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

Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes
Purpose built AMS planned for Brewarrina
CTG Report – no joy in “I told you so”
National Cervical Screening Program update
FASD Communications and Engagement Grants
Sector Jobs
Key Dates – National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day – 4 August 2023; World Breastfeeding Week – 1–7 August 2023

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

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

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

Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes

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

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

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

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

health workers in PPE in Indigenous community

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

Purpose built AMS planned for Brewarinna

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

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

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

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

external view of Brewarrina Aboriginal Health Service Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image source: Pearls and Irritations.

National Cervical Screening Program update

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

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

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

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

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

FASD Communications and Engagement grants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

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

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

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

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

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

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

World Breastfeeding Week – 1–7 August 2023

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

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

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

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

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Have your say on diabetes in Australia

Have your say on diabetes in Australia
Pat Turner to speak on Closing the Gap at University of Canberra
Calls to ignore scare campaign over 60-day prescribing reforms
Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara youth speak up for each other
Making decisions about a child in care
Deadly start to providing culturally safe care
Sector Jobs

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

Have your say on diabetes in Australia

NACCHO is making a submission to the parliamentary committee inquiry into diabetes in Australia and wants to hear from member services. Across three webinars (Monday 7 August, Tuesday 8 August, and Friday 11 August) NACCHO members are invited to have their say on how they work with local community around diabetes diagnosis, support, and management; Including what works for their communities, and what resources are needed to better support Community.

The inquiry follows a referral on May 24 from the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler and is investigating the cause of diabetes in Australia, risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, management, and the effectiveness of current Australian Government policies and programs surrounding the disease.

Written submissions closing on Thursday 31 August.

There are three opportunities to contribute. Registration links are below:

Webinar 1 Monday 7 August.
Webinar 2 Tuesday 8 August.
Webinar 3 Friday 11 August.

Pat Turner to speak on Closing the Gap at University of Canberra

NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner will speak at the University of Canberra (UC) Thursday August 10 on Closing the Gap, in a series of public lectures on the Voice to Parliament. It comes as UC launches a Virtual Freedom Ride paying tribute to 1965 student activism in the lead up to the 1967 referendum. Ahead of the 2023 referendum the university has created its own Freedom Ride in digital form. Pro Vice-Chancellor of Indigenous Leadership, Professor Maree Meredith said it’s a platform for students and staff to access important information about the Voice to Parliament.

“The Virtual Freedom Ride honours the work that was done back in the ‘60s and it was those students that were really critical to build that awareness. This is why we are making sure that the students have a role,” said Professor Meredith.

Professor Meredith said the lectures and the Virtual Freedom Ride would help counter misinformation surrounding the Voice.

“As a civic institution, that’s our role. It’s to promote the debate but with facts and with evidence. That’s the role of universities,” she said.

Find the Virtual Freedom Ride here and the full Canberra Times article here.

The freedom ride bus outside Hotel Boggabilla in 1965. Image source: The Canberra Times.

Calls to ignore scare campaign over 60-day prescribing reforms

NACCHO, CHF, RACGP and the AMA have joined together to call on the Opposition and the Greens to support 60-day scripts to save patients money and time, and free up GPs for other patients. The 60 Day Dispensing reform is due to commence on 1 September, however, a “scare campaign” over the past several months to stop the changes has triggered concerns that the Opposition and The Greens will try to block the reform in the Senate with a disallowance motion.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said, “I’m calling on Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and The Greens to put Australians first and rule out a disallowance. 60-day dispensing is in patients’ best interests – it will save around 6 million people money and time, and free up GP consults for other patients.”

Health Minister, Mark Butler also urged the Coalition to reconsider its opposition to the introduction of 60-day scripts. The Minister said 30-day scripts makes “no sense for people who are on the same medicine, year in year out, decade in decade out, sometime for the rest of their lives.”

Read NACCHO’s June media release here and the RACGP media release here.

You can also read the Croakey Health Media article in full here.

Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara youth speak up for each other

Friday 4 August marks National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. Ahead of the day to celebrate and stand up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, a group of young people from Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands met with the National Children’s Commissioner last week to discuss the needs of young people “to keep them out of trouble.”

NPY Women’s Council said the group spoke with the Commissioner about the underlying factors causing young people to “muck up”, which included social media fueling negative stereotypes, racism, negative relationships with law enforcement, and difficult home lives.

Making suggestions on what’s needed to better support the young Community, they discussed the importance of meaningful and purposeful engagement. One young person said, “getting to keep language and culture and learn at school – having both – makes people happy,”

Another talked about the importance of family and culture, “Family can help show us the right way… Nana’s, older cousins, Elders…family is comforting.”

The Children’s Commissioner will be travelling around Australia to talk to young people and will create a report to government.

Read more here.

Image source: NPY Women’s Council.

Making decisions about a child in care

WA’s Department of Communities has created a decision-making guide to support foster and family carers. Who can say OK in WA was developed in consultation with ACCHOs and community service organisations to support decision-making about children in care. It will be a resource for foster and family carers who are frequently presented with everyday decisions that all families make about children and young people. It is designed to make carers feel confident about which decisions they can make, so that childhood experiences for children in care are as normalised as possible.

It includes guidance on identity and culture, helping carers honour, respect, and maintain the child’s birth family’s culture. As well as advice on decisions for household rules and discipline, education, physical and mental health, sexuality and gender diversity.

Learn more here.

Who can say OK in WA resource

Deadly start to providing culturally safe care

A new school-based traineeship program is helping build Townsville University Hospital’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce. The Deadly Start program provides year 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with 12-months workplace experience within the hospital and a Certificate III in Health Service Assistance or Allied Health Assistance. Pimlico High School student Bevan Kepa said the course helped him find a path to a career in healthcare.

“It’s been really helpful because I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do after school…”

“It’s important for me to go down this path so we can have more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in the health industry,” he said.

The program comes alongside the University Hospital’s Reconciliation Action Plan, to have greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workplace representation, which reflects the region’s population. Workforce programs co-ordinator, Alisha Kyle said programs like Deadly Start help to improve cultural safety, “by having a workforce that represents our First Nations consumers, we are improving access to healthcare for our mob, and ultimately improving their health outcomes.”

Read more here.

Pimlico High School student Bevan Kepa. Image source: Townsville Bulletin.

Sector Jobs

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

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Every government needs to lift its game

Every government needs to lift its game
Water access in Yuendemu and Milingimbi
Derbarl Yerrigan leading the way in holistic primary care
Calls for Indigenous-led education system
Sector Jobs

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

Every government needs to lift its game

Earlier this week the Productivity Commission released a review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The review indicates that Governments have failed to properly share decision-making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to accelerate Closing the Gap, accountability is limited, and progress is falling short. NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner sat down on ABC’s The Drum last night. When asked if she was surprised about the Productivity Commission’s findings Pat said she has met with all levels of government throughout the year, “and I’ve made it very clear that progress has been very patchy, and it has been inconsistent, and every government needs to lift its game.”

“The fundamental issue in this country is the level on inequality between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians, and we must fix that now,” Ms Turner said.

Ms Turner said where there have been pockets of reform, it is where ACCOs “have had some agency in those circumstances to negotiate a better approach and resources, and actually delivery the services.”

“They do it much better and we need this to happen on a much broader scale,” Ms Turner said.

Ms Turner went on to say that the report by the Productivity Commission is timely and a “wake-up call” for what she’s been discussing with governments all year and will continue to do so.

“They have all acknowledged, with hand on heart, that they are lagging, and they need to improve their game.”

“I think there is a bit of a block when it comes to them understanding exactly how much the unmet needs, that have existed for so many decades, are going to cost.”

Watch the full The Drum interview on ABC IView here.

Water access in Yuendemu and Milingimbi

Tens of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 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. Part of the Federal Government’s $150 million fund to Close the Gap on First Nations Water Security, $17.5 million will fund two projects in the NT, alongside $9.1 million from the NT Government.

In Yuendemu there will be 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. There will also be three projects in Milingimbi to improve access and reliability of water supply in East Arnhem Land.

Environment and Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek said, “In a country like Australia, here are things that most of us take for granted. Like when we turn the tap on at home, safe drinking water will come out.”

“But for more than 25,000 people in remote Australia, that isn’t the case. These Australians live in places without access to water that meets basic health guidelines. And another 600,000 people live in places without access to water that meets recognised standards – relying on water that’s murky, or contains unsafe levels of minerals, heavy metals and chemicals.”

“This level of deprivation is unacceptable. It makes Australians sick, and it holds them back in life. Our government is committed to changing this,” said Minister Plibersek.

Construction will commence in the 2023 Northern Territory 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.

Read more here.

Image Source: ABC News.

Derbarl Yerrigan leading the way in holistic primary care

Leaders from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) will meet with local GPs and practice teams, including Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal Health Services to discuss WA rural workforce concerns. RACGP President, Dr Nicle Higgins said she’s looking forward to visiting Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal Health Services and “meeting with the incredible team there which provides culturally secure primary care, mental health and dental services for Aboriginal families living across Perth.”

“Derbarl Yerrigan are a wonderful example of holistic primary care, and we can learn a lot from them,” she said.

Access to holistic primary care in WA is a top concern for rural communities, said RACGP WA Chair, Dr Ramya Raman.

“People living in rural communities have lower life expectancies and worse health outcomes than those in Australia’s major metropolitan cities.”

“Rural communities need a strong, sustainable primary care system, where GPs are supported to work in multidisciplinary teams with allied health professionals, nurse practitioners and pharmacists,” Dr Ramya said.

Read more here.

Calls for Indigenous-led education system

A new report by Indigenous leaders has called on governments to overhaul the way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are educated. The MK Turner report makes the case for an Indigenous-led education system that priorities Indigenous language and culture. It comes as school attendance rates in NT continue to fall in urban and remote areas and several national Closing the Gap education targets are unlikely to be met.

Board member at Children’s Ground and contributor to the MK Turner Report Joanne Willmot said the education system would require significant reforms in order for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to excel in the classroom.

“Education of our children is everyone’s business.”

“Children who grow into healthy, engaging, articulate and eloquent human beings contribute better, so why wouldn’t you want to use that as an investment to create better societies?” said Ms Willmot.

Learning in-language is only “part of the equation” for better engaging children in school, Ms Willmot said.

“It is about how do we do it in our way. And we’re supported in ensuring that our children get to be able to work and walk in both worlds,” she said.

Gavin Morris, Principal at Yipirinya School in Alice Springs, which teaches four Aboriginal languages and English, said enrollment has tripled in the past two years through working with student’ families and communities. However, across the education system Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are not being represented.

“Unless you’ve got a First Nations curriculum, which is led by First Nations people. Which has come from community and taught by First Nations educators, then this conversation around attendance and enrolment just won’t change,” said Mr Morris.

Read the ABC article in full here.

Image source: ABC Alice Springs: Lara Stimpson.

Sector Jobs

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

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Structural reform needed to CTG

Structural reform needed to CTG
WAMS launches Freedom Rides Memorial Park and website
Financial barriers to sight-saving treatment
ACCHO to deliver healthcare in justice centre
New research to look at dietary practices
Mob contribute to National Health and Climate Strategy
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from am article More to be done on closing gap for Indigenous wellbeing published in The Canberra Times on 8 March 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.

Structural reform needed to CTG

The Productivity Commission’s third Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report shows only four of the 19 targets are on track, while four have deteriorated. “Four targets are getting worse – this is not acceptable. More of the same isn’t good enough, we have to do better. A Voice to Parliament will help to close the Gap, because we know that listening to communities leads to better outcomes that improve people’s lives,” said Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney. Similarly, Coalition of Peaks lead convenor [and NACCHO CEO] Patricia Turner said that “When structural and systemic change is made, there will naturally be a positive effect on the trajectory of the Closing the Gap targets.”

Encouragingly the latest report shows the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 25–64 who are employed is improving and on track. There has been a 30% reduction in the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (10–17 years) in detention, while preschool enrolments have improved. Land subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s legal rights or interests also remains on track.

However the data shows a slide in the number of children developmentally on track, increased numbers of children in out-of-home care, increased adult incarceration rates and an alarming rise from baseline in suicide. Peak body for Indigenous Children SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said the gap was becoming a chasm for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. “More and more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are being removed from families and put into out-of-home care. Fewer children are developmentally on track when starting school. Where we are seeing progress it’s encouraging but it’s not happening at the scale required for genuine reform. Australia needs to do things differently if Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are going to have a brighter future.”

To view the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal (ANMJ) article Voice to Parliament the structural reform needed to Closing the Gap in full click here.

WAMS launches Freedom Rides Memorial and website

The Freedom Riders arrived in Walgett on 15 February 1965. They protested outside the Walgett RSL Club because they had been told the club was refusing to admit Indigenous ex-servicemen. After their protest their bus was run off the road by a car driven by an unidentified person. This event led to Walgett, the Freedom Riders and the plight of Indigenous Australians in rural NSW getting national and international media attention. Little of the history of the Freedom Rides however was publicly recorded or known from the perspective of local Aboriginal people from Walgett, who both themselves and their ancestors took part in this significant event in history.

On Monday this week (17 July 2023) the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service (WAMS) launched the Freedom Ride Memorial Park and Freedom Rides to Walgett website. The Remembering the Freedom Ride to Walgett project was initiated by WAMS Chairperson Mary Purse, the daughter of the late Harry Hall who was a primary leader, along with the late Charles Perkins (AO). The project includes history and archival research to tell the story of the Freedom Rides and its surrounding events from the perspective of the local Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay people. It is being led by Mary Purse, assisted by Christine Corby OAM, the CEO of WAMS. WAMS has been collaborating on this project with a historian from Nura Gili, University of NSW to research the history through participation of local community members and their families who took part in these events.

The project began with WAMS securing state government funding to develop an artwork to commemorate the Freedom Ride to Walgett to be displayed in a park in Walgett. The display’s focus is on Walgett’s association with the Freedom Ride, identifying significant local Aboriginal people who had a key role in the demonstrations and events specific to the town.

To access the Freedom Rides to Walgett website click here.

WAMS staff in front of Freedom Rides to Walgett 1965 Memorial Park sign, 17.7.23

WAMS staff at the launch of Freedom Rides Memorial Park. Image source: WAMS.

Financial barriers to sight-saving treatment

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are ending up with avoidable blindness because of the high out-of-pocket costs of sight-saving treatments, according to Dr Guy Gillor, Lose (Rose) Fonua and Associate Professor Mitchell Anjou. As well, the most common treatment for diabetic retinopathy, an intravitreal injection, is challenging to access, as it involves multiple and regular treatments, predominantly in private ophthalmology clinics. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the three conditions that contribute most to avoidable blindness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Gillor, Fonua and Anjou from the Indigenous Eye Health Unit (IEHI) at the University of Melbourne, say “Without a public or no-cost option, these fees mean the difference between retaining one’s vision, and losing it.” In the absence of such a solution, the IEHU has developed a new information sheet – Diabetic Retiopathy Treatment and Cost in Private Practice, available here, to support patients and healthcare teams in negotiating access for intravitreal injection treatment with private ophthalmology clinics.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Financial barriers to sight-saving treatment are leading to avoidable blindness in full click here.

Image source: AHCSA website.

ACCHO to deliver healthcare in youth justice centre

Barwon Health has been commissioned to deliver healthcare services to young people at the new Cherry Creek Youth Justice Centre, just outside of Little River, a town approximately 44kms SW of Melbourne. To open next month, the $419m facility is funded and managed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety and will accommodate young men aged 15–17 who are sentenced or on remand.

Barwon Health public health and primary care co-director Deborah Kay said the regional health service’s vision for Cherry Creek was to offer a range of comprehensive culturally safe services tailored to the needs of the young people in the facility. “We will work with the young people to build knowledge, health literacy, resilience and trusted relationships while preserving dignity and enhancing health outcomes. We know that young people need to be engaged and empowered to understand their own health needs and treatment options.”

Barwon Health will partner with Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative to ensure safe and high-quality care is provided. Ms Kay said it was important to establish a safe, appropriate and sustainable service that was culturally safe for young people from a range of backgrounds.

To view the Geelong Times article Barwon Health to provide services at Cherry Creek in full click here.

exterior of Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct

The Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct will accommodate young men aged 15 to 17 who are sentenced or on remand. Image source: Geelong Times.

New research to look at dietary practices

Victoria University (VU) researchers have received a VicHealth $230,000 grant to investigate Aboriginal Australian dietary practices and place-making in public health equity. The two-year project, led by Dr Kristina Vingrys together with VU’s Indigenous Academic Unit Moondani Balluk, hopes to uncover ancestral Aboriginal knowledge about the ‘deadly tucker’ and Aboriginal food practices that can be used by the Aboriginal community today. “The project aims to support Aboriginal people and Country, to strengthen social and emotional wellbeing, inter-cultural understanding, skills and knowledge to support sustainable, healthy food systems, and reduce health inequities currently experienced by Aboriginal Australians in Victoria,” Dr Vingrys said.

The multidisciplinary project will involve Aboriginal community and researchers, with research expertise also from dietitians, community psychology, sociology and ecology teams. “We hope to also gather information through lived experiences – we want to uncover the lost knowledge about traditional foods that were grown in the Kulin Nation and the practices around growing, harvesting and preparing them” Dr Vingrys explained. “We are also really interested in identifying the potential nutritional benefits that might have been prescribed to those consuming these foods.”

Moondani Balluk Executive Director Karen Jackson said: “Once the knowledge has been gathered, it will be protected and used by and for the local Aboriginal community for cultural healing and place-making to support their social and emotional wellbeing.”

To view the University of Victoria article VicHealth funding for new research looking at Aboreiginal Australian dietary practies and place-making in full click here.

Pelargonium – a tuberous root plant that was used by Aboriginal people. Image source: Victoria University News webpage.

Mob contribute to health and climate strategy

The Australian Government is engaging with First Nations leaders as it develops Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy. Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney MP is holding a roundtable today with First Nations peak bodies and representatives from across Australia. The Strategy will provide a plan of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the health system and better prepare the sector for the challenges presented by climate change, including threats specific to the health and wellbeing of First Nations people.

Climate change threatens to disrupt connections to Country, further limit access to safe drinking water and increase the difficulty in accessing appropriate housing, infrastructure and health services. Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and expertise in the strategy will strengthen climate adaptation and mitigation planning. Co-designing the strategy in partnership with First Nations peoples across the country is essential to its successful development and implementation.

Minister Kearney said “The World Health Organisation has described climate change as the greatest threat to public health in the 21st century. First Nations people already face inequality in health outcomes, and these will only be exacerbated by climate change – it is critical we hear from First Nations people as we develop this strategy.”

To view the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Ged Kearney MP’s media release First Nations voices input to National Health and Climate Strategy in full click here. In the below video residents of Poruma (Coconut) Island, a low-lying coral cay in the Central Islands group of the Torres Strait, calling for urgent action to help protect their island from the coastal flooding and erosion linked to climate change.

Sector Jobs

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

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Meaningful steps needed to reduce poverty

Meaningful steps needed to reduce poverty
BRAMS CEO wins 40under40 Award
First Nations women to speak at historic forum
Push to reduce stigma around FASD
National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030 launch
Scathing report over Doomadgee woman’s death
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from What is poverty? webpage of The Smith Family website.

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

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

Meaningful steps needed to reduce poverty

If the Federal Government does not take meaningful steps to reduce poverty in Australia, then the impact and value of its investment in health reform and suicide prevention will be greatly undermined. That is a clear inference from the interim report, available here, of a Senate inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia, whose release last week was perfectly timed to influence debate around the Federal Budget.

The inquiry considered submissions from many health and medical organisations including the NACCHO and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations, cohealth, National Rural Health Alliance, Public Health Association of Australia, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

The report illustrates many ways that poverty undermines physical and mental health and wellbeing, including through its impact on the determinants of health and access to healthcare. People are missing healthcare appointments and not accessing essential medicines, unable to afford healthy foods, and experiencing chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality as a result of poverty, the report found. Children’s physical health and development is being affected, as are family relationships.

A Salvation Army spokesman told the inquiry that “the best clinical care in the world won’t make a difference if you’re sending them out to sleep in their car afterwards”. Lifeline Australia told the inquiry that socioeconomic status has reliably been identified as a factor which impacts suicide risk. It noted that over the past decade, age-standardised suicide rates in Australia were highest for those living in the lowest socioeconomic areas.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Will the Federal Budget deliver for these key health issues? in full click here.

exterior of poor conditions of remote housing

Overcrowding in remote housing is regarded as a primary cause of rheumatic heart disease. Photo: Lucy Marks. Image source: ABC News.

BRAMS CEO wins 40under40 Award

Last Friday night at a gala dinner at Crown Perth, Cassie Atchison, CEO of Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (BRAMS) was announced a winner in this year’s Business News Annual 40under40 Awards for her outstanding work in WA.

Business News senior journalist and chief judge Mark Pownall said, “Judges were looking for the entrepreneurs, the people who were willing to take a risk rather than follow the safe path, those who have stepped outside their comfort zone.”

Pat Turner, CEO of NACCHO was very proud to attend the event and said, “It was so good to see one of the CEOs from our sector receive such a prestigious award.”

Mitchell Matera, managing director of Maali Group, was announced as First Amongst Equals at the 40under40 Awards for 2023, taking the top spot ahead of a varied cohort of WA’s young business and community leaders. The proud Noongar man also won the Indigenous Business Category for his electrical, mechanical and civil contracting company, Maali Group. Mr Matera said “As a young Aboriginal apprentice, I saw that while some resource sector companies celebrated diversity, there was no real on-site support or sustainable career pathways for Indigenous apprentices. Unable to find businesses genuinely committed to employment, upskilling and career diversity for Indigenous people in the sector, I started one myself.”

View the Business News article Matera wins first place at 40u40 awards.

Cassie Atchinson, CEO BRAMS, holding 40under40 award & group photo including NACCHO CEO Pat Turner & Cassie Atchinson

40under40 award winner Cassie Atchinson, CEO BRAMS and NACCHO CEO Pat Turner (second from left in group photo) joining in the celebrations. Images from Business News.

First Nations women to speak at historic forum

150 young First Nations women will gather in Canberra tomorrow to help set an agenda for change in relation to the rights, health, safety, wellbeing and prosperity of young Indigenous women and girls. The Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) Youth Forum is a precursor to the landmark Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit (9–11 May), Australia’s most significant gathering ever of First Nations women which will be attended by over 900 women from across Australia (90% First Nations women). The 150 young First Nations women attending the Forum will also attend the Summit.

The Forum and the Summit are designed to help First Nations women and girls reshape many of the policies and programs which impact on their lives and the lives of their families and communities. The Summit is designed for First Nations women to speak on their own terms to government, policymakers and service providers about addressing issues affecting First Nations women and girls. The Summit is the climax of the five-year Wiyi Yani U Thangani systemic change project led by the Commission’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO. Leading First Nations women’s rights advocate Michelle Deshong is co-hosting the Summit.

Commissioner Oscar said: “These young women are the next generation of First Nations female leaders. Indeed, many of them are already providing vital leadership across their communities and countries. “Around half of all First Nations people are under 25 years of age so it’s very important that we engage productively and respectfully with our young people and ensure their voices are heard and acted on.”

To view the Australian Human Rights Commission article Young First Nations women to raise their voices at historic forum in full click here.

Push to reduce stigma around FASD

As a little boy, Jazpa Pinnell was so hyperactive he’d run up and down the balconies at school, was unable to concentrate in class, and his meltdowns were so bad friends and family would tell his mum he needed a “belting”. “I was thinking I was a bad parent,” mum Sam Pinnell said. But her fears were allayed, and the Queensland teenager’s life changed for the better at age seven when he was diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). These days, with help from psychologists, physiotherapy, occupational therapy – and an understanding of his diagnosis – the Year 11 student is described as well-mannered and respectful.

Jazpa was one of the first children diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder at the Gold Coast University Hospital’s FASD clinic, Queensland’s first dedicated clinic for the condition, which opened in 2014. It remains one of the few clinics in Australia. Ms Pinnell is Jazpa’s biological aunt and the woman he calls mum, having cared for him since birth. “So many times they’re put into the too-hard basket or they’re expelled, they’re suspended, because the teachers do not understand that they’re not naughty, they’re not playing up, they’re just struggling to learn,” said Ms Pinnell, who founded a FASD support group. The group has a “no blame, no shame and no judging” motto.

Gold Coast FASD clinic director Doug Shelton said the issue was one for society to address, not just individual women, particularly given Australia’s drinking culture. Dr Shelton, a paediatrician, said the recommendation was for women to drink no alcohol during pregnancy to avoid FASD, but acknowledged about half of pregnancies were not planned. “If you had a precisely badly timed binge in the first few weeks of pregnancy, even if that was just one binge, and there was nothing else, that could be sufficient to cause lifelong problems with that baby,” he said. People with the disorder can also experience problems in school, getting a job, with relationships and some come into contact with the justice system.

To view the ABC News article Gold Coast family push to reduce stigma around foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in full click here.

woman's hands resting on top & base of pregnant belly

The exact number of FASD cases in Australian is unknown. Photo: Tracy Nearmy, AAP. Image source: ABC News.

National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030 launch

Among all the talk last week about a crackdown on vaping – the most significant robacco control reforms in a decade – has been the roll-out of another major document – the launch of the National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030, available here. A key priority of the strategy is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking and Closing the Gap. The Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) program would be extended and widened – with $141m funding – to reduce both vaping and smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is urgently needed – tobacco legally kills over 57 Australians a day. That’s equivalent to extinguishing an entire country town of 21,000 every year.

It’s still the single biggest preventable risk factor for disease and premature death. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, more than a third of all deaths are caused by tobacco. Over the past decade we have lost more than 10,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives due to smoking. Multiple policy failures beyond health – from poverty, education, employment, housing, family removals, dislocation and the systematic embedding of tobacco as rations in lieu of wages – mean Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disproportionately impacted by the harms of Big Tobacco.

There have been huge achievements in reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking. In 2018–19, 40% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults smoked daily, down from 50% in 2004-05. A target of 27% is achievable. But to get there we need something “extra” to accelerate those reductions. So the funding to expand the TIS program is urgently needed to have no more than 27% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking by 2030 (5% of all Australians).

To view The National Tribune article New funds will tackle Indigenous smoking. But here’s what else we know works for quit campaigns in full click here.

Scathing report over Doomadgee woman’s death

The Queensland Health Ombudsman has released a scathing report into the preventable death of a First Nations woman at Doomadgee Rural Hospital in the state’s north-west, describing poor record-keeping, “completely unacceptable” follow-up in care and racial stereotyping. Adele Sandy, 37, a mother of four children who had been diagnosed with life-threatening rheumatic heart disease since she was a child, died at the remote hospital after previous presentations to the emergency department, only to be sent home with Panadol.

The Queensland Health Ombudsman’s report followed a Four Corners investigation last year, Heart Failure, into the deaths of not just Ms Sandy, but also her teenage niece, Shakaya George and Shakaya’s best friend, Betty Booth, who also had rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and had been turned away with Panadol from Doomadgee Hospital. Two months before Ms Sandy died, in March 2020, Queensland Health completed a review, Betty’s Story, into the failures of care for Betty Booth before she died, finding clinical risk and poor governance.

The Ombudsman’s report into Ms Sandy’s death said it was “concerned with the lack of progress” since Betty’s Story was delivered. “The tragic loss of Miss Sandy is an ongoing source of grief for the Doomadgee community which is deepened with the knowledge that many of the issues identified in the ‘Betty’s Story’ report are replicated in Miss Sandy’s care,” the report said.

To view the ABC News article Scathing report into Doomadgee Rural Hospital following First Nations woman’s death reveals clinical failures in full click here.

Multiple women died after seeking treatment at Doomadgee Hospital, in remote north-west Queensland. Photo: Louie Eroglu, Four Corners. Image source: ABC News.

Sector Jobs

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

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

8 March 2023

International Women’s Day 2023
NACCHO delegation to Timor-Leste
ACCHO worker makes inspirational women list
Prison healthcare should match community standards
NACCHO provides quality use of medicines program for mob
Data shows gap closing too slowly
Ambassador for First Nations People appointed
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from the International Women’s Development Agency website, available here.

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

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

International Women’s Day 2023

International Women’s Day (IWD) is held on 8 March each year, with events and activities taking place across the globe. It celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. IWD is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions women make to our communities and marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality to create a world where women and girls everywhere have equal rights and opportunities.

The IWD 2023 theme is Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender-equal future. The theme emphasises the importance of bold, transformative ideas, inclusive technologies, and accessible education in combating discrimination and marginalisation of women around the world. The message being that innovation can accelerate our progress towards a gender equal future.

In an interview on NITV Radio earlier today Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine reflected on IWD 2023 and the opportunities for First Nations women. With more than 20 years’ experience leading community engagement, public advocacy, communications and social marketing campaigns; Karen has shaped the national journey towards a just, equitable and reconciled Australia. You can listen to her interview in full here. You can also find out more about IWD on the International Women’s Development Agency’s website here.

Karen Mundine, Reconciliation Australia CEO. Image source: NIT 1 March 2023.

NACCHO delegation to Timor-Leste

A NACCHO delegation, accompanied by a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade representative, are in Timor-Leste this week (Sunday 5 – Friday 10 March 2023) to:

gain an understanding of the country, cultural, political and health service delivery context of a potential First Nations partnership
gain an understanding of a Timorese perspective of how primary health care is delivered, with a focus on workforce training and community ownership of primary health care programs
initiate relationships with key Ministry of Health officials that could form the basis of future potential First Nations partnership work

and along with DFAT:

identify key issues which may be addressed in partnership
identify issues to inform the further refinement of the concept note and key stages and timeframes for the potential First Nations partnership

The delegation is comprised of:

Donnella Mills, NACCHO Chair (Cairns)
Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO and Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks (Canberra)
Rob McPhee, CEO of the Danila Dilba Health Service (Darwin)
Jenny Bedford, Executive Manager, Kimberley Aboriginal Health Services (Broome)
Alice Kemble (Dili)
Sara Moriarty, First Nations Taskforce (Canberra), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

During the visit the delegation will meet with:

Partnerships for Human Development (overview of the structure of the Timorese health system)
East Timor Development Agency (NFP provided training and guidance to strengthen the capacity of Timorese people to plan an integral, role in the development of their Nation)
Ministry of Health (introduction to community health services in Timor Leste, including model of care, workforce training and service delivery)
National Health Institute (responsible for planning and delivery of health workforce and clinical training)
Maluk Timor (an Australian and Timorese NGO seeking to advance primary healthcare in Timor-Leste)
Agora Food Studio (a social enterprise mentoring Timorese innovators and storytellers and elevating local food)
Comoro Community Health Clinic in Dili (urban health centre)
Gleno, Ermera district (remote health post)
Nabilan (program to end violence against women and improve wellbeing for women and children affected by violence)
ProEma (NFP promoting capacity-building for vulnerable girls and young women living in underdeveloped communities in Timor-Leste)

Left-Right: Rob McPhee, CEO Danila Dilba Health Service, Dr Odete Maria Freitas Belo, Minister for Health, Timor-Leste, Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO and Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, Jenny Bedford, Executive Manager, Kimberley Aboriginal Health Services and Donnella Mills, NACCHO Chair.

ACCHO worker makes inspirational women list

Goondir Health Services’ Medicare co-ordinator Ethel Hayden has been named as one of the 50 most inspirational women in the Western Downs region in celebration of International Women’s Day 2023. Ethel Hayden hopes to leave behind a legacy of helping others and having made a difference in her community. The Dalby woman has achieved so much in her life, which included beginning life-changing programs for young people.

Ms Hayden was responsible for rolling out some of the onsite health services for Goondir Health in 2014 when they moved into their Jimbour St location. She also developed a Youth Project with programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the Western Downs region such as the Big Buddy Program, which aimed to empower Indigenous youth to achieve their full potential through mentorship and education.

She said she was most passionate about making a difference, and knows she has the experience to do so. A major achievement under Ms Hayden’s belt was being involved in the ‘Closing the Gap’ event that’s held each year, with the upcoming event being in Dalby next week.

To view The Courier Mail article Celebrating 50 of the most inspirational women in the Western Downs region for International Women’s Day in full click here. You can also access the Goondir Health Services’ website here to learn more about their clinics in Chincilla, Dalby, Oakey and St George, Queensland.

Ethel Hayden, Goondir Health Services, Dalby QLD

Ethel Hayden. Image source: The Courier Mail.

Prison healthcare should match community standards

On this International Women’s Day, let’s not forget women in prison. There are 3,088 women imprisoned in Australia on any given day, representing 7.5% of the prison population. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are over-represented in these numbers.

Annually Australia spends over $4b on prisons. Despite this, reproductive health care equivalent to that in the community is often not available where women are being detained. Reproductive health care must be delivered in appropriate ways to those who require it. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people require culturally safe health care, free from racism. There must also be inclusive care for non-binary and transgender people.

Failing to provide access to sanitary pads and tampons is a form of degrading treatment, according to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. It can leave women and people who menstruate vulnerable to exploitation. For example, limited access to sanitary pads can lead to them being traded for favours.

In Australia, there have been instances of an Aboriginal woman giving birth alone in a locked prison cell while staff observed through the hatch. Another example featured attempts to remove a baby from their Aboriginal mother against medical advice due to insufficient capacity at the prison. And an Aboriginal woman was denied the right to bond with her newborn and breastfeed them.

To view The Conversation article Health care offered to women in prison should match community standards – and their rights in full click here.

torsos of ATSI women in prison, green clothes

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women make up a third of all female prisoners in Australia. Image source: ABC News.

NACCHO provides quality use of medicines program for mob

NACCHO will now provide the NPS MedicineWise online learning modules and resources, which are available on the NACCHO website. Programs include:

Good Medicines Better Health – eLearning modules and consumer resources developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners and their communities to improve quality use of medicines and medical tests. The online learning modules are available now.
Medicines Lists and Templates – Principles for producing best possible medicines lists for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Remote Area Aboriginal Health Services – Tools and resources to support the safe and effective provision of medicines in remote communities.

You can view the eLearning modules and resources here and here.

NACCHO looks forward to being able to provide sustained support in quality use of medicines programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on ongoing funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care. We acknowledge some of these programs were developed by NPS MedicineWise prior to their closure and thank NPS staff for their work.

If you have any queries regarding these resources, you can contact the NACCHO Medicines team by email by clicking here.

Data shows gap closing too slowly

The gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians isn’t closing fast enough, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney admits. Productivity Commission data shows a number of key Closing the Gap targets are not on track and some are going backwards. Closing the Gap is a strategy that aims to achieve equality for Indigenous people by improving health, social, education and economic outcomes. “I know many people are frustrated by the lack of progress,” Ms Burney said.

Last month, in partnership with the Coalition of Peaks – which represents more than 80 Indigenous organisations – the federal government announced its implementation plan for Closing the Gap, which included more than $400m in extra funding. There are 19 socio-economic targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The Productivity Commission has released data on nine of those targets, which shows two are on track to meet their goals, but seven are not.

Ms Burney said the data showed “encouraging” increases in employment and land rights, but in other areas figures were going backwards. “It is particularly disappointing to see the target for healthy birth weights for babies has gone from being on track to not on track,” she said. “More of the same isn’t good enough. We need to do things differently by working in partnership with communities to get better results.”

To view The Canberra Times article Data shows Indigenous gap closing too slowly: Minister in full click here.

Minister Linda Burney carrying folders in Parliament

Minister Linda Burney says there is a lot of frustration surrounding the lack of progress. Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP. Image source: The Canberra Times.

Ambassador for First Nations People appointed

The federal government has appointed Mr Justin Mohamed as Australia’s inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People. Mr Mohamed will lead the Office of First Nations Engagement in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Special Envoy Senator Pat Dodson announced the appointment in a joint statement on Tuesday.

The government said the Office of First Nations Engagement and the foreign affairs and trade department will work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people “to progress Indigenous rights globally, and help grow First Nations trade and investment”. The joint statement said that “elevating the perspectives of First Nations people – this land’s first diplomats – enables deeper engagement with many of our closest partners including the Pacific family”. The new position marks the first time Australia will have dedicated Indigenous representation in international engagement.

Mr Mohamed said he felt honoured to be appointed is” looking forward to sitting down and listening to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country, as we develop foreign policies that have First Nations People’s knowledges, voice and connection to country front and centre,” he said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Australian government appoints the first official Ambassador for First Nations People in full click here.

Incoming Ambassador Justin Mohamed and Minister Linda Burney. Photo source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs

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

15 February 2023

NIAA adopts new ‘Closing the Gap’ targets
Mob need to co-design diabetes remission strategies
New network for GPs in areas of poverty
New report celebrates CATSINaM’s achievements
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from an an article Some Closing the Gap targets missed published in The Senior on 31 March 2022.

The NACCHO Daily 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.

NIAA adopts new ‘Closing the Gap’ targets

The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) has launched a new plan to turn the tide on stalled and backsliding measures in the National Agreement on ‘Closing the Gap’ with the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Welcoming the NIAA’s 2023 Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney said the Plan was about practical action.

“The gap is not closing fast enough and on some measures it is going backwards,” Ms Burney said. “[The Plan] moves beyond the foundational Commonwealth attitude to Closing the Gap planning,” she said. “It outlines specific and actionable plans for accelerating efforts to embed the Priority Reforms and achieve the socio-economic targets.”

Ms Burney said the new Implementation Plan responded directly to the NIAA’s Commonwealth Closing the Gap Annual Report 2022 which found only four socio-economic targets were on track and 14 targets were worsening or not on tack. She said the whole-of-government approach outlined in the Plan brought together all the actions that each Department and Agency was taking to achieve the Closing the Gap outcomes, “so that we can be held to account and coordinate with the Coalition of Peaks and our State and Territory Government and local government partners.”

The above has been extracted from an article published yesterday on the psnews.com.au website’s APS News webpage. The article, including a link to NIAA’s 137-page Plan are available in full here.

Cover of the Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan 2023. Image source: Analysis & Policy Observatory (APO) webpage.

Mob need to co-design diabetes remission strategies

Effective targeting of diabetes and metabolic syndrome in Australian Indigenous people requires remission strategies that are co-designed by Indigenous communities, according to a team of Flinders University researchers. An article published in Nature Medicine identifies a project in SA’s Coorong region being led by Flinders University that takes a fresh approach through involving Ngarrindjeri leaders with clinicians trained in Eurocentric-based medicine to help tackle diabetes remission within its local community.

Diabetes contributes to 11% of all deaths in Australia, costing the healthcare system $2.7 million each year, and Australian Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected. Their prevalence rates are three times greater, hospitalisation rates four times higher, and death due to complications five times more likely than in non-Indigenous Australians. Of equal concern is metabolic syndrome, responsible for earlier and more severe complications in individuals diagnosed with diabetes, including such conditions as hypertension, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.

“Rates of diabetes in Australian Indigenous communities are rising, which suggests that current approaches for detection, care and management are failing,” says Associate Professor Courtney Ryder, from Flinders University’s College of Medicine and Public Health. This leaves many Australian Indigenous communities feeling that a diagnosis of diabetes or metabolic syndrome is an unavoidable death sentence, creating a ripple effect beyond the individual, affecting the whole family and community.”

To view the Community co-design targets Indigenous diabetes article published earlier today in Open Forum (a policy discussion website produced by Global Access Partners – Australia’s Institute for Active Policy) in full click here.

Image source: Open Forum website.

New network for GPs in areas of poverty

Dr Tim Senior is a GP who practices, teaches, develops policy and writes about general practice and primary care. He works at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in South West Sydney and is on the The Medical Republic (TMR) editorial board. In an article published yesterday, Dr Senior says when covid took hold it exposed “exactly the cracks in our society and health services that we already knew about.”

“One of the main geographical areas affected was west and southwest Sydney. That covid took hold here was entirely predictable. People living here were on lower income jobs, the sort of jobs that are essential, and can’t be done from home. People lived in overcrowded housing or high-density apartments, because that’s what people can afford when housing is so expensive. This profoundly affected the ability of people to follow the advice about social distancing. People in these communities at the lower end of the social gradient already had more pre-existing diabetes, heart disease or renal disease, and often multi-morbidity at a younger age, making them more vulnerable to severe covid.”

“Working as a GP in an area of deprivation, then, is a specific interest, and being effective requires us to draw on the legacy of academic research, thought and specific teaching. It requires peer support and discussion, especially as the work itself, like all work that is worth doing, can be challenging. For this reason, Dr Liz Sturgiss and I have set up the Specific Interests Network on Poverty and Deprivation within the RACGP’s Specific Interests Faculty. We hope to provide support for those of us working in this area, and guide each other to better practice. We hope to make working in areas of poverty visible to our peers, and to be able to provide reminders of the joys of effective general practice to our registrars. The voice of the RACGP’s advocacy will also be enhanced in advocating alongside other specific interest groups on issues of health equity.”

You can view Dr Senior’s article Support for GPs Working at the Deep End, published in TMR in full here.

Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation (TAC), Airds, NSW. Image source: TAC website.

New report celebrates CATSINaM’s achievements

A new report, which compiles a series of articles celebrating the achievements of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM), and the organisations’ Elders and members. The articles contained in the report were produced by Croakey Professional Services to mark the 25-year anniversary of CATSINaM and published between March 2022 and February 2023.

Croakey Health Media says it encourages readers to share the publication widely, and to draw upon the knowledge it contains in health education and training, service delivery and policy-making.

You can download the report Celebrating #CATSINaM25Years Articles published March, 2022 – February, 2023 in full here.

Cover of the Croakey Professional Services Report containing CATSINaM articles from March 2022 to February 2023. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Sector Jobs

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

14 February 2023

How will the Voice help close the gap?
Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations
$242m for second CTG Implementation Plan
Needs cannot be met without Indigenous Voices
Sector Jobs

How will the Voice close the gap?

y and Coalition of Peaks Lead Convenor and NACCHO CEO Pat Turner and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burne spoke on ABC News last night about specific actions required on investments in Closing the Gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and how the Voice to parliament will help close the gap.

Click here to watch the interview on ABC News in full.

Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations

In a speech yesterday marking the 15th anniversary of The Apology to the Stolen Generations, Minister for Indigenous Australians, The Hon Linder Burney MP read out a verse from the late great Archie Roach’s song “Took the Children Away” which was first performed more than 33 year ago. Minister Burney said “Archie spoke of a truth that for many years was denied. Denied by governments. And denied by parliaments. Children were removed from their families because of the colour of their skin. And it was governments that did it. Most Australians did not know of this reality. For decades there was a stubborn silence. While many of those removed suffered a private pain of unbearable loss. It was and is one the darkest chapters in our history.”

Minister Burney went on to speak about the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Deaths in Custody which found that of the 99 deaths it investigated 43 were of people who were separated from their families and the subsequent 1997 Bringing Them Home report which took evidence from hundreds of people from across the country. A key recommendation of the Bringing Them Home report was for an apology to be given by governments.

Minister Burney then spoke of the Closing The Gap Implementation Plan and the government’s commitment to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the Coalition of Peaks towards achieving the targets and priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

You can access Minister Burney’s speech in full published in The National Tribune here.

Linda Burney made the comments during an event in Canberra marking the anniversary of the apology. Image source: ABC News: Matt Roberts, file.

$242m for second CTG Implementation Plan

The Federal Government will spend over $420 million to provide clean water, food security and housing to Indigenous Australians.

The next step in the government’s Closing the Gap implementation plan accompanies the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (Coalition of Peaks) annual implementation plan.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, says that “foundational work” has been completed over the past two years, and “now we can really turn our efforts towards real action and real change”.

“We saw the outcomes in the 2022 Closing the Gap Annual Report and know that we need to be doing more as a government,” Ms Burney said.

“Our measures are going to be more specific and more targeted, making real impacts that complement work underway in states and territories, and back-in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to lead work in their communities.”

The Coalition of Peaks lead convenor and chief executive of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Pat Turner, says the funding will help accelerate reforms.

“We have decades of underinvestment in our communities and organisations to be addressed and this funding will go some way to overturning that,” she said.

The funding is set to be delivered through formal partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities, with support from state, territory and local governments.

The above new story was published yesterday on the Local GovernmentCareer website under the title Gap goals backed further, and is available here.

Image source: Local Government Career website.

Needs cannot be met without Indigenous voices

Opponents of an Indigenous Voice to parliament say the Voice is merely symbolic and another pointless layer of bureaucracy. They say that what is needed are “practical measures”.

However decades of government-led “practical measures” have achieved little measurable progress and in some cases, caused considerable harm to Indigenous communities. So the question is, will the Voice, in delivering Indigenous perspectives direct to parliament, make any practical difference to outcomes for Indigenous peoples?

Indigenous people have long been calling for more Indigenous-informed solutions. The current debate on alcohol bans in the NTis just one recent example.

Our research has found including the perspectives of Indigenous people can disrupt long-held assumptions behind previously accepted policy measures. This indicates mechanisms such as the Voice could help deliver better policy by building better understanding of Indigenous affairs.

The above is an excerpt from the article Our research has shown Indigenous peoples’ needs cannot be understood and met, without Indigenous voices published in The Conversation today. To view the article in full click here. You can also listen to Stolen Generation survivor Judith Kelly here as she reflects on the 15th anniversary of the National Apology.

South West woman and survivor of the stolen generation Judith Kelly reflects on the 15th anniversary of then-prime minister Kevin Rudd’s historic apology. Photo. Zoe Keenan, ABC News.

Sector Jobs

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

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Over $120m for Indigenous health infrastructure

Over $120m for Indigenous health infrastructure
End of year message from NACCHO Chair and CEO
Aboriginal doctor keen to improve Pilbara healthcare
New scholarships honour two incredible women
AMA Indigenous medical scholarship applications open
Season’s Greetings from NACCHO
NACCHO office closure over Dec / Jan
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is from the Build Australia website.

Over $120m for Indigenous health infrastructure

The Australian Government is funding 52 new health infrastructure projects across the country – building and renovating clinics, improving staff housing and building the capacity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector. As Co-Chairs of Joint Council on Closing the Gap, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney and the Lead Convener of the Coalition of the Peaks (CoPs), Pat Turner, will jointly announce, at the Joint Council meeting in Sydney today, more than $120m for major capital works at community‑controlled organisations.

The projects will improve First Nations health services, as well as provide the facilities clinical staff need to deliver culturally-safe and appropriate care. In a clear commitment to Closing the Gap Priority Reform One to support formal partnerships and shared decision-making, applications were jointly assessed and approved by the sector’s peak body, NACCHO and the Australian Government, through the Department of Health and Aged Care. A further $20m from this grant round will be committed in early 2023 and a second grant round will also be run in 2023 to see even more projects provide the services people need, closer to where they live.

The more than $120m is in addition to the $164.3m for 17 vital Indigenous health infrastructure projects across the country announced in the October budget to invest in health clinics in areas of large and growing First Nations populations. This represents a significant investment of more than $284.3m for Aboriginal health services.

Lead Convenor of the CoPs and NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner said “The Government’s support for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services reflects their vital role in the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. NACCHO has advocated for a long time for increased funding for infrastructure for the health sector and this funding supports and recognises the critical role that ACCHS play in the Australian primary health care architecture. I am pleased to see that this funding is being delivered consistent with the Priority Reforms in the National Agreement, where programs and services are developed in partnership with our people and funding is delivered through our community-controlled organisations.”

The above has been extracted from the media release Joint Council on Closing the Gap more than $120 million for Indigenous health infrastructure. To view the media release in full click here.

Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service will receive almost $5m to construct a purpose build AMS building in Brewarrina. Image source: Barnson.

End of year message from Chair and CEO

NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills and NACCHO CEO have released the following end-of year message:

The last three years have been dominated by the pandemic and natural disasters and despite the challenges, our sector’s efforts and outcomes have been phenomenal.

Our 145 members deliver more than 3.1 million episodes of care to our mob each year. This equates to an incredible amount of time, hard work, energy and dedication which has translated into a stronger, savvier self-determined ACCHO sector. Every person working in our ACCHOs deserve congratulations.

A big thank you also to all on the NACCHO Board, whose dedication, important and unique perspectives guide the vision and strategy of our sector.

The NACCHO staff have also done a remarkable job advocating for community-developed solutions, structural reform, developing national level programs, and importantly, securing ongoing funding for our sector.

To all our partners and colleagues, thank you for your ongoing support and perseverance.

Now, it is time to take a well-deserved break.

The new year will be about rejuvenation, an invitation to harness our strengths and continue to develop and grow as individuals and as a collective working towards, Aboriginal health in Aboriginal hands.

On behalf of the NACCHO Board and our team, we would like to thank you all and wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable festive season.

You can access the above letter here. and view the NACCHO Chair and CEO’s 2022 end-of-year message in the below video:

Aboriginal doctor keen to improve Pilbara healthcare

A trailblazing young Aboriginal doctor from the Pilbara, who won WA’s Young Australian of the Year 2020, has welcomed a global search for ground-breaking solutions to deliver quality healthcare in the Pilbara. Launched by Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson yesterday, “The Challenge” offers a $5m prize for the development of a technology solution, based on research, to improve health outcomes for people living in the Pilbara, a region that spans more than 500,000sqkm.

Pilbara scholar Yarlalu Thomas joined Mr Dawson at the launch to share the challenges he faced growing up, which led him to a career in health. As WA’s Young Australian of the Year in 2020, he was considering a career in the AFL, but instead turned his attention to studying medicine. Mr Thomas is focusing his medical studies on Pilbara faces to better understand 3D facial variation for quicker and non-invasive diagnosis of children with rare and genetic diseases.

He is also working on translating medical terms into Indigenous languages internationally and hopes to one day work in the Pilbara. Mr Thomas said that barriers to healthcare access for Aboriginal people could include lack of transport, hospital settings, language and other communication barriers, inflexible treatment options and lack of centralised patient records. “This is a particular problem for doctors trying to provide care for Aboriginal patients who regularly travel far and wide,” he said.

To view The Kimberley Echo article Trailblazing young Aboriginal doctor Yarlalu Thomas welcomes search to improve Pilbara healthcare in full click here.

Trailblazing Pilbara-raised Aboriginal medical student Yarlalu Thomas. Image source: The Kimberley Echo.

New scholarships honour two incredible women

The University of Melbourne has announced two exciting scholarship opportunities for Indigenous students, honouring two incredible women:

Aunty Angela Clarke (Graduate Certificate) – applications close Tuesday 31 January 2023

Aunty Angela Clarke worked as the Koori Hospital Liaison Officer at the Royal Children’s Hospital and later was the Deputy Director of the VicHealth Koori Health Research Unit (Onemda). Her contribution to Aboriginal health was transformative, pioneering new models of community participation in research and embedding culturally responsive clinical practice for Indigenous patients.

Aunty Joan Vickery (Masters) – applications close Tuesday 31 January 2023

Aunty Joan Vickery’s impressive leadership and advocacy over many decades improved Indigenous health outcomes and delivery of services across Victoria. Helping to establish the Ngwala Willumbong Co-operative in 1975 – which continues to deliver outreach services to Aboriginal people affected by substance abuse – she later worked to improve understanding of diabetes among Indigenous families as the first Aboriginal Liaison Officer at St Vincent’s Hospital through rolling out a series of programs and support networks.

These scholarships aim to continue the legacy of these incredible women in nurturing the next generation of public health leaders.

For more information about the:

Angela Clarke Scholarship click here
Aunty Joan Vickery Scholarship click here

You can also access The University of Melbourne website’s webpage Scholarships, Bursaries and Prizes here.

The University of Melbourne current Indigenous graduate students. Image source: The University of Melbourne website.

AMA Indigenous medical scholarship applications open

Applications are open to enrolled Indigenous medical students to apply for the next year’s AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarships.

Applications are now open for the AMA’s 2023 Indigenous Medical Scholarship program, with applicants having until Tuesday 31 January to submit their application.

The scholarship, made possible by the generosity of members, helps an Indigenous medical student who has completed their first year with $10,000 per year for the remainder of their medical degree.

For more information on how to apply visit the AMA website’s AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship webpage here.

To view the Mirage article AMA Indigenous medical scholarship applications open in full click here.

Season’s Greetings from NACCHO

NACCHO extends Season’s Greetings to you and your family for a very happy and safe summer.

NACCHO office closure over Dec / Jan

NACCHO will be closed from COB Friday 16 December 2022, reopening in the New Year on Tuesday 3 January 2023.

This is the last NACCHO newsletter for 2022. Publication of the newsletter will resume in the New Year. We will let you know closer to the date when the first edition for 2023 will hit your in-box!

Christmas decorations by artists of Warlukurlangu, Yuendumu. Image source: Koskela website.

Sector Jobs

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

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference

National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference
Encouraging deadly choices for community
Why we must keep fighting for Medicare
Graduate’s chance pathway to medicine
Is it ever ok to ask that?
Tanika supported by Yapug pathway program
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of NACCO CEO Pat Turner speaking at the National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference 2022 held in Hobart from 4–6 December 2022.

National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) hosted the National Indigenous Legal & Health Justice Conference from 4-6 December 2022 with Pat Turner and Donnella Mills among other expert speakers from across the nation inspiring, encouraging and motivating delegates on some of the big challenges facing us today.

Discussions ranged from conversations around Voice, Treaty and Truth, to how we keep our children out of care and connected to community, culture and country, cultural competency pathways, native title versus land rights, and the future of Aboriginal Legal Aid.

You can find out more about the conference on the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre website here and photos here.

NACCHO CEO Pat Turner with other participants of the National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference.

Encouraging deadly choices for community

Proud Gooreng Gooreng woman Kimberley Appo is using her passion for her culture and heritage to help close the gap by promoting kindy as a deadly choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Coming from a large, close-knit family, Kimberley’s passion for educating and caring for children started from a young age. “My father is one of five children, my mother is one of eight, I’m the youngest of nine and I have 21 nieces and nephews — not to mention countless cousins,” Kimberley said.

But, like many students Kimberley didn’t always excel in the traditional schooling system, and despite her obvious passion for the industry she was initially reluctant about returning to study. “I guess schools have such an unrealistic curriculum that’s just one-size-fits-all, rather than having a curriculum that’s for individual children. And when you finish school, if you didn’t do as well as you should have, there seems like there’s nothing else for you,” she said.

But after dipping her toe in by enrolling in the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care , Kimberley quickly discovered that studying at TAFE Queensland was very different to being at school. “You’re not going in just to get a piece of paper, you’re going in and you’re learning and you’re finding your passions through TAFE,” she said.

To view the TAFE Queensland article Encouraging deadly choices for her community in full click here.

Kimberley Appo. Image source: TAFE Queensland website.

Why we must keep fighting for Medicare

Dr Tim Senior has written an article for The Medical Republic called Why we mustn’t stop fighting for Medicare. Dr Senior says many practices can walk away from bulk billing, but there are communities where people simply can’t afford to pay, “When patient rebates alone are inadequate to fund the staff resources and infrastructure to provide high-quality care, and there’s the added regulatory and compliance burden and the threat of the PSR, who can blame us for opting out?”

Dr Senior continued “Most services in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, in which I work, are ACCHOs, meaning that they are owned and run by the local Aboriginal community along co-operative lines. Just about all services are bulk billed. The reason for this is that they are there to provide medical services for a community where the vast majority of people can’t afford to pay. Median household income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is $553, while for non-Indigenous Australians it’s $915.”

“Closing the Gap” has been a government policy imperative for over a decade, aiming to improve a range of health and social indicators. Health, of course, depends on good primary care, including general practice, to provide cradle-to-grave care. Even though Medicare is available to all Australians, on the latest figures available, Medicare spending on general practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was $180 per person, compared to $243 per person for non-Indigenous people. This is 0.74 times as much, despite there being twice the need.”

“Where people have more complex needs – for example, due to the mix of multi-morbidity, mental health needs and social circumstances common in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector – then longer consultations are needed. The longer the consultation, the more suppressed is the funding we get through Medicare. Clearly, as we all know, Medicare rebates alone are not enough to fund the primary care required. While there is top-up funding to ACCHOs, to try to compensate for the longer consultations and more health professionals seen at each visit, this is capped and comes with significant reporting requirements. There is a lot of encouragement made to Aboriginal Medical Services to increase Medicare billing to fund services.”

To view The Medical Republic article Why we mustn’t stop fighting for Medicare in full click here.

Graduate’s chance pathway to medicine

A University of Queensland graduate can partly thank school holiday boredom for setting her on a career path in medicine. The newly conferred Dr Ella Ceolin was encouraged by a high school teacher to attend UQ’s Indigenous outreach program, InspireU when she was in Year 11. “It was in the school holidays which I wasn’t too keen on, but I had nothing much else to do and went on a bit of a whim,” Dr Ceolin said. “It was a huge eye-opener and I actually came away from that deciding that I wanted to be a doctor.” The proud Djabuguy/Wulgurukaba woman, who also has Italian and Malaysian heritage, this week graduated from UQ as a Doctor of Medicine.

“I’d always thought I’d follow my mum, auntie and sister into teaching because that’s what I saw, and what I knew,” Dr Ceolin said. “Before I started medicine I didn’t know any Indigenous doctors, that visibility just wasn’t there for me. But it can make a huge difference. When my nephew was younger, he said ‘If you’re going to be a doctor, does that mean that I could be too?’”

Dr Ceolin has since served on the board of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and medical students. “It’s about advocating for more of a presence in the health workforce and contributing to equitable health outcomes,” she said.

To view the First Nations Telegraph article Indigenous graduate’s chance pathway to medicine in full click here.

Dr Ella Ceolin. Image source: First Nations Telegraph.

Is it ever ok to ask that?

Is it ever OK to ask Racsomeone how Aboriginal they are? University of Sydney students and staff have participated in a video to answer anonymously submitted questions and confront myths and stereotypes about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. You can find out more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community on the Sydney University campus here and enrol in the Cultural Competence MOOC: Aboriginal Sydney here.

Tanika supported by Yapug pathway program

Never underestimate what’s possible. That’s what the past three years have taught Tanika Ridgeway, a Proud Worimi woman from Port Stephens, who is graduating as part of the University of Newcastle’s Yapug program. Yapug is a pathway program designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people gain skills for entry into undergraduate degrees at the University of Newcastle. When students embark on a Yapug pathway program, they also benefit from a range of support services offered by the Wollotuka Institute.

After nine years working in pathology at the John Hunter Hospital, Tanika was interested in becoming a primary school teacher. She was encouraged by her mentors to try medicine, something she didn’t think was a possibility for her. “Hannah Pipe, the Indigenous Advancement Officer at Wollotuka told me that I should consider medicine. I grew up in a housing commission in Raymond Terrace. I didn’t do science in my senior years of high school, and my ATAR was 32. So, I am not your typical medical student – but here I am.”

“I didn’t go to university straight from school and didn’t realise how much my life experiences would help me in my current studies. I’m currently working as a Research Assistant with Dr Michelle Kennedy in Indigenous Health Research, and I’m just so happy that I took the step to find out what was possible for me. Having people like Michelle and Hannah believe in me and support me throughout my university journey has meant that I have had the confidence to pursue new opportunities I would never have considered if not for them.”

To view the University of Newcastle article Ready to make a difference: University of Newcastle 2022 graduates in full click here.

Tanika Ridgeway. Image source: University of Newcastle website.

Sector Jobs

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

NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News

The national authority in Aboriginal primary health care – Our Health in Our Hands

Category NACCHO CEO

14 February 2023

How will the Voice close the gap?

Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations

$242m for second CTG Implementation Plan

Needs cannot be met without Indigenous voices

Sector Jobs

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Over $120m for Indigenous health infrastructure

Over $120m for Indigenous health infrastructure

End of year message from Chair and CEO

Aboriginal doctor keen to improve Pilbara healthcare

New scholarships honour two incredible women

AMA Indigenous medical scholarship applications open

Season’s Greetings from NACCHO

NACCHO office closure over Dec / Jan

Sector Jobs

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference

National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference

Encouraging deadly choices for community

Why we must keep fighting for Medicare

Graduate’s chance pathway to medicine

Is it ever ok to ask that?

Tanika supported by Yapug pathway program

Sector Jobs

Self-determination is key to positive health outcomes

Purpose built AMS planned for Brewarinna

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

National Cervical Screening Program update

FASD Communications and Engagement grants

Sector Jobs

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

World Breastfeeding Week – 1–7 August 2023

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Have your say on diabetes in Australia

Pat Turner to speak on Closing the Gap at University of Canberra

Calls to ignore scare campaign over 60-day prescribing reforms

Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara youth speak up for each other

Making decisions about a child in care

Deadly start to providing culturally safe care

Sector Jobs

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Every government needs to lift its game

Water access in Yuendemu and Milingimbi

Derbarl Yerrigan leading the way in holistic primary care

Calls for Indigenous-led education system

Sector Jobs

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Structural reform needed to CTG

WAMS launches Freedom Rides Memorial and website

Financial barriers to sight-saving treatment

ACCHO to deliver healthcare in youth justice centre

New research to look at dietary practices

Mob contribute to health and climate strategy

Sector Jobs

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Meaningful steps needed to reduce poverty

BRAMS CEO wins 40under40 Award

First Nations women to speak at historic forum

Push to reduce stigma around FASD

National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030 launch

Scathing report over Doomadgee woman’s death

Sector Jobs

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International Women’s Day 2023

NACCHO delegation to Timor-Leste

ACCHO worker makes inspirational women list

Prison healthcare should match community standards

NACCHO provides quality use of medicines program for mob

Data shows gap closing too slowly

Ambassador for First Nations People appointed

Sector Jobs

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NIAA adopts new ‘Closing the Gap’ targets

Mob need to co-design diabetes remission strategies

New network for GPs in areas of poverty

New report celebrates CATSINaM’s achievements

Sector Jobs

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How will the Voice close the gap?

Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations

$242m for second CTG Implementation Plan

Needs cannot be met without Indigenous voices

Sector Jobs

Share this:

Over $120m for Indigenous health infrastructure

End of year message from Chair and CEO

Aboriginal doctor keen to improve Pilbara healthcare

New scholarships honour two incredible women

AMA Indigenous medical scholarship applications open

Season’s Greetings from NACCHO

NACCHO office closure over Dec / Jan

Sector Jobs

Share this:

National Indigenous Legal and Health Justice Conference

Encouraging deadly choices for community

Why we must keep fighting for Medicare

Graduate’s chance pathway to medicine

Is it ever ok to ask that?

Tanika supported by Yapug pathway program

Sector Jobs

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