8 August 2024

Pat Turner on Indigenous empowerment, Closing the Gap, and future Indigenous leadership
Nominations now open for 2024 PenCS Awards
Cultural program to reconnect Indigenous men to their roots
Indigenous-led education centre opens in Shepparton “to create healthy people, healthy communities and the leaders of tomorrow”
Sector Jobs
Key Date – Dental Health Week – 5-11 August 2024
Events and training

The NACCHO Sector 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.

Pat Turner on Indigenous empowerment, Closing the Gap, and future Indigenous leadership

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s address to the weekend Garma festival had a different tone from last year’s, when the Voice referendum was approaching. The Prime Minister is resetting policy, moving the focus to the economic empowerment of Indigenous communities as a path to reducing Indigenous disadvantage and “closing the gap”. Indigenous outcomes continue to go backwards for some key closing-the-gap targets.

Albanese said the government would work closely with the Coalition of Peaks, a grouping of more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.

Pat Turner is lead convener of the Coalition of Peaks and CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), joined the ‘Politics with Michelle Grattan’ podcast.

On increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, Turner says:

“We’ve been working with the Treasury as the Coalition of Peaks now since the [2022] jobs summit. And the Coalition of Peaks’ priority is to ensure that we get real jobs at the local level. And then we have the issue in relation to the leveraging of our land assets for all future development opportunities. So, there is a good opportunity there, but it must involve the statutory landholders directly.”

On reducing incarceration rates, she highlights bail laws:

“All jurisdictions should be reviewing their bail laws.

“You’ve got to have an address for people to be bailed to. And so, there’s got to be some form of accommodation whereby people can give an address to be bailed to. This is how everything’s interrelated and I say that you can’t do economic policy on its own. That means that state governments should be investing more money into housing and different types of accommodation that are required for different, situations.”

On the Voice’s defeat and the future of Aboriginal leadership, Turner says the loss was “a massive hit to morale across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia”.

“But I have to say that it hasn’t deterred the Coalition of Peaks from pursuing full implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

“While we all need new generations to come forward, they have to do it by listening to the elders and being guided by them.”

To listen to the podcast, go here.

Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO and lead convener of the Coalition of Peaks.

Nominations now open for 2024 PenCS Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2024 PenCS Awards, which celebrate the achievements of healthcare practices and networks that use the PenCS health informatics platform to improve the health of their communities.

2024 winners will be announced at a gala ceremony, celebrating their achievements and acknowledging primary health networks and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) who contribute to driving quality improvement to improve community health outcomes.

Nominations are now open for all eight award categories:

‘Closing the Gap’ Award
Quality Improvement Initiative of the Year Award
Data-driven Clinical Excellence Award
Research in General Practice Award
Data Quality Award
Sustainable Business Award
Patient-centred Care Award
Digital Innovation Award

Nominations close at 11:59pm (AEST) on Monday 30th September 2024.

For more information, go here.

Image source PHN North Western Melbourne.

Cultural program to reconnect Indigenous men to their roots

A Dalby local has launched an initiative to connect Indigenous people to culture and country. Supported by Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement, Gamilaraay man Lionel Cubby’s Men’s Peer Support Program will take young Indigenous men on trips to reconnect them to their cultural roots.

“It’s a bit of an offshoot from the Men’s Peer Support Program, it’s run once a quarter for men to come together and we will go out on land and introduce them to a bit of material culture, show them the country and collect didgeridoos and boomerangs,” Mr Cubby said.

“It’s all about identity, we lost some of the connection to the land because the systems we had to teach our young boys how to be men were taken from us so now this is an initiative to bring that back slowly but surely.

“…It’s a type of knowledge that shouldn’t just be chucked around, it’s valuable to our people.”

Mr Cubby said the trips would have a far-reaching benefit for young Indigenous men in the Western Downs.

“I identify people in the community who need the help, it’s for fellas who are ready to move and ready to change and people I feel are ready,” he said.

“As a young fella a lot of my group of friends were locked up and there’s lots of benefits to these trips to help keep people out of trouble, it’s important to have a mentor who can take them out.”

Mr Cubby encouraged people who were interested in getting involved to reach out.

To read the Cairns Post article in full, go here.

Renowned Aboriginal artist Lionel Cubby has started a new program aiming to reconnect Indigenous men with their culture. Image source: Cairns Post.

Indigenous-led education centre opens in Shepparton “to create healthy people, healthy communities and the leaders of tomorrow”

Doors have opened at Shepparton Sports Precinct’s newest facilities, with Yorta Yorta leadership and knowledge at the forefront. Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence houses education facilities, study areas, yarning spaces and an Elders’ room. The project has been built by TVN On-Country and creating a dozen jobs in the process. Munurra Ltd partnered with the footy club, Kaiela Institute and University of Melbourne – who offered $6 million in support – with $30million from the state government.

Following construction, the wider community and future generations are poised to benefit. Munarra said the Centre for Regional Excellence “is a chance to achieve; a chance to enhance Aboriginal cultural identity, expression and celebration; grow in our leadership; improve our health; build our education; enhance our employment options; and move towards equitable social inclusion and reconciliation”.

“It will combine education, culture, the arts and sport to create healthy people, healthy communities and the leaders of tomorrow.”

The centre is designed for Aboriginal-led pathways education and knowledge central to curriculum and programs.

To read the National Indigenous Times article in full, go here.

As the region’s newest education hub, Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence aims to ‘combine education, culture, the arts and sport to create healthy people, healthy communities and the leaders of tomorrow’. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

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.

Dental Health Week – 5-11 August 2024

Dental Health Week (August 5-11) is the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) major annual oral health campaign. The campaign focuses on the importance of taking steps to care for your teeth and gums to help you keep your teeth and smile for life.

In honour of Dental Health Week, Mob Smiles has a bunch of free resources available on how to care for your teeth and gums and habits to keep good mouth health. There are posters, brochures and fact sheets for bubs, teenagers, pregnant mums, and Elders.

Mob Smiles was created by First Nations people for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adults. The development of the Mob Smiles resources was led by Ms Kirrily Phillips, a proud Gumbaynggirr woman, and Oral Health Therapist.

For more information, go here.

Image source: Mob Smiles.

ACCHO Governance Workshops

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025.

Registrations are now open for:

Port Macquarie: 20-21 August
Dubbo: 22-23 August.

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:

Delegation of powers
Finance for Boards
Governance documents
Managing conflicts of interest
Managing risk
Principles of good governance
Structure and role of boards and sub-committees

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

8 July 2024

300+ enrol in health worker traineeship program
TAMS secures funding for new facility
Cheap or free medicine access depends on postcode
Improving food security in remote communities
Aunty Dulcie earns lifetime achievement award
Filicide study show action needed to keep kids safe
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.

300+ enrol in health worker traineeship program

More than 300 people have enrolled in a First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program (FNHWTP), the federal government announced last Friday (5 July 2024) during a Joint Council on CTG meeting on Kaurna Country. The program was launched in March this year by NACCHO, and aims to certify up to 500 Indigenous people as either AHWs or AHPs by 2027.

NACCHO CEO Pat Turner said they were witnessing “remarkable progress” in only four months since the program was launched, “This initiative not only equips trainees with essential skills and wrap-around supports through culturally nuanced programs, but also bridges critical gaps in our healthcare system. Critically, growing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and human services workforce is key to achieving CTG Targets in health, wellbeing and education.”

Delivered by ACCH Registered Training Organisations, and involving on-the-job experience, 51 trainees have already completed the program, which has been designed by Indigenous organisations in partnership with the government, who have contributed $54.3m. Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service (KAMS), is one of the ACCHOs helping deliver Indigenous health practitioners under the FNHWTP. KAMS provides wrap-around support for students, with the extra funding from the program resulting in significantly boosted completion rates, with the end goal being a building a strong and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Self-determination in healthcare closer to a reality with over 300 enrolments in health worker traineeship program in full click here.

Pat Turner addressing Joint Council of Closing the Gap meeting in Adelaide

NACCHO CEO and Lead Convener of the Coalition of Peaks, Pat Turner at the Joint Council on Closing the Gap. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

TAMS secures funding for new facility

Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) is one of 10 Indigenous health services to get funding for infrastructure projects across NSW. TAMS has secured $4.3m to buy land and build a new primary health care facility in Tamworth. The organisation long ago outgrew it’s current facility in Peel Street, but had to date been unsuccessful in securing the necessary funding to build a new one.

The funding is part of $100m the Federal Government is investing into 33 Indigenous health infrastructure projects across Australia. The investment will go towards constructing new clinics, renovating existing clinics, and building staff housing for workers to make it easier for Aboriginal people to access health services. Improved clinics and safer housing will also make working in ACCHOs more attractive to health professionals.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said, “ACCHOs provide crucial medical care and are often the only health service available in rural and remote communities. The new and upgraded clinics will make it easier for First Nations people to access primary health care.”

To view the New England Times article TAMS secures funding for new facility in full click here.

Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service street sign

Image source: New England Times.

Cheap or free medicine access depends on postcode

Recent research shows policies designed to ensure Indigenous Australians have equitable access to medicines aren’t being accessed uniformly across the nation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s access to a free or discounted medicines under the Closing the Gap PBS Co-payment program is patchy and depends on where a person lives.

The program has gone some way to reduce inequities in access to health care, with Indigenous Australians using more prescription medicines and chronic disease services, making more GP visits and having fewer hospitalisations for chronic conditions.

Despite these benefits, uptake varies dramatically depending on where an Aboriginal and Torres Islander person lives. 10 years after the policy was introduced there are parts of northern Australia where less than 30% of the Indigenous population has ever received a CTG script.

To view The Conversation article Indigenous people can get cheap or free medicines. But we show access depends on your postcode in full click here.

female pharmacist explaining script to Aboriginal man

Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Improving food security in remote communities

The Federal Government has announced their intention to address food scarcity in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Partnering with state and territory governments as well as Aboriginal health organisations, the government has invested $11.8m over two years to develop a strategy, which will see face-to-face consultation with communities.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said the prevalence of affordable, fresh, and healthy food for everyone was vital, but especially important for children and older people, “Proper change will take state and territory governments working together with First Nations health organisations. We want people to have their say on what will work to improve the price, quality of food and other essential groceries in remote communities.”

Local land councils and Indigenous corporations from remote communities have long called for help with skyrocketing prices for everyday items – sometimes up to 50% more than even regional supermarkets – as well as often not being of the same freshness, quality, and nutritional value.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Consultations to improve food security in remote communities set to begin in full click here.

Milingimbi Store. Photo: Blue Mountain Gazette. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Aunty Dulcie earns lifetime achievement award

Dulcie Flower was just a few months into her nursing career when she encountered a patient she knew had suffered a grave injustice. On this day in 1950s Cairns this revered Elder in the Torres Strait Islander community of Cairns, was in the custody of a policeman who Dulcie says had given him a split and bloodied lip. Aunty Dulcie’s formal complaint at the police station led to an abrupt end to her stint in the emergency department.

But far from stunting her career in health care, it set the then 18-year-old on the path to bringing about great change in the way First Nations people are looked after. Having been made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2019, the now 85-year-old is the recipient of this year’s NAIDOC lifetime achievement award.

Aunty Dulcie saw recalled a female relative who died young, having developed septicaemia following a miscarriage, leaving two little girls motherless, “The health system just didn’t seem to look after the people in the north in the same way that they did the people of the south.”

To view the ABC News article From nurse to Indigenous rights icon, Aunty Dulcie Flower earns NAIDOC lifetime achievement award in full click here.

Aunty Dulcie Flower standing on beach looking out to the sea

Aunty Dulcie Flower. Photo: Christopher Testa, ABC Far North. Image source: ABC News.

Filicide study shows action needed to keep kids safe

Content warning: this article contains information that may be distressing. Please refer to the services at the bottom of this article for support.

The myth that parents kill their children in random acts of violence has been dismissed by groundbreaking research, highlighting the need for a whole-of-society response. Filicide – or the killing of one’s child – is the second most common type of domestic homicide, after deaths involving an intimate partner. While other forms of domestic homicide are declining, Australia’s filicide rate remains at about 20 cases a year.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were disproportionately killed in filicide cases, with the issue being rooted in racism, colonisation and intergenerational trauma, the study found. Researchers found a lack of culturally safe services, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led services that are better placed to provide support are often under-resourced. “The safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and women needs to be prioritised through urgent investment in Aboriginal-led solutions and services,” the report said.

The study highlighted the need for focus on regional and remote parts of Australia, with domestic and family violence being more frequent and severe in such areas. Major cities are home to 72% of the general population compared to 58% of filicide offenders. In close-knit communities, it may be hard to discreetly access victim or perpetrator services and reporting violence may be uncomfortable or unsafe due to a lack of anonymity. The researchers said any risk of intimate partner violence towards women needed to be seen as a risk of violence towards their children.

To view the CBR City News article Filicide study finds action needed to keep kids safe in full click here.

For more detailed information about the research referred to in this article you can access the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Network data report: Filicides in a domestic and family violence context 2010–2018 here.

Photo: Lukas Coch, AAP Photos. Image source: CBR City News.

If this article brought up anything for you or someone you love, please reach out to, call or visit the online resources listed below for support. The four organisations in blue offer immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

13 Yarn (13 92 76)

Beyond Blue (1300 224 636)

Brother-to-brother (1800 435 799)

Kids Helpline (1800 551 800 + webchat)

Lifeline (13 11 14 + online chat)

MensLine Australia (1300 789 978)

NACCHO Connection, Strength and Resilience Portal

QLife – anonymous LGBTIQ support (1800 184 527 + webchat)

Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467)

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

5 July 2024

$100m toward Indigenous health infrastructure
Moorundi medical centre construction underway
AMA praises push for soft-drink sugar tax
More support needed for remote communities
Diabetes Inquiry recommendations need adoption NOW
Indigenous perspective on plant-based medicine
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.

$100m towards Indigenous health infrastructure

The federal government will today (Friday 5 July 2024) announce $100m worth of support for 33 Indigenous health infrastructure projects across the country. The investment will go towards the construction of new health clinics, as well as renovating existing ones and constructing housing for workers. Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, Malarndirri McCarthy, said “Roughly half of all First Nations people receive their medical care through an ACCHOs, so it is essential that these clinics are fit for purpose, and ensuring health workers have access to accommodation will help ACCHOs to hire and keep staff, resulting in greater access to health care services for First Nations people.”

The grants were co-designed with NACCHO on behalf of the ACCHO sector. The announcement comes as the government is pressured by ACCHOs to embrace self-determination in healthcare after a scathing productivity commission report, earlier this year found progress to implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (National Agreement) reforms were “weak”.

NACCHO CEO and lead convener of the Coalition of Peaks, Pat Turner, said she was pleased the funding was being delivered in line with the National Agreement, and in genuine partnership with ACCHOs, “This funding supports the critical role that ACCHOs play and the contribution they make every day in improving health outcomes for our people. Ms Turner said the flailing infrastructure could compromise the delivery of healthcare, as well as posing a risk to patients and staff, and act as a deterrent for future staff seeking employment. The Government’s injection of $100m is a welcome support for those services under funding pressures to better serve their communities.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Government pledges $100m towards Indigenous health infrastructure in full click here.

NACCHO CEO and Lead Convener Coalition of Peaks, Pat Turner. Photo: AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Moorundi medical centre construction underway

Construction is underway on a new community health clinic on Adelaide Road in Murray Bridge. The $10m Moorundi Aboriginal Community medical centre is being built, following 20 years of planning and advocacy and a $9m federal government investment. Thanks to a partnership between Aboriginal health workers and non-Indigenous GPs, Moorundi has grown into an organisation with more than 40 staff in Murray Bridge, Raukkan and Victor Harbor.

Moorundi Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service Limited CEO Steven Sumner said when completed, the new centre will offer health care for all community members, “It’s not just Indigenous people that come to us, we have non-Indigenous people that come to our service because they like the way its delivered but we have our own people that still love other services within Murray Bridge and other areas, so just by giving them that choice I think that allows them to take care of their health a lot better.”

Sumner said his team collaborates with other organisations to offer career pathways for young Indigenous people, “We’re trying to channel our school leavers especially, into the health field. If there’s an opportunity there, we’ve taken on trainees for the last six years and have had some really good success with retention, so that’s what we’re about. We’re about the future, not just the past.” He is expecting the keys to be handed by June 2025 with an opening date soon after.

To view the 5MU article Work Underway on Murraylands Moorundi Clinic in full click here.

Steven Sumner, CEO of Moorundi. Photo: Jennie Lenman / ARN. Image source: 5MU website.

AMA praises push for soft drink sugar tax

The AMA has praised a federal parliamentary probe into diabetes which has recommended a sugar tax on all soft drinks to help address the nation’s obesity and diabetes rates. The AMA says the parliamentary inquiry into diabetes grasped an opportunity to recommend a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, which could help prevent obesity and raise crucial funds to tackle chronic disease.

“A sugar tax would have a huge impact on Australia’s health system and the AMA’s modelling suggests a sugar tax could result in government revenue of $4b across four years, which could be used to fund further preventative health activities,” AMA President Professor Steve Robson said.

“We are 100% behind this sugar tax on sugar-sweetened beverages because we know it could help
reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Australia, as well as reducing other chronic diseases. “Prevention is better than cure and this inquiry has realised we need to be ahead of what is a national health crisis.” Research shows a tax of this nature is estimated to result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4,400 fewer cases of heart disease, and 1,100 fewer cases of stroke over 25 years. It is a simple but effective way to improve the lives of Australians.

To view the AMA media release AMA welcomes sweet push on sugar tax reform in full click here.

bottles of different soft & energy drinks with sugar cubes representing the amount of sugar in each drink

Image source: Public Health Association Australia website.

More support needed for remote communities

New research led by the University of Adelaide reveals remote Indigenous communities need improved infrastructure and services to support residents and visitors. Funded by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI), the research explores how movement between remote communities and urban centres is vital for many Indigenous Australians, however mobility patterns can add pressure to already underfunded infrastructure and services in remote communities.

Findings reveal that remote Indigenous populations are growing and ageing; incomplete data on remote community population and mobility means real needs are unmet; and inconsistent population movement affects community requirements particularly in regard to funding and housing. Population projections undertaken for the research, suggest the Indigenous population will continue to grow strongly in outer regional, remote, and very remote Australia by more than 10% between 2021 and 2026.

This predicted growth is concentrated in the older cohorts from age 45 to 49 years and older, indicating a rapidly ageing Indigenous population. This will have implications for the type of housing, infrastructure and services that will be needed in remote communities. Real needs of the community are being unmet due to inadequate existing data on remote community populations and mobility.

To view The University of Adelaide article More support needed for remote Indigenous communities in full click here.

aerial photo of far western town Eulo, Qld

Far western town of Eulo, Qld. Image source: The University of Adelaide Newsroom webpage.

Diabetes Inquiry recommendations need adoption NOW

The Federal Government must urgently implement the recommendations outlined in the final report of the Diabetes Inquiry held by the Parliamentary Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sports, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) has said.

Professor Jennifer Martin, President of the RACP, said that if implemented, the recommendations would help provide vital medical support to people living with diabetes and obesity and would help significantly improve their quality of life, “The implementation of these recommendations will be transformative for people living with diabetes and obesity. The Committee has rightly recognised that people living with diabetes often have to contend with very high prices and long waiting times when trying to access vital medical supports that can greatly help with insulin and weight management. Consistent with our recommendations, the Committee has called on the Government to fund longer MBS consultations, support telehealth and broaden case coordination models for people with obesity and diabetes.

“Over the past few decades, we have seen a gradual but steady increase in the rates of people living with diabetes, especially type two diabetes, and obesity across Australia. This has put an immense amount of pressure on families, patients themselves and also Australia’s health care system. Making access to essential therapeutics and other forms of medical care more affordable for people living with diabetes and obesity will have immense impact and the Government must act now.”

To view the RACP media release Physicians urge Government to swiftly adopt recommendations of diabetes inquiry to support patients in full click here.

patient arm connected to a monitor, 'diabetes' written on notepad

Image source: Health Times.

Indigenous perspective on plant-based medicine

In this final episode of BLA.C.K. Medicine, a health podcast for Indigenous peoples by Indigenous peoples, host Dr Mikayla Couch shares an Indigenous perspective on plant-based medicine, as she chats with Bundjalung man and Gardening Australia presenter Uncle Clarence Slockee about the medicinal and health benefits of Indigenous plants.

As holistic solutions to health issues increase in popularity, Indigenous plant-based medicines are enjoying a boom. But as the benefits become more widely acknowledged, corporations enter the picture, demand grows, and prices do too. It is of national significance that we maintain control over our native species.

Horticulturist Uncle Clarence Slockee walks Mikayla through the beneficial properties of some common plants that are making waves in the health industry. The rainforest plum, for example, is really high in antioxidants, really high in vitamin C. People are understanding just how good they are for you. So it pushes the price up, but it’s one of those things you can grow yourself.

To listen to the NITV Radio SBS BLA.C.K Medicine podcast episode Bush medicine: The healing properties of Indigenous plant-based medicine in full click here.

Horticulturalist Uncle Clarence Slockee. Image source: SBS NITV Radio website.

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

17 June 2024

New guaranteed funding boosts ACCHOs nationwide
Telstra outage forces ACCHOs to temporarily shut
Telehealth program to provide support after infant loss
‘If the land is sick, so are we’
Indigenous knowledge and global health strategies
Bra fittings helping save rural women’s lives
Sector Jobs

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.

New guaranteed funding boosts ACCHOs nationwide

First Nations health services will have certainty to plan for the medium-term future, as the federal government announced four-year rolling funding agreements from 1 July, along with a $300m funding boost. ACCHOs play an integral role in First Nations health and self-determination, delivering holistic, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate health care to the community which controls it. Last year, 120 ACCHOs delivered health care to more than 410,000 people in First Nations communities across the country. NACCHO Acting CEO Dawn Casey said the new rolling arrangements and increased funding would provide “crucial financial stability” for the sector. “This recognition further reflects the Sector’s longstanding provision of healthcare across diverse settings, from very remote to urban areas,” Dr Casey said.

Indigenous Minister Linda Burney said the government knows “communities have the solutions to so many challenges that face us. This new funding agreement will give ACCHOs the certainty they need to plan for the future, and work towards long term solutions.” Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy said ACCHOs “are a place that’s culturally safe for First Nations people to go to. They are also fluent in languages; for example, in Miwatj with the Yolngu language in central Australia, there are certainly languages there that need to be spoken and interpreted. So, it is a place that First Nations people feel they can go to talk about really important health issues.”

She highlighted the role ACCHOs play in education, noting it is a key component of chronic disease prevention. In reference to the NT – where more than 30% of residents identify as First Nations – Senator McCarthy said places such as Ampilatwatja which will see its funding increase by 5%, while there will also be increases for Anyinginyi in Tennant Creek, Katherine West, the Laynhapuy Homelands in northeast Arnhem Land and the Marthakal Homelands Aboriginal Corporation.

To view the National Indigenous Times article New funding and four-year guarantee boosts Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations nationwide in full click here.

L-R: Linda Burney and Malarndirri McCarthy say ACCHOs are vital for First Nations health outcomes. Photo: AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Telstra outage causes ACCHOs to temporarily shut

Two SA Aboriginal health services say they have had to temporarily close their clinics due to a nationwide data outage impacting some Telstra customers, which has also left three councils unable to perform critical services for almost two weeks. Yadu Health Aboriginal Corporation in Ceduna, on the west coast of SA, is one of the organisations impacted. Its CEO, Simon Prideaux, said the corporation had been without access to patient medical records, allergy information, specialist letters or appointment bookings since 1 June, prompting it to temporarily close its clinic this week.

“It’s extremely limiting the medical care that we’re able to provide safely … [and] it’s very concerning considering most of our cohort are Aboriginal people with chronic illnesses,” Mr Prideaux said. “We’ve had a loss of specialists coming over with their flights, their salaries and their accommodation that we’ve already pre-paid. We’ve had to cancel diabetes educators because we’re unable to access their bookings and phone numbers for clients, so the list is quite extensive.”

The Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service in Whyalla has also had to cancel its services, including visiting specialists. “It’s very frustrating not only for the backlog of work that people are going to have to do, but for all of the patients who are really quite vulnerable, walking around not being able to access healthcare,” Nunyara CEO Cindy Zbierski said. “It’s a lot safer to not provide a service and so we’ve been providing transport to other services and the hospital.”

To view the ABC News article Telstra outage forces Aboriginal health clinics to temporarily shut and causes ‘frustrating’ disruptions at regional councils in full click here.

sign at front of Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service Inc indicating location of parking

The Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service at Whyalla is one of the medical clinics that has been forced to shut. Photo: Nunyara Aboriginal Health Service. Image source: ABC News.

Telehealth program to provide support after infant loss

Cassidy Barlow’s friends didn’t understand when she told them her daughter was born sleeping. Health workers and relatives couldn’t always find the right words to comfort the 18-year-old after Delylah was stillborn at 24 weeks in 2020. With the Queensland health system in lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barlow was often alone without any visitors. Then when she tried to access mental health support, she was turned away due to long waiting lists. “Having a healthy baby is isolating on its own but having a baby where you don’t get to bring them home is even more isolating,” Barlow said.

Barlow is one of many women whose stories informed the launch of a new national perinatal psychology service. The telehealth program is run by social enterprise Rural Health Connect. It is funded by the federal government for four years to support rural, Indigenous, migrant and young women and families after infant loss. Rural Health Connect founder Megan Gomez said the service aims to overcome common barriers to accessing care, like distance, social stigma, long waiting times and high costs.

“Telehealth has really changed everything for people living in the bush,” Gomez said. “Before, you had to drive to the practitioner you wanted to see and you didn’t have any choice in who you could see. Now, suddenly, you can access an expert in a particular field even if they live in another state.” The platform’s psychologists have been given specialist training in perinatal support, including culturally sensitive care. Patients need to be referred by their GP and bulk billing or low gap fees are available for those in financial need.

To view the SBS News article When Cassidy’s baby was stillborn, she couldn’t access support. Now, that’s changing in full click here.

Waminda midwife Mel Briggs says stillbirth can be reduced in Aboriginal communities through early and frequent access to trusted, professional and community-based maternity care that is immersed in tradition and culture. Photo: Janie Barrett. Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

‘If the land is sick, so are we’

First Nations peoples have been present on the Australian continent for more than 65,000 years. During this time, they have managed to develop and maintain continuous, unbroken connections with the land, water and sky. Understanding the deep interrelatedness between humans and their (human and nonhuman) kin and ancestors instilled a sense of responsibility, through custodianship of their environment. The aim of this was to survive, and to promote a sense of ecological and cosmological balance. Indigenous Australian spiritualities understand this balance, which is essential to living in harmony with all things in creation.

More than two-thirds of young Australians are experiencing eco-anxiety, while almost half of Australians believe our country is in “decline”. First Nations spiritualities may have some answers. First Nations spirituality promotes a strong sense of interrelatedness and interconnectedness between all things, particularly people and the planet. Aboriginal Elders have said we are a reflection of the Country: if the land is sick, so are we. If the land is healthy (or punyu), so are we.

Wik First Nations scholar Tyson Yunkaporta says our collective wellbeing can only be sustained through a life of communication with a sentient landscape and all things on it. In a time when we as a global human population are navigating the complex challenges of modernity, an immersion into First Nations’ spirituality may help us better live in harmony with all things – and importantly, ourselves and each other. We can explore the depths of these teachings and learn to appreciate them (rather than appropriating them) by reconnecting with the land in meaningful ways, under the guidance of First Nations Elders and Traditional Custodians.

To view The Conversation article ‘If the land is sick, so are we’: Australian First Nations spirituality explained in full click here.

Nourlangie Rock, the site of Aboriginal rock art in the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP. Image source: The Conversation.

Indigenous knowledge and global health strategies

The first regional World Health Summit took place in Melbourne earlier this year (22–24 April 2024), bringing together participants from around the world to explore the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, climate change and planetary health. Under the bold theme, “Shape the future of health across Asia and the Pacific”, this ground-breaking conference, the first of its kind in the region, united over 1,100 participants from Australia, the Pacific region and worldwide from diverse spheres of global health. During the Summit emphasis was placed on the intersection of Indigenous knowledge, climate change and planetary health.

The health of Indigenous peoples, and their long-held world views were repeatedly highlighted for inclusion and respect in global health strategies. The challenges and opportunities presented by the intertwined issues of Indigenous knowledge, climate change and planetary health are vast and demand a hopeful and deeply considered approach to discourse and action. The way forward must be collaborative, integrating scientific research with Indigenous wisdom to develop health strategies that are effective, sustainable and culturally respectful.

The summit’s focus on planetary health, emphasised by the presence of global health leaders and Indigenous scholars, sends a strong message: the health of humanity is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. This realisation should drive all stakeholders, including governments, health care providers and academia, to pursue a more integrated approach to health that respects and learns from Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. The Summit set the stage for continued dialogue and action that bridges Indigenous knowledge and scientific research to tackle the pressing health challenges of our time. As we move forward, it is essential that these discussions translate into actionable strategies that prioritise the health of both the planet and its people, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.

To view the InSight+ article Indigenous knowledge meets global health strategies at regional World Health Summit in full click here.

gathering of World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre foyer

The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Photo: World Health Summit Melbourne. Image source: InSight+.

Bra fittings helping save rural women’s lives

Not far from yacht clubs, shimmering beaches and five star resorts, a homeless woman had sought shelter from the summer heat and humidity. Crisis counsellor Jane Holmes found her beneath the Sundale Bridge on Queensland’s Gold Coast, in agony. Lily quietly lifted her shirt to reveal severe chafing, having never been able to afford a bra. “It was absolutely horrific, it really shook me to the core,” Ms Holmes said. “I couldn’t believe in a first world country that is so wealthy we had a person in a situation where she couldn’t afford a bra.”

Lily was the catalyst for Ms Holmes to launch the charity Support the Girls, which offers free bra fittings, underwear and menstrual products to women in rural and Indigenous communities. A van dubbed Brabarella hits the road with volunteers and donated items on board, reaching more than 2,000 women in regional Queensland and NSW each year. The organisation has partnered with BreastScreen NSW and Aboriginal health organisations to encourage more than 400 Indigenous women to have mammograms since last May.

The program boosted screening rates from 9% to 74%in some areas, providing scans and fittings in culturally safe environments that fostered conversation and compassion. It’s crucial to reach Indigenous women, who are often highly reluctant to get checked, BreastScreen NSW health promotion officer Heather Hillam says. “For Aboriginal women, the idea of being vulnerable and standing naked from the waist up and having someone touch and move their breast … a word you hear a lot is ‘shame’,” she said. “But the prospect of having a bra fitting and a lovely, supportive women-only environment has been enough to get a lot of women over that fear.”

To view the Australian Associated Press article How bra fittings are helping save rural women’s lives in full click here.

Support the Girls offers free bra fittings to rural and Indigenous women. Photo: Support the Girls/AAP. Image source: The Advocate.

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.

12 February 2024

Australia’s rheumatic fever strategy three years on
Dr Casey’s address to the World Congress on RHD
SHPA calls for improved medicines access
HTA policies and methods reform options survey
Supporting People with Cancer grant round OPEN
Sector Jobs
Key Dates – WA Sexual Health Week – 12-18 February 2024

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

Australia’s rheumatic fever strategy three years on

In a world first, NACCHO has partnered with the Australian Government to establish a community-led initiative to combat acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Australia. In an article published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, Ms Pat Turner, CEO of NACCHO and Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO NACCHO discuss how the partnership shifts power and decision-making to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community control.

Ms Turner and Dr Casey note that unprecedented levels of ARF in Aboriginal children were reported in the Medical Journal of Australia over 40 years ago, and the implementation of a comprehensive prevention system at a community level are long overdue. “Such a system is most effectively implemented through comprehensive community controlled primary health care firmly in the hands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” they wrote. “We know what needs to be done, and we know that it can be done.”

NACCHO has been instrumental in establishing the partnership, co-designing the national governance structure, appointing an RHD Expert Working Group, and co-chairing a national Joint Advisory Committee. “NACCHO is now responsible for dispersing over $30m in service enhancement grants to enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their community-controlled health services to address their local priorities, building on their own strengths and assigning resources to strategies they know will work,” NACCHO CEO Patricia Turner AM and Deputy CEO Dr Dawn Casey wrote in their perspective.

More than 15 ACCHOs have already secured funding to participate in the NACCHO program. The initiative came about as a result of the Australian Government’s commitment to eradicate ARF and RHD in Australia by 2031.

To view The Medical Journal of Australia article Australia’s rheumatic fever strategy three years on in full click here.

Dr Casey’s address to the World Congress on RHD

Last year Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO NACCHO, addressed the World Congress on rheumatic heart disease (RHD), in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In her address Dr Casey explained that NACCHO is the national peak body for 145 ACCHOs that deliver comprehensive primary health care to over half of the Indigenous population in Australia. Dr Casey said that Australia’s earliest ACCHO predated the World Health Organization’s declaration on Alma Ata in 1978 and the ACCHO model continues to be acknowledged in multiple forums and in research as the best example of sustainable and equitable healthcare. The community-controlled health sector delivers 3,000,000 clinical episodes of care per year through its 550 clinics.

And there’s even more not so easily quantified in our community led population and public health work, including intersectoral partnerships and health promotion. We know the requirements for better health as a whole of community; self-determination and individual spiritual, cultural, physical, social and emotional well-being. Yet sadly, in a colonized country, disease rates not seen since 1900 in non-Indigenous populations are still commonplace in 2023 in our Indigenous peoples.

RHD is the greatest cause of cardiovascular inequity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and until recently was the leading cause of death, only just overtaken recently by cancer. RHD is the epitome of health gaps between our Indigenous peoples and other Australians. It spans from housing to primary care to open heart surgery. The Indigenous Peoples of Australia have the highest number of rheumatic heart disease in the world.

To view the transcript of Dr Casey’s address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in ARF and RHD: Priorities, Partnerships and Progress presented to the World Congress on Rheumatic Heart Disease on 3 November 2023 click here. You can also view Dr Casey’s presentation slides on NACCHO website ARF and RHD webpage here.

panel at World Congress on RHD, L to R: Georgina Byron, CEO Snow Foundation; Jonathan Carapetis, Director, Telethon Kids Institute; Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO, NACCHO; and Bo Remenyi, Paediatric Cardiologist, Menzies School of Health Research

L to R: Georgina Byron, CEO Snow Foundation; Jonathan Carapetis, Director, Telethon Kids Institute; Dawn Casey, Deputy CEO, NACCHO; and Bo Remenyi, Paediatric Cardiologist, Menzies School of Health Research.

SPHA calls for improved medicines access

The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) is calling for cost-effective solutions that enhance the efficiency and capacity of Australia’s healthcare system as part of its 2023–25 Federal Budget Submission, available here. Calling for investment across three key focus areas – medicines access, scope of practice, and workforce development and sustainability – SHPA’s recommendations aim to optimise patient care, improve medication safety, and provide equitable and affordable access to medicines for all Australians.

SHPA President Tom Simpson says hospital pharmacists, skilled in providing clinical pharmacy services, can provide cost-effective healthcare solutions by limiting medication wastage, reducing medication-related harms, optimising medication use; as well as decreasing patient length of stay in hospital and hospital readmissions. “The value of clinical pharmacy services is well-established in the literature, with an Australian economic analysis indicating a $23 return for every $1 invested in clinical pharmacy services. Pharmacists can alleviate pressures on our medical colleagues by working to their full scope of practice which can itself translate to significant cost benefits. For example, recent research has shown that the health system can reduce admission lengths by ~10% and save $726 each time a patient receives care through the Partnered Pharmacist Medication Charting (PPMC) model.”

“Pharmacy technicians also working to their full scope of practice through more efficient inpatient medication management systems and assisting in clinical support roles, enable pharmacists and nursing staff to spend more of their time delivering direct patient care and other clinical activities, improving patient outcomes and health system efficiency. We are therefore calling for our skilled workforce to be fully harnessed so that the Federal Government can better mitigate unnecessary health costs and optimise patient care for all Australians.”

To view the SHPA media release Harnessing workforce and improving medicines access key to optimising care for all Australians click here.

SHPA website.

HTA policies and methods reform options survey

Access to the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review Consultation 2 online survey is now available on the Office of Health Technology Assessment Consultation Hub, here. The survey will allow stakeholders to provide feedback on the Options Paper prepared by the HTA Review Reference Committee including:

whether proposed option/s will achieve intended outcomes
what the potential impact on stakeholders may be
any unintended outcomes or challenges stemming from the proposed options

The Reference Committee will consider responses to Consultation 2, as well as the evidence and input it has received throughout the HTA Review, before finalising its recommendations to the Government by 15 April 2024. Responses to Consultation 2 will be accepted up to 23:30 AEDT on Friday 23 February 2024.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to the HTA Review or Consultation 2, please email the HTA Review Consultation using this email address.

desk with laptop, clipboard, stethoscope, hands typing & overlaid with graph graphics

Image source: The University of Melbourne, Health Technology Assessment webpage.

Supporting People with Cancer grant round OPEN

A new round of funding to support Australians living with cancer opened on 18 January 2024 with the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health Malarndirri McCarthy announcing the latest Supporting People with Cancer (SPWC) Grant initiative. The Australian Government, through Cancer Australia, is inviting grassroots community organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations working to improve outcomes for people affected by cancer to apply for grants of up to $120,000 each.

The SPWC Grant initiative, an annual program, aims to enhance support for individuals affected by cancer by promoting equity in cancer outcomes and experiences. This includes a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other priority population groups identified in the Australian Cancer Plan (ACP), available here.

Since 2005, the Australian Government has contributed over $11.5m to 137 community grants nationwide through the SPWC Grant initiative. Successful projects from the 2023 round tailored support for diverse population groups, such as Indigenous communities, regional and rural communities, children affected by cancer, LGBTQ+ people, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Full details of the funding are available at the Australian Government’s grant website GrantConnect here.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday 29 February 2024.

You can read Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy’s media release Grant applications now open for community and Indigenous organisations for funding to support people with cancer in full here.

2 tiles: text 'Grant Round Open - 2024 Supporting people with cancer grant initiative' & ATSI woman with hands of ATSI woman & man (probably her children) held to her chest

Image source: Cancer Australia, Instagram, 18 January 2024.

Sector Jobs

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

Key Dates – WA Sexual Health Week – 12–18 February 2024

WA Sexual Health Week (SHW) runs from Monday 12 February to Sunday 18 February in 2024. The theme of SHW this year is ‘Absolutely Everybody’, aiming to celebrate the right to sexual health for all people. This theme asks us to think creatively about how we can promote positive and respectful approaches to sexuality and sexual relationships while also creating supportive, inclusive, and safe spaces for everyone to achieve positive and enjoyable sexual health.

As part of SHW, WAAC is unpacking the following common myths about sex, to demonstrate how sexual health applies to Absolutely Everybody:

Positive sexual health is only for people who have sex
It’s only sex if there is penetration
People living with HIV or other STIs can have sex without transmitting the STI to another person
Condoms are the only way to have safer sex
Not everyone is having sex
STI testing is scary
Being sex-positive means having lots of sex

You can find more information about WA Sexual Health Week 2024 and the common myths about sex listed above, on the WAAC’s website here.

WWAC banner text 'Sexual Health Week 2024 - Absolutely Everybody - February 12-18; 10 vector images of people different ages, sex, nationality, ability

Image source: WAAC website.

4 December 2024

NACCHO CEO’s annual wrap-up
Kids experiencing fewer hearing problems
Reform delay causes dental decay
Growing calls for on-Country dialysis
Babies born to mums with type 2 diabetes at risk
Vax burn-out leaves 1,000s vulnerable
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of Pat Turner AM, NACCHO CEO and Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks as it appeared in an article Australian Financial Review Magazine reveals Australia’s ten most culturally powerful people, published by 9 News on 1 October 2020.

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

NACCHO CEO’s annual wrap-up

On an episode of Speaking Out broadcast on ABC Listen Radio last Friday (1 December 2023) Larissa Behrendt spoke with Pat Turner AM, NACCHO CEO and Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks on her thoughts on the year that’s been and where to from here.

Larissa Behrendt: It’s been a year of highs and lows in Indigenous affairs. Aunty Pat Turner has worked to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for over half a century, she says despite the referendum result, the focus should remain on creating better outcomes for First Nations people.

It’s become a tradition on Speaking Out to end the year by asking one of our most revered Elders about her thoughts on the year that’s been. Aunty Pat’s year in review gives us a chance to delve into the big issues from someone who’s been in the middle of it.

Aunty Pat welcome back once again. This has been quite a year so it’s a real privilege to have your insights since you’ve been right in the thick of many of the things we’re going to analyse. The most significant moment in Indigenous affairs this past year has no doubt been the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. You were deeply involved in the design of it, how do you explain the referendum results Aunty Pat?

Pat Turner: I don’t really think it’s right that Aboriginal people are asked to explain it, or to say what went wrong because really, we only make up 3% of the population and somehow it assumes that, you know by me explaining it, that we were at fault and that it was our responsibility to educate all the Australians and all the people who have to vote to convince them about why we should have a constitutionally protected voice and I think there are a lot of others who are responsible for that.

But what I do know is so many of our people are now grieving and struggling to understand their place in our own country and that’s really bad. But in this grief, as I said previously, it is important that our young people really know that they are so loved, and that they should be so proud of their Aboriginal identity. I know I hug my grannies a little tighter in the last few weeks and we all must continue to do that.

You can read more of the interview here.

Larrisa Behrendt, host of ABC Radio Speaking Out.

Kids experiencing fewer hearing problems

Indigenous children are experiencing fewer ear and hearing problems, though rates are still excessive and preventable. New data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has revealed the proportion of Indigenous children under 14 with an ear or hearing problem declined from 11% in 2001 to 6.9% in 2019. “Hearing problems in children can affect speech, language, thinking skills and behavioural development,” said AIHW spokesperson Jo Baker said. “First Nations people and in particular children, experience high rates of ear and hearing problems, which can have profound impacts on overall health and quality of life.”

While the decrease is promising, the research found three in 10 Indigenous children still experienced hearing loss in 2019, jumping to four in 10 in remote areas. In the broader community, 43% of Indigenous people aged 7 and over had measured hearing loss. The report found social and economic disadvantage to be contributing to greater rates of untreated acute and chronic ear infections among Indigenous people.

University of Newcastle ear, nose and throat surgeon Kelvin Kong said most ear disease and hearing loss affecting Indigenous people is preventable. “Access to culturally safe ear and hearing health specialist services is crucial for First Nations people to seek and receive timely diagnosis and treatment,” Professor Kong said. He said middle ear infections are the main cause of hearing loss among children and young people, and early detection is vital for appropriate treatment.

To view The Telegraph article Indigenous children experiencing fewer hearing problems in full click here.

Image source: The Telegraph.

Reform delay causes dental decay

A Senate committee has investigated why so many Australians are missing out on dental care and made 35 recommendations for reform. By far the most sweeping is the call for universal coverage for essential dental care. The Senate committee report follows more than a dozen national inquiries and reports into dental care since 1998, many with similar findings.

Dental care was left out of Medicare from the start, and half a century later, Australia still funds oral health very differently to how we fund care for the rest of the body, with patients paying most of the cost themselves. People on lower incomes were much more likely to miss out. People living in the poorest areas are around three times as likely to wait more than two years between visits to the dentist, compared to people in the wealthiest areas. One in four report delaying care.

Even if you can afford to see a dentist, you might not be able to get in. Census data shows there is one dentist for every 400 to 500 people in inner-city parts of most capital cities. But in Blacktown North in outer Sydney, there is only one dentist for every 5,100 people. Regional areas fare even worse. There is only one for every 10,300 people in the northeast of Ballarat, Vic. In some remote areas, there are no working dentists at all. The consequences of missing dental care are serious. Around 80,000 hospital visits a year are for preventable dental conditions. Oral health problems are also linked to a range of chronic diseases affecting the rest of the body too, and may cause damage to the brain.

Compared to five years ago, more of us have untreated dental decay, are concerned about the appearance of our teeth, avoid food due to dental problems, and have toothaches. Despite all this, government spending on dental health has been falling. In the ten years to 2020-21, the federal government’s share of spending on dental services – excluding premium rebates – fell from 12% to 5%, while the states’ share fell from 10% to 9%.

To view The Conversation article Reform delay causes dental decay. It’s time for a national deal to fund dental care in full click here.

gloved dentist's hands holding equipment

Photo: Press Association. Image source: SBS NITV.

Growing calls for on-Country dialysis

Yindjibarndi Elder Tootsie Daniel sits patiently underneath a tree in the front yard of her home in Roebourne, 1,500 kms north of Perth in WA’s Pilbara. She’s waiting for a lift to a kidney dialysis centre, three hours away. It’s a laborious ritual she is meant to go through three times a week. “I’ve had problems getting people to take me to Port Hedland to do dialysis,” she says.”I remember the first week when I came back [from Perth] I missed dialysis for five weeks … it was so unbearable for me. “I was getting worried and upset … because my body was feeling it.”

Three hours down the highway in Port Hedland, Yamatji woman Elizabeth Barry has been on the waitlist for dialysis for more than a year. “Sometimes you do have anxiety because of that, because you know that you just got to take what you can get,” she says. “If we don’t get dialysis we are dead. It is as simple as that … I’ll take whatever days you give me.”

Recent figures from the WA Country Health Service showed the average wait time for dialysis in Port Hedland was 423 days, double last year’s figures. Locals say ballooning wait times result in a growing number of Indigenous people leaving their communities to access treatment in Perth. “There’s lots of other people: my people, my family in Perth that want to come back home,” Ms Daniel says. “Being in Perth is somewhere else. I’m not familiar with, no family, no friends to come visit. “I miss seeing my family and I’m going to miss my community … it made me feel homesick.”

To view the ABC News article Growing calls for on-country kidney dialysis in North West WA, as wait times grow to more than a year in full click here.

WA dialysis ATSI patient Lucy May Bulley

Yinggarda woman Lucy May Bulley says someone had to die before she could get a dialysis placement in Carnarvon. Photo: Xander Sapsworth-Collis. Image source: ABC News.

Babies born to type 2 diabetes mums at risk

Babies of mothers who have type 2 diabetes in pregnancy are being born with congenital defects including holes in the heart and malformed kidneys, frontline clinicians reveal as the nationwide diabetes battle extends into a new front. Endocrinologists at public hospitals have highlighted the trend as the numbers of pregnant women with youth-onset type 2 diabetes grows, with as many as 15% of babies born to these mothers having some form of congenital malformation.

The number of people with type 2 diabetes, a condition in which patients become insulin resistant and develop dangerously high blood sugar levels, has tripled in the past 30 years. One in 10 deaths is attributable to diabetes currently, and a minor or major amputation is performed every two days in Australian hospitals as a result of diabetes complications. The condition is also the leading cause of premature blindness and causes heart attack, strokes and nerve problems. There is no national data on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in pregnancy, but the numbers of such women is growing as the age of diagnosis of the condition – previously a disease of middle age – gets younger and younger.”

According to Darwin endocrinologist Matthew Hare, who wrote his PhD on the topic at the Menzies School of Health Research, Aboriginal women in Central Australia have the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in pregnancy ever reported globally. Research led by Dr Hare found that there had been a 10-fold increase in the rate of type 2 diabetes among pregnant Aboriginal women in just 30 years, and the condition now affected almost one in 10 Aboriginal women in Central Australia. Alarmingly, one in 10 Aboriginal women with type 2 diabetes in pregnancy developed end-stage kidney disease requiring dialysis within 12 years of follow-up after the pregnancy. These women were almost 30 times more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease compared to women without any diabetes in pregnancy.

The above was extracted from an article Babies of diabetic mums born with birth defects: doctors published earlier today in The Australian.

Image source: Australian Institute of Health & Welfare.

Vax burn-out leaves 1,000s vulnerable

Every year, vaccines save thousands of lives and prevent countless sick days, yet millions of older Australians at high risk of serious illness are not getting their recommended shots and for some that may mean death. According to a new report A fair shot: How to close the vaccination gap, by the Grattan Institute, the pandemic has left many of us suffering vaccine burn-out – sick of vaccination, confused about which jabs we need, misled by misinformation, or complacent about the risks of not being vaccinated.

COVID-19 is less dangerous than it was at the peak of the pandemic, but is still killing thousands of Australians a year – since pandemic measures ended in October 2022, more than 5,000 Australians have died from COVID-19, making it a leading cause of death. COVID-19 vaccination rates have plunged. “Year after year, the same groups miss out. If you don’t speak English at home, you are only half as likely to get recommended COVID-19 vaccinations,” the report says, “and if you are Indigenous, you are a third less likely.” According to the report Australia urgently needs a policy reset to save lives and take pressure off hospitals.

The Grattan Institute wants to see a new National Vaccination Agreement between the federal government and the states, to set ambitious targets and forge a plan to drive up vaccination. Pharmacists and GPs should get more help to reach more people, including cultural groups that are missing out, and people living in aged care homes, Aboriginal health organisations should get more money to boost vaccination rates among Indigenous people and pandemic programs to reach communities with the lowest vaccination rates – including homeless people and some cultural groups – should be sustained and strengthened.

To view The Senior article Vaccine burn-out leaves thousands vulnerable says the Grattan Institute
in full click here.

Tharawal Elder Uncle Ivan Wellington receiving vaccination at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation

Tharawal Elder Uncle Ivan Wellington receiving a COVID-19 vaccination at Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation. Image source: The Guardian.

Sector Jobs

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

1 November 2023

We have to move on with CTG
Voice rejection feels deeply personal
APA committed to better health outcomes
Professor Sandra Eades’ blueprint to CTG
Australia is NOT an egalitarian society
Blue trees to counter more than blues
Sector Jobs

The image in the feature tile is of Pat Turner AM from an article Pharmacy move ‘too risky for Indigenous’ published in The Australian on Friday 3 February 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.

“We have to move on with CTG”

The first story of the ABC News 7.30 Report last night (Tuesday 31 October 2023) looked at the fall out of the Voice referendum. ABC Indigenous Affairs Editor Bridget Brennan said the stunning defeat of the Voice referendum leaves a policy vacuum and has heightened existing trauma in communities across the country, “Many Aboriginal families still live in abject poverty and there is no national representative group that can advise government. Indigenous leaders say that the status quo cannot continue.”

NACCHO CEO and Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks (which is made up of dozens of the major Indigenous organisations across Australia), Pat Turner AM is concerned the referendum has taken focus off policies needed to close the gap, “There’s been a huge focus on the Voice. But now that’s done and dusted, you know we have to move on with closing the gap. I’ve met with every cabinet in Australia, accept the Albanese cabinet which I’m hoping to do before we meet again in national cabinet.”

“I think that the government needs to show its confidence in Aboriginal Australia and the efforts that we’ve made, especially in closing the gap now. I’m sick to death of process, I’m sick to death of red tape, I want the rubber to hit the road and the money to get in at community level.”

You can listen to the ABC News 7:30 Report here, with Pat Turner speaking from 9:22 minutes.

ABC &:30 Report tile text 'Referendum Rejected' Tuesday 31.10.23

Image source: ABC News, 7.30 Report.

Voice rejection feels deeply personal

On Wurundjeri country, in a meeting room in Collingwood, black, red and yellow helium balloons still hang from the roof — remnants of a referendum party that ended in heartbreak. For Jill Gallagher, a Gunditjmara leader and longtime advocate for Aboriginal rights, the rejection of a Voice for her people still feels deeply personal and “disheartening”.

On October 14, dozens gathered at VACCHO, as the referendum results rolled in on the television. The atmosphere quickly became “dismal”, says Gallagher. “There were a lot of tears. It was devastating for me personally as an Aboriginal woman who’s 67 years old. I’m thinking, where to now?” “Where to now” is a universal question being asked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across the country in the wake of the failed Voice referendum.

For Gallagher, who has seen her fair share of heartbreaks and setbacks in Aboriginal politics, the repudiation of constitutional change is a moment for soul-searching. As a vocal Yes campaigner in Victoria, she says she was exposed to a “nasty” campaign — hate mail, racism and misinformation swirling on social media. But she is also outspoken on the failures in the Yes camp to launch a successful campaign to educate Australians on what a Voice could have achieved. “We left our run late … we needed to start doing work [earlier in the year]. How many of our citizens out there fully understood what this Voice was? Not a lot.”

To view the ABC News article Inside the delays and disagreements that doomed the Yes campaign ahead of the Voice referendum in full click here.

VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher with t-shirt 'You're the Voice' & colleagues at a Vote Yes gathering

VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher, centre, and colleagues supporting the Voice. Photo: VACCHO. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

APA committed to better health outcomes

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) had acknowledged the recent Voice to Parliament referendum outcome and reaffirmed its commitment to reconciliation and improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. While the referendum did not yield the desired result, the APA remains hopeful that all Australians share the aspiration to bridge divisions and create a brighter future.

This referendum was not our sole opportunity for healing and the APA is committed to truth telling, cultural bravery and improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. First Nations peoples face significantly higher health disparities, including psychological distress and suicide rates. Racism and exclusion are clear contributors to these disparities.

The APA advocates for evidence-based, community-led approaches to health for First Nations peoples. Despite our differences, fairness and respect must unite us. We must address the unacceptable gap in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The stark disparity in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is indefensible. We believe that Australians, regardless of their backgrounds, would unite in agreement that this gap must be closed.

To read the Australian Physiotherapy Association media release APA’s response to Voice referendum outcome in full click here.

art developed for APA's RAP by proud Gameroi man; text ' APA Position Statement: Voice to Parliament'

Image source: Physio Australia Instagram post 30 March 2023.

Professor Sandra Eades’ blueprint to CTG

Renowned Australian researcher Professor Sandra Eades has celebrated the contribution 50 years of Aboriginal Community Controlled Primary Care Services has made to Indigenous health, but warned there is still more to be done – and at an earlier stage – to further improve outcomes. Speaking to more than 1,000 clinicians during her keynote address at the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) World Conference last week, she referenced her own 40-plus-year experience at the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service in Perth, where she began as a work experience student before working her way up to the board.

A Noongar woman from SW Australia, Professor Eades noted that Aboriginal Community Controlled Primary Care Services now provide more than three million episodes of care annually to more than 400,000 people, and used it as an example of what First Nations-led care can achieve. “In the spirit of self-determination and having control over their own futures, the first of these clinics were established,” she said.

Ongoing research collaborations through her role as a head epidemiologist at Melbourne University’s School of Population and Global Health have also exposed lingering areas for improvement. Some of this research has focused on Aboriginal Community Controlled Primary Care Services, which Professor Eades noted offer numerous benefits, including improved patient engagement with specialist clinics and increased cervical screening uptake. They are also effective at diagnosing and treating infectious diseases such as syphilis and hepatitis C with high rates of cure.

To view the RACGP newsGP article Professor Sandra Eades’ blueprint to Close the Gap in full click here.

Noongar woman Professor Sandra Eades. Photo: Don Lindsay. Image source: The West Australian.

Australia is NOT an egalitarian society

Many Australians have access to quality housing, health care, education and employment options. Many of us can afford to spend discretionary income on entertainment, travel, exercise, food and even art. We take an active role in our democracy. But that is not the complete story of Australia. Nowhere in our constitution does it say all Australians are equal. The word egalitarianism is not mentioned. There is no Australian Bill of Rights empowering us all to equally claim our freedoms. Those of us who have worked in the corrections system know freedom and justice in Australia often has a price tag.

When we talk about Australia being the place of the fair go, an egalitarian place where we all have a chance to succeed, we downplay both the advantages of wealth and the disadvantages of poverty. Australia is a wealthy nation, but our wealth is not distributed equally. The Australian tax system favours those who invest over those who work for a living. In practice this means our capacity to make money depends partly on whether we already have access to money. Not only are poorer Australians more likely to stay poor, they will also live shorter lives.

There is a “dramatic difference in preventable deaths between the top and bottom 20% of income earners, with poorer Australians living up to 6.4 fewer years than the wealthiest Australians. And the gap appears to be widening. Poorer Australians are more likely to be affected negatively by economic shocks and climate change. Having suitable housing, being able to afford an electric vehicle or rooftop solar, and paying for expensive insurance cover are all measures wealthier people can put in place to reduce the costs or direct effects of climate change. Most of these options are beyond the reach of those in the bottom 20% of income earners. Cost-of-living increases disproportionately affect the bottom 20% of income earners. They spend much more of their income on necessary food, energy, transport and housing.

To view the Institute of Community Directors Australia article It’s time to call it out – Australia is not an egalitarian society in full click here.

Veronica Lulu in wheelchair outside inaccessible house, Mulan - edge Great Sandy Desert

57-year old Veronica Lulu, remote Aboriginal community of Mulan, WA. Photo: Aaron Fernandes. Image source NITV.

Blue trees to counter more than blues

Air Force personnel in Derby, WA worked with local communities to highlight mental health through art recently. As Air Force Safety Month draws to a close, personnel recognised that mental health is integral to ensuring the overall safety and effectiveness of the service and the communities it serves. Personnel from across Australia yarned with traditional owners and school students about mental health and painted a tree blue as part of the Blue Tree Project.

The Blue Tree Project seeks to change the way people speak about mental health, by sparking difficult conversations and encouraging people to speak up when battling mental health concerns. By spreading the paint and yarning, aviators and Aboriginal health workers committed to help break down stigma attached to mental health. Group Captain Glen Storrar, Officer Commanding the Health Services Wing, said “Maintaining good mental health supports our overall physical health, our ability to deal with the daily challenges of service life and our readiness to operate in potentially uncertain environments. We all have a role to play in looking after our fellow aviators and to encourage them to seek help if and when they need it.”

At a special event focused on mental health, Air Force personnel learned that remote communities and Indigenous Australians grapple with distinctive mental health challenges. The Department of Health considers mental health is responsible for 10 per cent of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Australians can experience a higher incidence of mental health conditions, substance abuse and suicide. While reported prevalence of mental illness in rural and remote Australia is similar to that of major cities, access to mental health services is substantially more limited than in major cities and rates of self-harm increase with remoteness.

More information is available on the Blue Tree Project here. To view the Australian Government Defence article Blue trees to counter more than blues in full click here.

An Air Force aviator and Derby community members paint a tree in support of the Blue Tree Project. Image source: Australian Government Defence website.

Sector Jobs

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

21 September 2023

Constitutional Reform important for the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
Supporting our community: online Social and Emotional Wellbeing Resources during the Voice referendum
First Nations residential rehabilitation facility on Ngunnawal Country
60-day prescriptions webinar
Preventative dental training grants
Picture books celebrate maternal and child health milestones.
Sector Jobs

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.

Constitutional Reform important for the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous Australians

Australian Constitutional Reform important for the improvement of health outcomes for Indigenous Australians.

Pat Turner CEO of NACCHO states, “A Voice and recognition of Indigenous Australians is critical if there is going to be long term sustainable improvements to health outcomes for our peoples. Currently programs and policies are at the whim of whoever the Minister is and the senior executives of Government Departments.”

“During COVID we were fortunate that our voices were listened to by the then Minister and Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health. There were no deaths of our peoples from COVID in the first 18 months and vaccinations and antivirals were allocated taking into account the level of burden of disease is 2.3 times that of other Australians.

“More recently, Minister Butler has supported our submission to address cancer in our communities. While the mortality rates have been declining for non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for at least two decades, there has been an uptrend in cancer mortality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

The situation is far worse in regional, remote and very remote areas. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are less likely to be diagnosed with localised disease and are less likely to receive treatment than other Australians. The discrepancy in five-year survival rate between major cities and remote areas is particularly stark for certain cancers, including lung cancer (12 per cent compared with 6 per cent) and head and neck cancer (47 per cent compared with 31 per cent).

Pat Turner goes on to say, “The state of Indigenous health in this country is appalling and is the main reason governments have not listened to our advice and have not taken action on the statistics before them and certainly have not provided the funds required. Our study shows there is a conservative $4.4 billion gap in health funding between what is spent on non-Indigenous Australians. That’s $5,000 for each Aboriginal person per year.”

“Having worked in Government as a senior executive for decades I strongly believe having a Voice written into the Australian Constitution together with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap is the best way to improve living conditions and health outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

Donnella Mills, Chair of NACCHO, “The NACCHO board agrees with the Voice and Recognition being written into the Australian Constitution and I am proud to have been part of developing the Uluru Statement. There is no doubt Australia is a divided country. In Cairns where I live and other places nationally there are hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease, and we are 55 times more likely to die of the disease as youth than other Australians. We have had two deaths from tuberculosis in the last year, babies dying from congenital syphilis and trachoma. These are diseases of poverty and diseases seen in Third World countries and haven’t existed in non-Indigenous Australian population in decades. They are diseases that result from overcrowded and poor housing, lack of clean water and limited health care funding.”

“Most of our people were rounded up and placed in artificial environments and mixing the different language groups with their movements restricted with Acts of Parliament. Look at Palm Island as an example or Mapoon. It is now time to make us equal through Recognition and a Voice to Parliament and the Executive in the Australian Constitution.

Find the media release here.

Supporting our community: online Social and Emotional Wellbeing Resources during the Voice referendum

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet have launched a portal that brings together a collection of resources aimed at supporting and reducing social and emotional harms to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the period prior and post the Voice referendum https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/learn/special-topics/voice-referendum-social-emotional-wellbeing-resources/

The wellbeing resources have been made freely available on the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet website for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations and Community, including new Pause, Breathe, Connect wellbeing resources developed by The Healing Foundation. Building Connection, Strength, Resilience is at the heart of these resources, which comprise, factsheets, support websites, apps, posters, videos and other critical tools.

The launch comes as the negative impacts of the debate increasingly affect the social, emotional and mental health wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

NACCHO Chief Executive Officer Pat Turner said, “We are witnessing first-hand the adverse consequences of this debate within our communities, manifesting as heightened psychological distress, an increased demand for assistance, and a rise in the utilisation of social and emotional wellbeing and mental health services. The resources we’ve developed are not the answer but are critical tools to help keep our Community safe and well”.

The Healing Foundation Acting Chief Executive Officer Shannan Dobson said, “These resources have tools and tips on managing stress for self, family and community and managing increased misinformation. As well as managing challenging conversations and ways to stay safe. While these resources are for the current heightened racism, they are useful tools for our mob for general wellbeing.”

HealthInfoNet Director Professor Neil Drew said, “We are proud to partner with NACCHO to provide support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during this nation defining referendum. National debates of this kind can involve difficult and challenging conversations and it is important that we care for ourselves and others during and after the referendum campaign”.

For support, please contact an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation (ACCHO) near you. To find an ACCHO in your area click here. If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek help from:

13 Yarn(13 92 76)
Brother-to-brother(1800 435 799)
Lifeline(13 11 14)
Kids helpline (1800 55 1800)

Read the media release here.

First Nations residential rehabilitation facility on Ngunnawal Country

Canberra’s first dedicated residential rehabilitation facility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a step closer to reality with the development application for a revamped $49 million health precinct now open for community feedback. Winnunga Nimmityjah will run the new 24-bed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residential rehab facility.

CEO Julie Tongs described the service as a “real game changer” for the region.

“We need to keep people out of prisons. We need to stop sending our mob interstate for residential rehab because they do really, really well when they go away, but then it’s not very long once they come back that they fall into the same old patterns,” she said.

“With our own residential rehab here, we can then integrate people back into their families and back into the community so that they have the strategies and can fall back on us if they need support.”

Read the full article here.

Concept render of the new Watson health precinct. Image source: ACT Government.

60-day prescriptions webinar

As of 1 September 2023, nearly 100 common medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will have the option of a 60-day prescription. This means many patients living with an ongoing health condition can now receive twice the medication for the cost of a single prescription. On Tuesday 26 September, pharmacists are invited to a webinar to discuss the 60-day prescriptions of selected PBS medicines.

The webinar will take place between 2.30pm and 3.30pm AEST. Find more details here.

Preventative dental training grants

The Victorian Government has announced a second round of training grants for Aboriginal health practitioners to take part in preventative dental training. The grants are now open for practitioners wanting to become accredited in the application of fluoride varnish, a preventative dental treatment that helps reduce the risk of tooth decay.

Participating ACCHOs can apply for grants of up to $45,000 – with a total of $650,000 allocated. Acting Minister for Health, as well as Minister for Mental Health and Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Gabrielle Williams, announced the new grants on Friday.

“We know that poor oral health can contribute to longer term health issues making the upskilling of our Aboriginal health practitioners to deliver preventative dental care so important,” she said.

The latest funding follows an initial round of the initiative earlier in the year, which saw eight Aboriginal health practitioners become accredited. These included the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative, Mallee District Aboriginal Services; with locations in Mildura, Swan Hill and Kerang, and Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca.

Expressions of Interest for the second round of the program are now open until Wednesday 27 September.

Read the full National Indigenous Times articles here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Picture books celebrate maternal and child health milestones.

Mallee District Aboriginal Services has partnered with Mildura Rural City Council to source culturally relevant and age-appropriate books for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The Maternal and Child Health service nurses will distribute the books when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families bring their babies and children to a key age and stage milestone visits. Free MCH visits are recommended at ten important milestones from birth until a child starts school.

Mallee District Aboriginal Services CEO, Darlene Thomas said the organisation was proud to donate children’s books that celebrate Aboriginal culture.

“We know that reading aloud to children and sharing stories is critical in developing literacy skills and strengthening family relationships. Engaging our children with culturally relevant stories is a powerful way that we can promote reading, connection, and curiosity from an early age,” Ms Thomas said.

Sector Jobs

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

15 September 2023

Community-led approach to suicide prevention
Culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care
Pilbara GP says more help is needed
Impact of parasites a national shame
Summit to address rural medical workforce dilemma
Strong Born campaign supports mob
Sector Jobs

The artwork in the feature tile was created by then NACCHO staff member Jodi Knight. It is a visual representation of the Culture Care Connect program, symbolising the three levels of program implementation, advocacy and knowledge sharing across the changing landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention, mental health and social and emotional wellbeing nationally. The colours evoke feelings of calm. The gatherings represent coordination, advocacy and governance structures at a national, affiliate and local level. At the local level, the artwork depicts the three different aspects of the Culture Care Connect program: community-controlled suicide prevention planning and coordination; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led program delivery; and strong and supported program workforce.

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

Community-led approach to suicide prevention

The first of its kind, the NACCHO Culture Care Connect (CCC) program is an innovative, community-led approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide prevention.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience rates of suicide 2.4 times higher than other Australians. In 2021, suicide accounted for 5.3% of all deaths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, while the comparable proportion for non-Indigenous Australians was 1.8%, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially those living in remote and regional areas, there are significant barriers that reduce access and utilisation of mental health services, including experiencing culturally unsafe practices.

While reported statistics for suicide are particularly concerning, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have shown remarkable resilience in the face of the ongoing impacts of colonisation, racism, discrimination and intergenerational trauma. CCC seeks to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through self-determination and community-controlled development of suicide prevention networks and plans, co-designed aftercare services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health first-aid training. It is committed to overcoming the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reducing the prevalence of suicide and self-harm.

NACCHO has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care until June 2025 to rollout the program. This funding supports the:

establishment of 31 Community-Controlled Suicide Prevention Networks
establishment of Community-Controlled Aftercare Services
coordination and delivery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Training

To view the National Rural Health Alliance’s Partyline e-magazine article A community-led approach to suicide prevention in full click here.

group of Culture Care Connect onboarding participants on internal stairs of Nishi building

Culutre Care Connect Aftercare Onboarding, Canberra, June 2023. Image source: NACCHO.

Culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care

Prevention of stillbirth in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and responsive care when such losses occur, are key aims of the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (CRE). Understanding Indigenous communities’ experiences, perceptions and priorities around stillbirth, or Sorry Business Babies, is needed to implement prevention strategies and culturally safe practices in Australian maternity health services.

A collaborative consultation process with Indigenous communities around Australia identified stillbirth prevention and care needs. Researchers were led by the community, who shared their lived experiences and stories of their own communities through yarning. Yarning sessions provided a comfortable, safe space for community members to share stories, ask questions and feel heard. Consultations were held in 18 communities – involving 93 community members and 221 healthcare providers, many of whom were also Indigenous community members – across remote, regional and urban areas in QLD, WA, VIC, SA and the NT. Consultations were face to face or online, using yarning interviews, discussion groups and workshops, with some participants having lived experience of Sorry Business Babies.

Findings included the need for better health service engagement and support of families and communities, as well as improved education and resources for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous healthcare providers. Lack of continuity of care was identified as the main barrier in effective prevention, investigation of causes and care for families following stillbirth. This highlights the importance of continuous care for families during the perinatal period, including when a baby does not survive.

To view the National Rural Health Alliance’s Partyline e-magazine article Culturally safe stillbirth prevention and care in full click here. You can also watch the Stronger Bubba Born video about stillbirth below.

Pilbara GP says more help is needed

Pilbara GP Sonia Henry has seen young people die of strokes, teenagers with heart disease, and children who have lost their hearing after untreated ear infections. “We need to do so much better in giving remote Australians back what they give to us,” Henry told the Regional Australia Institute’s national summit in Canberra on Thursday this week.

“Particularly in WA, the mining companies’ profits are huge, but the people who live there aren’t seeing that.” Henry, who has spent years working in remote WA and western NSW, said city-based specialists should serve up to four weeks in the bush every year, easing the burden on young rural doctors and medical students. “Once I saw the things I saw out there, I could never unsee them and I could never just go back to work in Sydney with my eyes closed,” the doctor and author said. “You see this great beauty and you see this enormous suffering and that has changed my life.”

The regional think tank’s annual national conference heard from leaders across politics, business, local government and technology exploring ways to help growing country areas prosper. The organisation this week released a progress report on its policy ambitions to support a regional population of 11 million by 2032. National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) CEO Susi Tegen said there were promising moves in the sector, like greater collaboration between state and federal governments. But research by the NRHA found there was a $6.5b annual spending shortfall in rural health. “That means that population of seven million people is not receiving the health care they deserve,” Tegen said.

To view the SBS News article This GP has spent years working in remote Australia. She says more help is needed in full click here. You can also read a related article ‘If the plane breaks down, it’s just you’: the pressure and awakening of one city GP in the outback published in The Guardian on 3 June 2023 here.

Dr Sonia Henry at the Robe River Rodeo sign in desert Australia. Image source: The Guardian.

Impact of parasites a national shame

Many Australians likely read the coverage of the live roundworm found in the brain of a NSW woman with morbid curiosity. If you missed it, a wriggling, 8cm-long parasitic roundworm was removed from the head of a 64-year-old woman complaining of headaches, depression and forgetfulness. The patient likely picked up the parasite through eating foraged vegetables contaminated by python poo.

You may find it gross, but for researchers of parasites and infectious diseases – who recently met in Darwin for the Annual Meeting for Australian Society for Parasitology – stories like this are fascinating but not particularly gross. What we do find gross is the persistence of awful infectious diseases in situations where they are eminently preventable, and in countries that are rich enough to have eliminated them.

Particularly gross is the prevalence of infectious diseases in First Nations communities despite those same infections being unknown or eradicated among non-Indigenous Australians. In fact, as we heard at the conference, for some Indigenous and remote communities in Australia the problem of worms and other parasites is not only not improving – it’s potentially worsening. Indigenous Australians bear a disproportionate health burden for a swathe of infectious diseases that are otherwise only a problem in the world’s poorest countries. It is an enduring discredit to our country that roundworm infections of humans are newsworthy and enthralling when reported in a Canberra hospital, but are widely ignored when they proliferate in Indigenous communities.

To view the University of Melbourne Pursuit article Parasites may be gross, but so is Australia’s attitude to Indigenous health in full click here.

human threadworm – Strongyloides stercoralis under microscope

The human threadworm – Strongyloides stercoralis – is serious and potentially deadly. Photo: Shutterstock. Image source: University of Melbourne Pursuit.

Summit to address rural medical workforce dilemma

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) will bring together leading doctors and experts in rural medicine to unearth much needed solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting Australia’s regional medical workforce. In response to crippling rural workforce shortages and a lack of specialist training opportunities throughout regional Australia, the AMA is holding a Rural Medical Training Summit in Canberra today.

The event coincides with the launch of the AMA’s Plan for improving access to rural general practice, which proposes a range of measures to improve access to primary healthcare for rural communities. Proposed measures outlined in the plan include the establishment of a National Rural Health and Workforce Strategy — with funding for an independent workforce planning agency — and expanded training pathways for doctors in rural areas.

The Rural Medical Training Summit will help the AMA and other key health stakeholders develop priorities for advocacy and reform in rural specialist training. AMA President Professor Stephen Robson said the expertise of participants, including one of the world’s foremost authorities in rural medical education — Professor Roger Strasser AM — would be a key part of collaborative efforts in rural medical training reform. “Medical workforce shortages are among the biggest threats to rural health in Australia,” Professor Robson said.

You can read the AMA’s media release AMA summit to address Australia’s rural medical workforce dilemma in full here and the AMA Plan for Improving Access to Rural General Practice 2023 here.

Strong Born campaign support mob

The Strong Born campaign has been developed by NACCHO and is supported by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE). Led by NACCHO, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) clinical and cultural experts across Australia, the Strong Born campaign raises awareness of the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, as well as the importance of safe breastfeeding practices.

Raising awareness about FASD has long been a priority for the ACCHO sector. The Strong Born campaign includes resources designed in collaboration with representatives from various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to make yarning about this complex topic easier. The resources have been designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and health professionals working in an ACCHO setting. Resources are available via the NACCHO website for anyone seeking to support individuals and families, in a culturally safe way, through issues related to FASD.

NACCHO CEO Pat Turner said, “The Strong Born campaign is about raising awareness and understanding of FASD and reducing stigma and shame. The campaign includes culturally appropriate health information for women and families, educational materials for our Aboriginal healthcare workers and guidance for healthcare providers that work with Aboriginal communities. In collaboration with our member organisations, we’ll also support opportunities to bring our communities together to create safe places for yarning about the impacts of alcohol on pregnancy. Growing strong healthy mums and bubs leads to healthy communities. Our communities need to understand the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and where to go for support, so they can ask for help if they need it.”

To find out more about the Strong Born campaign and to access the campaign resources, visit the NACCHO website here and view the National Rural Health Alliance’s Partyline e-magazine article Strong Born campaign supports First Nations communities in full click here.

Sector Jobs

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

6 September 2023

Codesign important for healthcare and research
ACT apathetic around Indigenous issues
Calls for major overhaul of VIC justice systems
SNAICC Conference attracts 1,500+ delegates
Kulay Kalingka cancer study for mob
COVID-19 vax competition offering HUGE prizes
Sector Jobs
Key Date – Indigenous Literacy Day – 6 September 2023

The image in the feature tile is of researcher Dr Jill Vaughan with a speaker of Burarra, northcentral Arnhem Land. Image source: The University of Melbourne.

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

Codesign important for healthcare and research

The importance of codesigning First Nations healthcare and health research has been highlighted through insights by four researchers from the Menzies School of Health Research (MSHR). Published this week, 4 September 2023, in Insight+, by the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), First Nations researchers Stuart Yiwarr McGrath and Mark Mayo and non-Indigenous researchers Professor Anna Ralph and Dr Vicki Kerrigan share their experiences in how listening and responding to First Nations collaborators changed healthcare and training for the better.

This forms part of a series of discussions published by Insight+ which addresses how constitutional change and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice could impact health. A key example shared was the development of Menzies COVID-19 vaccination videos. Through consultation and conversation with community, this allowed tailored, reputable and trusted resources to be created by community members, allowing healthcare choices to be genuinely informed.

As the nation faces an upcoming referendum on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, this article focuses on the value of building trusted relationships and shared decision making. Menzies is committed to walking together – Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians – to support better health and better futures.

You can read about each of the researchers’ codesign learnings here the Menzies School of Health Research media release Codesign and communication supports a healthier future in full click here.

The below video is one of the Menzies COVID-19 vaccination videos. It is an example of a health promotion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people codesigned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. PLEASE NOTE: the vaccine information in this video is NOT up-to-date. You can find the latest recommendations from the Australian Technical Advisory Group (ATAGI) regarding COVID-19 vaccination here.

ACT apathetic around Indigenous issues

Speaking at a recent symposium on the status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents of Canberra, Jon Stanhope looked at the ACT government’s response, as well as our collective response as a community, to the needs of our indigenous fellow citizens. Mr Stanhope said “The data from the Productivity Commission provides insight into the status of Aboriginal peoples in Canberra; it also reveals much, whether we like it or not, about the non-Aboriginal residents of Canberra and of the community.”

While Canberra on a per capita basis, is the nation’s wealthiest city with the largest relative cohort of upper/middle-class citizens it also has a low real and pro rata Aboriginal population compared to all other states and territories.

Mr Stanhope said the obvious question repeatedly raised with him by Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health & Community Services CEO Julie Tongs is why the appalling life outcomes experienced by many Aboriginal residents of Canberra are greeted by the ACT government and non-Aboriginal Canberrans with either deafening silence or complete indifference.

To read the CBR City News article Why the apathy around harsh indigenous issues? in full click here.

exterior of the Alexander Maconochie Centre Canberra

Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) – “The ACT has the highest rate ration of Aboriginal peoples, male and female combined, in prison in Australia.” Image source: CBR City News.

Calls for major overhaul of VIC justice systems

Victoria’s Indigenous truth-telling inquiry is calling on the state government to create an independent watchdog to tackle police complaints, a First Nations-controlled child protection system and to stop detaining children under the age of 16. During a year-long inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission found evidence of ongoing systemic racism and gross human rights abuses committed against First Peoples in the state of Victoria.

In its most significant proposal yet, the commission has put forward 46 recommendations amounting to a sweeping overhaul of Victoria’s child protection and criminal justice systems. It is the first time in Australian history a government will be forced to respond to a major reform agenda put forward by its own truth-telling commission.

The recommendations range from long-term transformative change — like establishing a dedicated child protection system for First Peoples children, controlled by First People — to urgent asks including raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14. “This is the first truth-telling commission in Australia, in Victoria, for Victorian First Peoples,” Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman and Yoorrook Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter said. “We are not going to tinker around the edges here.”

To view the ABC News article Victorian Aboriginal truth-telling inquiry calls for major overhaul of justice systems in full click here.

Yoorrook Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter. Photo: Danielle Bonica, ABC News.

SNAICC Conference attracts 1,500+ delegates

Yesterday the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC), the national peak boy in Australia representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, commenced its biennial conference with more than 1,500 delegates in Garamilla (Darwin). The conference will highlight the work of SNAICC and its members when it comes to Closing the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, policy makers, researchers, government officials, non-government organisations and industry representatives will share knowledge and experience about supporting children and families to thrive while also highlighting the importance of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions to issues.

“The evidence is clear that when we are partners in the decision-making, running the services and developing the policy, it works,” said SNAICC Chair Muriel Bamblett AO. “SNAICC’23 will platform more than 110 sessions that will demonstrate how the work that Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) are doing in early years services and care and child protection are delivering results.” Speakers include international keynote Judge Frances Eivers, former Aotearoa New Zealand Children’s Commissioner, now member of Board of Commissioners; Pat Turner AM, Lead Convenor Coalition of Peaks and CEO NACCHO; and, Dean Parkin, Yes23 Campaign Director.

You can find more information about the conference here and read The Sector article SNAICC Conference kicks off today – more than 1,500 delegates expected in full click here.

Kulay Kalingka cancer study for mob

A ground breaking national study, Kulay Kalingka, is asking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples about cancer beliefs and attitudes, experiences, engagement with cancer screening programs, cancer treatment, cancer diagnosis, and caring responsibilities. The Study will monitor and inform improvements in cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples against Cancer Australia’s National Cancer Control Indicators and provide data about our experiences of cancer where no data currently exists.

The Kulay Kalingka Study arose from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community needs to better understand cancer attitudes, beliefs and experiences and from calls for the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, families and communities in cancer research. The Study, funded by Cancer Australia, is designed, led and controlled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person 18 years or older with or without a cancer diagnosis can complete the survey. You can find the link to the survey for People who HAVE had a cancer diagnosis here and People who have NOT had a cancer diagnosis here.

You can find more information about the Kulay Kalingka Study here.

COVID-19 vax competition offering HUGE prizes

6 ACCHOs and 15 creative people can win return flights, accommodation, and tickets for up to 3 ACCHO staff members to attend the NACCHO’s Members’ Conference in Perth this October.

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

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

There are 3 amazing prizes up for grabs:

Category 1

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

Category 2

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

Category 3

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

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

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

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

The more original and community-oriented, the better.

You can access a competition Entry Form here.

The Terms and Conditions for the competition are available here.

Sector Jobs

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

Indigenous Literacy Day – 6 September 2023

Indigenous Literacy Day is a yearly initiative by Australia’s Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF). Through literacy programs, ILF seeks to improve the lives and possibilities of Indigenous Australians with literacy programs that put the knowledge and wisdom of the Indigenous people first.

Australia’s First People have a deep knowledge of community, culture, and land with concepts of “literacy” that the western world may not understand. Literacy must be redefined in terms of what it means for different communities and their needs, to create forward-thinking spaces without losing roots. Indigenous Literacy Day advocates people’s right to an education in the languages they speak at home and celebrates Indigenous freedom of expression and participation in public life just as they are.

At the Sydney Opera House earlier today the ILF presented a 15‑minute film celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day with stories and songs from remote Communities.

You can watch the launch of the film which celebrates Stories, Cultures and Languages here.

Image: from the Indigenous Literacy Foundation 15-minute film celebrating Indigenous Literacy Day 2023.

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Community-led approach to suicide prevention

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Indigenous Literacy Day – 6 September 2023

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