aboriginal activist groups began protesting for their rights, today it is an important celebration of First Nations peoples. Indigenous researchers and leaders say there is a lot to celebrate in First Nations health care with Aboriginal community controlled health initiatives continuing to deliver successful outcomes around Australia as well as demanding Indigenous-led medical research and data.

Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies and Aboriginal Education at the University of Sydney and Co-Chair of the National NAIDOC Committee, Aunty (Dr) Lynette Riley AO said  NAIDOC is an important forum to highlight current issues for Indigenous peoples. A/Prof Riley said this year’s NAIDOC theme “For our Elders” acknowledges that “Elders are pivotal to everything that we do. They’re the people who hold our cultural knowledge. They help to support our communities against institutional racism and the impact of colonisation. Without them, we don’t have our culture.”

One such Elder was the late Olive Brown, an Aboriginal leader and health worker, who set up a temporary health service in Canberra to support people living and protesting at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1988. In 2023, that service has become the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (WNAHCS), an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service in Canberra, operated by the Indigenous community of the ACT. WNAHCS CEO, Julie Tongs OAM said “Australia is a racist country, and racism is one of the biggest factors impacting on my people on a daily basis. The importance of having Aboriginal community controlled health services is that we provide culturally appropriate care. Particularly our disadvantaged and vulnerable clients.”

To view the article Much to celebrate for Indigenous health ahead of NAIDOC Week published in Issue 23 of InSight today click here.

Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services

Julie Tongs, CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services. Photo: Kerrie Brewer. Image Source: Canberra Weekly.

Mulungu Health Clinic health services expanded

A huge step by Mareeba’s Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Primary Health Care Service will allow hundreds of local First Nations people to address not only their dental needs but their general health, while alleviating pressures on the public system. A new dentistry service will be added to the Mareeba clinic following the immense success of the Atherton facility which was established last year.

Mulungu CEO Gail Wason said that after witnessing the high success rate in Atherton, it was time to provide the same service in Mareeba. State-of-the-art equipment has been sourced to enable dentists to perform all necessary procedures in-house. “We have had a clinic in Atherton that has been open for a year and a bit now, and at the same time, the health clinic opened up,” she said. “We have highly advanced equipment in the dental surgery that is unparalleled. It has always been deemed a necessity, not just by me but also by our doctors. They often express the wish to have a magic wand to ensure everyone receives proper dental care, as our people do not readily seek dental treatment until they end up in the hospital.”

To receive a dental checkup, patients must also undergo a full health check, with a focus on overall wellbeing. Ms Wason hopes the new addition to their Mareeba facility will contribute to a healthier and happier community, particularly encouraging the younger generation to prioritise their health. “It is crucial it is about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people addressing their health needs. It aligns with the primary healthcare services we offer,” she said. “We want them to take advantage of the opportunities they have and the opportunities that will arise in the future.”

To view The Express article Boost for health services in full click here.

Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Primary Health Care Service staff standing outside ACCHO building

Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Primary Health Care Service (MACPHCS) staff. Image source: MACPHCS website.

Kimberley leaders say CTG figures ‘unacceptable’

Indigenous leaders in WA’s Kimberley region say recent Closing the Gap data is “unacceptable” as they call for meaningful change to improve the lives of Aboriginal people. Recent data released by the Productivity Commission has revealed only four or 19 goals were on course to be met by 2031. Targets focus on reducing high incarceration and family violence rates, improving health and education outcomes, and increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the workforce.

Aboriginal Family Legal Services chief executive Corina Martin said the figures were disappointing. “The broad lack of progress against the Closing the Gap outcome areas speaks to the ongoing disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal people across Australia,” she said. “It is not acceptable that only four outcome areas are on track to be met by 2031.”

One target is to reduce the rate of family violence and abuse against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women and children by 50% by 2031. No new data has been recorded, but WA sat higher than the national average in 2018–19. Ms Martin said the data highlighted vulnerable groups. “We know that Aboriginal women and children continue to experience violence at disproportionate and unacceptable rates,” she said. “This illustrates an obvious demand for reform of how services are delivered to and for Aboriginal people. This cannot be the reality that we accept for our families and communities.”

To view the ABC News article Latest Closing the Gap figures are ‘unacceptable’, Kimberley Aboriginal leaders say in full click here.

aerial view of community in the Kimberley, WA

The Kimberley is home to more than 100 Aboriginal communities. Photo: Paul Bell, Feral Films. Image source: ABC News.

Alliance calls for ACCHO-like model of care

Last Friday (23 June 2023) Nyngan was host to the launch of the National Rural Health Alliance’s (the Alliance) Independent Report on health spending for rural Australians. The Report provides startling new evidence of rural health shortfall, with each person in rural NSW missing out on close to $850 a year of healthcare access totalling a hefty $6.5b a year. A sombre read by any standards, the report looks at all ages and geographical positionings, along with Indigenous, disability, aged and children subgroups and the affects the lack of cohesive health care is having on these communities.

“The report looks at health spending from a patient’s perspective, reflecting the alarming day-to-day realities for rural Australians unable to access equitable care,” said Alliance Chief Executive Susi Tegen, who spoke at the Nyngan launch. “Over 7m people, who make up nearly a third of Australia’s population, experience a greater burden from illness and early death, in part due to inadequate funding for their health care. This is despite the significant contribution they make to Australia’s economy,” she said.

The Alliance is calling for the funding of a place-based multidisciplinary model of primary health care – Primary care Rural Integrated Multidisciplinary Health Services (PRIM-HS) – that gives the flexibility to engage communities and address local needs in partnership, in a similar way to ACCHOs. “Communities need access to health care in their localities. To achieve this, we urge government to add to existing city-based and hybrid (city/rural) training, with a flipped model of exceptional rural medical and allied training, including nurse training. This would make training in cities the exception and enable students living rurally to train in their own communities.

Currently there is no ACCHO in Nygnan, the four closest ACCHOs are between 185–258 kms away in Coonamble, Wellington, Peak Hill and Bourke.

To view Western Plains App article Nyngan hosts National Rural Health Alliance in full click here.

aerial shot of Nyngan, NSW

Aerial view of Nyngan. Photo: Emily Taylor. Image source: R. M. Williams Outback magazine.

CHF comes out fighting on double dispensing

The Consumers Health Foundation (CHF) has taken the gloves off in the 60-day dispensing information wars with a new website designed to help GPs and their patients understand the policy. “There’s been a lot of misinformation circulating that is concerning consumers unnecessarily, but the bottom line is that 60-day scripts are good for the health of Australians, as well as their hip pocket,” said CEO Elizabeth Deveny.

“Increasing the ability for an estimated 11m consumers with chronic conditions to get a 60-day supply of their medicines, instead of a 30-day supply, effectively halves the cost of their medicines each time they visit the pharmacy. In addition to saving money, consumers will also save time and travel costs. This is especially important for consumers who live in rural and remote communities who often have to travel hundreds of kms to the nearest pharmacy. Having a greater supply of medication on hand should also lead to more people taking their medicines as prescribed and this has been proven to lead to better health outcomes. For all these reasons, what we are hearing loud and clear from Australian health consumers is that the move to 60-day scripts is a very welcome change.”

The new website includes an open letter from supporting groups – including the RACGP, Asthma Australia, NACCHO, the AMA and the Lung Foundation Australia – to parliamentarians. “The [60-day dispensing] measure will not contribute to medicine shortages,” the letter says.

To view The Medical Republic article CHF comes out fighting on double dispensing in full click here.

hands of chemist holding box of medicine in each hand

Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Community-led effort to understand homelessness

A community-led effort to establish a better understanding  of homelessness in Albany has moved on to the next phase after a successful first data-gathering session. More than 80 participants representing 130 people dealing with homelessness provided details about their experiences at an Albany Connection Point information gathering session last month. The session was hosted by Advance Housing, who have partnered with Albany Youth Support Association, Anglicare WA, Albany Community Foundation, Southern Aboriginal Corporation, Albany Community Legal Centre and Pivot Support Services on the project. Support has also being provided by the Office of Homelessness, Department of Communities, the City of Albany, WA Police and the Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service.

Advance Housing chief executive John Lysaught said the session was a success because it provided proof the problem was bigger than government data suggested. “Participating community organisations have always held that the problem is bigger than recognised by government for our region,” he said. “This single initial collaborative event has shown in 12 hours just how flawed the previous data was.”

He said the session showed there was a larger proportion of people aged 20 to 39 experiencing homelessness than expected given the broader Albany demographic. He also said it highlighted the massive problem rough sleeping which has been a “largely hidden” and that people would engage with a services if they were provided a safe space to do so. Further sessions designed to engage with those affected by homelessness will be organised so that the organisations involved can better advocate for funding to tackle the issue and target their limited resources to area they are most needed.

To view the Albany Advertiser article Community-driven project already leading to more accurate data about extent of Albany homelessness issues in full click here.

homeless person with makeshift bedding sleeping in public area

Photo: Graeme Powell. 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 23 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Coalition of Peaks urge immediate action on housing

feature tile image: run down urban housing; text 'Coalition of Peaks urges politicians to take immediate action to resolve delays on the Housing Australia Future Fund Bill'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Aboriginal housing: Australian biggest policy failure? written by Paul Cleary and published by Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTAR) on 9 June 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.

Coalition of Peaks urge immediate action on housing

The Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (Coalition of Peaks) has urged politicians to “stop squabbling” and take immediate action to resolve delays on the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) Bill. Coalition of Peaks’ Deputy Lead Convenors, Scott Wilson and Catherine Liddle, said housing was too critical an issue to “fall victim to political game-playing. Housing is a key social determinant of health; our people need housing now. It’s time to stop procrastinating,” Mr Wilson, who is Chair of the SA ACCHO Network, said.

Ms Liddle, who is also chief executive of SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, said Federal politicians “should be shamed for holding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to ransom. These politicians are letting perfect get in the way of good, forcing our people to languish on the streets and in overcrowded and unfit housing,” she said. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: 18% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in overcrowded households; 20% of those who were homeless in 2016 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; and 34% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults rent through social housing.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Association (NATSIHA) CEO and Co-Chair of the Housing Policy Partnership, Ivan Simon, said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people “continue to be severely disadvantaged by the lack of appropriate response from government over many years to the housing circumstances that impact on their daily lives. This also means positive outcomes for the Closing the Gap targets are not being achieved, despite the efforts of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and the hard work to implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap,” he said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations urge immediate action on housing fund in full click here.

Ninga Mia local man John outside his home in the Pilbara

Ninga Mia local man John outside his home. Photo: Tom Joyner, ABC Goldfields.

$6.5b shortfall in rural health spending

Australia’s leading medical organisations are calling on state and federal governments to revolutionise the rural health system, with research revealing a spending shortfall of $6.5b. The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), whose members include medical colleges, Aboriginal health organisations and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), commissioned the analysis that shows each rural Australian misses out on $850 in health spending per year.

The report by consultancy firm Nous Group found those who live in the country receive far less funding per capita than those in urban areas and workforce shortages make the problem worse. According to the report, released today, “Further action to address these inequities would improve both social justice and economic prosperity.”

The alliance is calling for funding of place-based rural health programs, which are locally delivered and target specific needs of communities, along with more country-based education that would allow doctors and nurses to train in the regions. It also wants a national rural health strategy to streamline complicated and varied funding initiatives. “Tweaking around the edges with trials and funding that stops after three years has exhausted rural communities,” the alliance’s chief executive Susi Tegen said.

To view the Kyabram Free Press article Rural health reform call over $6.5b shortfall claim in full click here and the National Rural Health Alliance media release Rural Australians missing out on $6.5 billion annually in health care access while coffers fill up with rural contributions here.

RFDS plan, patient, health workers, 4WD, outback

A report has found people in the country get far less funding per capita than those in urban areas. Photo: RFDS PR Handout. Image source: Kyabram Free Press.

Alcohol restrictions are having a positive impact

Alcohol restrictions in the NT are having a positive impact, advocates say, as police statistics show a drop in family violence callouts, property offences and other antisocial behaviour. Earlier this year, the NT government faced pressure over rising crime and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs after Intervention-era bans on alcohol in remote Aboriginal communities came to an end, making liquor legal in some communities for the first time in 15 years. Alcohol bans were reintroduced in central Australia in January, with further restrictions imposed in February. Aboriginal people living in remote communities and town camps in the NT are not able to buy takeaway alcohol, although communities will be able to lift the bans if 60% of residents vote in favour of an alcohol management plan.

NT police statistics collated by the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) revealed a 37% decrease in domestic violence assaults from January to April. All other assaults dropped 35% while property offences were down 25% over the same time period. The People’s Alcohol Action Coalition, a community-based group aimed at raising awareness over alcohol-related harms and headed by the Alice Springs-based Dr John Boffa, said the renewed restrictions were having a positive impact.

CAAC acting CEO, David Busuttil, said it had been tracking police data on crime and antisocial behaviour for many years, analysing trends and seeing the impacts of different legislation, including alcohol restrictions and policies. “In the data, you can see the historical context, when different legislation or changes were made over time … we’ve been monitoring this for a long time because we think it’s one of the key social determinants of health and a key public health issue.” He said the impact on domestic and family violence callouts was particularly stark: “Everyone deserves to be able to live safely. Domestic violence is a major issue all around Australia, but especially in the NT and Alice Springs.”

To view The Guardian article ‘Incredibly noticeable’: alcohol bans have cut family violence and crime in Alice Springs, advocates say in full click here.

aerial view Alice Springs at night

‘The town is a different place’ … alcohol restrictions in Alice Springs have had a positive impact on family violence and crime rates. Photo: Blake Sharp Wiggins. Image source: The Guardian.

$3m for university to help CTG in health outcomes

The University of Newcastle has received $3m in federal funding to establish new medical research infrastructure that will help close the gap in health outcomes for First Nations people. The project, which is being undertaken in partnership with the Lowitja Institute, will help ensure culturally safe health and medical research for First Nations people.

It includes the establishment of a national ethics committee to provide advice and guidance on future research projects. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Human Ethics Committee will be co-designed with First Nations people to ensure Indigenous Australians have a say in the research projects that affect them. The project is spearheaded by Wiradjuri woman and National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Research Fellow, Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy.

The funding is part of the National Critical Research Infrastructure Initiative, a 10-year, $65m Australian Government investment from the Medical Research Future Fund. The Initiative funds facilities, equipment, systems and services that support world-class health and medical research.

To view the Newcastle Herald story University of Newcastle receives $3million to help close the gap in health outcomes for First Nations people in full click here.

Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy

Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy. Image source: University of Newcastle.

Menzies diabetes program a best practice example

Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) has been involved in two papers published in The Lancet and The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

These have found diabetes is pervasive, growing in prevalence and outpacing most diseases globally, despite increased awareness and ongoing multinational efforts.

In addition, the Diabetes across the Lifecourse; Northern Australian Partnership (the Partnership), available here has been recognised as a best practice case study, to drive innovation in diabetes care and reduce inequity in diabetes outcomes.

You can read the Menzies School of Health Research media releases:

  • Global study highlights Menzies’ program as a leading example of diabetes best practice here and
  • Menzies’ researchers contribute to global studies on Structural racism’s impact on unequal diabetes cases and care here.

Below are the logos of the Menzies School of Health Research NT and Far North Queensland partners.

logos: AMSANT, Apunipima, Baker Institute, CAAC, Diabetes Aust, Miwatj Hlth, Healthy Living NT, KAMS, Qld Govt, NT Govt, Mater, Telethon Kids Institute

Menzies NT and Far North Queensland partners. Image source: Menzies School of Health Research webpage: DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE – Northern Australia Partnership.

Event connects communities in NE and Border regions

A Shields of Emotion Festival in Wangaratta at the weekend was a hit, highlighting connections and services for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the North East and Border regions. Event manager from Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Services (AWAHS) said as a health service they want to highlight the many services they have including doctors, dentists, family violence support, drug and alcohol and mental health counselling.

“We also wanted to bring community together because it is a very fragmented indigenous community in Wangaratta,” he said. “Events like these help bring people together and share culture and community. It’s part of game plan to keep the connection between culture, community and healing strong. It was great to see people coming from far and wide, and we had people travelling from Moyhu and as far as Albury,” he said.

Mr Jones said the AWAHS health van visits Apex Park every Thursday and up to 40 people generally show up, with some seeing the doctor but others just to share a meal and see community. It’s hoped that the event can be held each year to perpetuate the values of connection within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

To view the Wangaratta Chronicle article Event helps connect the indigenous community in full click here.

Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Servicesw staff Trent Jones, assistant manager Kieran (surname sacred), Rose Kirby

L-R: AWAHS event manager Trent Jones, assistant manager Kieran (surname sacred), and Ros Kirby. Image source: Wangaratta Chronicle.

NACCHO Conference sponsorship opportunities open

Sponsorship opportunities are now open for the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference that will be held 25–26 October at the Hyatt Regency Perth, Noongar Boodjar.

This conference will expose your business to over 400 individuals and up to 200 organisations that are focused on delivering positive health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The conference will be promoted via NACCHO’s social media channels, daily news and website reaching a combined audience of more than 236,000 people.

You can also register to attend the NACCHO Members’ Conference and the NACCHO Youth Conference (23 May).

Download Sponsorship Prospectus or register for the conferences here.

Sector Jobs

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

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