26 June 2024

Community-led family violence responses needed
Project aims to improve custodial healthcare for mob
Health costs widen gap for rural, remote mob
PSA Faye McMillan grant winners announced
Genocide in the Wildflower State documentary
$550k for Kempsey Her Futures Wellbeing project
Sector Jobs

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.

Community-led family violence responses needed

In a recent article for the National Indigenous Times Dr Hannah McGlade says the federal government shocked and hurt Aboriginal women across Australia with its announcement on 28 May of an Expert Panel tasked with conducting a Rapid Review of violence against women, with a focus on the killings of women, with not one Aboriginal woman included as a member of the panel.

Considering Aboriginal women are at exceptionally high risk of violence and even murder and have been standing strong against violence for many decades, this was a serious oversight and concern. Now last week, with no consultation with Aboriginal women, WA Premier Roger Cook and Minister Sabine Winton announced new family violence laws to include coercive and controlling behaviour, as well as electronic monitoring of high-risk offenders.

Violence against Aboriginal women will never be addressed while Aboriginal women’s expertise and leadership is denied and undermined. It’s time all forms of violence are addressed, including racism and the imposition of yet more laws that carry unacceptable risk of harm to First Nations women and children.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal community-led responses to family and domestic violence are needed, not more police powers in full click here.

Dr Hannah McGlade portrait shot, Aboriginal painting in the background

Dr Hannah McGlade, a Kurin Minang human rights expert, law academic and member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Photo: Rangi Hirini, NITV.

Project aims to improve custodial healthcare for mob

At the end of January this year, Lynore Geia, Palm Island Bwgcolman woman and Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at Edith Cowan University, contacted NACCHO to request the dissemination of a letter via the NACCHO Sector News newsletter. It has only now come to light that this unfortunately did not occur.

The letter, available here, was written to inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and families of a project initiated by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) titled An analysis of Coronial Tribunal findings of deaths in custodial settings of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People that involved a nurse or midwife. The project is driven by a commitment to enhancing cultural safety and addressing health equity and racism as public health issues through improved nursing and midwifery care for our community members. The aim is to carefully examine the role of nurses and midwives in custodial settings.

This significant project is being undertaken by a diverse and skilled team, comprising four respected Aboriginal registered nurse researchers, namely Professors Lynore Geia (Bwgcolman), Roianne West (Kalkadoon, Djunke), Juanita Sherwood (Wiradjuri), and Janine Mohamed (Narrunga Kaurna); and three non-Indigenous registered nurse researchers – Professors Karen Strickland, Lisa Whitehead, and Dr. Belinda Lovell, along with Psychologist Professor Andrew Day, who specialises in criminology and psychology.

The project team has been carefully reviewing coroners reports from 2012 to 2022 that are publicly accessible through databases such as the Australasian Legal Information Institute website, State and Territory Coroner’s websites, and The Deaths in Custody Project. As health professionals the team is concerned that past and recent coronial inquires have raised questions around nursing and midwifery care where a nurse/midwife has been involved in the health care of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who has died in custody. The primary purpose of the project is to analyse the nursing or midwifery care as described in the coroner’s reports to identify any areas that require change to improve the cultural safety of nursing and midwifery care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custodial settings.

It is anticipated that this strategic work will significantly contribute to necessary reforms in nursing and midwifery care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custodial settings.

Registered nurse Hugo Chatwin-Smith, Victoria Police Custodial Health Service. Image source: Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal.

Health costs widen gap for rural, remote mob

From sleeping rough in parklands to skipping medical appointments, the additional burden of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure is widening the healthcare gap for Aboriginal households in rural and remote regions. The rising cost of living, including the need to travel long distances to medical appointments, as well as income limits and shortages of housing and medical services, also adds to the health burden on rural and remote communities.

In particular, Aboriginal families in remote regions face even higher out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure (or OOPHE) – which includes additional healthcare expenses not covered by universal taxpayer insurance (i.e. Medicare) – due to additional health needs and multiple barriers to getting appropriate care.

In a new article in Rural and Remote Health journal experts in Indigenous health worked closely with Aboriginal communities from SA’s Far West region to examine these impacts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations 4.9 times greater than other Australians. Poor communication is a well-established risk factor contributing to adverse medicine events. For a medicine to be used effectively, treatment decisions need to be conveyed to consumers and their support people in ways they understand.

To view the Rural and Remote article Experiences and impacts of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure on remote Aboriginal families in full click here.

RFDS nurse treating young Aboriginal boy on plane

Image source: Royal Flying Doctor Service website.

PSA Faye McMillan grant winners announced

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has announced the recipients of the second annual PSA Faye McMillan Conference Grant as Timothy Hockam, Elizabeth Dening, and Kirralee Natty.

Inspired and supported by Prof McMillan, the annual grant offers an opportunity for First Nations pharmacists to attend the PSA National Conference (PSA24) next month, which will foster their professional development.

McMillan, a Wiradjuri yinaa (woman) originally from Trangie, NSW, was the first Indigenous Australian to hold a western degree in pharmacy. She congratulated all the recipients and said, “belonging is such a critical aspect of being part of a profession, and the relationship with PSA gives that feeling”.

To view the Pharmacy Daily article McMillian grant winners in full click here.

Image source: PSA website.

Genocide in the Wildflower State documentary

Yokai (Western Australian Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation) support the needs of individuals and families in WA adversely affected by policies and practices of separating Aboriginal peoples from their families, communities, countries and cultures. Yokai’s Chairperson, Mr Jim Morrison, will be attending Parliament House in Canberra next week for the screening of their latest documentary Genocide in the Wildflower State.

The 60 minute documentary is about a violent, state-run system of eugenics, racial absorption, and social assimilation in Twentieth Century, WA. For the more than six decades between 1905 and 1970, thousands of mixed-race Aboriginal children in WA were forcibly removed from their families. Systematically organised by the State, overwhelmingly supported by WA society, generation after generation, for over 60 years — the State worked to destroy Aboriginal families, culture, and language, for the purpose of securing white, settler dominance.

In 1997 a National Inquiry called this for what it was — Genocide. ‘Stolen Generation’ Survivors give vivid and at times heartbreaking testimony of cruel isolation, abuse and humiliation in the system. Their accounts are supported by documentary evidence from state records, public archives and historical scholarship. “Genocide in the Wildflower State” is truth telling and a demand for justice. It holds to account successive parliaments in WA that have failed to make redress. It is about helping to heal the trauma in the Survivor community, and building understanding in broader society.

Yokai, through Senator Sue Lines’s invitation here, are inviting Community and government employees to attend the documentary launch.

You can view the trailer to the Genocide in the Wildflower State documentary here.

first image of documentary text 'GENOCIDE in the Wildflower State' against backdrop outback trees & sky

Image source: Yakai.

$550k for Kempsey Her Futures Wellbeing project

The NSW Government is investing more than $2.6m to deliver seven women’s health, wellbeing and empowerment projects from 2024–2027 as part of the statewide Investing In Women Funding Program. Through this program, the NSW Government is working in partnership with community organisations to improve women’s economic opportunity and advancement, health and wellbeing and participation – the three priority areas of the NSW Women’s Strategy.

One of the projects to receive 2023-2024 funding is the Her Futures Foundation – The ‘Her Futures Wellbeing’ project is designed to reduce the major health concerns among Aboriginal women in Kempsey through a tailored health and wellbeing group program.

Commencing in 2024, the Her Futures Foundation’s health and wellbeing project will have a total funding of $550,000 to help tackle major health concerns among women in Kempsey. The foundation will deliver a 12-week group program of facilitated fitness and healthy lifestyle sessions to improve fitness, self-care, guided access to services and social participation for local women.

To view the NSW Government media release $2.6 million invested in women’s health, wellbeing and empowerment in full click here.

mural of Aboriginal woman, snake & stars

Kelly Purvis Mural, Savages Lane, Kempsey. Image source: visitnsw.com.

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.

24 June 2024

Aged Care leaders commit to cultural safety
Denticare is the goal but long road ahead
National Anti-Racism Framework workshops
Identifying upper GI cancers GP training
More support for birthing on Country
Millions unknowingly at risk of heart failure
Sector Jobs

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

Aged Care leaders commit to cultural safety

Four major Australian aged care providers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ACCO Yokai this week signalling the groups’ commitment to enhancing culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal customers. Juniper, MercyCare, Bethanie, and Hall and Prior reached the MOU with Yokai, an Aboriginal rights and Stolen Generations advocacy group.

Yokai’s CEO Jim Morrison, “It’s encouraging to see aged care organisations committing to understanding that caring for older Aboriginal people, especially Stolen Generations Survivors, should focus not only on their clinical needs but also on their cultural needs, such as their connection to Country and lived experience.”

Yokai, a term derived from the Noongar language, serves as a powerful call to action, conveying the message of ‘enough is enough’. The initiative has been collaboratively developed by the Bringing Them Home Committee (WA) and the WA Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation, which serves as the representative body for Stolen Generation Survivors in WA. The work undertaken by Yokai is grounded in thorough consultation and extensive research, with the aim of achieving improved outcomes for the Aboriginal community and Stolen Generations Survivors.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aged care leaders commit to Aboriginal cultural safety with Yokai agreement in full click here.

Russell Bricknell & Jim Morrison shake hands at culturally safe aged care MOU signing

Russell Bricknell and Jim Morrison shake hands at the MOU. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Denticare is the goal but long road ahead

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association’s (AHHA) Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research has released an issues paper titled ‘integrating oral health into primary healthcare for improved access to oral health care for rural and remote populations’, available here. The brief collated information on issues, particularly for rural and remote and Indigenous Australians, in accessing oral health care, namely maldistribution of oral health services and a constrained dental workforce supply in these areas. The brief found that integrating oral health promotion, screening and non-invasive preventive care provision into primary care could have far reaching effects.

“Primary care providers are often the first point of contact for health services in rural and remote communities and are well positioned to provide basic oral health care,” said AHHA chief executive Kylie Woolcock. “However, limited oral health knowledge and skills and boundaries to professional scopes of practice curb the possibility of leveraging existing primary healthcare resources for oral health care provision.”

According to Adjunct Associate Professor at the Menzies Centre for health policy and economics Lesley Russell while the goal should eventually be a Medicare-like support system for oral health care, “Denticare”, or incorporation of dentistry into Medicare, getting there would need to be an iterative process. In the interim, Professor Russell suggested that health checks could be broadened to include the mouth and particular populations could be supported through Medicare for oral health care, such as those with relevant chronic conditions like cancer, HIV/AIDS and diabetes – and Indigenous communities. “Ideally, you’d have a dentist or at least a dental technician within an ACCHO or a primary care practice,” she said.

To view the Medical Republic article ‘Denticare’ is the goal, but it’s a long road ahead here.

Image source: Central Australian Aboriginal Congress website.

National Anti-Racism Framework workshops

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is developing a National Anti-Racism Framework as a central reference point for anti-racism action by government, non-profits, businesses, communities, and other sectors. Guided by a community-led and human rights-based approach, the Commission is currently progressing national First Nations and multicultural community-level consultations to seek community advice and input on designing the Framework. These consultations are all led, designed, and facilitated by First Nations Co., and offer various modes of participation.

Following the completion of in-person consultations, First Nations Co. is excited to announce 12 virtual workshops dedicated to informing the development of a National Anti-Racism Framework. If you work in the Education, Health, or Justice sectors, your voice is crucial!

Healthcare Services, ACCHOs, Health Organisations/Departments

Wednesday 26 June, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (AEST)
Thursday 27 June, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (AEST)
Wednesday 3 July, 10:00 am – 11:00 am (AEST)
Thursday 4 July, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm (AEST)

To register complete this registration form and receive your meeting invite from the First Nations Co. team.

Can’t attend? Share your insights via our online survey. Your participation is invaluable in building a framework that truly represents our community’s needs.

If needed and preferred, the First Nations Co. team is open to engaging in one-on-one virtual consultations with individuals and peak bodies, and these sessions can be arranged with First Nations Co. directly on a case-by-case basis. Written submissions are also accepted if this method is preferred.

If you have questions or want to learn more about this project, you can access the First Nations Co. website here or contact First Nations Co. by email here.

You can view NACCHO’s National Anti-Racism Framework Submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission – February 2022 here.

Image source: AHRC website.

Identifying upper GI cancers GP training

The Pancare Foundation, which provides support to people impacted by a diagnosis of Upper Gastrointestinal cancer, have launched their first GP education module: Trust your gut: identifying upper gastrointestinal cancers in general practice. This comprehensive module focuses on recognising signs and symptoms for earlier detection of oesophageal and stomach cancers.

Trust Your Gut is a video-based activity, for GPs and nurses, designed to increase awareness of symptoms warranting urgent referral for stomach and oesophageal cancers. By the end of the activity, participants will be able to:

identify patients at high risk of oesophagogastric cancer and those who present with symptoms.
facilitate appropriate and timely referral of patients at risk of, or with suspected, oesophagogastric cancer for further investigations and/or specialist intervention.

You can access the GP module here and the nurse module here.

You can view a flyer for the education modules here.

More support for birthing on Country

More First Nations families now have access to culturally safe maternal healthcare in NE Arnhem Land thanks to a growing workforce of Djäkamirr. Djäkamirr are First Nations skilled companions and caretakers of pregnancy and birth, who use both Yolŋu and western knowledge to support women in Birthing on Country.

First Nations women and their babies experience poorer health outcomes compared to non-Indigenous mothers and their babies. The rate of preterm birth in First Nations mothers is almost double that of non-Indigenous mothers (14.1% in First Nations mothers, compared with 7.9% in non-Indigenous mothers in 2021).

The federal government said in a statement yesterday (Sunday, 23 June 2024) that as part of its commitment to Closing the Gap, it is investing $6m in funding in the Djäkamirr Birthing on Country Project in Galiwin’ku. Molly Wardaguga Institute for First Nations Birth Rights director of research and innovation, Professor Sue Kildea, said the initiative “is an absolute game changer that is likely to have lifelong impact and change the way we deliver services across Australia – a landmark in cultural recognition and the blending of western and Yolŋu knowledges and culture.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Funding boost for maternal healthcare in North East Arnhem Land in full click here.

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Millions unknowingly at risk of heart failure

Heart failure is estimated to affect approximately half a million Australians, with over 67,000 Australians being diagnosed each year. Heart failure patients often suffer from multiple comorbidities (cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular), such as an irregular heart rate or rhythm, high blood pressure, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, iron deficiency, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. A new survey commissioned by YouGov, on behalf of leading charity Hearts4heart, indicates more than four million Australians are not aware of the comorbidities that can increase the risk of heart failure.

Despite the name, heart failure doesn’t mean the heart has stopped or failed, it means that the heart is ‘failing’ to keep up with the body’s demands. A comorbidity, which is any co-existing health condition, is one contributing factor to heart failure if not properly managed so, it’s essential to speak to your GP to understand your risks and treat any underlying medical conditions you may have.

In May 2023, the Heart Health Check program, subsidised by Medicare, was extended for another two years, allowing people aged 45 and over and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 30 and over to assess their risk of heart disease during a 20-minute consultation with a medical practitioner.

To view the The Heart4Heart article Millions of Australians unknowingly at increased risk of heart failure article in full click here.

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

21 June 2024

Largest remote housing investment in NT signed
Ensuring Ballarat kids ready for school
Interventions show promise to prevent elder abuse
NT Aboriginal Health Forum marks 100th meeting
Why you may be asked to draw a clock
Warning as flu cases surge
Sector Jobs

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

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

Largest remote housing investment in NT signed

The largest remote housing investment in NT was signed yesterday (Thursday 21 June 2024) at the remote community of Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands. The new 10-year remote housing partnership agreement is designed to halve overcrowding in Aboriginal communities, which has been a major long-running problem in northern Australia.

The federal government said in a statement that the Partnership Agreement represents a new way of working collaboratively with Aboriginal communities and housing organisations towards a better remote housing system across the Territory’s 73 remote communities. The $4b agreement commits federal and Territory governments working with the four NT Land Councils and Aboriginal Housing NT to collaborate on improving existing housing and building houses that are culturally appropriate and meet the climate challenges of the Territory.

Construction of up to 2,700 new homes across the Territory aim to halve overcrowding in the next 10 years, aligning with the National Closing the Gap targets with improvements in health, education and community safety, as well as opportunities for economic growth across the Territory. Federation Funding Agreements between the NT and the Commonwealth, informed by the Partnership Agreement, will also include better repairs and maintenance in remote community housing and improvements and infrastructure upgrades in homelands.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Largest remote housing investment in Northern Territory signed at Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands in full click here.

Selena Uibo, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and Marion Scrymgour MP (centre three) with locals in Milikapiti. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Ensuring Ballarat kids are ready for school

The Albanese Government is helping First Nations children get the best start in life, expanding the successful Connected Beginnings program to Ballarat with $1.8m provided to the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC).

The program connects First Nations children aged 0–5 with a range of early childhood health, education, and family support services – helping children meet the learning and development milestones necessary to achieve a positive transition to school. The new site in Ballarat, being delivered in partnership with BADAC, will support about 350 First Nations children in the local area.

The Government partners with SNAICC National Voice for our Children and the NACCHO to deliver the Connected Beginnings program, a community-led project achiving results for about 16,500 First Nations children across Australia. The funding for the new Ballarat site is part of an $81.8m investment to expand the program to 50 sites across the Country. Once all 50 sites are established the program has the potential to support up to 20% of all First Nations children aged 0-5.

You can learn more about the Connected Beginnings program on the Australian Government Department of Education website here and by watching the SNAICC video by clicking this link.

To view the joint media release Ensuring First Nations children in Ballarat are school ready in full click here.

Screenshot of video from SNAICC about the Connected Beginnings program. Image source: SNAICC website.

Interventions show promise to prevent elder abuse

To mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) released an interactive database of 89 interventions that show promise to prevent and respond to the abuse of older people, also known as elder abuse. This database is the first product of the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing’s Intervention Accelerator initiative on abuse of older people. The Intervention Accelerator is an international network of experts, led by WHO, working to develop a portfolio of effective approaches to address the abuse of older people.

Abuse of older people is widespread, with around 1 in 6 people aged 60 years and above in the community experiencing some form of abuse every year. Abuse of older people can have serious consequences for healthcare and wellbeing, including earlier death, physical injuries, depression, cognitive decline and poverty. However, until recently experts agreed there were no interventions scientifically proven to work to prevent and respond to abuse of older people, which may contribute to the under-prioritisation of the issue globally.

“WHO’s new database is a critical first step towards developing and scaling up cost-effective solutions to address abuse of older people, which has been highlighted as one of five priorities to tackle the issue during the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health, WHO. “It is high time to do more as a global community to address this neglected but seriously harmful problem. I encourage all stakeholders committed to ending the abuse of older people to use and build on this evidence-based tool.”

To view the Healthcare Channel article New database aims to accelerate global action against elder abuse in full click here.

NT Aboriginal Health Forum marks 100th meeting

The NT Aboriginal Health Forum (NTAHF) marked its 100th meeting on Wednesday (19 June 2024), covering a span of 26 years. The Forum is the main collaborative Aboriginal health planning partnership between government and ACCHOs in the NT.

Aboriginal man from Derby and Forum chairperson Rob McPhee said the NTAHF has shown over 26 years that collaboration between the government and the Aboriginal community can achieve significant results. “Over more than a quarter of a century, the NTAHF has demonstrated what can be achieved when government and the Aboriginal community sit down in a spirit of collaboration and respect to make decisions together,” he said.

Mr McPhee highlighted key successes of the Forum, including increased primary health care funds through better Medicare access for Aboriginal people, equitable distribution of resources via funding allocation formulas, agreement on core functions of primary health care, development of NT Aboriginal Health KPIs to monitor service delivery, and supporting the transition of government-run primary health care services to Aboriginal community control. “Through these actions, the Forum played a key role in improving the health outcomes of our people over the last two decades,” Mr McPhee said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum celebrates 100th meeting milestone in full click here.

NT Aboriginal Health Forum NTAHF 100th meeting group

Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum NTAHF 100th meeting group. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Why you may be asked to draw a clock

You may be asked to draw a clock upon admission to a hospital as part of a cognitive assessment. A cognitive assessment is conducted to help health professionals determine any changes in multiple mental abilities, including learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, decision-making and attention span. This screening process can help to determine whether a person has started to experience delirium or dementia.

Approximately 10 – 18% of Australians aged 65 years or older have delirium at the time of admission to hospital and a further two to eight percent develop delirium during their hospital stay. People experiencing delirium may show signs of confusion, uncertainty, inattention, distress or psychosis. A person may experience delirium for a few days and be asked to take the clock-drawing test throughout their hospital stay to see if their score improves and rule out underlying conditions.

For First Nations people the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment was specifically designed as an alternative cognitive assessment to assist health professionals.

To view the Aged Care Guide article Why you may be asked to ‘draw a clock’ at the hospital in full click here.

Warning as flu cases surge

Authorities have warned serious cases of the flu have jumped 33% across NSW, leaving an increasing number of people sick in emergency rooms. The number of influenza cases and presentations in hospitals rose within the span of a week, according to the latest NSW Health Respiratory Surveillance Report.

The increasing flu activity is not only concerning, it is expected to worsen in the coming weeks, NSW Health director of health protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said. “Influenza is more serious than the common cold,” he said. “It can cause pneumonia, make chronic underlying medical conditions like diabetes, lung and heart disease much worse requiring hospital admission and causing death. Complications can occur in anyone but are most likely in those at higher risk of severe illness.”

The state’s health authority has urged everyone to get vaccinated – especially those at a greater risk of severe disease. People most at risk are eligible for free vaccinations and include those over the age of 65, children aged between six months and five, Indigenous people from six months of age, pregnant women and people with serious health conditions like diabetes, cancer, immune disorders and severe asthma. “Vaccination is the best protection against infection and severe disease,” McAnulty said. “By getting vaccinated you also help protect those around you.”

To view the 9 News article Warning as surging flu cases, hospital visits squeeze NSW health system in full click here.

Photo: Kate Geraghty. Image source: 9 News.

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

17 June 2024

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

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

New guaranteed funding boosts ACCHOs nationwide

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

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

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

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

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

Telstra outage causes ACCHOs to temporarily shut

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

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

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

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

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

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

Telehealth program to provide support after infant loss

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

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

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

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

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

‘If the land is sick, so are we’

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

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

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

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

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

Indigenous knowledge and global health strategies

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bra fittings helping save rural women’s lives

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 June 2024

A new era for aged care and First Nations health
Apunipima wins award for kidney care program
Educating boys on healthy relationships vital
Kunibidji people strike empowering LDM agreement
Cost-of living hits remote communities the hardest
Sector Jobs
Key Date – Pride Month – June 2024

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

A new era for aged care and First Nations health

NACCHO’s Elder Care Support program is hosting the National Yarning Circle event on the Gold Coast from 5‒6 June 2024. The event will gather community leaders, healthcare professionals, and key stakeholders to enhance support for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, while also focusing on building a robust First Nations health workforce.

The event will feature a powerful keynote address by Andrea Kelly, the Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner, who will speak on the importance of culturally safe aged care services. Her insights will highlight the critical role of culturally competent care in improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, highlighting the significance of creating tailored, community-led pathways and support for the elderly.

The Commissioner stated, “The Elder Care Support program is a groundbreaking initiative that not only enhances the care for our Elders but also builds a strong First Nations health workforce. By focusing on culturally safe practices, we are paving the way for better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Participants will engage in interactive workshops designed to provide practical knowledge and skills. These sessions will cover the My Aged Care Portal, the new Aged Care Act, and strategies for improving access to services. These workshops are essential for equipping attendees with the tools they need to navigate and implement aged care services effectively within their communities.

Donnella Mills, NACCHO Chairperson welcomes the event, stating, “The National Yarning Circle is an important platform for sharing knowledge and strategies to improve care of our elderly. By investing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to participate in this space, we are empowering our communities and ensuring our Elders receive the best possible care.

The event will feature panel discussions with Janine Mohamed, Deputy CEO First Nations, National Disability Insurance Agency; representatives from NDIA, ACQSC, OPAN, and the Healing Foundation, exploring collaborative elder care approaches. Former NRL star Preston Campbell will lead a session on staying well and safe.

The Elder Care Support – Yarning Circle is a critical step in addressing the unique needs of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. By fostering a collaborative and inspiring event, the initiative aims to create and foster positive networks across the country, build sustainable improvements in the aged care sector and support the ongoing development of the First Nations health workforce.

You can view the NACCHO media release A new era for aged care and First Nations health: NACCHO hosts inaugural Elder Care Support Yarning Circle at the Gold Coast, 5‒6 June 2024 in full here.

Gabrielle Willie & Bushtucker Bunji (wearing a blond curly wig) with Elder Care Support National Yarning Circle banner in the background

Bushtucker Bunji and Gabrielle Willie at the Elder Care Support National Yarning Circle. Image source: NACCHO.

Apunipima wins award for kidney care program

The Cape York Kidney Care (CYKC) program has won the Health and Wellbeing category of the Queensland Reconciliation Awards. To address the high rates of kidney disease and kidney failure needing dialysis in First Nations communities, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) partnered with Apunipima Cape York Health Council in 2019 to reach six communities: Weipa, Napranum, Mapoon, Aurukun, Pormpuraaw and Kowanyama.

TCHHS nephrologist Dr Tahira Scott said the innovative model of care was the first of its kind in Australia, with its success apparent. She said the heart of the model was the involvement of First Nations health workers or practitioners, “We recognise that partnerships with ACCHOs like Apunipima can achieve real success in patient-centric health outcomes. We’re providing a gold standard nephrology service in the bush, meaning those who see the CYKC team are receiving the same level of care you would receive in a city through using a different integrative model of care, which is culturally safe.”

Outreach clinics were held at Apunipima’s facilities in the six communities, which are run by First Nations staff. Apunipima CEO Debra Malthouse said this partnership showed the strengths of each organisation in directly addressing these chronic health conditions in Cape York, “We are focused on providing comprehensive primary health care to the communities we serve. Our staff on the ground are able to provide the link between the community and the visiting outreach clinicians, making patients feel comfortable and supported through their healthcare journey.”

To view the Cape York Weekly article TCHHS and Apunipima win Queensland Reconciliation Award in full click here.

winners (7) of Qld Reconciliation Award - Health & Wellbeing Category

A partnership to address the high rates of kidney disease in Cape York First Nations communities has won a Queensland Reconciliation Award. Image source: Cape York Weekly.

Educating boys on healthy relationships vital

Lawyer Taylah Gray has worked on domestic violence cases and believes that women will not be safe from abusive men until the underlying causes of their aggressive behaviour are addressed. The Wiradjuri woman describes the practice of sending perpetrators to jail without addressing their behavioural issues as a “speed bump approach” to tackling the national crisis. “There comes a time where we can no longer run from this. We can no longer flee houses and be put into emergency accommodation,” she said. Ms Gray, who practises law in the NSW Hunter region, says more funding for men’s behaviour change programs is essential.

According to Australian government health data from 2021 to 2022 , First Nations people were 31 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence than non-Indigenous Australians. The data shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented as both victim-survivors and perpetrators of family and domestic violence.

“Every time it [DV] involves an Aboriginal man, they’re more likely to go to prison,” Ms Gray said. “Aboriginal men are the most incarcerated people in Australia … every time there’s a DV case that arises … the avenue for men is jail. For Aboriginal women, every time DV comes up, they are the most vulnerable in this whole situation.”

To view the ABC News article Funding behaviour change programs, educating boys on healthy relationships vital, women’s safety advocates say in full click here.

Indigenous lawyer Taylah Gray says men need to be part of the conversation around domestic violence. Photo: Jesmine Cheong, ABC News.

Kunibidji people strike empowering LDM agreement

Self-determination of the NT’s Kunibidji people has been formalised after a Local Decision Making (LDM) Agreement was signed in the West Arnhem Land community of Maningrida. The LDM Agreement – the 15th of its kind across the NT – provides pathways for the Maningrida community and surrounding clan groups to advance cultural, social, economic and education development in the region.

The LDM was developed through an extensive consultation process led by the Dhukurrdji Development Corporation, who, in representing the Kunibidji people of Maningrida and neighbouring clan groups, identified 10 strategic priorities as part of the agreement, including, at the community’s request, agency over plans to support people with disabilities, after Maningrida was selected as one of two national trial sites by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

After NIDA agreed to be a party to the LDM, the community-led trial, in partnership with the NT Government, will investigate a shift from the current underutilisation of individualised packages to exploring options to create efficiencies and improve accessibility of services.

To view the National Indigenous News article Territory’s Kunibidji people strike empowering Local Decision Making Agreement in full click here.

signing of Local Decision Making Agreement for NT Kunibidji people, Maningrida

A Local Decision Making Agreement formalising self-determination for the Northern Territory’s Kunibidji people was recently signed in Maningrida. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Cost-of-living hits remote communities the hardest

While limited, government data suggests the growth in living costs in remote communities is outpacing the rest of the country, impacting some of the most disadvantaged people in the country. “We are very remote and costs have definitely spiked,” explains Madeline Gallagher-Dann, CEO of the Kalumburu community on the northern tip of WA. “Our barge service costs around $25,000 a fortnight to get the food sent from Darwin, so it’s not a surprise, but it’s definitely a burden for local families.” Kalumburu is an extreme example of the ballooning costs in outback Australia. A comparison with metropolitan costs shows locals are paying twice as much for fuel and some basic food items. For example, a tin of baked beans costs $5.80, compared with the current online price of $2.80 at Coles and Woolworths. Beef mince sells for $20 a kilo, double the going rate at a regular supermarket.

Gaambera and Walbi elder Dorothy Djanghara says families regularly run out of money to buy food. “Everything costs more here,” she says. “Even things like sugar, milk, tea – when you run out, you run out, just can’t afford more that week.” The high costs are unsurprising given Kalumburu’s remote location. Road access is cut off for about half the year due to wet season road damage.

At many remote stores, unhealthy and packaged food costs more than fresh food, as managers – in this case the company Outback Stores – deliberately subsidise the cost of fruit and vegetables. The majority of the 400 residents are on small, fixed incomes. The stress of covering costs adds to tensions in a community already struggling to stabilise after decades of dislocation and dependency on the Catholic mission, which was established in 1908 and still manages the fuel supply to the isolated township.

To view the ABC News article Federal government acts to rein in chronically high cost of living in remote Indigenous communities in full click here.

Dorothy Djanghara says locals understand freight costs are mainly to blame for the high food costs. Photo: Erin Parke, ABC News.

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

Pride Month – June 2024

Pride Month is an annual, dedicated month that focuses on and celebrates LGBTQ++ people and their history. Pride Month has its roots in the Stonewall Uprising, which occurred in New York City in June 1969. The uprising was a turning point in the LGBTQ+ rights movement, sparked by a series of protests against police harassment and discrimination. The following year, the first Pride marches were organised to commemorate the anniversary of the uprising. The first related march in Australia was held on 24 June 1978 in the form of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation committed to empowering the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+SB community through innovation, inclusion, understanding and advocacy. In an Instagram post a couple of days ago BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation said, “This Pride Month, we honour the vibrant and deadly spirit of our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+SB community. From our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans Mob, Queer, Sistergirl, and Brotherboy family, your stories are the heartbeat of our community.”

“Your journeys, rooted since time immemorial and blossoming in the face of adversity, remind us of the strength and beauty within us all. Let’s celebrate your courage, amplify your voices, and create a world where every identity is embraced with love and respect.”

You can find out more about Pride Month here and the BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation here.

flag in rainbow colours & Aboriginal art by Wiradjuri & Birpai man, Wayde Clark

Artwork by Wiradjuri and Birpai man, Wayde Clark. Image source BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation Instagram post 1 June 2024.

3 June 2024

Organ donation would be higher if more education
NT remote communities way behind on menstrual health
Health campus native landscape use improving wellbeing
Football team missing three future leaders this season
Call for First Nations Board member EOIs
Sector Jobs
Key Dates – 3 June 2024: Mabo Day; World Eating Disorders Action Day

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

Organ donation would be higher if more education

Leslie Schultz spent years watching birds flit past his window. But without their song in his ears, the scent of eucalypts in his nostrils nor the glorious outback sun on his back, the sight only made him homesick for the bush. For the Ngadju Elder, spending hour after hour, day after day, shut inside was one of the worst things about kidney failure. Sometimes it felt his entire life revolved around sitting in a chair, waiting for toxins to be flushed from his blood.

That was until the kindness of a stranger and their family gave him back his freedom. According to a recent inquiry, Australia’s organ donation and transplantation rates are among the lowest in the developed world, and only 36% of eligible adults are on the organ donation register. In 2022, 34 people died while on the waiting list for an organ.

Indigenous West Australians are among those most impacted by the shortfall. The community experiences chronic kidney disease at almost seven times the rate of the wider population — the biggest disparity of all Australian jurisdictions — yet, for a range of complex reasons, are far less likely to ever have the life-saving procedure.

To view the ABC News article Organ donation content rates would be better if there were more education about it, advocate says in full click here.

older ATSI man Leslie Schultz in hospital for kidney transplant

Leslie Schultz had his transplant about three years ago. Photo supplied by: Les Schultz. Image source: ABC News.

NT remote communities way behind on menstrual health

The NT is “behind the rest of Australia” regarding period health, claims a leading menstrual health advocate, who is calling on the Lawler government to make tampons and pads more accessible for remote communities. The claim comes after the Albanese government pledged $12.5m in period products toward remote Indigenous communities as part of the 2024–25 Budget announced in May. Rochelle Courtenay, who founded Share the Dignity – a not-for-profit charity dedicated to making period products accessible to vulnerable women says “The top half of Australia is where we spend most of our (organisation’s) money supporting women.”

This year, Share the Dignity launched a nationwide survey – the Big Bloody Survey – to understand the issues that Australian women face. The survey, which remains live, has garnered more than 150,000 responses so far, however less than 2,000 of the respondents were Territory-based. “There are barriers – not everyone has a laptop or even knows there is an online survey and because of that we don’t hear their voice.” Ms Courtenay said the survey’s preliminary findings were “really sad”. “So far, we know more than 25% of Australian women can’t afford period products and we know that in remote Indigenous communities this is much higher,” she said.

NT Health Minister Selena Uibo said her government had facilitated and signed 15 Local Decision Agreements where the community voices their priorities and are involved in solutions that work for their communities, which often include health priorities. “As part of this, close to half the Territory’s remote primary health centres are run by ACCHOs with local leadership for decision making.” Ms Courtenay, however, said the Territory had engaged with her organisation the least of any jurisdiction and maintained she would reapproach the NT government in the coming months.

The above is an extract from the article Northern Territory’s remote communities ‘way behind’ on menstrual health, says Share the Dignity founder published in the NT News yesterday, 2 June 2024.

NT Health Minister Selena Uibo says the government has empowered local communities to make decisions around health issues. Image source: NT News.

Health campus native landscape use improving wellbeing

Health campuses across Australia can improve wellbeing for both patients and staff by incorporating the natural environment using biophilic design. Biophilic design is an architectural approach to the built environment that enhances human function through nurturing connectivity with nature. It seeks to improve cultural security and health outcomes for Indigenous peoples who are over-represented in Australian hospitals.

A volunteer project at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) is using native landscapes to adapt to climate while enhancing wellbeing, Indigenous cultural security and local biodiversity. Hospital-based care at RDH may be world-class from a Western perspective, but imposes cultural challenges for Indigenous patients who constitute almost 31% of the NT’s population but 56% of inpatients and 83% of renal dialysis patients. National Indigenous rates of “discharge against medical advice” are five times higher than than non-Indigenous rates, reflecting culturally unsafe hospital environments.

The causes for this disparity are complex, but encompass patients reporting loneliness, isolation and lack of cultural safety. 70% of Territorians who live remotely are Indigenous and reside in one of 600 communities or remote outstations. Access to specialist care by these patients comes at a price: separation from country, supportive family networks and place-based spiritual, cultural and healing practices that include the use of bush medicines. Many Indigenous patients prefer to sit outside where they can also avoid constraint by walls and the built environment. This creates a double jeopardy of reducing access to health care that the Western paradigm restricts to hospital interiors, and socialises the perverse view of Indigenous “non-compliance” with ward-based care.

To view the InSight+ article Top End hospital leads the green revolution in health care in full click here.

Vegetation planted at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Photo: Mark de Souza. Image source: InSight+.

Football team missing three future leaders this season

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of their family. This article also contains references to suicide.

Kids and teenagers flock to an AFL field of a coastal Aboriginal community, 1,000 kms east of Darwin to watch the men of the Djarrak football club. Run by Elders of the Rirratjiŋu clan, Djarrak is one of four Aussie Rules clubs on the Gove Peninsula, where kids grow up on the sidelines of the footy field. But three of the club’s brightest leaders will be missing this season. The three Yolŋu men died in a series of sudden tragedies last year. The health crisis in north-east Arnhem Land is also playing out in First Nations communities across the NT and Australia. According to the AIHW, of the 10 Indigenous regions in Australia with the highest rates of avoidable deaths in 2018, six were in the NT.

Steve Rossingh, CEO of Miwatj Health, an ACCHO in NE Arnhem Land says that without the strong cultural leadership of Elders Yolŋu health would be far worse. But Mr Rossingh says barriers in the region including severe overcrowding, limited job opportunities, feelings of disempowerment and the impacts of colonialism and racism make it difficult to have a healthy lifestyle. “If you wanted to nail it onto one thing, it’s that people are living in poverty – which is really hard to believe in a first-world country like Australia, that we’ve got big cohorts in pockets of the country where people are living in poverty,” he says.

And when Yolŋu die young, Mr Rossingh says, the impacts ripple throughout the community, “They are the future leaders, and the less future potential leaders you have, the greater the difficulty in maintaining culture and maintaining order within communities.”

To view the ABC News article Arnhem Land football team without three future leaders this season following series of sudden tragedies in full click here.

Miwatj Health workers at a health promotion stand at the scratch match. Photo: Lillian Rangiah, ABC News.

If you need someone to talk to, call:

Lifeline on 13 11 14
13YARN on 13 92 76
Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
Headspace on 1800 650 890

Call for First Nations Board member EOIs

The Australian Physiotherapy Council (the Council) is the accreditation authority for physiotherapy education and overseas practitioners who wish to practice physiotherapy in Australia. The Council’s purpose of ‘Ensuring tomorrow’s physiotherapy workforce through providing world class accreditation and assessment services’ is underpinned by a passionate and committed team of people.

As part of their ongoing commitment to diversity and representation, the Council are currently recruiting several Board member roles, including another First Nations Board member to join their Chair Elect Michael Reynolds.

For more details about the role and the application process, please refer to the Call for Expression of Interest, here. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Council’s Company Secretary Emily Wiltshire here.

Image sources: Australian Physiotherapy Council website; Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Physiotherapy webpage.

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

Mabo Day – 3 June 2024

Mabo Day is marked annually on 3 June. It commemorates Mer Island man Eddie Koiki Mabo and his successful efforts to overturn the legal fiction of terra nullius, or ‘land belonging to no-one’. Short for Mabo and others v Queensland (No 2) (1992), the Mabo case, led by Eddie Koiki Mabo, an activist for the 1967 Referendum, fought the legal concept that Australia and the Torres Strait Islands were not owned by Indigenous peoples because they did not ‘use’ the land in ways Europeans believed constituted some kind of legal possession.

Despite the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples occupied the land, spoke their own languages and had their own laws and customs before the British arrived in 1788, ‘Terra nullis’ was an attempt to give ‘legitimacy’ for the British and Australian governments to allow the dispossession of all Indigenous peoples of their land. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also had – and continue to have – a strong connection to ‘Country’ – the Australian land.

The Mabo case was heard over ten years, starting in the Queensland Supreme Court and progressed through to the High Court of Australia. Following the Mabo decision, Australia’s Federal Parliament passed the Native Title Act 1993 which established a legal framework for native title claims throughout Australia by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Sadly, Eddie Mabo died 5 months before the historic decision came on 3 June 1992 that ‘native title’ did exist.

You can find more information about Mabo Day and Native Title on the Reconciliation Australia website here.

Eddie Mabo by Gordon Bennett 1996. Image source: Queensland Art Gallery website.

World Eating Disorders Action Day – 2 June 2024

World Eating Disorders Action Day is a grassroots movement designed for and by people affected by an eating disorder, their families, and the medical and health professionals who support them. Uniting activists across the globe, the aim is to expand global awareness of eating disorders as genetically linked, treatable illnesses that can affect anyone. The below list contains nine truths about eating disorders:

Many people with eating disorders may look healthy, yet they may be extremely ill.
Families are not to blame, and can be the patients and providers best allies in treatment.
An eating disorder diagnosis is a health crisis that disrupts personal and family functioning.
Eating disorders are not choices, but serious biologically influenced illnesses.
Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, body shapes, weights, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.
Eating disorders carry an increased risk for both suicide and medical complications.
Genes and environment play important roles in the development of eating disorders.
Genes do not predict who will develop eating disorders.
Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Early detection and intervention are important.

You can find more information about eating disorders, including resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, on the Butterfly Foundation website here.

29 May 2024

Allyship essential to achieving health equity
A must: solutions developed and delivered at a local level
Yoorrook Justice Commission resumes public hearings
How bikes are changing lives of at-risk WA kids
Wee Waa student now registered psychologist
Sector Jobs
Key Date – White Wreath Day – 29 May 2024

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

Allyship essential to achieving health equity

National Reconciliation Week 2024 (27 May-3 June) is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year’s theme, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us, particularly non-Indigenous people, that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must continue.

Over six million Australians voted ‘YES’ in the recent Voice to Parliament referendum, so there are still plenty of reasons why non-Indigenous people should stay engaged and connected to reconciliation efforts. Dr Julia McCartan, a senior lecturer in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food in the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health and an accredited practising dietitian, believes that the principles of critical allyship offer a positive way forward. A non-Indigenous person and first-generation Australian, Dr McCartan is a firm believer in non-Indigenous academics stepping up to take responsibility for preparing students to be anti-racist health practitioners with the skills to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with equitable healthcare.

Dr McCartan said that teaching Indigenous health equity involved helping non-Indigenous students explore and unpack feelings, biases, and previous learnings and challenging representations of Indigenous people that promote a deficit view. “This is particularly important in health, and especially in my subject area of nutrition and dietetics,” Dr McCartan said. “We teach students to consider not just individual factors and choices, but the current and historical influence of racism and settler colonialism on Indigenous health outcomes.”

To view the Monash University article Critical allyship essential to achieving Indigenous health equity in full click here.

collage: tile text 'Now More Than Ever' & portrait shot of Dr Julia McCartan

Reconciliation Week theme ‘No More Than Ever’. Image source: Reconciliation Australia. Dr Julia McCartan. Image source: X.

A must: solutions developed and delivered at a local level

The First Peoples’ Assembly’s appearance at the Yoorrook Justice Commission yesterday saw the co-chairs Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray argue the impacts of colonisation and previous injustices are still being felt in relation to the outcomes for First Peoples in housing, health and education.

“For too long government policies have actively excluded Aboriginal people from getting ahead in life and we still face unfair barriers and carry the burden of deliberately created disadvantage,” Mr Berg said. “We need to reset the system, so Aboriginal communities have the economic opportunities we’ve been denied. That way we can create prosperity that we can hand down the generations, just like everyone else has been able to do.”

The Assembly will soon enter into treaty negotiations with the Victorian government, and the “voice” of First Peoples in the state repeatedly arguing that nothing was “off the table”. Mr Berg said one of the focuses of the talks was going to centre on how to best transfer the decision-making powers from the Government to First Peoples. “Obviously Aboriginal people are the experts when it comes to Aboriginal matters,” he said. “So, when it comes to Aboriginal communities and cultures and things like looking after our sacred sites and burial grounds and so on, of course we think it should be us making the decisions.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article “Develop and deliver practical solutions at a local level”: First Peoples’ Assembly argue Treaty will empower Aboriginal communities in full click here.

Ngarra Murray & Reuben Berg at Smoking Ceremony

Ngarra Murray and Reuben Berg say Treaty will empower Aboriginal communities at a local level. Photo: Joel Carrett, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Yoorrook Commission resumes public hearings

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

The death of a young Aboriginal woman who died by suicide inside a Melbourne hospital earlier this year has been raised at Victoria’s truth-telling inquiry as part of its new investigation into injustice in the state’s health systems. VACCHO CEO Aunty Jill Gallagher told the Yoorrook Justice Commission she was concerned that three Aboriginal people had died by suicide in Victorian hospitals in the past two years. “They were not going there to die,” she said. “They were going there for help and to live.”

The Yoorrook Justice Commission has resumed public hearings this week with a focus on injustice and racism in the state’s health, housing and education systems. Designed and led by First Nations people, the Yoorrook Justice Commission is Victoria’s truth-telling process. It has the powers of a royal commission and is hearing evidence about the past and ongoing impacts of colonisation in Victoria.

This week, it heard evidence that Aboriginal Victorians were three times more likely than non-Aboriginal Victorians to experience high or very high levels of psychological distress. Self-harm emergency department admissions for First Nations people were four times the rate of non-Aboriginal Victorians, Yoorrook heard. Australian National University epidemiologist Ray Lovett gave evidence that, according to his research, a significant proportion of the increased distress experienced by Aboriginal people could be attributed to their experiences of racism.

To view the ABC News article Victoria’s truth-telling inquiry begins examining gaps in housing, health and education in full click here.

VACCHO CEO Gill Gallagher addresses Yoorrook Commission

VACCHO CEO Gill Gallagher. Photo: James Ross, AAP. Image source: ABC News.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

How bikes are changing lives of at-risk WA kids

A bike is more than just a bike. It can be: transport, exercise and sport, health, freedom, and importantly can build a sense of connection and community. That’s the ideology behind the Cycling Development Foundation’s (CDF) Indigenous bike education program in remote WA, which uses the power of the bike to engage with, educate and empower, at-risk and Indigenous youth and communities.

The CDF’s Laverton Cycling Project started as a two-week trial in 2018 in the Goldfields town of Laverton, 1,100 km east of Perth. Hosted alongside the Laverton school and with support from the Laverton Leonora Cross Cultural Association, the goal was the mentoring of youths through rebuilding second-hand bikes and providing guidance and practical skills, by fostering a sense of community, self-sustainability, and pride. It also incorporated an exercise program using cycling to educate the local community about how exercise could be brief, effective, and improve health and wellbeing.

Six years on, the project is now the longest running dedicated Indigenous cycling program in Australia, and continues to grow each year, CDF managing director Brad Hall said. “It keeps scaling up each year, and with that comes an increase in service,” Hall explains. “We are now running programs in some of the Aboriginal communities in Cosmo Newbery and Mulga Queen in really remote communities where they haven’t seen non-government organisations working out there. It’s a nice frontier to be working on with these kids and providing opportunity for them to access cycling.”

To view the AusCycling article How bikes are changing the lives of at-risk and Indigenous kids in remote Western Australia in full click here.

instructor assisting young Aboriginal child to ride a bicycle

The program has this year expanded into Mulga Queen. Image source: AusCycling Nat.

Wee Waa student now registered psychologist

Michelle Combo’s natural leadership skills, outstanding academic abilities and strong work ethic meant she was always destined to achieve great success, according to former Wee Waa Public School teacher Kath Hamilton. While Michelle still considers Wee Waa home, she is currently living in Brisbane with her family, where her career progression continues to go from strength to strength.

“I am a registered psychologist, and I am currently working at the Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Strategy and Planning Branch as the manager, First Nations. “I wanted to pursue psychology because people had been coming to me for pseudo-counselling during high school years, possibly due to my personality or just being able to listen to their problems. I also had grown up observing what I perceived to be mental health issues around our community and wanted to find a way to help, especially for Aboriginal people – being mindful of historical trauma and the ongoing impacts of colonisation.”

“Seeing and experiencing the difference I can and have made as an Aboriginal woman working in mental health and addictions – has been incredibly rewarding and confirmed my initial thoughts that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would access mental health help if they could do so with someone who they felt safe and comfortable to speak to.” A true testament to the saying ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’, Michelle has stepped up as an incredible role model and confidante to many, creating positive changes while providing professional guidance and comforting assistance.

To view The Courier article WWPS and high school graduate goes from strength to strength in full click here.

Michelle Combo with former teacher Kath Hamilton & mum Colleen Combo

Michelle Combo with her former teacher Kath Hamilton and mum Colleen Combo. Michelle Combo is a Wee Waa Public and High School graduate who has achieved great success, she is now a registered psychologist working for the Queensland health department. Image source: The Courier.

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

White Wreath Day – 29 May 2024

The White Wreath Association (WWA) established National White Wreath Day, held annually on 29 May, in remembrance of all those who have died by suicide. All around Australia thousands of white wreaths are laid in remembrance of individuals who have died tragically by suicide circumstances.

According to WWA, in Australia, we have to come to terms with the trauma of thousands of our fellow citizens (men, women and children) dying by suicide every year. Society’s response to these surviving families and friends is vastly different from the help offered in other kinds of medical and social tragedies. WWA says the families and friends of those who die by suicide are in as much need of help, support, understanding and respect as the family and friends of people who die from other causes. WWA aims to bring awareness to the Australian society that people who die by suicide are not statistic figures but dearly loved human beings loved by their family, carers and friends.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A recent study found that ‘silence’ around suicide, the ‘ripple’ effect of trauma and feeling ‘powerless’ to prevent suicide were important drivers of barriers to discussing suicide and seeking assistance for Aboriginal people when experiencing a suicide crisis. The findings highlight the interrelatedness between individual and community-level barriers of fear and shame and system-level considerations that result in Aboriginal people not receiving appropriate mental health care.

Authors of the study argue that to be effective, future suicide prevention initiatives must address both the ‘silence’ around suicide and the ‘ripple effect’ of trauma that already exists within Aboriginal communities and seek to improve access to culturally competent mental health care for Aboriginal communities. Caution must be exercised in attempts to address these factors independently, as this may unintentionally result in an increased risk of suicide. Instead, a holistic and community-led approach is required.

You can also find more information about White Wreath Day on the White Wreath Association Ltd “Action Against Suicide” website here and read the related article The ripple effect, silence and powerlessness: hidden barriers to discussing suicide in Australian Aboriginal communities published in BMC Psychology on 7 February 2022 here.

28 May 2024

Ministers reflect on Reconciliation Week 2024
Unity and action needed to overcome disadvantage
“Now more than ever, we actually need action”
Recommendations to improve prison healthcare
Current care models can’t deliver equitable health outcomes
Sector Jobs
Key Date – World Nutrition Day – 28 May 2024

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

Ministers reflect on Reconciliation Week 2024

Yesterday, the Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians and Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health issued a joint media release about Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June 2024. They said the week is an opportunity for all Australians to remember the significant milestones in Australia’s journey towards reconciliation and consider how we can work towards a better future.

Minister Burney said the Australian Government is calling on everyone to reflect on the significance of this year’s theme: Now More Than Ever. Following a difficult 2023 for many First Nations people – Now More Than Ever is a reminder to all of us, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will continue.

Minister Burney continued, “from William Cooper and Eddie Mabo, to Faith Bandler and Lowitja O’Donoghue: we walk in the footsteps of giants who were fearless in their determination to build a better future for First Nations Australians. Reconciliation requires us to understand our history, recognise the injustices of the past and work towards a better and more just future. In the spirit of Reconciliation Week, all Australians are encouraged to come together and play a part in our journey towards a unified Australia, one that has achieving better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at its heart.”

To view the Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians’ media release Now More Than Ever – Reconciliation Week 2024 in full click here.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney looking down, holding papers, Australian, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander flags in background

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney. Photo: Steven Saphore, AAP Photos. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Unity and action needed to overcome disadvantage

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, marked the start of Reconciliation Week by calling on Australians to “overcome generations of disadvantage and division when it comes to First Nations rights, and forge a path for unity”. The Commissioner warned that systemic failures facing Indigenous communities in all sectors of society including health, racism, and youth justice, were “compounded by the failed referendum last October to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Now more than ever, Australians need to come together to reconcile the relationship with First Nations peoples.”

“For more than 230 years, our First Nations of this country have been working tirelessly with our allies to progress the Reconciliation Agenda.” Commissioner Kiss said the Voice referendum highlighted that further work is required to educate Australians about the country’s history, to promote understanding and respect for cultural differences, and to help tackle and eliminate racism.

“While unity was the intended outcome, the political and media narratives that promulgated mis and disinformation in the lead up to the referendum result has created disunity and further strained the relationship between First Nations peoples and the broader Australian community,” the Commissioner said. “They are in fact characteristic of the ‘divide and conquer’ strategies foundational to colonial societies. We need to find ways past this, to finally come together as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. To transcend the disunity so we can all live with dignity.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner urges unity and action to overcome disadvantage and division in full click here.

ATSI Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, standing in a courtyard

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss. Image: Qld’s Interim Truth and Treaty Body. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

“Now more than ever, we actually need action”

Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine has urged Australians to “dig deep” and take notice in 2024 as Reconciliation Week and its theme ‘now more than ever’ kicks off across the country. Sunday 26 May marked National Sorry Day, a date of observance and reflection to the Stolen Generation, with Reconciliation Week bookended by the anniversaries of the 1967 referendum and 1992 Mabo land rights decision in the High Court of Australia, on 27 May and 3 June respectively.

In 2024, calls continue to be put out to the public to advance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and outcomes. “We’re not seeing the kind of changes that we would like to see for the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Ms Mundine said.

“Although reconciliation should be done every day of the year, this week in particular, we really want to put the clarion call out to people that now more than ever we need to dig deep, we need to listen, to look at all of those reports, to hear what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are saying. And now more than ever, we actually need action.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article “Now more than ever”: Karen Mundine urges action as nation marks first Reconciliation Week since Voice referendum in full click here.

Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine. Photo: AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Recommendations to improve prison healthcare

ACCHOs should be funded to provide comprehensive, holistic and culturally safe primary healthcare in prisons, and training for prison staff should be improved, according to Associate Professor Sophia Couzos, Public Health Medical Director of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC).

Currently, prison healthcare services in Australia are delivered by either state or territory bodies or by private corporations and are not a Commonwealth responsibility. Unless there is specific state government funding for the delivery of healthcare, private healthcare providers cannot deliver health services in custodial health settings as they are unable to bulk bill Medicare for the services delivered (Medicare is funded by the Australian Government, not the states). The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is also funded by the Australian Government. Medications dispensed to people in prison are not covered under the PBS, except for medications that fall under Schedule 100 of the PBS, known as the Highly Specialised Drugs Program.

The majority of ACCHOs in Australia are not provided with funding to deliver primary healthcare and support to prisons. According to the Australia Institute of Health and Welfare report, The health of people in Australia’s prisons 2022, there are “only a few prisons in Australia that facilitate visits by ACCHOs”. The report said 76% of participating prisons reported never receiving visits from ACCHO and/or Aboriginal medical service health professionals. QAIHC believes prisoners should have better access to the holistic, culturally safe care that ACCHOs can provide in the prison system.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Some clear recommendations to improve healthcare for First Nations people in prisons in full click here.

Associate Professor Sophia Couzos, Public Health Medical Director of QAIHC standing on wooden walkway with arm on rail

Associate Professor Sophia Couzos, Public Health Medical Director of QAIHC. Photo: QAIHC. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Current care models can’t deliver equitable health outcomes

Current models of care for Indigenous people including Aboriginal Australians and NZ Māori cannot deliver equitable health outcomes while ignoring underlying cultural differences, historical oppression and persistent institutionalised racism, neurologists have heard. Delivering the ANZAN 2024 meeting Mervyn Eadie Lecture recognising career achievement in neuroscience research, stroke neurologist Professor Anna Ranta told delegates that the evidence for inequities was apparent locally and globally.

Professor Ranta, from the University of Otago in Wellington, said we needed to move on from discussion around environmental risk factors, especially diet and smoking, which increasingly tended to involve victim blaming. “A lot of it isn’t within people’s control and overall it is probably too simplistic from a world view. Instead, our evidence as well as evidence from others, increasingly shows these patterns are attributable to the negative transgenerational and persistent impact of colonisation and systemic oppression.”

Professor Ranta said everyone agreed that there should be the same access to healthcare and equal health outcomes. “But some people require a different or more intervention . …to achieve equal outcomes. So doing the same for all is simply not enough. I think the important thing is we recognise we are operating in a place that is post colonial, post oppression, and so we have created unfair systems and we need to pivot and compensate for that. Eventually we won’t need to do this but currently we do.”

To view the limbic article Health equity the focus of the 2024 Mervyn Eadie Lecture in full click here.

portrait shot of Professor Anna Ranta, Uni Otago, Wellington

Professor Anna Ranta. Image source: NZ Doctor.

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

World Nutrition Day – 28 May 2024

World Nutrition Day is marked every year on 28 May to highlight the importance of the right nutrition. A critical aspect of health and development, good nutrition is linked to improved child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, and a reduced risk of non-communicable diseases.

Good nutrition is key to productivity and is a facilitator of breaking the cycles of poverty and hunger.

In contrast, malnutrition presents significant dangers to health, particularly in low- and middle- income countries. Inadequate vitamins and minerals can lead to both wasting and obesity, both of which can lead to severe health problems.

According to an article published in the Australian Indigenous Health Bulletin, available here, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to suffer the worst health of all population groups in Australia, with a high burden of disease and low life expectancy. Poor nutrition is an important factor contributing to overweight and obesity, malnutrition, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay. Chronic diseases – such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and some cancers- are responsible for at least 75% of the mortality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Australians.

Five of the seven leading risk factors contributing to the health gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians – obesity, high blood cholesterol, alcohol, high blood pressure, and low fruit and vegetable intake – relate to poor diet. Very few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people meet dietary recommendations for intake of healthy foods.

The current poor nutritional health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is in marked contrast to the situation prior to European settlement in Australia, when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were generally healthy and enjoyed a varied traditional diet low in energy density and rich in nutrients.

globe with Australia in centre; text 'World Nutrition Day 2024 - Tuesday 28 May'

Image source: iStock.

22 May 2024

Over-policing during pandemic amplified disadvantage
ACCHO purchases primary health centre
Call for greater LGBTIQ+ inclusivity in palliative care
First Nations Aged Care Commissioner reports in
Aged Care Star Ratings – have your say
Sector Jobs
Key Date: Exercise Right Week 20-26 May 2024

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

Over-policing during pandemic amplified disadvantage

A new report has claimed disadvantaged and First Nations children in NSW were targeted by police during the COVID-19 pandemic, with fines up to $5,000 being issued, pushing families into financial hardship. Commissioned by the Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited (ALS), Children and Covid-19 Fines in NSW paints a troubling picture of the over-policing of disadvantaged communities during the pandemic which was “unsuitable for achieving positive public health outcomes for children”.

The report observes fines were disproportionately issued to marginalised groups throughout the state, including to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children with cognitive disabilities, and children experiencing socio-economic challenges such as homelessness, or unsafe home environments. Between March 2020, and September 2022, 3,628 children in NSW received a penalty notice for a breach of a public health order. More than half of those were fixed at $1,000 and some were as high as $5,000.

Chair of the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) NSW/ACT, Karly Warner, said Aboriginal communities set the “gold standard” for caring for each other during the pandemic. “Yet our children paid a higher price because of the Government’s punitive approach to enforcing public health orders,” Ms Warner said. “Fines are an extension of the way Aboriginal children are criminalised and punished in NSW. It’s time to reform the archaic and unjust fines system.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article “Simply amplifies disadvantage”: First Nations and disadvantaged children targeted by NSW police during COVID lockdowns, report reveals in full click here.

Aboriginal Legal Service CEO Karly Warner portrait shot against ATSI crocodile painting

Aboriginal Legal Service CEO Karly Warner says the fines are an extension of the way Aboriginal children are criminalised. Photo: NATSILS. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

ACCHO purchases primary health centre

Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative has announced its purchase of Lyndoch Living’s primary health centre. The building, which cost Lyndoch Living about $25m to build, went on the market in October 2023 – less than a year after it opened. Gunditjmara had planned major renovations of its Kepler Street site but costs of the works soared to $9.5m in February 2024. Costs had blown out by more than $4m.

Gunditjmara CEO Danny Chatfield said a decision was made to make the move to the Hopkins River location. “The decision to purchase the Lyndoch primary health centre came just at the right moment, presenting an ideal alternative when opportunity knocked,” Mr Chatfield said in a statement.

“The facility, situated beside the significant Hopkins River – a site of profound cultural importance to the Maar society- came as a perfect fit. This idyllic and tranquil setting naturally aligns with Gunditjmara’s holistic approach to health and social care, which encompasses a full spectrum of services from birth to elderhood. Undoubtedly, it will enhance both the physical and cultural well-being of our community members, visitors, and staff,” Mr Chatfield said.

The above has been extracted from an article ‘Just at the right moment’: Gunditjmara buys Lyndoch primary health centre published in The Standard last night (21 May 2024).

Gunditjamara Aboriginal Corporative has bought Lyndoch Living’s primary health centre. Image source: The Standard.

Call for greater LGBTIQ+ inclusivity in palliative care

“Discrimination drives many LGBTIQ+ people to avoid healthcare or avoid disclosing their diverse bodies, sexual orientations or genders. This directly impacts on their end-of-life planning,” said Dr Ruth McNair, GP, and honorary Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. “Barriers to end-of-life care for LGBTIQ+ people can be overcome. Further education within the healthcare sector would greatly improve awareness of issues unique to LGBTIQ+ patients.” These comments for greater inclusivity come ahead of National Palliative Care Week, happening from Sunday, 19 May to Saturday, 25 May 2024. “When healthcare providers encourage LGBTIQ+ people to establish an advanced care directive, it can have a ripple effect throughout LGBTIQ+ communities where other people also better prepare for end-of-life scenarios,” Dr McNair said.

Dr McNair has been deeply involved in the LGBTIQ+ health space for a long time, collaborating closely with LHA and actively participating in its LGBTIQ+ Palliative Care Project. This year, LHA launched the LGBTIQ+ Inclusive Palliative Care eLearning to promote inclusivity in palliative care. This program offers professional development for the palliative care workforce focused on providing safe, inclusive palliative care that respects and supports LGBTIQ+ people, ensuring they can access care, free from discrimination. The four-module eLearning program is accessible at no cost to those working in palliative care or with an interest in the field.

“Fears of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and elder abuse can be highly distressing to older people who have faced these challenges in the past. As such, there is an urgent need for the aged care and primary care sectors to address the unique challenges faced by LGBTIQ+ people when accessing palliative care services,” Dr McNair said.

To view the Healthcare Channel article Call for greater LGBTIQ+ inclusivity in palliative care in full click here.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia logo & Dr Ruth McNair. Image sources: LGBTIQ+ Health Australia website & The University of Melbourne website.

First Nations Aged Care Commissioner reports in

The Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner Ms Andrea Kelly, who commenced in the role on 8 January 2024, is currently conductingnation-wide consultations, to hear directly from First Nations older people, families, carers, communities and providers about their experiences accessing and engaging in the aged care system. Commissioner Kelly has been visiting communities across Australia, ensuring there is a mix of very remote, remote, regional and urban locations. She has also been speaking with a mix of service types who provide aged care to older First Nations people.

During these consultations, Commissioner Kelly has invited feedback on two questions::

What changes are required to enable culturally safe, trauma-aware and healing-informed access to the aged care system for older First Nations people, carers, families and communities?
· Should there be a permanent, statutory First Nations Aged Care Commissioner? If so, what should their functions and authority be?

Commissioner Kelly is not surprised that the community-controlled sector and organisations with long standing relationships in these communities have the solutions to deliver aged care to older First Nations people.

Some of the key themes Commissioner Kelly has heard so far from older First Nations people and the sector include:

wait times from assessment through to service provision are taking too long
allowing flexibility in funding models mean that care is localised and reflective of the needs of the individual
employing staff to work in the sector is difficult due to the lack of safe and affordable accommodation for workforce, particularly in remote and very remote communities
the importance of culture and remaining connected to Country and community is significant to the mental health and social and emotional wellbeing of older First Nations people

You can access the Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner – Communique – May 2024 in full on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website here.

Image source: Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Aged Care Star Ratings – have your say

The Australian Department of Health and Aged Care has engaged Allen + Clarke Consulting to undertake an evaluation of Star Ratings for residential aged care. As part of the evaluation, Allen + Clarke Consulting is undertaking consultation with consumers and a range of stakeholders across the aged care sector, including representatives from aged care organisations, advocacy groups, service providers, and staff working in residential aged care.

As part of their consultation process, Allen + Clarke Consulting invite you to an interview. Your participation in an interview will help Allen + Clarke Consulting to understand whether Star Ratings are contributing to improved quality of care in residential aged care homes, and how well Star Ratings are working to improve transparency and decision-making about aged care for older people and their families and carers. If you’d prefer, you can delegate this invitation to another colleague in your organisation. You are also welcome to bring one or two additional team members to participate in the interview.

The interview will be held online and will be up to 45 minutes in length.

Key areas that may be discussed include:

How well do Star Ratings address the specific challenges and requirements of First Nations people?
What is the level of awareness about Star Ratings among First Nations people making decisions about aged care for themselves or someone else?
Should Star Ratings be expanded to National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care (NATSIFAC) services?
What are the potential benefits and enablers for publishing Star NATSIFAC service types?
What challenges and considerations would need to be considered when implementing Star Ratings for MPS and NATSIFAC service types?

Interviews will run until Friday 31 May. If you would like to participate in an interview, please book a time here. If none of the dates offered are suitable, you can contact the evaluation team via email here and hey will find another time that is convenient for you. Prior to the interview, please review and sign the online consent form, available here. The online consent form also contains additional information on this work, including information about privacy and how your information will be handled.

Allen + Clarke Consulting will also be administering an online survey for sector stakeholders. If you are unable to participate in an interview, they would welcome your feedback through the survey. Please email the Allen + Clarke Consulting team, here, to request a link to the survey, if you have any questions or wish to know more. Alternatively, you can contact the Department of Health and Aged Care Star Ratings evaluation manager, Leanne Altinger via email here.

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

Exercise Right Week – 20–26 May 2024

Exercise Right is a public awareness campaign which was developed by Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) in 2014. Its purpose is to inspire and inform all Australians to move more and to demonstrate the importance of seeking the right exercise expert for their requirements. ESSA have an Exercise Right blog which aims to educate Australians about the importance of exercise for general health, as well as for the prevention and management of a range of chronic conditions and injuries. Content on the ESSA blog is all evidence based and written by ESSA members.

Exercise Right Week runs from the 20–26 of May 2024. The campaign is all about promoting the health benefits of physical activity and showing Australians how they can “Exercise Right” for their needs. This year, the theme for Exercise Right Week is “Just Move”. Exercise Right Week is promoted in the Department of Health’s national events calendar, and continues to gain recognition in the allied health community.

You can find more information on the Exercise Right Week website here.

Image source: Orange Aboriginal Medical Service LinkedIn page.

21 May 2024

CTG won’t happen without appropriate SEWB funding
ACCN to revolutionise cancer care
Power of Indigenous co-design and intervention
Self-collection can help stamp out cervical cancer
First Nations cancer clinic opens in Healesville
Sector Jobs
Key Dates – National Palliative Care Week 19–25 May 2024; World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – 21 May 2024

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

CTG won’t happen without appropriate SEWB funding

Following the delivery of the 2024–25 Budget this week, Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia welcomed funding for trauma-informed and culturally safe mentoring and assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people engaged in the justice system, as well as funding to continue delivery of targeted and culturally appropriate mental health supports. However, Gayaa Dhuwi is again calling for the Federal Government to appropriately fund Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB), mental health, and suicide prevention, as there was no mention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander SEWB and mental health programs that exist beyond the health system.

“The Budget papers are disappointing, but not surprising”, said Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia CEO Ms Rachel Fishlock. “We need to be looking beyond the health system and supporting the SEWB and mental health of our people before they are in justice or acute crisis situations. “The work of Gayaa Dhuwi aims to ensure our people enjoy high levels of SEWB, particularly through the implementation of the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration. We’ll never close the gap without appropriately funded SEWB and mental health programs.”

“Our people have experienced a failed referendum, COVID, cost of living pressures, and natural disasters, all while dealing with the intergenerational impacts of colonisation”, said Professor Helen Millroy, Chair of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, workforce, and community are working tirelessly to be present, lead, and excel within Australia’s mental health system and beyond it, but we can’t do it without appropriate funding”.

To view the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) media release We’ll never close the gap without appropriate funding for social and emotional wellbeing click here.

Image source: Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia website.

ACCN to revolutionise cancer care

The landscape of cancer care in Australia is set to transform with the launch today of a new network, the Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN), which will link cancer services across Australia, aiming to improve cancer outcomes and experiences for all Australians affected by cancer. While Australia boasts some of the world’s highest cancer survival rates, not all people experience equal outcomes. There are significant disparities in cancer outcomes for some populations, particularly affecting those in rural and remote regions, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The ACCN is a pioneering initiative that aims to address these disparities, emphasising coordinated and equitable access to comprehensive cancer services irrespective of where a person lives, and marking a significant milestone in the advancement of cancer care in Australia. Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) will serve as anchors in the ACCN, connecting various cancer control services nationwide. Through building partnerships and harnessing virtual connectivity, CCCs will collaborate with other cancer care centres, academic institutions, ACCHOs, regional hospitals and allied health services, among others.

The ACCN is a major action of the 10-year Australian Cancer Plan, launched in 2023 to improve cancer outcomes for all Australians, particularly for those groups whose health outcomes are poorest. Achieving equity in cancer outcomes is a fundamental measure of success for the Australian Cancer Plan and will align Australia with global calls to improve cancer outcomes for all people.

You can register interest in joining the ACCN and to learn more about this groundbreaking initiative here.

You can view the Australian Government Cancer Australia media release Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network (ACCN) launches to revolutionise cancer care across the country in full click here.

Cancer Australia tile with text 'Australian Comprehensive Cancer Network Innovations Showcase 21 May 0224'

Image source: Cancer Australia.

Power of Indigenous co-design and intervention

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is hosting a brand new Speaking of Science webinar series. During these of free virtual webinars participants will have the opportunity to engage with our nation’s outstanding researchers, high profile individuals, and scientific experts within their chosen fields, on different topics across the spectrum of health and medical research, as well as connect with peers across the wider sector. There will be a Q&A session at the end of each webinar and questions are encouraged.

During National Reconciliation Week, NHMRS will host distinguished researcher and Indigenous leader, Professor Maree Toombs, for their Speaking of Science May webinar. With over 20 years’ experience in teaching and developing curriculum with an Indigenous perspective both in education and health, Professor Toombs, now the Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in the UNSW School of Population Health, is a leader in research focused on mental health and suicide intervention.

In this webinar, Professor Toombs will discuss how unlocking the power of Indigenous co-design and intervention can lead to transformative outcomes through authentic collaboration.

The free webinar will be held from 11.00 am – 12.00 pm (AEST) on Thursday 30 May 2024. You can register here.

You can find more information about the webinar on the NHMRC ‘s Tracker newsletter webpage here.

Professor Maree Toombs. Image source: NHMRC Building A Health Australia website.

Self-collection can help stamp out cervical cancer

Australia is on track to being the first country to eliminate cervical cancer, which we aim to do by 2035. To accelerate progress towards this goal, a government-funded national cervical screening campaign will kick off in September, promoting the cervical screening options now available to patients across the country. This campaign will be the first of its magnitude in over 20 years and will likely result in an increase in patient demand, particularly for human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection.

The campaign will be primarily focused on priority patient groups, specifically Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix as well as culturally and linguistically diverse patients, to lift screening rates and improve outcomes for these communities. Now is the time to contact your laboratory to ensure you have the correct swabs and instructions to offer self-collection as an option to all your eligible patients, and to make sure you know the facts about self-collection so that you can support all your patients in their decision making.

There is now a large body of evidence confirming that, provided high-precision polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is used for laboratory processing, self-collected samples are just as sensitive for the detention of CIN2+, adenocarcinoma in situe, and oncogenic HPV as clinician-collected cervical samples. HPV is the cause of almost all cervical cancers. All self-collected samples in the National Cervical Screening Program are processed using PCR technology, which is a regulatory requirement.

To view The Medical Republic article Self-collection can help stamp out cervical cancer in full click here.

real pink & white flower laid out to represent uterus & ovaries

Image source: The Medical Republic.

First Nations cancer clinic opens in Healesville

Eastern Health opened a new First Nations cancer clinic at Healesville Hospital earlier this month (9 May), aiming at delivering free, culturally safe oncology services to the region’s large Aboriginal population. Sadly, research shows that cancer disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria, with the five-year survival rate among Aboriginal Victorians 12% lower than non-Aboriginal Victorians.

Providing medical oncology services, the clinic is staffed with oncologists specially trained in treating the most common types of cancer for First Nations Australians such as lung, prostate, breast, and bowel cancers. Eastern Health cancer services director adjunct clinical professor Phillip Parente said the Aboriginal community chose Healesville to have a new First Nations cancer clinic for themselves.

“I knew from the Bureau of Statistics that the largest Aboriginal population within Victoria resides in Healesville, Eastern Health’s catchment area. I spoke to our Aboriginal health care team and made up a time to meet with patients and families who’ve been affected by cancer in Healesville,” he said. “It was pretty clear to me that the Aboriginal community did not want to go to other Eastern Health hospitals in Box Hill or Maroondah, they wanted to be at Healesville because it’s a culturally safe space for them at Healesville and that’s not replicated at other sites as much. Once I got what they wanted and that was really non-negotiable, if a culturally safe cancer clinic for Aboriginals was going to be set up, the location had to be Healesville.”

To view the Star Mail article One more step forward to making community more inclusive in full click here.

smoking ceremony conducted by Craig Murphy-Wandin, Healesville Hospital

The smoking ceremony conducted by Craig Murphy-Wandin. Photo: Eastern Health. Image source: Star Mail.

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

National Palliative Care Week 19–25 May 2024

National Palliative Care Week is running from 19 to 25 May 2024. Palliative care focuses on physical, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of care. Palliative care is family-centred. Family, loved ones and carers can also receive practical and emotional support. Early access to palliative care helps people to maintain quality of life by managing pain and symptoms. It’s never too soon to start the conversation about matters of life and death.

When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, or are approaching the end of their life, they should be able to access quality palliative and supportive care that is consistent with their wishes, when and where they need it, no matter where they live. Importantly, this care must be culturally safe and responsive, incorporating the social, emotional, and cultural well-being of the person, as well as their family and the community.

To that end, Palliative Care Australia (PCA) has developed a range of resources, available here, to assist the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their communities, and health professionals working within communities to ensure approaches and practises are culturally safe and respectful.

You can find advice, tools and support on the Palliative Care Australia website here.

tile with text 'National Palliative Care Week 19-25 Mat - Matters of life and death'

Image source: Palliative Care NSW website.

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – 21 May 2024

Held every year on 21 May, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development highlighting not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.

The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in 2002, following UNESCO’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, recognising the need to “enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development and global peaceful coexistence.”

With 89% of all current conflicts in the world occurring in countries with low intercultural dialogue, to forge effective cooperation and sustain peace, strengthening intercultural dialogue must be a priority.

You can find more information about World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on the United Nations website here.

Image source: MCIS Language Solutions website.

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