Sep 19 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Voice will help close gap in health outcomes

Voice will help close gap in health outcomes
VTP an opportunity to address health inequality
Referendum taking a toll on mob’s wellbeing
Aboriginal Hearing Unit for women in custody
Poor mental wellbeing biggest problem for youth
Sector Jobs
Key Date – Dementia Action Week 18–24 September 2023

The image in the feature tile is of Australian Parliament House seen through an Aboriginal flag as it appears on the SBS NITV Radio – News 11/08/2023 webpage. Photo: Lukas Coch, AAP image.

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.

Voice will help close gap in health outcomes

According to Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler “A good doctor listens carefully to their patients to make sure their diagnosis is thorough and makes a positive difference to their healthcare. A Voice to Parliament (VtP) is simply that: a chance to listen to the voices of Indigenous Australians about better ways to make a positive difference to their lives. The Voice will be a committee of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who offer advice to the Parliament on issues that particularly affect them. With the best of intentions and substantial investment from both sides of the Parliament, the current approach simply isn’t working.”

Dr Simone Raye, President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) says the Voice offers “huge potential to close the gap in unacceptable health disparities”. Dr Raye says the Voice is the much-needed step to give Indigenous people a role in shaping policies that directly impact their future. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) also back the VtP. Professor Steve Robinson, President of the AMA, believes the Voice has the potential to deliver extraordinary outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Dr Nicole Higgins, President of the RACGP, says the Voice will lead to better health outcomes and is a key step to closing the gap in health equality, “There is no doubt listening to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander VtP will give us a clearer insight into how to better spend the taxpayer money that goes into First Nations health – getting better outcomes and better value for money. I am confident that a VtP and to the Health Minister will help find better, more effective, practical ways to close the gap and allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to live longer, healthier, happier lives. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real difference. And we know it will work because, when you listen to people about the issues that affect them, you get better results.”

To view the RACGP newsGP article Health Minister: How Voice will make a difference in full click here.

Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler addressing press

Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler says the referendum is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to recognise the place of First Nations people in Australia and improve lives. Photo: AAP. Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Voice an opportunity to address health inequality

An Indigenous public health expert says the Voice to Parliament (VtP) offers the opportunity to address the health inequality that sees Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people die up to nine years younger than other Australians. Dr Summer May Finlay is a senior lecturer in Indigenous health at the University of Wollongong and a Yorta Yorta woman who lives on Dharawal country in Wollongong, with a history working for a range of organisations, including those in the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector.

The latest Closing the Gap report from the Productivity Commission, released in July, shows only 4 of the 17 targets are on track to being met. Indigenous men have a life expectancy 8.6 years shorter than non-Indigenous men, while the gap for women is 7.8 years.

Dr Finlay said the Closing the Gap strategy could have achieved more had it been designed with the input of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the beginning. But she believes the Voice offers an opportunity to address some of these failings.

To read the Illawarra Mercury article Voice will boost Indigenous Health outcomes: Public Health expert in full click here.

Dr Summer May Finlay. Photo: Robert Peet. Image source: Illawarra Mercury.

Referendum taking a toll on mob wellbeing

If you need to talk to someone, call 13YARN on 13 92 76 (24 hours/7 days) to talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Support worker. For mental health support, see your local ACCHO, AMS, GP, or Social and Emotional Wellbeing service. See here for more information and links.

In the lead up to the referendum the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research has flagged concern for the wellbeing for First Nations people. Regardless of the outcome, they said the decision will have significant impact on community members and now would be a good time to start talking about wellbeing and check in with each other. The research centre resides at the Australian National University (ANU) and was established in 2022, to contribute toward improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.

Dr Raymond Lovett, a Wongaibon man, Associate Professor Katie Thurber, are working together to establish what worries and concerns First Nations persons have with regard to mental health and wellbeing surrounding the referendum and have developed a range of fact sheets and tools that have been dispersed to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to assist with providing support. The team have reported that along with the additional efforts of responding to non-indigenous questions, instances of encounters with racism are ramping up and in some instances there is divide within families and communities, all of which can trigger a range of mental health concerns.

The Healing Foundation have also provided the tips below:

Acknowledge the impact of racism on ourselves and others. Racism has an impact on physical and mental health, and is a source of trauma. Knowing this and be aware of the stressors and symptoms can help us to understand what is happening, manage the effect and help others.
Being mindful, implementing mindfulness and meditation techniques such as deep breathing and awareness techniques can help us to ground and manage symptoms. Staying connected, it is normal to experiences feelings of increased isolation as a symptom of racial stress. Participating in social activities with family and friends and talking with people can help.
Take care of our health. Eating well and exercising are important ways that we can help to keep our minds and bodies strong. Little things like going for a walk with a friend or learning to cook a new meal are small and simple acts that can help keep us strong.
Speak your truth. Don’t feel obligated to contribute to a conversation if the content is stressful for you. Feel free to say “This conversation is making me uncomfortable, I would like to excuse myself” or change the subject.
Culture is strength. Practicing culture through activities like connecting to country or creating art are powerful ways that we can process our experiences in a safe environment and find strength when our reserves are running low.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Wellbeing for Mob, leading up to and following the referendum in full click here.

artwork of ATSI women hands in air surrounding by 5 faces representing a range of emotions from sad to happy

Artwork from National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Aboriginal Hearing Unit for women in custody

In an Australian first, an Aboriginal Healing Unit has opened at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre (DPFC) providing new culturally safe, community-led and trauma-informed programs for Aboriginal women in custody. Victoria’s Minister for Corrections Enver Erdogan visited the Centre to open the new unit which includes specially designed accommodation alongside culturally appropriate spaces.

The Andrews Labor Government has invested $8.8m for the new unit and programs which will be delivered by ACCO Elizabeth Morgan House. The new facilities include a sensory room, activities room with facilities for art programs, a peaceful outdoor cultural area with art-inspired screening and native plantings, and a yarning circle featuring symbolic mosaics and a fire pit area.

You can read Minister Erdogan’s media release Australian-first Aboriginal Healing Unit in a prison opens in full here.

You can also read Deafness Forum Australia’s November 2022 report Closing the Gap: Addressing the hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Criminal Justice System here. The report’s preface says “Today, there is a particular pressing need to specifically address the high rates of hearing loss of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in contact with the criminal justice system, with rates as high as 80–95% in some communities. The Australian Law Reform Commission (2017) report Pathways to Justice–Inquiry into the Incarceration Rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, estimated that the annual economic burden of the incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was nearly $8b, with that figure expected to rise to over $20b without appropriate intervention.

legs & torsos of ATSI women prisoners, green uniforms

Indigenous women make up a third of all female prisoners. Image source: ABC News.

Poor mental wellbeing biggest problem for youth

Poor mental health and excessive screen time are the biggest problems facing young people, according to a new survey of more than 2,000 Australian teachers. Braemar College year 11 student Alanah has noticed more stress and anxiety among her peers, as they cope with growing pressures from home and elsewhere. “[There have been] more noticeable moments where people are upset at school,” she said.

Her observations have been backed by a national survey of teachers, which found the vast majority believe poor mental health is the biggest problem confronting young people today. A 2023 Beyond Blue survey found only one in three teachers believed students at their school were mentally healthy. And the percentage of teachers who thought their schools were mentally healthy also fell from 50% in 2022, to just 40% this year. Of the 2,369 teachers surveyed, about nine in 10 said high staff turnover was affecting their wellbeing, and close to 80% believed it was impacting their students.

Schools across the country will soon have access to new mental health resources to improve student wellbeing and help them access support. The new resources from the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) weave mental wellbeing lessons into other subjects like English and the humanities. “We don’t want students to think the only time we’re talking about the importance of mental health and wellbeing is when they walk into a class and timetable that has health and physical education on it,” ACARA’s curriculum director Sharon Foster said. ACARA developed the new resources with the National Mental Health Commission, Beyond Blue, Headspace and teachers from across Australia.

To view the ABC News article Teachers say poor mental health, excessive screen time, the biggest problems facing young people in full click here.

7 teenage ATSI students in uniform walking in line smiling, school outdoor walkway

Image source: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Students webpage of Independent Schools Australia 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 – Dementia Action Week – 18–24 September 2023

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

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Dementia in Australia webpage, available here, looks at understanding dementia among Indigenous Australia. It says experiences of dementia and awareness of risk factors for developing dementia vary greatly among Indigenous Australians, as with non-Indigenous Australians, however, as long as dementia doesn’t affect connection to family, community, and culture, many Indigenous Australians perceive the condition as a natural part of life and not necessarily a medical problem that needs to be fixed. According to Mr Eric Deeral, Chairperson, Elders Justice Group, Hopevale Community, Queensland “The causes of Aboriginal dementia in Gugu Yimithurr culture is part of a natural process. The body, mind and spirit naturally get older including the brain… It may not need to get fixed as long as the individual is safe and the family and the community is safe there may not be any need to do anything at all.”

You can find out more information about Dementia Action Week 2023 on the Dementia Australia website here. You can also watch the below video Love in the Time of 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.

Sep 14 2023

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

Don’t miss out – HUGE PRIZES to be won
Elders say aged care system needs to change
Noongar mob encouraged to reach out
Voice is a chance to close economic gap
Prenatal program helps mums and bubs thrive
Mornington Island store engages Outback Stores
Sector Jobs

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

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

Don’t miss out – HUGE PRIZES to be won

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

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

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

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

Category 2

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

Category 3

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

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

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

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

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here. All entries must be submitted by Thursday 28 September 2023.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

Elders say aged care system needs to change

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

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

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

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

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

Dharriwaa Elders Group. Image source: The Conversation.

Noongar mob encouraged to reach out

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, click here

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Voice is a chance to close economic gap

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

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

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

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

Liberal MP Julian Leeser holding papers, facing press

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

Prenatal program helps mums and bubs thrive

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mornington Island store engages Outback Stores

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

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

Sep 13 2023

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

‘Indigenous paradigm’ to tackle RHD
Nyikina woman wins Human Rights Award
FASD Awareness Month
Dr Demmery: 2023 ACT Woman of Spirit
VIC Aboriginal Aged Care Summit
Sector Jobs
Key Date – Anniversary of UNDRIP – 13 September 2023

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

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

‘Indigenous Paradigm’ to tackle RHD

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

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

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

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

young Aboriginal boy having RHD heart check

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Nyikina woman wins Human Rights Award

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

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

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

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

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

FASD Awareness Month

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

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

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

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

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

Dr Demmery: 2023 ACT Woman of Spirit

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

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

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

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

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

Woman of Spirit Dr Karen Demmery - 4 different poses collage

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

VIC Aboriginal Aged Care Summit

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

Anniversary of UNDRIP

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

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

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

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

Sep 12 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Calls to integrate pharmacists within ACCHOs

Calls to integrate pharmacists within ACCHOs
VtP and Indigenous LGBTIQA+SB research
Tjuntjuntjara calls for better TB screening
Black Comedy star on body image
Broome home to Australia’s worst prison
Outlet to craft has mental health benefits
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of GP pharmacist Kylie van Rooijen (R) with RN Neil Dunning, at the Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service, discussing how to use a MediSachet roll. The image appeared in the article Why this Aboriginal health service values its GP pharmacist published in the Australian Pharmacist on 2 June 2021.

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

Calls to integrate pharmacists within ACCHOs

The Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) submission to the recent House of Representatives Inquiry into Diabetes centers on the impact of social, environmental, and health system factors that create additional challenges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in preventing the illness and its associated complications. QAIHC’s Public Health Physician Associate Professor Sophia Couzos said diabetes can be a complex condition for patients to manage and it can be difficult for patients to adhere to treatment, especially medications. “And medications can’t work if patients don’t take them,” she said.

A/Prof. Couzos played a pivotal role as the lead researcher in the Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to Improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC Project). This nationwide trial aimed to integrate non-dispensing pharmacists into the clinical teams of 18 ACCHOs in QLD, NT, and Victoria.

This comprehensive approach led to improvements in diabetes management, a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors, a decrease in medication errors, and enhanced medication understanding, ultimately resulting in improved medication adherence among the patients. QAIHC CEO Cleveland Fagan said pharmacists working in ACCHOs made a significant difference, “There were improvements in diabetes, blood pressure, and kidney function, more medicine reviews by doctors, far fewer medication prescribing errors, more patients took their medicines as they needed to, and patients felt healthier as a result.”

The Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC), an independent body established by the Australian government, supports the value of the IPAC Project. In June this year MSAC advised funding to expand the integration of non-dispensing pharmacists into ACCHOs more widely, reflecting the positive impact observed in the project’s outcomes.

To read the National Indigenous Times article Call to integrate pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to fight chronic disease in full click here. You can also watch a short video below on the benefits of an ACCHO Pharmacist.

VtP and Indigenous LGBTIQA+SB research

In the latest episode of the podcast Well, Well, Well educator and researcher Professor Braden Hill talked about his extensive work on Indigenous LGBTIQA+SB health, student equity and access, and his recent advocacy videos about the Voice to Parliament (VtP) Referendum.

Professor Braden Hill is a Nyungar Wardandi man from the SW of WA and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Equity and Indigenous portfolio Edith Cowan University, and is the Head of Kurongkurl Katitjin, ECU’s Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research. Braden has significant experience in Aboriginal education, and leading equity work in universities, and has lead significant research about LGBTIQA+SB Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, most recently being involved in the Walkern Katatdjin report about mental health for Indigenous LGBTIQA+ youth.

To listen to the Joy 94.9 Radio Well Well Well podcast episode Braden Hill on the Voice to Parliament and Indigenous LGBTIQA+SB research click here. You can view a video of Prof Hill talking about his work below.

Tjuntjuntjara calls for better TB screening

Authorities in one of Australia’s most remote communities are calling for help to screen its residents for tuberculosis, after a 19-year-old woman who spent time there died from the contagious disease in Kalgoorlie. Paupiyala Tjarutja Aboriginal Corporation CEO Jon Lark said the young woman died in November last year was a transient resident of Tjuntjuntjara.

Mr Lark said she spent a lot of time in the remote community, where she had many close contacts, but also travelled to Kalgoorlie and the APY Lands in SA. Mr Lark said the WA government had known about the woman’s death since the end of January. But more than six months later, screening of the woman’s contacts in Tjuntjuntjara is yet to be completed.

103 cases of tuberculosis have been recorded in WA this year, with at least two cases involving Indigenous people, according to Department of Health data last updated on 9 September. Mr Lark said he wanted WA Health staff to travel to Tjuntjuntjara to conduct community-wide screening, to help to determine whether tuberculosis was spreading locally. “It’s so disappointing to be so far removed, so far forgotten, so far from everything and having such limited resources for our health service to be able to deal with a situation like this,” he said.=

To read the ABC News article Tjuntjuntjara community calls for better tuberculosis screening after woman’s death in full click here.

map of Australia with pin for Tjuntjuntjara WA

Tjuntjuntjara is one of Australia’s most remote communities. Photo: Sharon Gordon, ABC News.

Black Comedy star on body image

Australian actress and comedian Nakkiah Lui can remember when she realised her relationship with food was wrong. “I had started getting comments about my weight and being bullied for being fat,” she said. “It’s been a huge defining part of my life, because food was always the enemy.”

The Black Comedy star knows the importance of understanding body image, saying, “When it comes to the discussion of food and body image, the more intersectional we can be in discourses around these the better. We need lots of different perspectives around things like food and especially body image, because for a long time they’ve both been used as ways to include and exclude people,” Lui says. “Our idea of what a beautiful person looks like, what an acceptable body looks like and what a ‘healthy’ body looks like has very much been defined by race, sex and gender.”

The radio host noted that adding an Indigenous lens to discussions of body image may allow people understand the true extent of its impact. “I think when you start adding in conversations around Indigeneity to that, then you’re going to be talking about things like colonisation, like white supremacy, and you’re going to start unpicking things that get to usually go invisible,” she says.

To view the 9Honey article ‘Food was the enemy’: Australia actress Nakkiah Lui’s body image admission in full click here.

portrait image of Nakkiah Lui, host and co-producer of podcast First Eat with Nakkiah Lui

Nakkiah Lui, host and co-producer of podcast First Eat with Nakkiah Lui, which explores First Nations’ food cultures in Australia and abroad. Image source: The Guardian.

Broome home to Australia’s worst prison

In the heart of picture-postcard Broome stands WA’s oldest operating prison, a crumbling vestige of the state’s earlier colonial days. Last month the WA Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services (OICS) released a damning report denouncing the prison as “dilapidated” and “poorly maintained” to the point of being a health and safety hazard with foul-smelling, open drains, persistent mould, water damage, and garden crates used as furniture. Disturbingly, the report found an underlying, unacceptably racist element to the conditions.

It said, “With 80% of the [prison] population Aboriginal, the sub-standard services and conditions would not have been acceptable in a metropolitan prison where Aboriginal people were in the minority.” Since 2001, the WA inspector of prisons has published no fewer than seven reports declaring the prison unfit for its purpose in terms varying from “decrepit” to “inhumane.” Yet hundreds of people spend time in Broome prison each year, with devastating consequences for their physical and mental health.

This situation compounds an already serious mental health crisis in WA prisons. A 2020 study of men who entered the prison system in WA found that over 50% of Aboriginal prisoners had experienced the death of a close family member in the previous 12 months, increasing the risk of depression, self-harm, and suicide.

To read The West Australian article Kriti Sharma and Daniela Gavshon: Picture-postcard Broome is home to Australia’s ‘worst prison’ in full click here.

collage 3 images Broome prison exterior, kitchen, storeroom

In the heart of picture-postcard Broome stands Western Australia’s oldest operating prison, a crumbling vestige of the state’s earlier colonial days. Image source: The West Australian.

Outlet to craft has mental health benefits

Aunty Cheryl Norris can be found most days sitting behind a table at a craft store in SA’s Riverland. Her hands weave tiny beads onto even thinner threads, crafting jewellery to be worn across wrists and ears. “I was like a prisoner at home,” the Indigenous Erawirung woman says. “But now I can come down here to the shop every day. “I’m out and about, I’m seeing people, I’m doing things here.

Joining her at the table, strewn with wool, is Marian Reeves and Darren Ellis. The couple runs the store, nestled in the streets of Berri, having moved from Victoria after their Shepparton rental was devasted by flooding. “We weren’t sure whether we wanted to reopen the shop,” Ms Reeves said.

“But with Cheryl nagging us saying that the community here needs something, we decided to reopen.” The couple had offered a similar space in Shepparton, and knew it could provide a spot for people from the community to craft or even just have a chat.

Ms Reeves said some of the people who came into the shop didn’t have a project, but they just wanted to sit. “It makes us feel good because we’ve made somebody else happy,” she said.

To view the ABC News article Riverland community space provides outlet to craft, along with mental health benefits in full click here.

Aunty Cheryl Norris beading at craft group

Aunty Cheryl Norris says having a place to craft offers her ways to socialise and get out of the house. Photo: Sophie Holder, ABC Riverland.

Sector Jobs

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

Aug 30 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Referendum an overwhelming time for mob

Referendum an overwhelming time for mob
Maningrida named NDIS market gap trial site
NT CTG should start with kids
100% exam pass rate for GPs in training
IWC tackles antenatal care gap for mums-to-be
Better access for people with diabetes and CVD
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from an article Voice to parliament won’t give ‘special rights’ to Indigenous Australians, legal experts say published in The Guardian on 13 December 2022.

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

Referendum an overwhelming time for mob

In an opinion piece about the Voice referendum proud Bundjalung woman and journalist Bronte Charles said “I get asked which way I’ll be voting. I’ve watched others speak over my people. I’ve seen the racist tweets and posts, and held my breath as discussions get more toxic. I hear the nasty conversations and go to bed feeling anxious. The referendum on the Voice to Parliament has brought with it a lot of emotions – some good, some bad, some eh. To put it mildly, it’s been an overwhelming time for mob. In a time full of uncertainty – one thing is for sure: whether the outcome of the referendum is a yes or a no, we need to be there for one another and, most importantly, be there for ourselves.”

Ms Charles spoke to three First Nations people working in the mental health space:

Tanja Hirvonen is a Jaru Bunuba clinical psychologist and Board Director of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association
Dr Clinton Schultz, a Gamilaroi psychologist and director at the Black Dog Institute
Maddison O’Gradey-Lee is a provisional psychologist and is currently completing a PhD that explores young mob’s mental health

who all agreed the Voice has fuelled bigoted attitudes and behaviours, with “a lot of mob are reporting that they’re finding that constant attention, as well as the criticism and debate, becoming quite toxic and impacting heavily on their social and emotional well-being. The psychological distress that we’re seeing amongst mob at the moment is definitely raised.”

Tanja Hirvonen said mob can look after themselves during the referendum by doing what mob do best: “check in on each other as well as your Elders. Draw on the strength of your ancestors and draw on the strength of your mob and make sure to look after yourself. Touch base with your family and have those conversations with your trusted peers or family members. Make sure that you’re connecting with people that are like-minded, who are going to give you that care and compassion and that warm hug that you might need.” Whether you’re voting yes, no or you still haven’t decided, Tanja says that mental health should be a priority.

To view the SBS NITV article OPINION: The referendum campaign already has me overwhelmed. Here’s how you can look after yourself in full click here.

image of back of heads of protesters & Aboriginal flags flying

Photo: AAP. Image source: SBS NITV article ‘The Voice will spark an improvement in Indigenous mental health, say peak bodies.

Maningrida named NDIS market gap trail site

The NT Labor Government has welcomed the announcement of Maningrida as the first of two trial sites in a $7.6m investment into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Minister for the NDIS, the Hon Bill Shorten MP revealed that Maningrida would be a beneficiary of the pilot program for alternative commissioning approaches in thin markets where there are not enough services available to meet participants’ needs.

This is to ensure that participants can better access supports in remote and First Nations communities and will build on the work the NT Government is undertaking in partnership with the community, NDIA and sector as part of the deep dive into how the NDIS is working in Maningrida. Alternative commissioning will be undertaken in partnership with First Nations and remote communities to ensure the pilot is both culturally appropriate and underpinned by an understanding of community strengths and preferences.

Minister Shorten announced Maningrida’s inclusion as a trial site following a gathering with all State and Territory Ministers for Disabilities for a meeting of the Disability Reform Ministerial Council (DRMC) in Darwin, saying “This pilot will allow us to gain invaluable information on how we can ensure Australians with disability living in remote and First Nation communities can access supports and provide lessons on how to build the capability of communities and governments, and the types of alternative commissioning that work best.”

You can view The National Tribune article Maningrida announced as first trial site in $7.6 million NDIS market gap investment in full here and a transcript of the doorstop interview where Minister Shorten refers to the Maningrida trial here.

Manuel Brown Member for Arafura, Luke Gosling MP, Manuel Brown MP, Member for Arafura; Luke Gosling OAM, MP, Member for Solomon; Minister Bill Shorten; Member for Karama and NT Minister for Disabilities Ngaree Ah Kit

L-R: Manuel Brown MP, Member for Arafura; Luke Gosling OAM, MP, Member for Solomon; Minister Bill Shorten; Member for Karama and NT Minister for Disabilities Ngaree Ah Kit. Image: Manuel Brown’s Facebook page.

NT CTG should start with kids

Human-rights activist Timmy Duggan OAM said the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and Bringing Them Home reports highlighted the ‘urgent national crisis’ of the Gap more than 25 years ago. But as a history of generational trauma continues to weigh on the NT’s Aboriginal kids, he said it was clear more needed to be done to give today’s young people “doses of resilience”. “We can have an impact on them while their brain is still developing and provide good, positive experience[s], good, positive Aboriginal role models that they see day in and day out,” he said.

The NT’s first NBL player combined his sporting career and knowledge of Aboriginal health to launch Hoops 4 Health in 2002, with hopes to drive better outcomes for the NT’s kids. The organisation’s first base is set to open in about six weeks in one of Palmerston’s northern suburbs. Palmerston is home to 7.9% of the NT’s Indigenous population, according to 2021 census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Mr Duggan said the organisation started as a way to give back to the NT community and engage with kids in the Palmerston and Darwin areas.

Following a royal commission into the protection and detention of children in the NT, he said he was spurred into action and has not missed a weekend session with the kids in Don Dale Youth Detention Centre since 2016. The latest Productivity Commission data shows 96% of NT kids in detention are Indigenous, with First Nations children locked up at a rate 33 times higher than non-Indigenous children. Mr Duggan said Hoops 4 Health was not just about basketball – it was based on Bruce Perry’s neurosequential model for addressing trauma. “Using the trauma-informed model and culturally-informed coaching … can have a big impact in addressing trauma and chronic traumatic experiences,” he said.

The above has been taken from an article Palmerston, NT Closing the Gap efforts should start with kids published in the Gold Coast Bulletin earlier today, 30 August 2023.

founder of Hoops 4 Health, Timmy Duggan OAM with hands on shoulders of young ATSI boy holding basketball, background wall with basketball figures & basketball hoop

Hoops 4 Health founding director Timmy Duggan OAM said the Gap was reaching a ‘crisis’ point and more needed to be done to close it. Photo: Sierra Haigh. Image source: The Gold Coast Bulletin.

100% pass rate for GPs in training

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has today labelled a recent 100% exam pass rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs in training as a phenomenal achievement. It comes following the recent results of the College’s Clinical Competency Exam (CCE), an exam designed to assess clinical competence and readiness for independent practice as a specialist GP.

RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Censor Dr Olivia O’Donoghue congratulated the GPs in training. “As Censor of the faculty this warms my heart and soul to see more of my peers achieving success in these high stakes assessment and moving onto RACGP Fellowship,” she said. “The RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health faculty and assessment team have improved the Yagila Wadamba program – ‘Learn to heal’ in Wurundjeri – a culturally appropriate AKT and KFP intensive, and there are policies and procedures supported by the faculty Censor to provide additional advocacy and support through training and assessments. Moving towards training and workforce equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs is a priority for the RACGP and a key performance indicator for our training program.”

Dr O’Donoghue said that she was keenly focused on boosting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GP numbers. “We are making progress, but there is a lot more work to be done,” she said. “Numbers of self-identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees have been steadily increasing. The RACGP currently has 60 GPs in training and 124 Fellows. The aim is for greater than 3% representation across training and for Fellows.

To view the RACGP media release RACGP welcomes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander exam success in full click here.

ATSI GP checking patient's heart with stethoscope

Photo: James Cook University General Practice Training. Image source: RACGP newsGP.

IWC tackles antenatal care gap for mums-to-be

The healthcare gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is well-known, but its extent concerning women’s antenatal and reproductive care remains relatively obscure. This is one of the reasons the Indigenous Wellbeing Centre Ltd (IWC) in Bundaberg, Qld, runs a midwifery program that offers monthly ante-natal check-ups, post-birth weigh-ins, and breastfeeding checks. Working alongside participants general practitioners or the hospital ante-natal clinic, this bulk-billed program provides expecting mothers of Bundaberg and North Burnett with vital continuity of care, which has been proven to improve a mum’s comfort level through her pregnancy and into early motherhood.

Through their dedicated work in this program, midwife Stephanie Rackemann and Indigenous health practitioner Lisa McGrady could not ignore the lack of engagement from Indigenous mums-to-be in mainstream healthcare services during their pregnancy in the Bundaberg and North Burnett region. “I’ve seen too many Indigenous mums late in their pregnancy who have not so much as had a GP appointment. It is sad to know that there is such a mistrust of the mainstream health care system that Indigenous mums would rather avoid care,“ Stephanie said.

“There are so many reasons these mums aren’t engaging in their healthcare, with barriers like lack of transport, a lack of understanding on the importance and not having the confidence to speak up and advocate for themselves in a clinical situation,“ Lisa explained. This is where the difference in the IWC Midwifery program comes in. Not only do these mums have access to a knowledgeable, experienced and approachable midwife, but they also have continued access to Lisa.

To view the Bundaberg Today article IWC tackles the gap in antenatal care for Indigenous mums-to-be in full click here.

Lisa McGrady, IWC Indigenous health practitioner with some of the valuable supplies provided by the community. Image source: Bundaberg Today.

Better access for people with diabetes and CVD

“Many Australians have diabetes and cardiovascular disease” (CVD), says Expert Advisory Panel member Professor John Prins. “These chronic diseases cause severe illness and death. But healthcare services are not uniform across Australia for people living with these diseases.” A new Targeted Translation Research Accelerator Research Plan calls for ‘better methods of getting that care to people.”

Prof Prins continued. “One way to improve care is to build our knowledge of the causes of diabetes and CVD. “If you have both these diseases, they get worse faster than if you had just one disease. If we can find common mechanisms causing both diseases we can attack them both at the same time. The research plan also calls for new ways to predict who is at risk of diabetes and CVD and their complications. This will help health practitioners get the right care to people at risk. We want health practitioners to recognise patients they need to escalate to that next level of care. That might be the GP 100kms down the road or a major centre that can do further investigations.”

The plan supports researchers to build our knowledge about disease mechanisms and risk prediction with Incubator project funding. This research will help develop new diagnostics, devices, therapies and risk predictors for people living with diabetes and CVD. The plan also supports funding for large-scale multidisciplinary projects that use technology and data to improve care. The large-scale projects will be codesigned with consumers and health services to:

improve remote patient monitoring
focus on urban, rural, regional and remote areas
focus on First Nations people
focus on culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people.

The aim of these projects is to improve access to high-quality, patient-centred care.

To view the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care news article Improving health outcomes for people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease in full click here.

Image source; Medical Journal of Australia.

Sector Jobs

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

Aug 29 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia Conference

Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia Conference
Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarships Scheme.
Healing Right Way
kidney disease on the rise
NT GP shortage
BRAMS Wear It Purple.
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner at the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia Conference.

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

Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia Conference

Day 1 of the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia conference kicked off today, Tuesday 29 August. Speakers included NACCHO CEO Pat Turner, Professor Tom Calma AO, Tania Rishniw, and Professor Pat Dudgeon AM. The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Ways Forward.’ A reflection on the policy development in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention. Drawing on the significance of the 1995 Ways Forward Report as a milestone in Australia’s mental health history, marking a pivotal moment of collective action and community engagement in shaping the future of mental health care.

“By choosing this theme, we aim to honour the courage and resilience of those who participated in the first national mental health consultation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’, and to recognise the lasting impact of their contributions.

“…This conference theme presents an opportunity to reflect on the progress made since the release of the report, to critically examine the gaps that still exist, and to explore innovative approaches and solutions for the future.”

Learn more here.

Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarships Scheme

Applications for the 2024 Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarships Scheme (PHMSS) open tomorrow, Wednesday 30 August. Offering up to 300 scholarships, PHMSS encourages and assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduates in health-related disciplines to complete their studies and join the health workforce. The Australian Government established PHMSS as a tribute to the late Dr Arnold ‘Puggy’ Hunter and his outstanding contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and his role as Chair of NACCHO.

“[PHMSS] means more First Nations nurses, midwives, doctors, dentists, and allied health workers in the health system and directly helping patients in their own local communities in many cases,” said Australian College of Nursing CEO, Professor Kylie Ward.

“The scholarships are deservedly very popular and prestigious. Over the years, we have received more than 7,500 applications,” Professor Ward said.

Applications close Tuesday 10 August. More details are available here.

Ashleigh Ryan. Previous PHMSS recipient. Image source: Australian College of Nursing.

Healing Right Way

More than 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury in WA have engaged in the Healing Right Way initiative. A collaboration between ACCHOs, hospitals, and the Stroke Foundation, researchers successfully introduced and tested the program, aimed at improving rehabilitation. During the study, Aboriginal brain injury coordinators engaged with patients during their hospital stays, providing both in-person and telephone support for up to six months. The study also delivered cultural training to hospital staff.

“Aboriginal Australians experience stroke and traumatic brain injury at significant rates and a culturally appropriate response to rehabilitation and recovery has been really lacking,” said chief investigator, Professor Beth Armstrong.

Before the Healing Right Way initiative, Aboriginal people who had experienced strokes communicated to Professor Armstrong’s team that their care experience could have been improved through increased cultural sensitivity. This included communication with healthcare providers and higher involvement of Aboriginal healthcare experts in their treatment.

“Healing Right Way was the direct result of these recommendations, and the Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinator role was developed. It is the first such role and nine Coordinators were employed across WA,” said Professor Armstrong.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinators Rebecca Clinch & Renee Speedy celebrating NAIDOC 2020 with colleagues at Neurological Council of WA. Image Source: National Indigenous Times.

kidney disease on the rise

Kidney disease is on the rise in Australia, with Kidney Health Australia reporting that two million people have kidney disease and 1.8 million are unaware they have the disease. The prevalence of kidney disease in Australia is one in ten, and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people it is one in five. Kidney Health Australia Clinical Director, Dr Karen Dwyer said underneath the statistics is a huge wave of people with less advanced kidney disease, who if left untreated may reach kidney failure.

Dr Dwyer said the high prevalence of kidney disease amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can be attributed to the impact of “the social determinants of health, such as access to health care, fresh healthy foods and education, lower birth weights and recurrent childhood infections play into a lot of long-term conditions.”

Indigenous Elder, Ronald Morgan said as well as receiving dialysis and the logistics of travel, his diagnosis has also had a large emotional toll.

“[receiving the diagnosis] was very disheartening to have that put on you, especially when you’re in the middle of all these good stuff, you got planned for your life, you know with kids and your wife, stiff like that,” he said.

Dr Dwyer pointed to the implementation Kidney Australia’s guidelines for Culturally Safe and Clinical Kidney Care for First Nations Australians to increase prevention. The guidelines recommend:

Addressing institutional racism and cultural safety.
Ensuring community and family involvement.
Improving access to transportation and accommodation.
Supporting and developing an Indigenous health workforce.
Screening for kidney disease and referring early for specialist treatment.
Promoting self-management through education and public awareness.
And exploring alternative models of care that meets the need of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Read the full article here.

Dr Janet Kelly and Nari Sinclair at the launch of Kidney Health Australia’s Guidelines to tackle kidney disease. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

NT GP shortage

According to the Menzies School of Health Research, just 14 people have enrolled in GP vocational training in the NT this year. It comes as the NT is suffering an 80% drop in new GPs in just seven years. A recent summit in Alice Springs saw Federal and local ministers, and stakeholders develop a plan where ‘no patients anywhere in the territory are left behind.’

The summit resulted in a seven-point plan aimed at increasing GP numbers through:

Tax relief incentives for GPs.
A ‘Portability of entitlement’ scheme allowing doctors to retain employment entitlements when changing locations.
A gradient for Aboriginal health salary support, recognizing remoteness through a higher rate.
A two-year structured training pathway in the territory for GPs in training.
An injection of funds for capital expenditure to upgrade existing housing and build new facilities.
Funding for international medical graduates who are not yet registerable as a GP in Australia to train in remote areas.
Recruiting up to 10 GPs in training from interstate to work in the NT.

BRAMS Wear It Purple.

Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (BRAMS) staff showed off their purple clothes to celebrate Wear It Purple Day on Friday 25 August, to raise awareness on LGBTIQA+ for young people in Australia. Staff participated in a questionnaire survey on questions around LGBTIQA+ and information sessions.

The aim of Wear It Purple is:

Awareness – We provide support and resources for Schools, Universities, Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSA’s) and Youth Organisations to assist them in creating inclusive experiences for rainbow young people. We act as a source of resources to support the effective delivery of Wear It Purple Day in Schools, Universities, workplaces, and the broader community.

Opportunity – We provide meaningful opportunities for rainbow young people to develop their skills, expand their network and contribute to the inclusivity of their communities.

Environment – We provide supportive and safe spaces (digital and physical) and contribute to a world where young rainbow people feel proud of who they are.

Collaboration – We collaborate and unite with other organisations to further the inclusion of rainbow young people. Through partnerships, we support the effective delivery of Wear It Purple Day in Schools, Universities, workplaces, and the broader community.

For more information about Wear it Purple Day click here.

An Australian Human Rights Commission article Brotherboys, Sistergirls and LGBT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, available here, describes how Brotherboys, Sistergirls and other LGBT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience a number of significant and intersecting points of discrimination and marginalisation in Australia.

BRAMS Staff Wear it Purple Day. Image source: BRAMS Facebook.

Sector Jobs

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

Aug 28 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: VAHS marks 50 years of saving lives

VAHS marks 50 years of saving lives
UQ student dental clinic making a difference
Kidney Health 4 Life effectiveness study
Just 3 in 10 kids had health check in 2021–22
Mental Health for Mob fills service gap
Emergency aeromedical evacuation training
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) premises on Nicholson Street, Fitzroy. The image appeared in an article by Bertrand Tungandame – VAHS celebrates 50 years making a difference and saving lives, published by NTIV Radio on 25 Auguste 2023.

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

VAHS marks 50 years of saving lives

The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) was set up in 1973 by Aunty Alma Thorpe, Uncle Bruce McGuiness and other Aboriginal community advocates as a place where Aboriginal people could access medical and social care in a time when racism and other barriers prevented Aboriginal people accessing care. Marking the 50th anniversary on August 18, 2023, VAHS Chairperson Tony McCartney reflected on the importance of the date in the history of not only Aboriginal health, but in the Aboriginal rights movement of Melbourne, Victoria, and Australia at the time.

“…VAHS is the oldest Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in Victoria, and second oldest in the country. Since its inception VAHS has been instrumental in self-determined Aboriginal health and wellbeing in Australia. Since starting from humble beginnings and with volunteers at the small shop front in Fitzroy to a place community members called a home away from home – we have grown into a service with sites across Fitzroy, Preston, Epping and expanding to St Albans in our 50th year,” Tony McCartney said.

Over the years VAHS has achieved many supports and firsts in Australia – including establishing the first Aboriginal dental clinic that travelled around Victoria and to border towns, the first Aboriginal women and children’s program and the country’s leading Aboriginal health worker education program Koori Kollij.

To read the VAHS media release VAHS celebrates five decades of making a difference and saving lives in full click here. You can also listen NITV Radio podcast of VAHS Chairperson Tony McCartner talking about the history of VAHS here.

UQ student dental clinic making a difference

Gavin Saltner, Wulli Wulli man is among more than 800 rural patients who attend a student-run dental clinic in SW Queensland each year. The UQ Dental Clinic — run by supervised fifth-year dental students — opened at Dalby 10 years ago, with another practice opening more recently at St George. Mr Saltner said having access to the clinic was important, with cost and travel time making dental treatment prohibitive for some Western Downs residents.

A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) earlier this year found that regional and remote populations had poorer oral health standards than those in the city. It also found that access to fewer dentists, longer travel times and limited transport options impacted the oral health care rural residents received. But the model of the dental clinics in SW Queensland has been deemed so successful it could be used elsewhere. The clinics are a partnership between the university and Indigenous organisation Goondir Health Services.

Goondir Health Services executive Shubham Weling said the unique co-location model and a student-led workforce had the potential to be replicated across a range of allied health fields. “We’re opening a clinic in Chinchilla as well and we want to advocate for this model out there,” Mr Weling said. He said placing the clinics’ treatment rooms within the Indigenous organisation’s building allowed for easy referrals to other services. “So you’ve got cross influence between GPs, dentists, as well as disability support workers for the one client,” Mr Weling said. “It improves the uptake of services and just overall health outcomes and family gain because it’s all interrelated.”

To view the ABC News article UQ free dental health clinic in Dalby improves Indigenous oral health outcomes in full click here.

ATSI man Gavin Saltner in in dental chair at UQ Dalby Dentral Clinic, Goodnir Aboriginal Health Services & Dental Clinic

Gavin Saltner is a regular patient at the UQ Dalby Dental Clinic. The clinic is embedded within the Goondir Health Services facility and treats about 800 Indigenous patients a year. Photo: Laura Cocks, ABC Southern Qld.

Kidney Health 4 Life effectiveness study

Newly diagnosed with kidney disease and want more support? Then Kidney Health 4 Life might be for you!!

This September, Kidney Health Australia is launching a research study to assess the effectiveness of Kidney Health 4 Life , a pilot program designed to help people with kidney disease to self-manage their condition. By participating in the study, you will have access to the program before it goes to the wider public, as well as helping to shape the future of kidney disease support.

You may be eligible for the study if you meet the following criteria:

Adults (18+ years) diagnosed with early to mid-stage CKD (Stages 1-4) within the past 12 months (from time of enrolment)
Adults (18+ years) who have commenced dialysis (both PD and HD) in the past 12 months (from time of enrolment)

Eligible participants will be assigned to either the program group or standard support group. This will help determine how effective the program is compared to Kidney Health Australia’s standard support. People assigned to the program group will have access to online modules covering topics such as diet and nutrition, disease management, exercise, and managing stress and sleep. Health coaching will also be offered.

People assigned to the standard support group will have access to Kidney Health Australia’s current services including Helpline and Kidney Buddy peer support program and extensive resources. The good news for those assigned to the standard support group is that they will have access to the full KH4L program once the study is complete

If you think you fit the eligibility criteria, you can submit an EOI form on the Kidney Health Australia website here. HURRY. Places are limited.

Just 3 in 10 kids had a health check in 2021–22

Just three in 10 First Nations children aged 0–14 years received a health check within the past year, according to new data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The AIHW report — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific primary health care: results from the OSR and nKPI collections, available here, contained data collected from more than 200 organisations.

A total of 586,000 First Nations patients were treated between 2021 and 2022, but only 30% of children had a formal health check in the previous 12 months, making target 4 of the Closing the Gap agreement’s socioeconomic outcome areas — which reads “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive in their early years” — seemingly further away than ever.

With regards to other preventive health measures, 45% of patients received an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessment and 47% received a risk assessment for heart disease in the last two years. 70% of patients aged 11 and over had their smoking status recorded in the past year, of which 53% reported quitting smoking or never smoking. Among First Nations patients assessed for CVD risk, 58% aged 35-74 with no known history of CVD reported a low absolute risk within the last two years, 35% were high risk and 7% had a moderate risk. 65% of First Nations patients with type two diabetes reported blood pressure results within recommended guidelines in the past six months, while more than half had a chronic disease management plan completed within the past two years.

To view the Health Services Daily article Just three in 10 First Nations kids had health check in past year in full click here.

Image source: QLD Government Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service webpage.

Mental Health for Mob fills service gap

Walgalu-Ngambri and Dharawal woman and Mental Health for Mob founder Kristen Franks has seen and heard a lot over the past decade working in the mental health sector. She has worked across towns in central west NSW and in Canberra and its surrounding regions and helped an array of people – from children, the young, schools and families to pregnant women, the suicidal or self-harming, those with behavioural disorders and in the criminal justice system.

“Throughout all this, I noticed that I was often the first Aboriginal mental health clinician an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person would see,” Kristen says. “It was incredibly difficult to hear this was the first time they’d felt culturally safe [and that] they’ve never felt heard or connected because there was no lived experience understanding.” A decade of hearing this message reached fever pitch in late 2021 when Kristen’s community and Elders supported her to meet this cultural need.

While Kristen never intended to make a profit from offering free mental health care, she soon found herself staring down the hard realities of starting a non-profit organisation. Insurance, registrations and finding a space for clients, to name a few. All while Kristen held down a full-time job and tried to begin to address an “overwhelming” community need. Over the following six months, crowdfunding and some modest grants transformed Mental Health for Mob from an Instagram page that shared mental health resources to a fully fledged mental health service.

You can read the Riotact article How Kristen turned an Instagram page into a culturally safe mental health service in less than six months in full here.

Kristen Franks established Mental Health for Mob. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Emergency aeromedical evacuation training

About 7 million of Australians (about 30%) live in rural and remote areas. People living in these areas have poorer health outcomes overall according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), and also have access to fewer primary, secondary and tertiary health services. Potentially preventable hospitalisations are twice as high as for those in metropolitan and regional areas. A 2023 Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) report found that Australians in rural and remote settings are at substantially higher risk of heart, stroke and vascular disease (accounting for a quarter of all RFDS missions), and the health services are not always there to support them.

A new agreement between CareFlight and Charles Darwin University (CDU) will give health students the opportunity to work in the Top End with emergency aeromedical retrieval teams on flights. The agreement creates clinical placements for future medical students at the CDU Menzies School of Medicine. The university will apply for 40 of 80 places in the Australian Government’s $114.2m Increasing Rural Medical Training Grant Opportunity to support the placements.

Ms Quinn is excited about the CDU partnership. “It is something we have wanted to do for years,” Ms Quinn said. “It is really important for building our workforce for the future. Our patients are some of the most disadvantaged in Australia; they have complex medical problems and disease processes. Students will see what it’s like to be an independent practitioner. It’s not just the medicine – it’s about logistics and making quick decisions,” Ms Quinn said, who added it was a privilege to work in those remote locations.

To view the InSight+ article Tyranny of distance: emergency aeromedical retrieval in outback Australia in full click here.

CareFlight van, plane, patient on gurney, 3 medical professionals

CareFlight treats and transports patients needing specialist care. Photo: CareFlight NT. Image source: InSight+.

Sector Jobs

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

Aug 18 2023

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

Local solutions vital for sustainable healthcare
Voice necessary to close the gap
Mob must be central to LGBTQIA+ plans and policy
Lowitja Institute on health and climate strategy
Understanding everyday racism
Too Deadly for Diabetes funding boost
Sector Jobs

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.

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.

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.

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.

Aug 17 2023

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Plans to end violence against women and children

Plans to end violence against women and children
Healthcare AI requires robust rules
Trial could revolutionise medicine safety
Yolngu mental health tool unveiled
Deadly Runners visit Mutitjulu community
2023 Medical Training Survey now open
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of the cover of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act Plan 2023–2025 from the article The government has released its action plans to end violence against women and children. Will they be enough? published in The Conversation yesterday, Wednesday, 16 August 2023.

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

Plans to end violence against women and children

Yesterday, 16 August 2023, the Australian government released the First Action Plan 2023–2027 and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032. These long-awaited plans detail what the Commonwealth, state and territory governments have agreed to do to progress their ambitious target to eliminate domestic, family and sexual violence.

In the first 32 weeks of 2023 alone, 44 women have been killed allegedly by violence. These action plans come at a critical time when advocates, academics and practitioners have been calling for more funding and clearer actions to counter domestic, family and sexual violence.

The action plans set out the national and state-based commitments across prevention, early intervention, response, recovery and healing. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan, available here, is the first dedicated plan to address violence against women and children in First Nations communities. It was developed with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council and in consultation with First Nations communities. It provides a road map for addressing the disproportionately high rates of violence First Nations women and children experience.

To view The Conversation article The government has released its action plans to end violence against women and children. Will they be enough? in full click here.

Minister Linda Burney at lectern at release of the ATSI Action Plan 2023-2025

Minister Linda Burney at the release of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan. Image source: The Conversation.

Healthcare AI requires robust rules

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says medical care delivered by human beings should never be replaced with Artificial Intelligence (AI), but AI technology can potentially achieve improved healthcare. The AMA’s first Position Statement on the use of AI in healthcare outlines a set of ethical and regulatory principles based on safety and equity which should be applied to the application of AI technologies in healthcare. The position statement covers the development and implementation of AI in healthcare and supports regulation which protects patients, consumers, healthcare professionals and their data.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said with appropriate policies and protocols in place, AI can assist in the delivery of improved healthcare, advancing our healthcare system, and the health of all Australians, “The AMA sees great potential for AI to assist in diagnosis, for example, or recommending treatments and at transitions of care, but a medical practitioner must always be ultimately responsible for decisions and communication with their patients. There’s no doubt we are on the cusp of big changes AI can bring to the sector and this will require robust governance and regulation which is appropriate to the healthcare setting and engenders trust in the system.”

“Decisions about healthcare are the bedrock of the doctor-patient relationship and these will never be replaced by AI but AI can assist and supplement this work. We need to get ahead of any unforeseen consequences for patient safety, quality of care and privacy across the profession. The AMA’s position statement shows doctors are engaging with this rapidly evolving field and laying down some guiding principles. If we can get the settings right, so that AI serves the healthcare needs of patients and the wider community, we think it can enable healthcare that is safe, high quality and patient centred”, Professor Robson said.

You can read the AMA’s media release AI can improve healthcare for Australians, but with robust rules in place here and the AMA’s Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Position Statement here.

graphic of blue brain made up of triangles overlaid with letters, numbers & dot to dot pathways

Image source: AMA AI in Healthcare webpage.

Trial could revolutionise medicine safety

Rather than managing adverse events after the fact, a new data-powered system has been designed to proactively tackle medicine-related problems before they arise. The Activating pharmacists to reduce medication related problems (ACTMed) stepped wedge trial – co-led by University of Queensland’s Professor Lisa Nissen FPS and Dr Jean Spinks – is set to launch across 42 Queensland-based primary care practices next month, following a successful 6-month pilot at three sites. The pharmacist-led quality improvement initiative uses an interactive real-time dashboard to alert pharmacists embedded in GP practices about potential medicine safety risks. “It’s a really positive way for pharmacists and GPs to collaborate, and for pharmacists to apply their clinical knowledge in a meaningful way,” Dr Spinks.

When a GP practice closes its doors for the night, the ACTMed system gets to work. A data-extraction tool works in conjunction with decision-support software to run patient records through a set of algorithms. When anyone meets certain criteria flagged in the algorithm, their information comes up into a dashboard for pharmacists to triage, said Dr Spinks. It’s up to the pharmacist to triage the appropriateness of recommendations so GPs are left with a refined list of patients with potentially pressing problems.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients have higher hospitalisation, morbidity and mortality rates than non-Indigenous Australians, so systems that proactively identify potential medicine-related problems can be hugely beneficial. Amanda Sanburg, a pharmacist who works across two ACCHOs, for example, identified several patients with an atrial fibrillation diagnosis through the ACTMed pilot who weren’t taking an oral anticoagulant. The ACTMed system is complementary to the broader ACCHO pharmacist activities including Integrating Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to Improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC Project) trialled in 22 ACCHOs in 2020.

To read the Australian Pharmacist article The trial that could revolutionise medicine safety in full click here.

Yolngu mental health tool unveiled

Gundirr, a new mental health tool was recently introduced during the NT’s Garma Festival. It aims to empower mental health service providers, aiding Yolngu patients in adopting patient-centered strategies, encompassing culturally sensitive and informed practices. Crafted through a partnership involving researchers from Charles Darwin University (CDU), the Yothu Yindi Foundation, and Yolngu Traditional Owners, a website and app will supply mental health experts and patients with user-friendly materials.

These resources aim to dismantle cultural and linguistic obstacles frequently encountered while operating in the remote East Arnhem region. The Yolngu community’s involvement in crafting these tools also involved the naming process. The website and app were named “Gundirr” by local Yolngu Elder Djapirri Mununjjurritj. She explained the name is derived from termite mounds, symbolising the depth and complexity of relationships. “You have to dig deeper to understand our people and have a holistic view, we must find that sweet spot of where relationships are formed and connections are made,” Ms Mununjjurritj said.

CDU Alumni and contributor Holly Supple-Gurruwiwi described the new resource as a true collaboration of two-way learning, that will change the experience for Yolngu people who access the mental health system. “This resource is a powerful tool that will help people work together to form relationships so they can connect and understand their mental health journey,” Ms Supple-Gurruwiwi said. “By using examples of lived experience, recognisable people and different age groups we hope that it can create the change we need to see in our communities and improve Yolgnu people’s engagement with mental health treatments and prolong practitioners time working remote.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Yolngu mental health tool unveiled at Garma Festival in full click here.

2 Charles Darwin Uni non-Indigenous men & 1 ATSI woman each holding iPhones showing mental health app, Gundirr

Launch of new mental health app, Gundirr. Image source: Garma Festival Facebook page 6 August 2023.

Deadly Runners visit Mutitjulu community

The Deadly Runners program is a 100% Indigenous owned and operated community focused running initiative, which since its conception in 2014, is rapidly growing with numbers and support among First Nations communities. This life changing, transformational program is an inclusive community, seeing runners as young as four and up to 68 years of age participating on a regular basis. The driving force behind the Deadly Runners program is accomplished marathon runner and former Canberra-Queanbeyan local hero who is now based in Narooma, Georgia Weir.

The Deadly Runners program already has extensive support from Indigenous communities, with the business establishing new partnerships with Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) and Tali Katu Program, Karunpa Kunpu. Through these partnerships, they are now launching the first ever Deadly Runners: Connect, Culture, Community Program (DRCCC) at Uluru. The DRCCC program will take 12 outstanding Indigenous women who have become leaders and role models within their respected communities to Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Country, where they will become immersed in culture, whilst undertaking nationally accredited training in Mental Health First Aid and fitness.

Ms Weir said the original concept behind the program was to train leaders in each group so participants who demonstrated an eagerness to upskill were given an opportunity to learn and gain running qualifications. However, when you become a leader within a community, you then become a safe person and people can open up and share personal matters and existing trauma. “That’s where the idea of the Mental Health First Aid came in, just making sure that people who were leading these groups, were equipped with all aspects of it,” Ms Weir said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Deadly Runners set to participate in empowerment program during six-day Uluru camp in full click here.

Deadly Runners creator Georgia Weir with river & city in background

Deadly Runners creator Georgia Weir. Photo: Jess Whaler. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

2023 Medical Training Survey now open

The Medical Training Survey (MTS), run by the Medical Board of Australia and Aphra, is a longitudinal study that tracks the quality of medical training over time. MTS data from past years is being used across the health sector to drive improvements in medical training. As comparison are important, survey questions are consistent year on year and each year the format and layout is streamlined to make the MTS quicker and easier to do. After three years, the questions about the pandemic are being retired and the 2023 MTS is asking more about flexible working and training arrangements.

Evidence links flexible work and training with a boost to equal opportunity, increase in workforce diversity and high-quality patient care and medical training. Given the serious challenges MTS results have exposed in the culture of medicine, there is a need to generate data that can be used in future to support positive cultural change. Medical Board of Australia Chair, Dr Anne Tonkin AO, urged doctors in training to do the MTS and use their voice to keep improving training, “You can pay it forward to future trainees – just by doing the 2023 MTS and sharing your feedback about training.”

MTS results are collated, published online and can be accessed by anyone. There are strict controls in place to assure the privacy of doctors in training. They form a robust evidence base being used by educators, employers and other health sector agencies to continuously improve training. Case studies showing how MTS results are being used to improve training are published on the MTS website and are available here.

You can find more information about the MTS on the Ahpra & National Boards website here including a link to the survey.

Sector Jobs

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

Aug 9 2023

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

Safe water for remote NT mob finally possible
SEWB gathering focused on Culture First
Strengthening communities for future generations
Remarkable COVID-19 outcome for remote population
Lack of access exacerbates youth mental health
Sector Jobs
Key Date – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – 9 August 2023

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.

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.

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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.

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