Category Obesity

5 July 2024

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.

$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.

Pat Turner

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. 

Moorundi CEO Steven Sumner

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

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

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.

6 May 2024

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.

Historic gathering of Torres Strait Islander doctors

Thirty years ago, there were no Torres Strait Islander doctors. Now, the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) has taken a group of Torres Strait Islander doctors from the mainland to the islands for the first time. For many of the students and doctors, it’s the first time they’ve been on Country. They heard firsthand from Elders about the remote health experiences of First Nations People.

Jade Abernethy, a medical student at the University of Newcastle, said it was overwhelming seeing so many Torres Strait Islander doctors in one place, “Having the Uncles come forward and speak on behalf of the communities … was really important. I think it highlights that … historically there was a big deficit in the Torres Strait for access to health care, and it does have implications on community and family members.” Today, out of the 130,000 total doctors across Australia, 127 are Torres Strait Islander. Ms Abernethy said she was excited to also be visiting schools and talking to young people aspiring to become doctors. “I think it can be very isolating, being an Indigenous person in a very historically non-Indigenous system,” she said. “One thing that’s really, really helped me through my studies is my friendships with other Indigenous students.

AIDA CEO Donna Burns said the industry is realising the need for more Indigenous doctors to be able to provide culturally safe care. She said the organisation had recently struck a deal with Queensland Health to help provide training on culturally safe practices. “This is really new, and Dr. Katherine McDougal, who is the Acting Chief Health Officer, was with us this morning here [on Waiben],” she said. “We are really trying to actively work with them to understand cultural safety, and they’re really engaging in that so it’s fantastic.” She said the work AIDA did was made possible by communities who were continuously pushing for better participation in their own health.

To view the SBS NITV article Calls for better access to health prompts historic gathering of Torres Strait Islander doctors on Waiben in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy at celebrations of gathering of doctors on Waiben

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy joined the celebrations of a historic gathering of doctors on Waiben. Photo: NITV. Image source: SBS NITV.

AMA welcomes sickly sweet sugar tax calls

Australia should introduce a tax on sugary drinks to help combat obesity and diabetes according to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), in a call backed by a new report from the Grattan Institute. AMA President Professor Steve Robson welcomed the Grattan Institute report, available here, which once again shows how targeted sugar taxes work to reduce the amount of sugar in many of our most commonly sold drinks.

Sugary drinks make us sick, and we know this is a huge health problem for Australia,” Professor Robson said. “Sugar hides in a lot of drinks and we don’t realise the huge quantities we are actually consuming – it’s not always immediately apparent.” The Grattan Institute joins a long list of leading public health groups in calling for the introduction of a sugar tax.

The AMA’s #SicklySweet campaign, available here, and pre-budget submission, available here, highlight that a tax on sugary drinks will help tackle obesity and other preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. “Our own modelling backs up the Grattan Institute report, showing we can prevent thousands of cases of diabetes is we act. More than 100 countries and jurisdictions have acted and introduced sugar taxes. If we want to see industry reformulate their products in Australia and we want a healthier society, then now is the time to act,” Professor Robson said.

To view the AMA media release AMA welcomes sickly sweet sugar tax calls in full click here.

AMA banner text '#Sickly-Sweet - Sugary drinks are making us sick. It's time we do something about it' & 2 softdrink bottles with AMA logo & '#Sickly-Sweet' in red & white resembling Coca-Cola logo

Image source: AMA Sickly Sweet campaign.

Community key to sector-first approach to mob’s health

Community members and top medical bodies across the Hunter and New England regions have joined forces in a powerful bid to improve First Nations health outcomes. ‘Research Our Way’ – a collaborative strategy between the University of Newcastle, Awabakal Limited, the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and the Hunter New England Local Health District – aims to set a new standard for the national tertiary sector.

The project is a revolutionary approach, according to Worimi man and the country’s first Indigenous surgeon, Professor Kelvin Kong, “There is a better way in which we all do research and the key to that is community engagement and community involvement.” “Historically, our people have been more likely to be research subjects rather than centred voices part of the co-design process and we want to change that going forward,” Wiradjuri man and Pro-Vice Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Leadership, University of Newcastle, Nathan Towney said.

The 2024 Australian Universities Accord, a government review of the country’s higher education system, has identified First Nations success and high-impact research as priority areas for the sector. “This strategy really does start to shift those power dynamics to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the ones who get to say what gets researched, how it is researched, who’s doing the research, and we hope that this has a far greater impact on our health outcomes,” Mr Towney said. Central to the success of the project is ‘Wukul Yabang’ – meaning ‘one path’ in the Awabakal language. ‘Wukul Yabang’ is a diverse panel of local community and health representatives that meet periodically to provide essential research ethics, research methodology, cultural and community oversight.

Mr Jason Smith, CEO Awabakal Ltd said Wukul Yabang provided researchers and institutions an opportunity to present to the panel and ensure their work was appropriate. “Knowing there is a group of diverse Aboriginal people who have expertise in health, that researchers and Aboriginal Health organisations have access to, will make a huge difference in how Mob can benefit from research,” Mr Smith said. While ‘Research Our Way’ has been designed to suit the needs of the Hunter and New England regions, the founding organisations aspire for the approach to be adopted and rolled out suitably across the country.

To view the Hunter Medical Research Institute article Community key to sector-first approach to Indigenous health in full click here.

Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) laboratory & HMRI logo

Image source: Hunter Medical Research Institute website.

Early Years Conference in Cairns

The Early Years Conference being held from 16 to 17 May 2024 in Cairns, will bring the early childhood education and care (ECEC) and allied sectors together for two days of  learning and discussion with a view to promoting more impactful work in this space. The conference is a collaboration between The Benevolent Society, Mission Australia, Queensland Department of Education, the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, Queensland Health, ACT For Kids, The Cairns Institute, James Cook University and Wuchopperen Indigenous Health Service.

The theme for this year’s conference is “It takes a village to raise a family“. The conference will unite a variety of organisations and sectors, including education, health or social support services to promote integration and collaboration between the disciplines that are touch points for families during the early years.

“Early years support often involves integrated services across sectors including education, health and social welfare,” Cassy Bishop, Manager for the Cairns and Gordonvale Early Years Centres at The Benevolent Society explained. “Collaboration across these sectors helps early years practitioners grow in their roles and learn new ways of delivering this support to children and their families. The Cairns Early Years Conference continues to play a central role in enabling this collaboration and knowledge-sharing between our sector peers.”

To view The Sector article Early Years Conference will bring ECEC together for 2 days of learning in Cairns in full click here.

6 images of children in the playground at Goodoo Early Learning Centre, Palm Island

St Mary MacKillop Goodoo Early Learning Centre, Palm Island. Image source: Mary MacKillop Childcare NQ website.

Strengthening healthcare outcomes for mums and bubs

A positive experience with a student midwife during the traumatic birth of her second child planted the seed for Research Midwife Emma Kendall to become a midwife herself. Now a mother of five children, Emma has been a midwife for five years and loves supporting women’s choices, giving them the information and tools to feel empowered during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, long after they have completed their midwifery care.

“I have always been interested in research, and after working as a midwife for ACCHOs in the Wide Bay and Gympie region, I wanted the opportunity to work in research while also continuing to work clinically,” Emma said. “With a background working in Indigenous health with mums and bubs, when I saw an opportunity for a research midwife position in the Indigenous Health Research Group at Mater Research, I jumped at the opportunity to apply.”

As part of her role, Emma also works with the Indigenous Queensland Family Cohort (IQFC) study to support First Nations families during pregnancy and up to six-weeks postnatal. “Using biological samples as well as health surveys answered by the families, data is collected to allow researchers to answer questions relating to the health of First Nations families. I enjoy the continuity-of-care nature of this role, working with the women and families, following them through on their pregnancy and postnatal journey and seeing how excited they are to participate in a study that will help to strengthen healthcare outcomes for First Nations mums, bubs and families. I am grateful to be part of research that can hopefully go on to inform our practice as midwives and clinicians, ensuring that we are practicing evidenced-based care.”

To view the Mater Research article Strengthening healthcare outcomes for First Nations mums and bubs through research in full click here.

Senior Indigenous Research Assistant Davina Smith and Research Midwife Emma Kendall

Senior Indigenous Research Assistant Davina Smith and Research Midwife Emma Kendall. Image source: Mater News.

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.

International Day of the Midwife

Midwives are the heroes of millions of stories. As providers of culturally sensitive health care, leaders in their communities and emergency responders in times of crisis, they are courageous and indispensable. When disasters such as climate events or conflict strike, midwives are most often the first responders for women, representing the single-most effective way to avoid preventable maternal deaths.

The climate crisis in particular carries specific threats for women and girls: research shows that hotter temperatures can lead to pregnancy complications and can cause or worsen maternal-health issues including premature births and miscarriages. But midwives are not only first responders in the climate crisis. As providers of safe and environmentally sustainable services, they also represent a vital climate solution for the future. With that in mind, the 2024 theme of the International Day of the Midwife, celebrated on 5 May every year, was Midwives: a vital climate solution.

Many of the countries most at risk of climate change are also where women and girls are the most vulnerable to preventable maternal deaths, child marriage and gender-based violence. Climate disasters can disrupt access to family planning, safe births and other vital services. Midwives are instrumental in ensuring that health services are more mobile and can urgently reach women.

You can find out more about International Day of the Midwife on the United Nations Population Fund website here.

tile with image of sphere & doppler & text 'International Day of the Midwife 5 May 2024'

Image source: International Confederation of Midwives website.

World Hand Hygiene Day

Each year the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls on everyone to be inspired by the global movement to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), i.e. achieving better health and well-being for all people at all ages, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. Infection Prevention and Control, including hand hygiene, is critical to achieve UHC as it is a practical and evidence-based approach with demonstrated impact on quality of care and patient safety across all levels of the health system.

As part of a major global effort to improve hand hygiene in health care, led by WHO to support health-care workers, the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual global campaign was launched in 2009. The central core of SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands is that all health-care workers should clean their hands at the right time and in the right way. WHO SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual initiative is part of a major global effort led by the WHO to support health-care workers to improve hand hygiene in health care and thus support the prevention of often life threatening healthcare associated infection (HAI).

You can find more information about World Hand Hygiene Day on the World Health Organization website here.

hands being washed; text 'World hand Hygiene Day - SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands'

Handwashing at AgroIndustries Bhutan in Thimphu on 11 August 2023. Photo: Sue Price, WHO. Image source: WHO website.

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

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

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.

23 March 2023

feature tile doctor's hand pointing with pen to model of female reproductive organs; text: 'One of Australia's first-ever specialised endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics will operate from Queensland ACCHO'

The image in the feature tile is from the Health Central website’s Endometriosis 101 webpage published on 17 August 2022. Photo: Getty Images / Shidiovski.

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.

Australia’s first-ever endometriosis clinics rolled out

Australia’s first-ever specialised endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics are being rolled out in metro and regional areas across the country. The 20 clinics, will offer expert and multidisciplinary services for women suffering from endometriosis and pelvic pain and operate out of existing general practitioner clinics and health centres.

Persistent pelvic pain affects one in five women or people assigned female at birth, with one in nine affected by endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disease of the uterus, which causes the shedding and production of uterine tissue outside of the uterus and can cause devastating effects on the female reproductive system, as well as chronic pain and scar tissue. On average, an endometriosis diagnosis can take up to seven years. Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care Ged Kearney said the new centres will hopefully help shorten diagnosis times by gathering expertise under one roof, fostering that knowledge to improve diagnosis and services, and having referral pathways in place.

One of the four Queensland clinics will operate from Moreton Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (Moreton ATSICHS), Morayfield. Moreton ATSICHS a member of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd, one of NACCHO’s 145 members.

To view the ABC News article New pelvic pain and endometriosis clinics are opening across Australia. Where will they be? in full click here. The below video EndoZone: Understanding Pain In Endometriosis is from The University of Adelaide’s Endometriosis Adelaide Endometriosis Research Group webpage, available here.

Strategy to improve rural and remote workforce

The National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) says it is pleased to be a founding member of the National Alliance for Regionalisation initiative to ‘Rebalance the Nation’ and has congratulated the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) for their historic strategy. The National Alliance for Regionalisation aims to better position the nation’s regions to reach their potential in economic, educational and social spheres, for a stronger Australia.

“Improving the health and medical workforce in rural, regional and remote Australia underpins all aspects of the aim to achieve a better balance and equity in healthcare access and deliver economic and social benefits to all Australians,” said NRHA Chief Executive Susanne Tegen.

In the Regional Australia Institute’s Regionalisation Ambition 2032 – A Framework to Rebalance the Nation document, available here, the authors stated “In developing the Framework and its targets, we also acknowledge the important work of the Joint Council in leading the nation’s actions to achieving the targets set out in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. This Agreement seeks to accomplish equality in life outcomes for all Australians, centered on ‘Closing the Gap’ of inequality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. At the forefront of the design of the Framework is the importance of not contradicting the targets set out in the National Agreement, but ensuring the Framework can support Closing the Gap.”

To view the NRHA media release National Rural Health Alliance pledges support for rebalancing the nation in full click here.

cover of Regional Australian Institute Regionalisation Ambition 2032 A Framework to Rebalance the Nation - Rebalance the Nation; 4 photos rural settings, vector image of lightbulb, house, education, people

Image source: Rebalance the Nation website.

Aboriginal scientist appointed to CSIRO board

Professor Alex Brown has been appointed to the CSIRO board of directors, becoming the first Indigenous scientist to serve on the national science agency’s board. A leader in Aboriginal health and public health services, Professor Brown commenced in the role on 16 March and will serve on a part-time basis for five years.

A member of the Yuin Nation, he is also Professor of Indigenous Genomics at the Telethon Kids Institute and was recently appointed as the director of the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics at the Australian National University. His research has centred on health inequalities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, particularly with chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

Industry and Science minister Ed Husic announced the appointment during his address to the National Press Club saying Professor Brown’s had mentioned the influence his sister’s career had on his decision to embark on research in health. “Your sister, Professor Ngiare Brown was one of the first Indigenous medical graduates in Australia and is now the first female and first Indigenous Chancellor of James Cook University. Quite a family.” Mr Husic also thanked Professor Brown for “the path you are setting, for all the Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and scientists who will follow you”.

To view the InnovationAus.com article Indigenous scientist Alex Brown appointed to CSIRO board in full click here.

Professor Alex Brown, CSIRO board member

Professor Alex Brown has been appointed to the CSIRO board by the Albanese government. Photo: ANU. Image source: InnnovationAus.com.

Newly developed flu vaccination resources for mob

In Australia, seasonal influenza is the most common vaccine-preventable disease contributing to hospitalisation, aside from COVID-19. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to experience severe influenza disease that could be prevented with vaccination. Since 2019 influenza vaccine has been provided under NIP to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 6 months of age, however the uptake has been sub-optimal.

Health providers have an important role in strongly recommending and opportunistically offering influenza vaccination to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 6 months of age, however earlier research indicated that some providers may miss opportunities to offer influenza vaccination at any appointment, and to strongly recommend influenza vaccination to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 6 months of age. To help address this gap the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) have a range of newly developed resources available on the NCIRS website, including:

Resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to support decision making around influenza vaccination.

The webpage Influenza vaccination information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here, is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This page is suitable to share as a resource with the community (and a conversation starter between providers and families) and includes the printable Flu Vaccine Information Sheet, available here.

Resources for immunisation providers to support vaccination conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (with focus on influenza vaccination).

The webpage Supporting conversations about vaccinations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here is for immunisation providers (GPs, nurses, pharmacists) providing influenza vaccination to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The purpose of the provider webpage is to explain the importance of influenza vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages; highlight providers’ role in supporting and strongly recommending influenza vaccination to families; and support providers in having culturally appropriate vaccination conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. While the focus is on influenza vaccination, the conversation principles can be applied to other vaccinations.

The provider webpage includes:

  • a downloadable summary table of resources, available here, of publicly available communication resources designed in recent years to support influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • a conversation guide for providers Talking about flu vaccination with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, available here here to help providers to have culturally appropriate and supportive vaccination conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. The resource gives an example of an actual influenza vaccination conversation, informed by Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation conversation principles.
photo of ATSI man, woman & 2 kids hugging; text 'Supporting conversations about vaccinations with ATSI people'

Image source: National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) website.

Counting the toll of COVID

Experts recently called on Australian governments to re-set COVID policy, warning that unmitigated transmission of the virus in the community has a substantial impact on priority populations including the elderly and immunocompromised. In addition, concerns were raised about the impact on health services, particularly for Aboriginal health services in the NT, Long COVID prevalence and an increase in overall mortality.

The World Health Organization also recently urged governments to remain vigilant and strengthen systems for surveillance, clinical care, testing, sequencing, infection prevention and control, treatments and vaccinations. Meanwhile, the latest analysis of excess deaths by Australia’s Actuaries Institute’s COVID-19 Mortality Working Group suggests the high toll of COVID-19 is set to continue.

In 2022, mortality was 12% higher than our pre-pandemic expectations; that is, there were around 20,000 more deaths than expected across Australia. Around half of these were caused by COVID-19, and another 15% had COVID-19 as a contributing factor. COVID-19 was the third most prevalent cause of death in 2022, after heart disease and dementia and above stroke and lung cancer. Research has shown that there is an increased risk of death from certain conditions after a COVID-19 infection. These include heart disease, stroke, diabetes and dementia, most of which saw significantly higher than expected mortality in 2022, even after excluding deaths where COVID-19 was listed as a contributory factor.

COVID-19 shows no sign of going away or becoming less serious. It is a new major cause of illness and death in the Australian population, which reduced life expectancy in Australia by around one year of life in 2022.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Counting the toll of COVID in full click here.

COVID-19 virus cell close up

As political interest in COVID has diminished, excess deaths have increased. Photo: Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Dietitians Week 2023 

Today is the fourth day of Dietitians Week 2023 and as part of raising awareness of the role and value of dietitians, today we are sharing a another case study published on the Indigenous Allied Health Australia website.

Amelia Mckenzie, is a proud Adnyamathanha and Arabana woman, from Port Augusta, SA, currently based in Adelaide, studying Nutrition and Dietetics at Flinders University. Amelia said she decided to pursue Dietetics, firstly, because she is a foodie, enjoys cooking and eating a wide variety of foods, and is incredibly passionate about health. Amelia has witnessed the impact that diet can have on health, especially in Aboriginal communities, which made her determined to enter this field so she can provide best, culturally safe care to mob. Amelia  wants to work in community settings to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent diet-related chronic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes or heart disease.

Amelia believes dietitians have a crucial role in health, providing individuals and communities with specialised diet support that can; reduce or manage chronic disease; encourage the enjoyment of food, and its connection to culture, family and personal preference or values; be suited to socioeconomic status and day-to-day importance’s; support other areas of health, like promoting exercise and physical and mental wellbeing. All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Amelia said, should have adequate access to dietetics services, education, and related resources, to support good health.

To view the IAHA’s article Celebrating 2023 Dietitians Week with IAHA Member Amelia Mckenzie in full click here.

tile of Amelia Mckenzie Dietetics 20-26 March Dietitians Week 2023; IAHA logo; quote "I have witnessed the impact that diet can have on health, especially in Aboriginal communities, which made me determined to enter this field so I can provide best, culturally safe care to mob."

21 March 2023

–feature tile text Birthing in Our Community services reduces preterm birth rates for ATSI babies by 38%

The image in the feature tile is from an article Indigenous-led birthing program gains international recognition published in the National Indigenous Times on 1 April 2021.

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.

Birthing service reduces preterm births by 38%

A birthing service established by three SE Queensland health organisations has reduced preterm birth rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies by 38% and demonstrated significant cost savings to the health system. Results published in the Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific this week highlighted improved outcomes for women having a baby through the Birthing in Our Community (BiOC) service. The reduction in preterm birth rates meant that women accessing the program required fewer costly interventions, procedures and neonatal admissions, resulting in savings of $4,810 per mother/baby pair. Additionally, the BiOC service reduced two thirds of women’s out of pocket costs by bringing the service closer to home.

The cost-effectiveness study concluded that replication of the BiOC service across Australia has the potential to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies born preterm by 965 each year, thereby potentially saving the Australian health system $86,994,021 per annum. The BiOC service and model of care was established in 2013 by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane and Mater Health in Brisbane in response to a need for women who are pregnant with an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander baby to access culturally and clinically safe care throughout their pregnancy and at birth.

Ms Renee Blackman, ATSICHS Brisbane CEO, said that “the success of the BiOC service shows what can be achieved when partners work together with a shared vision and a commitment to Aboriginal-led models of care”.

You can view the medianet. article Improved birthing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families generates savings to the health system in full here and the The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific research paper (The Lancet Regional Health Western Pacific article Birthing on country service compared to standard care for First Nations Australians: a cost-effectiveness analysis from a health system perspective) in full click here.

IUIH tile Birthing In Our Community, ATSI mum and baby

Image source: Birthing in Our Community North Facebook page.

Disproportionate impact of diabetes on mob

Diabetes WA is calling for greater recognition of the disproportionate impact of diabetes on Aboriginal Communities in WA. Aboriginal West Australians are at far greater risk of diabetes and diabetes-related complications than any other community in the State. Aboriginal West Australians are nearly 40 times more likely to have major lower limb amputation. Aboriginal people living in remote areas have 20 times the incidence of end-stage renal disease compared with the national average. Cataract and diabetic retinopathy continues to be the leading causes of vision loss in Aboriginal people in WA. The diabetes gap is also generational.  Type 2 diabetes in children, once rare, is on the rise.

Gestational diabetes, also more common in Aboriginal Communities, is the fastest growing type of diabetes in WA, with many women remaining undiagnosed while diabetes silently impacts their unborn baby. In some remote communities, 60–70% of people over the age of 65 have type 2 diabetes. Too many older Aboriginal people are living with preventable disabilities as a result of diabetes and its silent damage.

Project Lead for Diabetes WA, Natalie Jetta, is an experienced Aboriginal Health Professional. She says training Aboriginal Health Professionals will make diabetes education more accessible and more culturally safe for Aboriginal West Australians. “We know that Aboriginal Health Professionals are best placed to talk to people within their own Community, because they already have the respect, trust, knowledge and connection they need to nurture their clients,” Natalie says. “We have now trained 20 Aboriginal Health Professionals employed by the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector to deliver the Diabetes Education Self Yarning (DESY) program. This will improve the cultural security of this diabetes education program and enable it to be delivered on Country across WA.”

To view the News Medical Life Sciences article Diabetes WA calls for greater recognition of diabetes impact on Aboriginal Communities in full click here.

6 Aboriginal female graduates of the Diabetes WA Diabetes education program - Diabetes Education Self Yarning (DESY)

Graduates of the Diabetes WA Diabetes education program – Diabetes Education Self Yarning (DESY). Image source: News Medical Life Sciences.

Jury is in on vaping – time for action

The jury is in on the harms of vaping, with a new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia today providing the most comprehensive review yet on the health impacts of e-cigarettes. Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Professor Steve Robson said the findings of the study leave zero room for confusion about the dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping. “It’s time for stronger, strictly enforced regulations so we can avoid another public health crisis like tobacco,” Professor Robson said.

“Vaping is not harmless, it is not safe, it is not part of tobacco control. It has become a scourge in our schools, with parents and educators reporting that it has got out of hand. And we are seeing adults and children alike suffering as a result of vaping.” Risks identified in the review include addiction, poisoning, especially in small children, seizures and loss of consciousness caused by nicotine overdose, headache, cough, throat irritation, and burns and injuries, largely caused by exploding batteries.

Another major risk identified by the study was that young non-smokers who use e-cigarettes are around three times as likely to go on to smoke regular cigarettes, compared to young people who did not use e-cigarettes. “Vaping products are a gateway to smoking for young people and there are significant risks from vaping that warrant much stronger regulation. For example, we know many products marketed as not containing nicotine have been found to contain nicotine and products have also been found to contain prohibited chemicals that can cause serious harm, like vitamin E acetate and diacetyl, which can cause serious damage to the lungs.”

To view the AMA’s media release Jury is in on vaping and associated harms – time for action in full click here.

cloud of vape smoke obscuring most of man's face

Image source: ABC News.

RACGP says international medical graduates needed

As Australia’s health system faces a crisis, amid a growing shortage of GPs and mounting pressure on both primary and secondary care services, the RACGP is calling on the Federal Government to support international medical graduates (IMGs). College President Dr Nicole Higgins said the workforce shortage is a significant part of the crisis, and that it is widespread, from general practice to pharmacy and nursing.

She said IMGs could help to address the issue in the short-term, and that many are eager to work in Australia, but are being held back and becoming disillusioned by red tape and a lack of support. “Rural and remote communities are particularly affected,” Dr Higgins said. “But there is a simple solution to boost the number of GPs in the short-term: we can and should be doing much more to attract IMGs to Australia, and to support and retain them as valuable community members. This includes cutting red tape and making the application process easier for doctors who want to work in areas of need.”

To view the RACGP newsGP article IMGs a ‘simple solution’ to boost GP numbers: RACGP in full click here.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins says barriers to overseas doctors wanting to work in Australia make no sense amid crisis. Photo: Jono Searle/AAP Photos. Image source: Bunbury Mail.

Sector Jobs

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

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

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles, says every year in March, Australians come together to mark Harmony Week, culminating in the observance of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the 21 March. Australia is one of the world’s most successful multicultural nations. We are home to the world’s oldest continuous cultures as well as migrants from nearly 200 countries.

This week schools, workplaces and community groups will reflect on this diversity by participating in events across the country and nearly 7000 people from more than 120 countries will become new citizens. Multiculturalism is integral to our national identity- but we cannot take it for granted. This International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marks 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and focuses on the urgent need to combat racism and racial discrimination.

To view Minister Giles’ media release Harmony Week and International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in full click here. You can find more information about International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the United Nations website here.

tile text International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination March 21

Image source: Ontario Nurses’ Association website 14 March 2023.

World Down Syndrome Day

Today, Tuesday 21 March 2023, is World Down Syndrome Day. World Down Syndrome Day aims to celebrate the progress that has been made over the last 50 years and, in particular, over the last 10 years. Progress is often made in small steps, sometimes pausing to review our journey, but always aware of how far we have come and the difference that our small steps make to the day-to-day life of people living with disability.

As part of the worldwide celebrations, World Down Syndrome Day lights up buildings of significance. This is referred to as ‘Light up a Landmark’. Buildings that have been lit up previously, include: Palais des Nation – UN Geneva; The Empire State Building – NY; Eiffel Tower – Paris; Tower 42 – London and Belfast City Hall – Ireland. Once the buildings are lit up, images are taken and shared on Social Media to build awareness and engagement throughout the world. This year the iconic Canberra Grammar School Quad will be the first in Australia to take part in this international event!

Dietitians Week 20–26 March 2023

Today is Day 2 of Dietitians Week 2023. When it comes to managing health through food and nutrition, a dietitian should be your first port of call. Ongoing and specialised education ensures dietitians are the reliable choice for life-changing food and nutrition support. Because we all have our own unique goals, challenges and lifestyles, Accredited Practising Dietitians understand that our health is not a one-size fits all approach. They are trained to offer personalised health advice that is fine-tuned to a person’s specific needs.  Dietitians Australia has an Indigenous nutrition role statement, available here, which listed the knowledge and skills of an APD working in the area of Indigenous nutrition.

14 March 2023

feature tile ATSI mum looking down on premature twin babies on her chest; text: preterm birth prevention program hopes to provide a roadmap for improved outcomes

The image in the feature tile is from an article GLU test expands to benefit Aboriginal mothers published on the Women & Infants Research Foundation website.

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

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

Closing the gap in preterm birth rates

Rates of early birth continue to disproportionately impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women and their newborns. Recent Closing the Gap data showed that the official target for healthy birthweights for babies has gone from being “on track” to “not on track”. Now, an innovative preterm birth prevention program led out of the NT is taking aim at this unacceptable disparity and the hope is that it will provide “a roadmap for improved outcomes” for all First Nations women and their children. Dr Kiarna Brown, Jess Murray and Marisa Smiler-Cairns are a team based in Garramilla (Darwin), on Larrakia Country, that make up the Top End chapter of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance.

They note that preterm birth remains the leading cause of death in children up to five years of age. “The national average rate of preterm birth in Australia has remained relatively constant over the last 10 years (between 8.1 and 8.7%). Many of these babies lose their fight for life,” the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance noted in a statement. “In 2018, there were twice as many preterm live born babies born to First Nations mothers (17%) than to non-Aboriginal mothers (8%).” The biggest discrepancy is in the extremely preterm gestational age. First Nations women in the NT are four times more likely to lose a baby between 20 and 23 weeks gestational age: before the baby even gets a chance to survive.

Pregnancy can be a particularly vulnerable time for First Nations women, especially for those with pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and cardiac conditions like Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). Dr Kiarna Brown said there have been some key improvements in outcomes for First Nations women over the past decade. There has been a notable increase in the proportion of First Nations mothers attending an antenatal visit in the first trimester (from 49% in 2012 to 70% in 2020).”

To view the National Indigenous News article The First Nations health experts working to give Indigenous babies the best possible start in life in full click here.

Top End Alliance: Jessica Murray, Marisa Smiler-Cairns, and Dr Kiarna Brown

Top End Alliance: Jessica Murray, Marisa Smiler-Cairns, and Dr Kiarna Brown. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Karlie one of growing number of Aboriginal doctors

For most of Karlie James’s life, studying medicine was a “pipedream”. Then she grew up, started working full time and had kids of her own, and she felt that dream slipping away. “Part of the reason why I wanted to become a doctor when I was little was that my passion was science and learning and wanting to help people,” she said. Then, around the time the Gunaikurnai, Yorta Yorta and Kuku Djungan woman turned 30 and had her third son, she reached a turning point. Growing up between Darwin and Katherine in the NT, she realised becoming a doctor was something she had to do.

“It became more apparent as I got older in the workforce, how much of an impact it would [have] to create more Indigenous doctors, especially in the community,” she said. “And that was one of my driving motivators to pursue medicine.” Having graduated from the Flinders University NT medicine program late last year, Dr James is now among the 0.5% of doctors in Australia who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. But that figure, which is recorded each year by the Australian Health Practitioners Agency (AHPRA), is slowly shifting and is up from 0.3% in 2016.

Also shifting is the understanding that in order to close the gap in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, Australia needs more First Nations doctors.

To view the ABC News article Karlie James is among the growing number of First Nations doctors working to tackle the health care gap in full click here.

Dr Karlie James walking with her 4 sons

Dr James completed her degree while caring for her four sons, as well as her nephews and nieces. Photo: Dane Hirst, ABC News.

Healing walk to honour those lost to suicide

This week, for the very first time, a group of First Nations and non-Indigenous people will take a walk along the Murrumbidgee River in memory of loved ones they have lost to suicide. The walk has been called Murra Yarra, which means ‘Speak Out, Speak Loud’ in Wiradjuri language. Organiser Jasmine Williams hopes it gives families with the chance to think of the good memories with those who have passed away.

“It’s the first time anything like this has ever been done in this community,” the Wiradjuri and Wolgalu woman said. “It’s an opportunity to have a positive spin on our grief and be able to really focus on the goodness, and the good memories of their lives instead of focusing on the way they passed.” Ms Williams is hosting Murra Yarra through the youth suicide prevention community action group Yamandhu Marang (‘Are You Well’), after Wiradjuri Elder Uncle Hewitt Whyman came to her with the idea. He said he had a vision of people coming together in their grief, and encouraged everyone experiencing similar losses to share with others in their sorrow.

When they heard about the walk Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Corporation got involved and decided to sponsor the event. Practice manage Jane Kearnes said they’ve helped organise a barbecue at the end of the walk at the Wiradjuri Reserve, as well as bucket hats and water stations along the track. “I applaud Jasmine and the other committees for getting this up and running,” she said. “Something like this might encourage others to speak out more and not be silent.” According to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Indigenous suicide were more than double that of non-Indigenous suicides in 2021.

For more information on the walk you can access the Yamandhu Marang Facebook page here.

Jasmine Williams, sitting on rock under tree on bank of river

Murra Yarra organiser Jasmine Williams says the healing walk is a chance for those grieving to remember their loved ones. Photo: Madeline Begley. Image source: The Daily Advertiser.

Healthy food in remote NT a priority

The NT government has a long way to go in their efforts to address obesity and create healthier food environments, according to the latest scorecard of government performance on food policy. The Food Policy Index, first developed and implemented in 2017, benchmarks Australian governments on their implementation of globally recommended policies to improve population diets. Professor Gary Sacks from Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation who compiled the most recent report said greater policy action was required by the NT government.

“Supporting efforts to establish a licensing and accreditation scheme for healthy food retail in remote Indigenous communities needs to be one of the top priorities for the NT government.” Professor Sacks said a key recommendation from the 2020 Parliamentary Inquiry into Food Pricing and Food Security in Remote Indigenous Communities was the need for a licensing and inspection scheme for all remote stores. “The Healthy Stores 2020 study showed that restrictions on price promotion and product placement of unhealthy foods and drinks resulted in 1.8 tonnes less sugar being sold from 10 stores over 12 weeks while not impacting store profits,” Professor Sacks said.

“If this was extrapolated out across all remote stores over a year, the reduction could be as much as 90 tonnes a year, which equates to the weight of 60 medium sized family cars. Modelling suggests that this reduction in sugar could result in a 10% risk reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease.”

To view the Deakin University media release Healthy food retail in remote NT communities identified as top priority click here and the Joint Policy Statement of The Coalition for Healthy Remote Stores on the Northern Territory Remote Stores Program here.

inside Peppimenarti grocery store, NT

Peppimenarti store, NT. Image source: C&I Media.

AMA urges action to save patients on PBS medicines

The AMA has urged all members of the Federal Parliament to support the AMA’s campaign to bring down out-of-pocket costs of medicines for patients and relieve cost of living pressures. It says implementation of a five-year-old recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) would save patients up to $180 a year on selected PBS medicines.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson has written to all MPs and Senators, calling on their support for the Federal Government to immediately implement a recommendation from the independent PBAC to increase the maximum dispensed quantities of selected PBS items from one month’s supply to two months’ supply per dispensing. This would also allow up to 12 months’ supply in total from a single script, saving patients an extra trip to their doctor.

Professor Robson said increasing out-of-pocket costs of medicines was a key reason many Australians delayed or failed to fill prescriptions. He said although the Government’s recent policy to lower co-payments for patients to $30 was a good move, many patients still faced significant costs and more needed to be done to lower PBS medicine costs for patients. “Pensioners and concession card holders would be among those to benefit, recognising the recent reduction in the PBS co-payment to $30 did not apply to them. It would free-up GP consultations with the possibility for GPs to write what is effectively a 12-month prescription for these particular medications. This is time GPs could spend with other patients who, we know, can benefit from the preventative health care GPs provide.”

To view the AMA’s media release AMA urges immediate action to save patients on PBS medicines in full click here.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson

AMA President Professor Steve Robson. Image source: The Age.

Breakthrough partnership to benefit remote communities

A breakthrough partnership between Hoops 4 Health and the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport will see some of the NT’s most remote communities benefit from access to trauma-informed and culturally-informed and healing-centred training. Founder of Hoops4Health, Timmy Duggan OAM, is the man behind the vision to re-empower young people and communities to improved their quality of life.

Mr Duggan has maternal ties with Tennant Creek mob from Warramungu and paternal ties to the Nykinya people of the Kimberley, and has been working with communities across the NT for two decades. He said the move to combine First Nations-led healing with trauma-informed care emerged through Hoops 4 Health staff receiving training under Dr Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Network model.

“We have partnered with The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport (CHJS) who offers training to help folks understand the impact of overwhelming stress, or trauma, on young people and equips them with skills to take action to support these young people,” Mr Duggan said. “This partnership just really solidifies that sometimes you’ve got to bring in an expert you know, we’ve got the First Nations knowledge. Blend that with the science around the neuroscience to address trauma in our communities and the places we work and we think we’ve got something pretty unique.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Hoops 4 Health and The Center for Healing and Justice through Sport form partnership in full click here.

basketball star Nate Jawai with a young rising star shooting for goal

Basketball star Nate Jawai with a young rising star. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs

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

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

3 March 2023

feature tile SAWCAN planning meeting, staff sitting at table, text 'community works best when ATSI people are in the driver's seat

The image in the feature tile is of the SAWCAN team during a planning session. Photo: Robert Lang. Image source: Reconciliation Australia website.

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

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

Community Control in Action

The winners and highly commended organisations of the 2022 Indigenous Governance Awards show that community works best when First Nations people are in the driver’s seat. Normally held every two years, last year was the first time the Indigenous Governance Awards were able to take place since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judged on innovation, effectiveness, self-determination, sustainability, and cultural legitimacy, the winners epitomised Indigenous-led excellence. In particular, finalists were commended by the judges for demonstrating profound resilience in the face of lockdowns and restrictions, adapting to protect their communities, as well as continue their work in the toughest of circumstances.

The following organisations – Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council Human Research Ethics Committee; the Koling wada-ngal Committee; South Australian West Coast ACCHO Network (SAWCAN); Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council; and Wungening Aboriginal Corporation – were all either winners or highly commended in their categories, and their stories encapsulate self-determination and community control in action.

To view the Reconciliation Australia article Community Control in Action in full click here.

Four NT remote communities evacuated due to floods

Hundreds of residents from four remote communities in the NT are being evacuated due to major flooding in the region. NT Police Commander Danny Bacon said on Wednesday afternoon this week that emergency services were working to relocate as many as 700 people from Kalkarindji, Daguragu and Pigeon Hole, to Darwin via Katherine, as soon as possible, with the evacuation effort has now also extended to the community of Palumpa.

The announcement comes after NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles signed an emergency declaration Wednesday morning covering the communities of Kalkarindji, Daguragu, Pigeon Hole,  Palumpa and Yarralin. Commander Bacon said he could not yet say when the residents being evacuated would be able to return home. “With these flood events, it’s a case of assessing the damage and doing a survey of the communities when the water level goes down,” he said.

“Depending on the damage that’s occurred during the flood event, then that’ll give us a bit of a timeline of when people can safely return back to those communities. “We don’t want people returning … when there’s no sewerage, no power, no water, and the dwellings are uninhabitable.”

To read the ABC News story Residents being evacuated from NT remote communities of Kalkarindji, Daguragu, Pigeon Hole, and Palumpa amid major flooding in full click here.

flooding of remote NT community

Heavy rainfall is causing major flooding in a handful of remote communities south of Darwin. Image source: ABC News.

Few obese Australians receive targeted GP support

More than two-thirds of Australian adults are classed as overweight or obese and that figure is projected to increase in coming years. Obesity rates have doubled over the last decade at an annual cost of almost $12 billion. The findings are contained in a report released ahead of World Obesity Day tomorrow by Research Australia, which warns GPs need targeted assistance to support their patients. Less than 1% of obese Australians who visit their GP receive weight management support, the report says, despite research indicating many cases can be linked to genetics, family history and ethnicity.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) specialist Georgia Rigas said obesity is a complex medical condition that affects individuals in many different ways, ranging from metabolic complications to mental health issues. “Obesity management is not about loss of weight but rather gains in health,” she said. Obesity remains “greatly misunderstood”, leaving patients at risk of stigmatisation, miscommunication and a lack of formal medical diagnosis.

The report highlighted the disproportionate impact of obesity upon Indigenous people, those living in the regions and older adults. More than 70% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 15 or above are overweight or obese, contributing to the health gap with non-Indigenous Australians, the report found.

To read the yahoo! news article Few obese Australians receiving targeted GP support in full click here.

stethoscope on scales

Image source: Medical Journal of Australia.

Aboriginal Benefits Foundation grants open

A number of grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander projects and initiatives open this month. The Aboriginal Benefits Foundation provides grants to assist Aboriginal communities and individuals by providing funds to support projects which advance the aims of the Foundation. The current focus is on supporting art, literacy, education, health and cultural projects with a connection to Aboriginal art or artists.

There is expected to be a high level of interest in this grant funding, which will be distributed between states and territories. Grants will be awarded to eligible recipients on a first come, first served basis under the funding is exhausted in each jurisdiction.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Grants open to support Indigenous business, art, energy, film, education, health and cultural projects, which includes more information on all of the grants available including application details, click here.

An example of a previous project funded by the Aboriginal Benefits Foundation is the artistic promotional materials created by the Mujaay Ganma Foundation (Mujaay Ganma) to increase awareness of the culturally nurturing service MiiMI Aboriginal Corporation provide to people and their families who are dealing with cancer. For more information on this project click here.

Mujaay Ganma Foundation artwork to raise awareness of MiiMi AC cancer services

Promotional material to raise awareness of cancer services provided by MiiMi Aboriginal Corporation. Image source: Aboriginal Benefits Foundation Trust website.

No room COVID complacency as winter wave threatens

The AMA is encouraging people to check their eligibility and get a COVID-19 booster to protect themselves for the onset of winter and future waves of COVID-19. Vaccines reduce transmission, reduce the severity of illness and there is emerging evidence that vaccination reduces the chance you will develop long covid. AMA President Professor Steve Robson said anyone aged over 18 years who has not had a COVID-19 booster or a confirmed COVID infection in the past six months is eligible for another booster.

The Government in early February accepted advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), which particularly recommended that those over 65 years and adults aged 18–64 years with complex health needs get a 2023 booster if their last COVID-19 vaccine dose or confirmed infection (whichever is the most recent) was 6 months ago or longer,  regardless of the number of prior doses received.

Professor Robson said people needed to prepare for the “next wave” of COVID-19 or the next variant to emerge. “With the COVID-19 virus very capable of mutating it’s inevitable there will be further variants and new waves in the community, and with winter just around the corner, we really want to encourage people to get their booster shot if they are eligible. It’s natural over time that we tend to become complacent with the risks associated with COVID-19, however, last year there were 8,800 deaths due to COVID-19 and there has been an increase in people dying with COVID-19 as the pandemic has progressed. Clearly there is no room for complacency. The AMA’s strong advice is for eligible people to get their booster shot.”

To read the AMA’s media release Get boostered! No room for COVID complacency as winter wave threatens in full click here.

Image source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Racism, the most significant public health issue

Over 120 staff members and managers from Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) gathered at the ParkRoyal in Parramatta for the first Aboriginal Staff Conference in the district. The event involved workshops, presentations and addresses by key stakeholders in the business. Attendees were encouraged to be open to learning and sharing in the space, while unpacking issues like cultural safety and how WSLHD staff can better support and engage with Aboriginal patients and workers.

A special address was also delivered by keynote speaker Honorary Associate Professor Carmen Parter, who spoke about her PhD area of racism and how it impacts the healthcare system. “Racism is the most significant public health issue facing Australia,” Associate Professor Carmen said. “Our ways of being, knowing or doing are either diminished, devalued or not recognised due to racism and exclusion. This not only relates to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but any marginalised group that accesses healthcare services and provisions.”

“Racism remains invisible and is not often spoken about or fully understood in terms of the violent realities and subtleties that manifest themselves in clinical and non-clinical environments of health, and in the workplace for Aboriginal staff.”

To view The Pulse article ‘Building an environment of cultural safety’: Western Sydney Local Health District holds Aboriginal Staff Conference in full click here.

Associate Professor Carmen Parter speaking at WSDLHD Aboriginal Staff Conference

Associate Professor Carmen Parter. Image source: The Pulse.

Sector Jobs

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

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

3 November 2022

The image in the feature tile is from The Guardian article Numbers tell devastating story in latest Aboriginal youth suicide inquest, published on 7 February 2019. Photo Grant Faint, Getty Images.

Suicide prevention video launched

A suicide prevention video has been launched at the Indigenous Being Wellbeing Conference. Over 500 delegates last week attended the Australian and NZ Mental Health Association (ANZMH) Indigenous Wellbeing Conference (IWC22) on Kaurna country (Adelaide).

A positive and much anticipated change is occurring in the political landscape of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing health space with Aboriginal controlled organisation Healing Works Australia (HWA)and Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) being the major platinum sponsors of the conference. HWA was established in 2019 as an Indigenous led social enterprise delivering social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention training.

Kaela Bayliss a young Kamilaroi woman attending her first conference and supported by Dr Joe Tighe both from HWA gave the keynote address “Nothing About Us Without Us – Delivery of Culturally-Safe Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Training“ and launched their new promotional video.

HWA aim to empower communities through sustainable outcomes. This is achieved by working with communities to determine their own unique needs so that they can more effectively respond competently to suicide. Suicide prevention starts with creating strong, competent communities working together to achieve resilience.

For more information about Healing Works Australia visit their website here.

APY Lands mental health model causes dismay

Vulnerable children living in some of Australia’s most remote communities are set to be left without a permanent, in-community mental health service, despite objections from elders, experts and one of the SA  government’s own departments. The ABC has seen a draft of the new model of care for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, which provides psychiatric and wellbeing support to children aged 18 and under.

It proposes that staff from Adelaide fly in to two communities on a fortnightly basis, with another psychiatrist to make a minimum of two trips per year. Telehealth appointments are outlined as a way to provide ongoing support. Previously, two Western-trained staff lived and worked on the APY Lands for more than a decade but were removed without explanation more than a year ago. With no staff on the APY Lands, SA Health implemented what, it said, was a temporary telehealth and fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) service last year.

At the same time, SA’s chief psychiatrist, Dr John Brayley, reviewed the program. He found a FIFO model would see children “slipping through the cracks” and recommended several changes, including doubling the workforce and he insisted on-country staff remain part of the program. The new model of care document does not mention Dr Brayley’s report and does not follow several of his recommendations, including returning community-based staff to the APY Lands.

To view the ABC News article First Nations elders dismayed about FIFO mental health model planned for South Australia’s APY Lands in full click here.

Pukatja elder Jamie Nyaningu says he and his community have been left in the dark over changes to a key mental health service for children. Photo: Patrick Martin, ABC News.

Impact of obesity on life expectancy

A Queensland child born over the next 10 years could lose five years in life expectancy if the state’s current rate of obesity is not reduced, new modelling has found. A report, commissioned by state government agency Health and Wellbeing Queensland, shows the life expectancy of a child born in the decade from 2023 could decrease by between six months and 4.1 years in the general population.

For First Nations children born in Queensland, the shortened life expectancy could decrease by up to 5.1 years. Lead researcher Rhema Vaithianathan said the projections were based on a scenario where nothing was done to prevent the current rising obesity rates among children. “It is quite concerning, we might be facing the first generation of Queenslanders whose life expectancy is shorter than their parents,” she said. “That kind of life expectancy reverses almost two decades of progress of life expectancy.” She said the trajectory changed according to a range of factors including socio-economic status and geographical location.

To view the ABC News Health article Impact of obesity on life expectancy in Queensland children shown in new modelling click here.

Photo: shutterstock.com. Image source: The Conversation.

Funding to rebuild Mutitjulu Health Clinic

A new health clinic will be built in the remote community of Mutitjulu, on the lands of the Anangu people, as part of the Albanese Labor Government’s package of measures to improve First Nations health infrastructure.  The $8 million project will replace the Mutitjulu Health Service Clinic, which was built in the early 1990s. An entirely new facility will be built with modern healthcare and safety standards.

Proposed features include additional treatment rooms, an outdoor waiting area and a larger room to store critical medicines and pharmaceutical products, as well a garage for vehicles. The new clinic will be constructed on the site of the existing clinic and includes the cost of establishing a temporary facility during the construction phase.

The replacement of the Mutitjulu clinic is part of a wider investment of $164.3 million for vital health infrastructure projects that will provide modern, high-quality health clinics in areas of large and growing First Nations populations.

To view Senator McCarthy’s media release Funding to rebuild the Mutitjulu Health Clinic in full click here.

Mutitjulu Health Service. Image source: Central Australian Aboriginal Congress website.

Recommendations to address food security concerns

Local governments would be supported through law reform and specific funding to be more active in addressing growing concerns about food insecurity under recommendations from a NSW inquiry. The inquiry by the NSW Legislative Assembly Committee on Environment and Planning also makes many recommendations to improve food security for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including calling for Aboriginal representation on Government’s emergency responses to food security crises.

The inquiry’s report, released this week, calls for the NSW Government to consult with Aboriginal peoples and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to fund and support communities in food production and community traditional foods gardens. The Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council of NSW (AHMRC) told the inquiry that community gardens have many benefits, and credited their success to community ownership and leadership, which promotes self-determination and food sovereignty.

The AHMRC highlighted that local food programs established by ACCOs are limited by short funding cycles and this is a consistent barrier for these programs. -The inquiry recommended the NSW Government consult with ACCOs and Indigenous Corporations to develop a strategy that sets out priorities and a framework to grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned traditional foods industry.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Inquiry makes wide-ranging recommendations to address food security and related concerns in full click here.

Gina Lyons, Irrunytju WA. Photo: Suzanne Bryce, NPY Women’s Council. Image source: The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre website.

Sector Jobs

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

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

NICU Awareness Month

November NICU Awareness Month is a time to highlight the importance of Neonatal Intensive Care Units and their amazing staff around Australia. Offering specialised care and making a difference to the more than 48,000 babies born premature or sick each year. 132 babies are born each day requiring specialised care.

Preterm birth remains the leading cause of death in children up to 5 years of age. The National average rate of preterm birth in Australia has remained relatively constant over the last 10 years (between 8.1 and 8.7%). Many of these babies lose their fight for life. For many Aboriginal babies, the news gets worse. In the NT, the preterm birth rate for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies is almost double that of the non-Aboriginal population at over 14%.

The biggest discrepancy is in the extremely preterm gestational age. Aboriginal women in the NT are 4 times more likely to lose a baby between 20 and 23 weeks gestational age. That is before the baby even gets a chance to survive. This equates to too many mothers walking out of hospital without their babies in their arms.

For more information about November NICU Awareness Month visit the Miracle Babies Foundation website here and for further information about preterm birth in Aboriginal populations visit the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance website here.

Logo from Miracle Babies Foundation website and image from Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance’s preterm birth in Aboriginal populations webpage.

28 October 2022

The image in the feature tile is from ABC Radio National webpage Talkback: Australia’s first ‘wellbeing’ budget, Wednesday 26 October 2022. Image: marrio31, Getty Images.

Essential ingredients for Wellbeing Budget

As the world faces escalating climate disruption, environmental degradation and geopolitical instability as well as growing inequality and human rights abuses, the development of wellbeing indicators for the Federal Budget presents both opportunities and challenges.  Indigenous health, public health and environmental health experts and community groups will have an opportunity to contribute to the development of a landmark new set of wellbeing indicators that are being prepared for the 2023 Budget.

While Australian governments publish many indicators that support decision-making, including Closing the Gap and the State of the Environment Report, “no national framework or central set of indicators” to track overall progress on wellbeing currently exists. One of the central challenge of progress reporting is bringing attention to the broader factors that underpin community wellbeing and longer-term economic prosperity, in a focused way. Other countries that have frameworks to measure non-economic progress and quality of life include Scotland, Wales, Canada, Germany and Aotearoa/NZ.

The involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations, people with disabilities, and people with lived experience of mental illness will be important if future wellbeing budgets are to genuinely address inequities within our society. Speaking at the Indigenous Wellness Conference last week, Bardi woman Professor Pag Dugeon from the School of Indigenous Studies, University of WA, said “The things we bring to the table are for us in the first instance but they will also benefit non-Indigenous people. We can share the social and emotional wellbeing approach to wellness.”

To view the Croakey Health Media article To make a proper Wellbeing Budget, what are the essential ingredients? in full click here.

SWAMS funded for major facility upgrade

The South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) has received a big boost in the federal budget, with funding allocated for a major facility upgrade. $18.3 million was set aside on Tuesday night’s budget announcement, honouring an election promise from the Labor government made in March. At the time, Federal Labor Senator Sue Lines said SWAMS first approached her office five years ago in the hopes of receiving support. “They’ve been spending $600,000 a year on rent, which is money that should be going into providing services, so this will allow them to do what they need to,” Ms Lines said.

The funding will go a long way towards building a brand new heath hub for SWAMS in Carey Park on land donated to the project by the City of Bunbury. SWAMS CEO Lesley Nelson said the hub would be a huge step forward for Noongar people.,”The Heath Hub will have an enormous positive impact on the heath and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in the south west.”

To view the Busselton-Dunsborough Mail article South West Aboriginal Medical Service gets federal funds for new heath hub in full click here.

SWAMS Chairman Ernie Hill, WA Labor candidate for Forrest Bronwen English, Senator Sue Lines, and SWAMS CEO Leslie Nelson with 3-month-old Gregory Abbott. Image source: Busselton-Dunsborough Mail.

Focus on better programs, services, self-determination

Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy has issued a media release stating the Albanese Labor Government is delivering on its election commitments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by improving programs and services and investing in self-determination, with this week’s Budget including funding:

  •  to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, with funding to:
    • the Australian Electoral Commission to prepare for the referendum
    • commence work on establishing a Makarrata Commission to oversee processes for agreement-making
  • for Indigenous health and education, including funding to:
    • train 500 First Nations health workers and practitioners
    • build modern, high-quality health clinics in areas of large and growing First Nations populations
    • build a Birthing on Country Centre of Excellence
    • allow NACCHO to combat RHD in high-risk communities
    • provide 30 four-chair dialysis units
    • improve the ability of Redfern AMS and Tharawal AC AMS to care for patients with chronic diseases
    • provide dialysis treatment buses for remote NSW
    • employ First Nations educators in 60 primary schools to teach First Nations languages and provide greater cultural understanding
    • increase access to early childhood education and care for Indigenous families
    • help First Nations controlled and Community Sector Organisation maintain quality services in light of rising costs
  • for housing and essential services on NT homelands
  • for First Nations Justice, with funding:
    • for 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives
    • for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
    • to build capacity of the peak body National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS)
    • to support the National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum
    • to deliver crime prevention and community safety programs in Central Australia
    • to extend the Indigenous Protected Areas program
  • for microgrid technology across First Nations communities to increase access to cheaper, cleaner, more reliable energy
  • to establish an Ambassador for First Nations Peoples
  • for a trial program to replace the Community Development Program with real jobs, real wages and proper conditions

To read Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy’s media release Delivering a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander  Australians in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCathy. Photo: Matt Roberts, ABC News.

Speeding access to innovative medicines

Yesterday Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler officially announced the appointment of the new independent Chair of the Health Technology Assessment (NTA) Review Committee, as well as extending the review by six months until December 2023. Chair of Medicines Australia, Dr Anna Lavell, said the new Chair Adjunct Professor Picone AO will lead major reforms that will speed up access to innovative medicines for all Australians. Dr Lavell said “Reform of Australia’s HTA system is well overdue, “We must reduce the time it takes for Australian patients to access innovative medicines, treatments and health technologies. Our health system must be modernised with a clear focus on patient needs and listening to patient perspectives.”

NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey PSM is one of the seven members on the HTA Review Reference Committee. The Committee will undertake the first major review and reform of the HTA system in 30 years. “It is a pivotal opporunity to improve this crucial process in accessing innovative medicines” Dr Vavell said.

To view the Healthy Industry Hub article Health Minister formally announces HTA Review independent chair after earlier reveal in full click here.

Image source: Accestra Access Extra.

COVID-19 vax hesitancy study

A study aimed at addressing lower vaccination rates among First Nations expectant mothers and babies will work with Aboriginal medical services around WA following a funding boost. Curtin School of Allied Health senior research fellow, Noongar woman and project lead Anne-Marie Eade said although the current data for mums and bubs is limited a need for greater access to vaccination is needed to ensure their safety due to greater vulnerability. “What we do know is that Aboriginal people are less likely to have been vaccinated against COVID-19 compared to the general population, with the differences most bleak in WA,” Ms Eade said.

The research comes after an $800,000 boost from the Australian government’s Medical Research Future Fund tackling health disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians. “Our study will evaluate the successes, barriers and opportunities of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program to reach Aboriginal women and their unborn children – and potentially target children under five in the event of an early childhood COVID-19 vaccine
rollout,” Ms Eade said.

Ms Eade attributes a mistrust of health systems, misinformation, and a lack of vaccine literacy as factors creating barriers for Indigenous mothers, expectant mothers and women of child-bearing age. The result comes with an increased risk of requiring intensive care, preterm birth and prenatal death. “A pressing concern for pregnant women is about the potential impact of vaccination on their babies. Many prefer to be vaccinated after birth,” Ms Eade said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Study aimed at increasing COVID-vaccination for vulnerable young mums and bubs backed by government funding in full click here.

Photo: Unsplash. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Calls for Netflix ads to prioritise health

More than 50 leading Australian and international health and community organisations have signed an open letter to Netflix, urging the streaming giant to exclude alcohol advertising from its new ad-supported subscription tier. As the world’s biggest streaming platform, Netflix has the chance to set the standard for establishing an ad model that prioritises people’s health and wellbeing, said Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Caterina Giorgi.

“Netflix has made a really important decision to exclude gambling advertising and they should do the same with alcohol advertising,” Ms Giorgi, a signatory to the joint letter, said. “Alcoholic products cause harm to so many families and communities across the world, causing more than 200 diseases and injuries and more than 3 million deaths each year.” “We know that alcohol advertising contributes to risky drinking particularly among young people, this is why the World Health Organization recommends restricting marketing as a priority area. Netflix can help to prevent harm by excluding alcohol advertising from their platform.”

The joint letter calls attention to research which shows that when young people are exposed to alcohol marketing, they are more likely to start drinking alcohol at a younger age and to drink alcohol at riskier levels. Other signatories to the letter are: NOFASD Australia; Sydney University’s Centre for Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol, Addiction Medicine; World Health Organization Less Alcohol Unit; and the World Cancer Research Fund.

To read The National Tribune article Community organisations call on Netflix to set standard with ad model that prioritises health and wellbeing in full click here.

Image source: Candorium.

‘Embassy’ upholds legacy of First Nations protest

Embassy, an installation from the artist Richard Bell, Embassy, has a powerful presence in the forecourt of the Art Gallery of SA (AGSA) last week. A painted sign on the front of the canvas tent read ‘Aboriginal Embassy’ – a nod to the legacy of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a protest camp set up on the lawns of Parliament House on unceded Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) 50 years ago.

Also part of the Adelaide Film Festival, the Embassy tent brought together artists and community organisers for public talks, and featured film screenings between the conversations. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is recognised as “one of the most significant, if not the most significant moment in Aboriginal protest history. It put into action a lot of the philosophies around self-determination and created so much from it, including the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector.

To read the CityMag article ‘Embassy’ upholds legacy of First Nations sovereignty and protest in full click here.

L—R: Nici Cumpston, Richard Bell and Dominic Guerrera. Image source: CityMag.

Sector Jobs

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

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

25 October 2022

NACCHO Annual Report 2021–2022

The NACCHO Annual Report 2021–2022 s now available to view.

The cover illustration symbolises NACCHO as the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health working together with its members and affiliates towards the delivery of comprehensive and culturally competent primary health care.

It showcases the work and achievements of the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector and includes the audited financial statements for 2021–2022 and can be accessed here.

NACCHO and BHP partner to improve RHD outcomes

NACCHO and BHP have announced a partnership aimed at eliminating Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) and Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. ARF and RHD are preventable diseases disproportionately affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in regional and remote areas. Between 2016 and 2020, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples accounted for 92% of all ARF diagnoses in Australia.

As part of the agreement, BHP will provide $9.7m over three years, helping to fund critical health care initiatives delivered by ACCHOs across Australia. The funding complements the $18m already committed by the Australian Government. An additional $13.5m is also anticipated following the Labour Party’s election commitment to combat RHD in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This includes $1.5m that is prioritised for the investment in portable echo-cardiogram machines, training and support for primary health care workers, including Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners.

NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner, said: “NACCHO’s partnership with BHP and the Australian Government is the first-ever national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sector-led initiative to combat RHD in our communities. This partnership recognises that we are best placed to design and implement health services, including prevention, screening, early diagnosis, treatment and supportive care, for our own communities. This additional investment will expand the support provided by ACCHOs to deliver evidence-based ARF and RHD activities in their communities.”

BHP’s Chief Legal, Governance and External Affairs Officer Caroline Cox said: “BHP is proud to continue its support of NACCHO, building on partnerships established with the Aboriginal community-led health sector over many years. It is important that we back Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and put Aboriginal health in Aboriginal hands, as NACCHO’s vision sets out. We are determined to play our part in the collective action required to address the underlying causes of these health issues, such as inequality, inadequate housing and long-standing health inequities.”

BHP’s investment follows $5.9m of donations to ACCHOs throughout the pandemic for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led COVID responses across the country.

You can view the joint NACCHO and BHP media release NACCHO and BHP partner to improve ARF and RHD outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in full on the NACCHO website here.

Image source: BHP.

Killings, disappearances a crisis in plain sight

Last night ABC Four Corners aired a story “How Many More?” – a special investigation into Australia’s murdered and missing Indigenous women. In Australia Aboriginal women are among the most victimised groups in the world, murdered up to 12 times the national average. In some regions, their deaths make up some of the highest homicide rates in the world. The killings and disappearances of Indigenous women across Australia were described in the program a crisis hidden in plain sight.

The program shows a snapshot of what this tragedy looks like. Four Corners revealed that at least 315 First Nations women have either gone missing or been murdered or killed in suspicious circumstances since 2000. But this is an incomplete picture. We will likely never know the true scale of how many First Nations women have been lost over the decades. This is because there is no agency in Australia keeping count, and there is no standard way of collecting this important data in each state and territory.

Canada calls it a genocide. The United States considers it an epidemic. But here in Australia, we’re only just waking up to the scale of the crisis.

To read the ABC News article The killings and disappearances of Indigenous women across Australia is a crisis hidden in plain sight click here and view the Four Corners episode here.

Prevalence of hearing loss research

The Australian Government has announced close to $7.5m funding to support research that will help prevent hearing loss and improve the health and wellbeing of those who live with hearing impairment. Nine projects have been funded, including a number of projects focused on improving access to hearing health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Researchers at Flinders University will co-design culturally appropriate methods to overcome difficulties experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children accessing hearing healthcare. At Curtin University, researchers will provide the first estimates of the number of Aboriginal children who have ear infections and hearing loss from 0 to 5 years of age and will demonstrate the feasibility of screening for ear infections and hearing loss from 2 months of age.

The grants are funded for three years through the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Targeted Call for Research into Hearing Health 2021: Evidence-based support services.

To read Minister Butler’s media release $7.5m for hearing health in full click here.

Image source: Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) Ear and Hearing Health webpage or CAAC website.

Mental health stigma a barrier for veterans

An Indigenous Navy veteran says the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has failed to address stigma around mental health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans. Professor Brad Murphy OAM, who now runs a veteran-focused GP clinic after serving in the Navy as a leading senior medic, has given evidence before the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.

He told the commission the stigma attached to seeking help for mental health issues remained a “huge impediment” to caring for Indigenous veterans. “We’ve worked so terribly hard over the years to remove stigma associated with mental health,” Professor Murphy said. “No matter how much we’ve tried, we have failed in this regard. Having [Indigenous veterans] actually reach out, or having family or community that are strong enough and well resourced to actually reach out on their behalf is a significant challenge.”

Professor Murphy told the commission more support was needed for members transitioning out of service and back into civilian life. He said many members leaving the ADF were left disconnected from their sense of family and belonging. “Indigenous culture is very much about family and my own experience and certainly my understanding of military culture is of family,” Professor Murphy said.

To read the ABC News article Indigenous veteran Professor Brad Murphy tells Defence Suicide Royal Commission mental health stigma remains a barrier in full click here.

Photo: Siobhan Heanue, ABC News.

No progress in tackling obesity

Calls for a tax on sugary drinks and warning labels on junk food have increased after a new report showed Australia has made no progress in the fight to tackle obesity. Since 2017, the Food Policy Index has been tracking progress on federal and state government policies to reduce obesity rates in Australia. “Obesity is really a public health crisis in Australia,” said Gary Sacks, an Associate Professor at Victoria’s Deakin University, and a co-author of the latest update on the Food Policy Index. “We’ve got two thirds of adults are overweight or obese, and a quarter of kids are overweight or obese.

Inequities in socioeconomic status have meant certain populations are even more impacted by the prevalence of obesity. The groups include those at higher risk of chronic disease, such as Indigenous Australians and newly arrived migrants. “These communities are at extreme risk. In Central Australia, we’ve got 60% of the Aboriginal population living with Type 2 diabetes. Access to care, such as dialysis, is really complicated, you have to come off Country, water is a real issue,” Ms Martin said. “The supply of fresh food and sometimes flying food in when the wet comes is really, really challenging.”

The prevalence of being overweight or obese is higher in Indigenous Australians compared to the general population. Of First Nations people aged between 2 and 17, the prevalence is 38% versus 24% for non-Indigenous youths, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

To read the SBS News article ‘A public health crisis’: This is how many Australians eat a healthy diet in full click here.

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Extending scope of practice concerns

Louise Stone, a GP with clinical, research, teaching and policy expertise in mental health and Associate Professor in the Social Foundations of Medicine group, Australian National University (ANU) Medical School has written an article for AMA InSight about the push to enable health care workers to work “top of scope”.

Professor Stone says that while the scope of practice is traditionally defined by professional standards, codes of ethics and codes of professional conduct, and includes skills that an individual practitioner is “educated, authorised, competent and confident to perform” it has often implied extending practice beyond the traditional limits of a particular role.

According to Professor Stone, there seems to be an assumption that this is a good thing for health care workers, will be cheaper for the health service, and any opposition to it is merely a “turf war” argument designed to protect existing siloes. Professor Stone however doesn’t think any of us have the right to extend our scope of practice without accepting the responsibility of submitting to appropriate oversight to keep the public safe.

To view the InSight+ article “Top of scope”: no rights without responsibilities in full click here.

Associate Professor Louise Stone. Image source: InSight+.

Australia’s Biggest Quiz to end hep C 

Australia’s Biggest Quiz is coming up TOMORROW Wednesday 26 October 2022.

Hepatitis Australia is asking everyone to register and participate in Australia’s Biggest Quiz which is the national community activation of the Ending Hepatitis C Campaign. Register here and join this history-making world record breaking trivia event to have some fun while raising awareness about hepatitis C and its cure!

In the five years since hepatitis C cures became available to everyone, the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with hepatitis C has declined by 17%. But more work is needed to close the gap! Australia’s Biggest Quiz aims to raise awareness that hepatitis C has a simple cure. You can get tested at your local Aboriginal Medical Service or GP. Australia’s Biggest Quiz will take place at 16 venues in all states and territories, alongside a national virtual audience, to try break a Guinness World Record, while raising awareness of hepatitis C, and its cure.

You can help promote Australia’s Biggest Quiz using the Stakeholder General Communications Kit, available here. The kit contains: tiles for social media, guidance on how to use the digital communications material, Australia’s Biggest Quiz logo, posters, social media tiles and zoom backgrounds!

This campaign is brought to you by Hepatitis Australia who is working in partnership with 80+ community groups, supported by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.

Sector Jobs

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

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

12 October 2022

NACCHO Member’s Conference 2022 theme

We’re just 5 days away from our long awaited NACCHO Members’ Conference, NACCHO Youth Conference, EGM and AGM!

Today we are delighted to announce the theme for this year’s conference – Honour the Past, Prepare for the Future.

NACCHO is proud to have a membership of 144 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations with over 50 years of cultural expertise, knowledge and capability in the delivery of comprehensive primary health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our sector has led the way in responding to the many challenges faced over the last three years and have demonstrated that we are an integral part of the health architecture in Australia. The Conference is an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate the resilience and success of our sector. It is a success worth celebrating and honouring as we prepare for the future.

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

NACCHO also wishes to acknowledge the generous support from our wonderful sponsors who helped make #NACCHOConference22 happen!

We can’t wait to network with you all next week at the NACCHO Youth and NACCHO Members’ Conferences on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country (Canberra).

Mob experience higher rates of obesity

Population groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse
communities (CALD) experience health inequity and resulting disparities in disease rates. These include higher rates of obesity and associated chronic diseases. A paper in the Sax Institute journal, Public Health Research & Practice brings together three perspectives by researchers in the fields of Indigenous health, disability and CALD health to examine how overweight and obesity impact these populations in Australia and to put forward ways of addressing the problem.

The authors urge investment in research co-designed with people from each of these communities and with lived experience of obesity to build valuable knowledge about what preventive actions and interventions will work to reduce obesity rates. They call for evidence-based, tailored obesity prevention programs to address these historical disparities and improve health outcomes among some of Australia’s disadvantaged populations.

One of the three perspectives examined in the paper is the inequities in the treatment of obesity in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The author, Ray Kelly from the University of Melbourne finds:

  • Obesity is increasing in Indigenous people and is now up to 45% of that population
  • There is very little Indigenous input into Australian Dietary Guidelines
  • Adopting traditional dietary lifestyle could help Indigenous people lose weight
  • Far more research involving Indigenous people needs to be done in this area.

To view the Public Health Research & Practice (a journal of the Sax Institute) article Inequities in obesity: Indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse, and disability perspectives in full click here.

Image source: NAAFA website.

Information vacuum around miscarriage

Miscarriage Australia is a first of its kind website that uses medically proven facts to help patients, and it’s been far too long in the making. The information vacuum around miscarriage, combined with the desperation of the grief-stricken, is the perfect breeding ground for misinformation and fertile soil for superstition. And that is why the development and launch of a new website, the first of its kind in Australia dedicated solely to evidence-based, medically-proven information and research, will be an absolute asset for patients in this space. It has been far too long in coming.

The team behind the Miscarriage Australia website comprises academics and clinicians. The site includes information for women, men, LGBTIQ+, friends or family of those affected. You’ll find details on what comprises a miscarriage, why someone miscarries, types of miscarriage and so on. There are referrals to support services. And crucially, there is information and support for medical practitioners working in this space or any other who are likely to come into contact with pregnancy loss patients. The information is fact-checked and the site is managed by the Miscarriage Australia research team, co-led by Bilardi and Temple-Smith, and an expert advisory committee.

You can access the new Miscarriage Australia website here.

To view The Guardian article After my miscarriage, it was hard to find reliable online support for an issue shrouded in silence – that’s about to change in full click here.

Image source: Miscarriage Australia website.

Pathology drones for remote Qld patients

Drones could be used to fly patient pathology samples from Moreton Bay island communities to Brisbane testing labs as early as next year. Yesterday Brisbane’s Mater Hospital announced a partnership program with drone company Swoop Aero that will see a fleet of drones used to shuttle patient pathology samples from areas across Moreton Bay to the hospital’s testing labs at Springfield in Ipswich.

Mater Pathology general manager Deb Hornsby said the initiative was an “Australian first” and would slash waiting times for test results, particularly blood samples and COVID-19 swabs. “It is a game-changer, it will take pathology services to a different level – we’re the first pathology service in Australia to offer this,” Ms Hornsby said. “Right now, we are reliant on ferry terminals and courier pick ups to get samples back to Mater for testing from Stradbroke Island and the other islands. Depending on ferry services, it can take up to six hours. Pathology is a time-sensitive service … turnaround times are really critical to get those results back to GPs and specialists.” She said a 45-minute drive would now become a 15-minute flight.

To read the ABC News article Drones set to transport Mater Hospital pathology samples across south-east Queensland in ‘Australian first’ in full click here.

Swoop Aero pathology drone. Image source: DroneDJ.

Rural GP shortage sees patients turned away

After the departure of a local doctor, a Quirindi aged care will have to turn residents away, threatening the centre’s viability. In a bid to entice a new doctor to urgently fill a vacancy, a NSW town is offering three months free rent, with an ongoing rent cap, in a bid to save its community-run aged acre home, Eloura. The doctor who has left treated a quarter of its aged care residents, and the current medical practices are not taking new patients due to high demand. Without a replacement, the community-built aged care centre will have to turn away new residents, unless they already have access to a GP.

Walhallow Aboriginal Health Corporation, based in Quirindi, has three GPs and two registrars, who are split between the three towns of Coledale, Caroona, and Quirindi. The practice manager, Eileen Goode, said that they did not just need another doctor, they needed “probably another four”. Walhallow has been seeing whoever they can, whenever they can, but still could not keep up with demand. We have a lot of phone calls from non-registered patients saying ‘Can we come and see you? We can’t get into a doctor, our doctor’s not here any more – can you help us?’” Goode said.

“Unfortunately, a lot of those people we’ve actually had to turn away because we’re servicing around 5,000. One of the worst feelings in the world,” Goode says, “is turning someone away, sending them to a hospital who also doesn’t have a doctor.” Goode’s experience means she understands the leap it takes to move to the bush, and that dealing with a backlog of patients in a rural practice meant that GPs could quickly burn out.

To view The Guardian article NSW town offering free rent to attract a GP so aged care home can avoid BYO doctor policy in full click here.

View of Quirindi, NSW. Image source: Aussie Towns website.

WA E-cigarette ban proposal

The WA Cancer Council is leading a push to “revitalise tobacco control” in the state by proposing halving the number of retailers and banning the sale of e-cigarettes, among other measures. The organisation, which is proposing to halve smoking rates in the state by 2030, launched its plan at a two-day symposium of health workers and experts in Perth this week. WA Cancer Council president Ruth Shean said tobacco control in WA had benefited greatly from a strong commitment by the state government.

“However, there are more than 200,000 West Australians still smoking,” Dr Shean said. “Our goal is to halve smoking rates in WA by 2030, but it requires all tiers of government to work together to implement an evidence-based, comprehensive approach.” The WA organisation wants to ban the sale and advertising of e-cigarette devices and components and prohibit vaping in places where cigarette smoking is banned.

Samuel Stubbs, a tackling Indigenous smoking coordinator at the WA Aboriginal Health Council, supported the call to ban e-cigarettes. He said his organisation was seeing a troubling number of young people using the smoking devices. “It’s huge. It’s just taking off,” Mr Stubbs said. “That’s probably the biggest thing we’re facing at the moment, with a lot of questions being asked from community groups, schools — how we can come in and help educate the youth about the effects that e-cigarettes have.”

To view the ABC News article E-cigarette ban proposed as WA Cancer Council aims to halve smoking rates by 2030 in full click here.

WA Aboriginal Health Council’s Samuel Stubbs says vaping has taken off among his community. Photo: Alicia Bridges, ABC Radio Perth.

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World Sight Day 2022

The aim of World Sight Day 2022 tomorrow Thursday 13 October 2022 is to focus the world’s attention on the importance of eye care.​ The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has confirmed it will continue the World Sight Day 2021 theme of Love Your Eyes for this year. The theme stresses the need for awareness about our eye health and the need for taking care of our eyesight. For this purpose, we must get our eyes tested and encourage those we know to go for it, as well.

As per data from IAPB people worldwide live with low vision and blindness. Out of these, 39 million are completely blind while 246 others have moderate to severe visual impairment. Most of these people (approx 90%) reside in low-income countries. However, 80% of visual impairment is avoidable, given that they are readily treatable or preventable. However, there is much that needs to be done to provide eye care facilty to each and every person in need of it. Spreading awareness of the eye related problems including blindness and vision impairment can help a lot in making eye care accessible to all. The World Health Organisation has identified eye health as critical to achieving its Sustainable Development Goals.

To find out more about World Sight Day 2022 click here.