Category #ulurustatement

15 August 2023

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

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

Elder Care Support: Community-led pathways to care

NACCHO’s Elder Care Support Program will work with the sector to ensure older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as their families, receive the necessary assistance in understanding, navigating, and accessing the aged care services they are entitled to. The program has been made possible by a three-year Commonwealth funded initiative and aims to increase workforce capability and capacity in community-controlled aged care support and empower the sector to coordinate place-based aged care needs.

The Elder Care Support program aims to:

  • Support older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to understand and engage with the aged care system, to receive greater local support.
  • Reduce barriers across the aged care journey to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing aged care services, achieving, or exceeding parity with non-Indigenous people at a while of system program level.
  • Increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receiving care on Country.
  • Increase clinical and non-clinical employment and career opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in aged care.
  • Increase real time intelligence on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s needs and experience in aged care.

If you want to support Elders in community through connecting them with the care they need, talk to your local ACCHO to join the Elder Care Support team.

Find out more here.

Implementation of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program

Mark your calendars for the National Lung Cancer Screening Program webinar taking place on Thursday 31 August. Joint hosted by NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey, the Department of Health and Aged Care, and Cancer Australia, the purpose of the webinar is to provide an update on the planning of the National Lung Cancer Screening Program and discuss opportunities for stakeholder engagement.

In May, Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler announced Government investment of $263.8 million from 2023-24 to implement the program, for commencement by July 2025. The program aims to maximise prevention and early detection of lung cancer.

Webinar details:

Date: Thursday, 31 August 2023

Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm (AEST)

Access link: Click here.

Password: pAPfPEhg384.

*Please allow 5 minutes to join the webinar. Questions can be submitted during the session.

Find more information on the National Lung Cancer Screening Program here.

Image source: Unsplash.

What happens in a sobering up centre?

When someone has a problem with alcohol, the first step is to reduce immediate harm because it can sometimes be a slow process to change longstanding drinking behaviours. Earlier this month the VIC government announced it’s establishing a permanent sobering up centre, following in the footsteps of WA, NT, SA, and QLD. It follows the state’s decriminalisation of public drunkenness, where instead of making an arrest or processing a fine, police will take people to a sobering up centre, if there is one in the area.

Public drunkenness laws disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and homeless people. Sobering up centres are a more effective and less harmful response to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people found intoxicated in public places than a police cell, as it understands alcohol and other drug problems as a health issue.

Sobering up centers are safe places where people who are too intoxicated to look after themselves can go to recover, with health professionals including Aboriginal health workers on site who can provide care if someone is sick or injured. They also provide food, showers, clean clothes, beds, access to help and support, including referrals to withdrawal and rehabilitation services and on-site counselling.

Read the full The Conversation article here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Voice to Parliament resources

The referendum to constitutionally enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament is critically important for health and wellbeing.

Croakey Health Media has compiled a valuable list of articles and resources surrounding the Voice to Parliament:

The Uluru Statement from the Heart

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation to the Australian people from First Nations Australians. It asks Australians to walk together to build a better future by establishing a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution, and the establishment of a Makarrata Commission for the purpose of treaty making and truth-telling.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart

Australian Electoral Commission’s Yes/No pamphlet – fact checked by RMIT/ABC

The Yes and No cases for the Voice to Parliament, drafted by parliamentarians from each side of the debate, have been published on the Australian Electoral Commission website and are being mailed out to Australian households. The ABC News article contains fact check’s analysis of claims made in the No campaign and the Yes campaign.

Australian Electoral Commission Factsheet on Disinformation

During the referendum you may come across information that isn’t supported by evidence, is missing context or is even deliberately misleading. To be well informed, be a critical thinker when consuming information and think about whether the information is accurate and truthful.

Australian Electoral Commission Factsheet on Disinformation.

 

Pat Turner on “the most important vote of our collective lifetimes”

The referendum for a constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament is the most important vote of our collective lifetimes, according to NACCHO CEO, Pat Turner.

“I am dismayed at how the debate on the Voice has been hijacked by all sorts of nonsense and misinformation.

“We have a simple truth here. Believe it or not, Aboriginal people know what’s best for Aboriginal people. All we want is a say in our own affairs, not a veto, not an advantage over others. We want a fair go. And a Voice will help us get it,” Ms Turner said.

You can read Ms Turner’s speech The significance of the Voice in Closing the Gap speech in full on NACCHO’s website here.

Read the full list of articles and resources on the Voice to Parliament on the Croakey Health Media website here.

Community-controlled organisations team up for Homelessness Week

Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service came together with other Aboriginal organisations to provide vital services and information for Homelessness Week (Monday 7 August to Sunday 13 August). Staff from the ACCHO provided holistic health checks and vaccinations, attendees were also able to access shower facilities, free haircuts and shaves, and were provided with resources from Kimberley Community Legal Services.

Housing support worker, Paula Clayton said the day allowed those attending to have fun and hopes people can be more understanding of the homeless community.

“It can happen to any of us, it doesn’t matter where you come from, especially in this social and economic situation with housing.

“[It’s] about celebrating our clients and letting them have a fun day to do some activities and see all the services provided,” she said.

Read the full The West Australian article Centacare Kimberley and Aboriginal Family Legal Services host Homelessness Week even in Broome here.

Tegan Kissane and Debbie Ryder. Image by: Katya Minns. Image Source: The West Australian.

AI in Eye Care

The AI in Eye Care (with Indigenous Perspectives) Conference will take place on Yawuru Country (Broome, WA) on Tuesday 24 October and Wednesday 25 October. The aim of the conference is to bring together experts in the field to discuss the advances in AI and its impact on eye care and diagnosis. Intended for ophthalmologists, optometrists, and orthoptists, the event will also include a session open to non-eye care professionals including Aboriginal health workers.

A key focus of the conference will be a workshop, where visiting experts will discuss and examine the principles and ethical implications of AI diagnostic tools in eye care. Topics that will be covered include privacy and patient data, equality of access and results, transparency in the development and application of algorithms.

Read more here.

Image source: Flinders University.

Sector Jobs

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

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

31 July 2023

feature tile of TAC stop smoking program coordinator Jay McDonald; text 'ACCHO program draws on cultural connections to support mob reduce or quit smoking'

The image in the feature tile is of Jay McDonald, the coordinator of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre stop smoking program, makara patapa, coordinator. The image appeared in an ABC News article First Nations quit smoking program reaching into Aboriginal community to help people break the habit published yesterday, Sunday 30 July 2023.

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

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

Quit smoking program reaching into community

Cigarettes were a constant in Tamara Style’s life for a long time. “I’ve been smoking for many years. [I started as a] young teenager, about 13 or 14, stopped while I was pregnant and then, as soon as I had my baby, taken it back up again,” she said. “It wasn’t until my daughter fell pregnant and because she lived in the same house, it was more to support her because she needed to give up.” Through the process, Ms Styles had help and support from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) via regular check-in phone calls and encouragement. “They were really supportive,” she said. It has now been more than two years since her last cigarette.

The TAC’s stop smoking program, makara patapa, draws on cultural connections to help support Aboriginal community members reduce their smoking or quit completely. The program coordinator, Jay McDonald, works around the state. “I travel to each region doing pop-up sessions, home visits and educational work in the quit-smoking space and how to use the nicotine replacement products and how to use them together in combination therapy, and just trying to give people the right tools when they’re ready to quit, to make a quit attempt,” he said.

Data from the Australian Burden of Disease Study showed that tobacco use was responsible for 20% of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The latest National Tobacco Strategy prioritised expanding and strengthening partnerships to prevent and reduce tobacco use among First Nations people.

To view the ABC News article First Nations quit smoking program reaching into Aboriginal community to help people break the habit in full click here.

Tamara Styles, park, river in background

Tamara Styles began smoking as a teen but it has now been more than two years since her last cigarette. Photo: Kate Nickels. Image source: ABC News.

Mob must be at centre of LGBTQIA+ policy

During Sydney World Pride the federal government committed to a 10 Year National Action Plan for the Health and Wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ people. This included A$26m in health research. In the announcement, the minister for health and aged care, Mark Butler, said: “While many LGBTIQA+ people live happy and healthy lives, others continue to experience discrimination, stigma, isolation, harassment and violence – all of which leads to poorer health and mental health.” A recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)  report showed this cohort is disproportionately impacted by discrimination and disadvantage. The combined impacts of colonialism, racism, homophobia and transphobia result in poorer health and mental health for this group.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are chronically over-researched. Yet there is insufficient data about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ people and mental health. The report found racism, discrimination and violence (including anticipation and fear of violence), social and cultural exclusion, criminalisation, incarceration, and exposure to grief and suicide all heighten the risk of suicide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ people.

Both Indigenous people and LGBTQIA+ people experience poorer health outcomes and higher rates of health-impacting behaviours. These can arise from minority stress, social exclusion, discrimination and trauma. On top of this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+ people navigate the impacts of colonialism. The report also found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQIA+-led research, policy, and services are urgently needed to improve mental health and health outcomes for this group.

To view the Daily Bulletin article Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must be at the centre, not the margins, of LGBTQIA+ plans and policies in full click here.

map of Australia with Aboriginal flag & rainbow flag in background

Image source: NIFVS Melbourne.

$10m to boost digital inclusion

The Federal government has announced a $10 million boost to address digital inclusion for Indigenous communities. The new strategy promises many benefits, however increased access to the cyber world also increases the risk of online dangers, especially with regard to vulnerable individuals and communities. Increasing the risk of exposure to online racism is a very real danger for First Nations adults and children, with experts warning of the negative impact this has on mental health.

Prior to the referendum, Aboriginal people were reportedly exposed to one incident of racism online per day and experts have advised that this is significantly higher than pre-social media times, where a person might have experienced an account of racism on one occasion per week. High profile members of the community have declared an increase of online racism, as debate around the referendum begins to intensify. The Office of the eSafety Commissioner have advised of a small but noticeable rise in adult cyber abuse complaints from First Nations people in the first quarter of 2023, with incidents expected to increase as we near the referendum.

Acutely aware of the situation unfolding, the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant stated “eSafety welcomes any initiative that aims to increase the online participation, digital literacy and digital inclusion for First Nations people. But if we do not create safer and less toxic spaces for First Nations people, we are also relegating them to less digital inclusion. Our reporting schemes deal with serious intent to harm because we know that targeted, racialised online abuse is also designed to silence voices.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Federal government funds push to boost “digital inclusion” for Indigenous communities in full click here.

NIAA app on iPhone text 'First Nations Digital Inclusion Plan' & computer screen

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Suicide rate linked to health system shortcomings

Data showsIndigenous children and teenagers are taking their own lives at a rate three times higher than non-Indigenous youth. According to the Suicide in Queensland Annual Report 2022, by the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth aged under 20 accounted for 15.8% of all suspected suicides by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 2021, compared to 4.9% for non-Indigenous youth who were the same age.

Dr Mark Wenitong, who holds a number of portfolios including co-chair of the Queensland Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Clinical Network and advising commissioner on National Mental Health Commission, shed light on the prevalence of mental health problems in First Nations communities as everything from “mild issues” right through to suicidality or psychosis. “Both those ends of the spectrum occur in our communities and the biggest background noise telling us something’s wrong is the suicide rates,” he said.

“We do have very high suicide rates in our community, particularly exaggerated in younger people, we’re talking very young – ten year olds – in places like the Kimberley.” The impact on very young people was a serious worry, he said, due to their inability to actively seek help. Some part of it, in his opinion, was a fallout of colonisation, resulting in fragmented identity and a lack of meaningful connection to modern day ideals and expectations. But what was more concerning to him were the inadequacies in the health system when it came to following up after an attempt of suicide.

The above has been extracted from an article Dr Mark Wenitong talks about the high incidence of suicide among Indigenous youth and how it can be addressed published in The Cairns Post earlier today. A related ABC News article Family’s grief throws spotlight on an Indigenous ‘suicide crisis’ in WA’s Great Southern region is available in full here.

Dr Mark Wenitong

Dr Mark Wenitong. Photo: Brendan Radke. Image source: The Cairns Post.

The Voice – an NT doctor’s perspective

Professor Anna Ralph, the Deputy Director of Research at Menzies School of Health Research at the Royal Darwin Hospital in the NT  has spoken  about her experiences with Indigenous wellbeing and whether a Voice to Parliament would help at a national level. Professor Ralph is an infectious diseases physician who conducts regular clinics and ward rounds, as well as outreach clinics to remote communities. At the Royal Darwin Hospital, 60-90% of patients are First Nations people, with 59% speaking an Indigenous language as their primary language. Professor Ralph says that there are more than 20 unique languages spoken by patients attending the hospital.

“The NT has the nation’s highest rates of self-discharge from hospital. Patients are not having a good experience of care,” said Professor Ralph. “The data shows that as interpreter use improved, self-discharge rates went down. People are getting better communication; they’re going to stay in hospital to get the treatment they need,” said Professor Ralph. “Patients’ experience of care was utterly transformed by having access to an interpreter. People who were on renal dialysis, for example, stopped skipping dialysis sessions because they now understand of the importance of it,” said Professor Ralph.

“Having a Voice to Parliament – and having a Yes vote at the referendum – would be a way to help the national psyche and a step towards reconciliation,” said Professor Ralph. “It would help to address those power dynamic issues in health care. The more that First Nations peoples are empowered in health care, the better off health is going to be,” said Professor Ralph.

To view the InSight+ article Voice to Parliament: a NT doctor’s perspective in full click here.

Online Voice lies and misinformation

The Indigenous Voice to parliament is being threatened by suspicious social media accounts and deepfake content spreading lies about constitutional recognition, a leading misinformation expert has warned. As Voice advocates escalate campaign activities around the country, including online, they are facing a barrage of incorrect and malicious claims about the proposed body’s powers, and the false claim that taxpayers will have to pay royalties and rates to its members.

Ed Coper, director of communications agency Populares, said his research showed sentiment on social media has No voices outweighing Yes voices by as much as five to one. Many Twitter accounts sharing anti-Voice content have been opened very recently and show little other content or activity. These factors are red flags for disinformation experts, and commonly indicate the accounts are inauthentic and set up using fake identities. Their express purpose can be a gaming of social media algorithms in favour of conspiracies and arguments for the No case.

Suspicious activity being tracked on Facebook could be linked to so-called “bot nets”, which are networks of fake accounts creating and sharing misinformation about the referendum question. Some anti-Voice posts have what experts consider an implausibly high number of shares among Facebook users, with many copying and sharing the same misinformation. Mr Coper said the tactics are being imported from the US, including from followers of the online conspiracy theory QAnon.

To view the Financial Review article How online disinformation is hijacking the Voice in full click here.

logos or Twitter, Facebook, Google, Instagram, You Tube etc

Image source: The Sydney Morning Herald.

Sector Jobs

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

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

19 July 2023

feature tile of Aboriginal mother holding baby & young girl interacting with the baby; text 'Structural and systemic change will have a positive effect on trajectory of CTG targets'

The image in the feature tile is from an article More to be done on closing gap for Indigenous wellbeing published in The Canberra Times on 8 March 2023.

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

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

Structural reform needed to CTG

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

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

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

To view the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Journal (ANMJ) article Voice to Parliament the structural reform needed to Closing the Gap in full click here.cover of Australian Government Productivity Commission Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2023

WAMS launches Freedom Rides Memorial and website

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

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

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

To access the Freedom Rides to Walgett website click here.

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

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

Financial barriers to sight-saving treatment

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

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

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

ATSI man having an eye test

Image source: AHCSA website.

ACCHO to deliver healthcare in youth justice centre

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

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

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

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

exterior of Cherry Creek Youth Justice Precinct

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

New research to look at dietary practices

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

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

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

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

Pelargonium - a tuberous root plant that was used by Aboriginal people

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

Mob contribute to health and climate strategy

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

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

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

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

Sector Jobs

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

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.

11 July 2023

Feature tile Tue 10.7.23 - Handling of COVID shows why Voice to Parliament needed

The image in the feature tile is of Professor Fiona Stanley from ABC News: Daryna Zadvirna.

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

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

First Nation handling of COVID shows why the Voice to Parliament is needed

During a panel discussion supporting the Voice to Parliament, former Australian of the Year, Fiona Stanley praised the response of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to COVID-19, stating that they had the best response “in the world.” She attributed their success to the presence of a voice through organisations such as the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

According to Professor Stanley, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians had significantly fewer COVID-19 cases compared to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, despite the high-risk factors they faced.

“We would have anticipated because of the high risks of Aboriginal people — chronic disease, overcrowded conditions, and most Aboriginal people actually live in cities, only 18 per cent live in remote communities – they were of high risk [of contracting the virus],” she said.

“Well, within the first 18 to 20 months of the pandemic, Aboriginal people had six times fewer cases than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people did. How did they do it? They had a voice.

You can read the full story in ABC News here. 

Boost for health care centres in the north east

The State Government plans to allocate over $150 million to establish or upgrade primary healthcare centres in the Torres Strait and Cape York regions. Health Minister Shannon Fentiman will visit the area following significant demands for an inquiry into health services. The funding will be used for the development of centres in Badu, Boigu, Horn Islands, Laura, Lockhart River, and Bamaga. An additional $1.1 million will be invested to support the growth of the Torres Strait health workforce through traineeships, scholarships, and leadership programs.

Among the initiatives, scholarships will be provided to up to 10 students from the Torres Strait Islands to assist with the costs of studying tertiary health courses away from home. The Deadly Start program will receive $300,000 to offer 15 new traineeships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health students in the Torres and Cape regions.

The investment aims to enhance health services for individuals living in the Torres Strait while creating employment opportunities for residents of the region. Minister Fentiman highlighted the importance of having more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals, including doctors, specialists, nurses, carers, and allied health professionals, to improve health outcomes for First Nations people.

You can read the media statement by Queensland Government here.

Torres Strait Islanders family living on the coast of Cape York Queensland Australia

Torres Strait Islander family living on the coast. Country around the tip of Cape York.
Image source: chameleonseye

Medical Termination Pill access expanded in landmark move

Australia is set to expand access to medical abortions through significant regulatory changes that will allow all doctors and nurse practitioners to prescribe the pregnancy termination pill and all pharmacies to stock it. Currently, only a small percentage of healthcare professionals are certified to provide the medication, leading to obstacles for women seeking timely care. The new rules, which will come into effect in August, remove certification requirements and allow all pharmacies to dispense the medication. Nurse practitioners, who represent about 1% of nurses and can work in various healthcare settings, will also be able to prescribe the pill for the first time.

The move marks the first major regulatory change since the abortion pill was approved for use in Australia in 2006. It aims to improve equitable access to healthcare for all Australians, particularly in regional and rural areas where structural barriers exist. The Australian College of Nursing Practitioners and the Royal College of Australian General Practitioners have praised the changes, stating that they will have a significant impact and improve access to medical abortions, especially in remote areas.

The decision aligns with a Senate inquiry’s recommendation to make the medical abortion pill easier to prescribe. The Australian government is yet to formally respond to the inquiry’s report.

For related article, visit SBS NITV here.

You can read the full story in The Sydney Morning Herald here.

The abortion pill will this year be available to be prescribed by every doctor.

The abortion pill will this year be available to be prescribed by every doctor. Image source: JAMES ALCOCK

ILSC offers grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities impacted by natural disasters

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) is providing up to $20,000 in funding through the Disaster Recovery Quick Response Grants to support First Nations organizations affected by natural disasters. This initiative builds upon the ILSC’s previous commitment of $250,000 in funding to 13 remote Indigenous community groups across Australia that were severely impacted by floods earlier this year.

The ILSC aims to streamline the application and approval process to allow Indigenous corporations more time to focus on immediate recovery efforts following disasters.

Joe Morrison, the CEO of the ILSC, highlighted the increasing occurrence of bushfires, storm damage, and floods due to climate change. With the Bureau of Meteorology and the UN World Meteorological Organization predicting an El Niño cycle and potentially challenging bushfire seasons, the ILSC wants to ensure it is prepared to support Indigenous communities. The funding provided through the Disaster Recovery Quick Response Grants will assist Indigenous organizations in recovering and getting back on their feet swiftly.

Interested parties can find additional information on how to apply for the grants on the ILSC website here.

You can read the full story in the National Indigenous Times here.

Fitzroy river flood

Western Australia’s Fitzroy Valley region.
Image source: Foundation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sustainable Health

Climate change and the effects of fire on peoples’ connection to Country

The devastating impact of bushfires on First Nations communities and their connection to the land is being explored through an innovative art and yarn program led by Kisani Upward, a Gamilaroi, Yinaar, and Wiradjuri woman and PhD candidate at the University of New England. The program aims to address the trauma experienced by Aboriginal communities by providing a space for conversations and artistic expression. Through painting and casual discussions, participants have found healing and a sense of rejuvenation as they reconnect with their culture and express their experiences.

The program, which consists of eight sessions, facilitates discussions about the bushfires while participants engage in painting and share cups of tea. Upward, who works with the university’s Bushfire Impacts Project, initially started the program to explore how Aboriginal communities could heal from such traumatic events. The sessions have had a profound impact on participants, helping them build confidence and move forward from the devastation caused by the fires.

You can read the full story in the ABC News here.

Uncle Alex Munro shoeing his painting of Mother Earth

Uncle Alex Munro says creating a painting of Mother Earth nurtured him.
Image source: ABC New England: Lani Oataway

Diabetes – Great Debate Series

It is National Diabetes Week (NDW) from Sunday 9 to Saturday 15 July 2023. The national campaign aims to kick-start Australia’s biggest conversation about the impact of diabetes, to drive change and create hope for the future.

The theme for NDW 2023 is Join the conversation. Diabetes Australia will host a Great Debate Series over five days featuring people living with diabetes and diabetes experts discussing topics relevant to the future of diabetes in Australia. The debates will be a mix of in-person (livestreamed) and virtual events.

During the week people are also invited to provide feedback to Diabetes Australia’s national community consultation to inform a response to the Australian Government Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes.

This series of debates will run during National Diabetes Week 2023 and feature people living with diabetes and diabetes experts discussing topics relevant to the future of diabetes in Australia. The series is co-hosted by Diabetes Australia’s Group CEO Justine Cain and Dr Norman Swan AM. Debate topics include:

  • Monday 10 July – Timely and affordable access: Who cares?
  • Tuesday 11 July – Brain drain: Is diabetes research in Australia in crisis? 
  • Wednesday 12 July – Australia’s obesity crisis: Is there a magic pill?
  • Thursday 13 July – Type 2 diabetes remission: Hype, hope or happening?
  • Friday 14 July – Keeping pace with treatments and tech: Is Australia falling behind?

The debates can be attended online or in-person.

For more information on times and how to register click here.

Test Blood Glucose For Diabetes in Pregnant Woman With Glucometer

Type 2 diabetes check. Image source: Good Medicines Better Health

 

Sector Jobs

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

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

 

7 July 2023

image of Professor Peter O'Mara; text 'RACGP panellists discuss the significant role of Elders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community health and wellbeing

The image in the feature tile is of Professor Peter O’Mara from a Rural Health Pro article Mining to medicine: Wiradjuri man Peter O’Mara shares his journey to medicine published on 28 April 2021.

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

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

Elders’ significant role in health and wellbeing

In an event to tie in with NAIDOC Week 2023, three RACGP panellists have explored the role of Elders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Panellists included Dr Karen Nicholls, Chair of RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and a Torres Strait Islander woman descending from Boigu Island, along with her predecessor in that role Professor Peter O’Mara – a Wiradjuri man who works as a GP at Tobwabba Aboriginal Medical Service and founded the Werin Aboriginal Medical Service. Dr Kirsty Jennings, a Biripi woman from NSW who first trained as a social worker before turning to general practice, was the third member of the panel.

In the webinar, which is now available on-demand, the panellists discussed identifying Elders and recognising their important status, as well as their significant role in community health and wellbeing. “I feel really privileged that I am someone who gets to work with people who are considered Elders in the community, and learn from their role-modelling, their gentleness, [and] their subtle approach in how they get messages across,” Dr Nicholls said.

Professor O’Mara also welcomed the opportunity to acknowledge Elders and their role, saying “Elders are a significant foundation of our culture. I would say the true sense of an Elder is not just a person who is old, it is much more than that. An Elder for me is someone with wisdom and humility … I think mostly it’s about hearing and wisdom and putting the community before themselves.”

To view the RACGP newsGP article ‘A significant foundation of our culture’: Elders’ role explored in full click here.

Dr Karen Nicholls, Chair of RACGP ATSI Health

Dr Karen Nicholls. Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Putting communities in front seat of innovation

A program, hosted by Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology (IT), is inviting First Nations communities and organisations to co-design innovative solutions with leading Monash researchers to sustainably address challenges faced by Indigenous communities. Launched recently, the National Indigenous Innovation Challenge, presents an opportunity for Indigenous organisations and community groups to pitch a challenge or idea for a chance to co-develop long-term solutions with experts across Monash University with the help of seed funding.

Community organisations are being invited to submit pitches until Monday 31 July 2023. After the pitches have been received representatives will attend a full-day workshop to delve into their challenges and team up with researchers with relevant expertise in science, technology, engineering, law, business, medicine or public health.

Program Lead and proud Wadjak/Ballardong Noongar man Associate Dean (Indigenous) Professor Christopher Lawrence in the Faculty of IT said after the workshop the organisations will be invited to present project proposals describing their sustainable co-designed solutions and selected participants will receive seed funding. “Our main aim is to build a bridge between First Nations peoples and researchers so that traditional Indigenous knowledge can be supported with science, technology, engineering, maths (STEM) and business research to resolve the issues they know best,” Professor Lawrence said.

To view the Monash University article Putting Indigenous communities in the front seat of innovation in full click here and watch an explanatory video below.

If we stand in solidarity the Voice will succeed

In her opinion piece If we stand in solidarity, the referendum will succeed, published earlier this week, Dr Shireen Morris, a constitutional lawyer and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab at Macquarie University says “Last week I travelled with the Kimberley Land Council’s ‘Referendum Roadshow’, participating in community discussions at Kununurra, Hall’s Creek, Fitzroy Crossing and Derby. What struck me was the passion of these communities: the love and warmth that infused the discussions, the staunch belief in justice despite the hardships of the past and present, and the commitment to doing the hard work to achieve to a national ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum.

Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians discussed their visions for a more united Australia. Equal parts desperation and hope, struggling local people explained how they want and need things to change. They want to close the gap. They want to right the wrongs of the past. They want a fairer and more reconciled Australia, and a better future for their children and grandchildren.

What I saw in the Kimberley was ordinary Australians imagining an even better country – a country that recognises Indigenous peoples by making a national commitment to dialogue, listening and mutual respect. That is our choice in October. Do we want to transform the top-down relationship that has characterised Indigenous affairs into a true partnership? Or do we want things to stay the same? The next few months will be tough, but if we stand in solidarity, the referendum will succeed.

To view the opinion piece by Dr Morris published in the National Indigenous Times in full click here.

Dr Shireen Morris

Resources to help mob in remote areas

The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) leads and provides direction in developing digital health, bringing the Australian health system into the digital century. It is responsible for the national digital health strategy including the design, development, delivery and national operations, while the Commonwealth Department of Health is responsible for national digital health policy.

ADHA wants to ensure that digital health tools help empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to take control of their health and maintain their health and wellbeing while staying connected to Country. Find out how digital health tools are helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples stay on Country by watching the videos released by ADHA to mark NAIDOC Week 2023, available here.

Below is one of a range of videos produced by the ADHA.

Breaking the incarceration cycle

Wendy Ah Chin, Queensland Corrective Services’ (QCS) first-ever Chief Superintendent for First Nations and Cultural Capability, says QCS recognises its important role in addressing the over-representation of First Nations people in custody and under supervision in the community. “One-third of people in custody in Queensland identify as First Nations and we are in a unique position to influence the lives not only of those in our custody and care but make lasting generational change,” Ms Ah Chin said.

Ms Ah Chin continued, “While QCS can’t influence who comes into our system, we can work with them to make lasting positive changes which can prevent reoffending. This can have generational benefits, as we know the largest indicator of whether someone ends up in custody is if they have a parent who is incarcerated. In fact, a child who has a parent who spends time in prison is nine times more likely to end up in custody themselves as an adult. To break this cycle of disadvantage in First Nations people, we need to provide culturally appropriate services.”

“I have the opportunity to be a part of the whole-of-government approach and build stakeholder partnerships to shape and influence Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice agenda, including developing our Reframing our Relationship Plan. Top of my priority list is to understand what our “truth-telling” journey looks like over the coming months and years. Recognising, respecting, and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and lived experiences is fundamental to improving our services, as is acknowledging where things may not have been done well and learning from that. As a Maya Angelou once said: ‘When we know better, we do better’.”

To view The North West Star opinion piece Opinion: Breaking incarceration cycles for lasting generational change in full click here.

Wendy Ah Chin, is QLD Corrective Services Chief Superintendent for First Nations & Cultural Capability & a proud Waanyi woman from N QLD

Queensland Corrective Services Chief Superintendent for First Nations and Cultural Capability and, Wendy Ah Chin. Image source: The North West Star.

Indigenous leaders – the key to social change

Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) supports the next generation of Indigenous leaders to inspire, collaborate and facilitate change in communities across Australia, NZ and the Pacific. Based at the University of Melbourne, a unique inter-cultural fellowship for social equity, the program works towards Indigenous-led solutions that make a real impact in communities, and advocates for Indigenous leadership and ways of knowing as the foundation for social change.

Jonathon Captain-Webb (2022 cohort) a Gomeroi and Dunghutti man from Gomeroi and Dunghutti Countries, is the manager of Culture and Heritage at the NSW Aboriginal Land Council based in Western Sydney. There, he is working with 120 Local Aboriginal Land Councils across NSW to promote, protect and celebrate Aboriginal cultural heritage in all its forms. Captain-Webb said the foundation year of the program completely changed how he viewed Aboriginal affairs and policy. “Coming into this space I thought I knew everything about best practice for achieving outcomes for my community,” Captain-Webb said. “This has been the best study I have ever done; the content and delivery have been amazing, the subject matter experts that we have in the room is second to none, and the readings we engaged with have been designed and tailored specifically for us as Indigenous people.”

2022 Fellow Alicia Veasey is a Torres Strait Islander woman providing state-wide advice on broader system issues and barriers to achieving health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Queensland. She is also an Obstetrics and Gynaecology doctor and Co-Chair of Queensland Health’s state-wide Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Clinical Network. Veasey said the program has been deeply transformational, “After spending decades within colonial institutions of health and education, this program has provided me the space, support and tools to decolonise my mind,” Veasey said. “I’ve been able to work towards changing systems to not just ‘close-the-gap’ but to change structures of power and systems so that we can have true health sovereignty for our communities.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Indigenous leadership – the key to social change in full click here.

graduates of Masters or Graduate Certificate in Social Change Leadership, Uni Melbourne

Melbourne University graduates of Social Change Leadership course. Photo: James Henry. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Sector Jobs

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

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

6 July 2023

The image in the feature tile is of the Chair of NACCHO, Donnella Mills.

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

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

The NACCHO Board supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart

NACCHO supports constitutional recognition and a First Nations Voice to Parliament. We are an organisation representing 145 Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations operating over 550 clinics across Australia, delivering services to over 410,000 Australians.

NACCHO supports the full implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, including a Voice, treaty, and truth.

Alignment with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap

The Voice also aligns with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. Supporting self-determination and building the capacity of the community-control sector is central to the commitment that all Australian governments made as part of this seminal Agreement. The Voice will only lend strength to the Agreement and to existing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and structures.

The power of a Voice

There is one excellent example of what happens when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a voice. It was when we led the way during COVID. The Aboriginal community-controlled sector stepped up early, knowing that the COVID pandemic had the potential to cause devastation among our people.

Almost 2,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives were saved by allowing our communities to design their own COVID responses in their own communities, when the Commonwealth Government heard our voice and even handed over the COVID funding direct to our organisations.

In early 2020, our sector asked the Commonwealth to sit down with us and get an emergency plan in place. Together, we set up the National Indigenous COVID Advisory Committee co-chaired by NACCHO and the Australian Government and including representatives from all state and territory governments. In addition, there was timely funding provided by the Australian Government, disbursed to our members. They knew, better than anyone else, what our communities needed. This meant that targeted funding was on the ground within days. The response had to be rapid, and it was.

As a result of our own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID response, lives were saved. The original estimate was that 2,200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would die. This was the estimated share of deaths based on population share, burden of disease and comorbidities. Yet only about 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lost their lives. A voice and a genuine partnership with the Department of Health, therefore, saved almost 2,000 lives. This is the power of a Voice.

To download the statement go here.

Honouring Elders and their contributions to health and wellbeing

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is, ‘For our Elders’. This is a concept in action in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) around the country. ACCHOs and ACCOs are aware they stand on the shoulders of the Elders and older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who are responsible for establishing systems and structures outside of the mainstream, to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country.

These organisations are not only part of the fabric of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, ACCHOs are now considered a leading model for primary healthcare in Australia and the world. Working alongside ACCOs, they deliver culturally secure and effective services, fostering engagement and improving health outcomes. Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative and Kura Yerlo are among many organisations that have designed programs and events specifically tailored to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders. These initiatives aim to encourage cultural engagement, promote social connections and facilitate health and wellbeing.

Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative Men’s Group is aware of the significant role of Elders in their community, what they have fought for, the culture they know, their wisdom and the importance of providing the space for that wisdom to be shared with younger generations. Levi Geebung, the Social & Emotional Wellbeing Caseworker who leads the Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative Men’s Group stated:

“Elders are one of the main driving forces for why we do what we do, this is the passing down of knowledge and culture. If it wasn’t for the teaching I’ve received from my Elders, I wouldn’t be able to pass that knowledge on to those who attend our men’s group.”

To read the Croakey Health Media article Honouring Elders and their contributions to health and wellbeing in full click here. 

Kura Yerlo Elders. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

The future of NDIS in remote communities

Local expertise and responses are urgently needed for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where little has been delivered since the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was launched. Founding NDIS chair Bruce Bonyhandy, who is co-chairing the Independent Review Panel has also said the health and education sectors need to step up to ensure that the NDIS is sustainable and transformative for people with disability. It comes as the NDIS review panel released its interim report last week, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the NDIS and amid ongoing concerns for the scheme’s future.

In the NDIS Review’s interim report, a NDIS participant’s family member said, “I love the NDIS. It has been a life saver for my family but not without stress, anxiety…and seeing my family at breaking point. Every year we go through the same mundane crap and have to fight the fight, not knowing what the outcome will be.”

Members of the Review spent a week visiting the NT, spending time with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Bonyhandy said the lack of impact from the NDIS over eight years, especially in remote communities, “is not just disappointing; it is deeply shocking that so little has been achieved.” He said the NDIA is still flying or driving support workers into and out of remote communities, rather than building the NDIS community-by-community, training local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be support workers, allied health assistants, recovery coaches and peer workers.

This would not only be more cost effective, “it would also boost remote economies, deliver culturally-safe services, and help Close the Gap,” he said.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here and to get involved with the NDIS Review go here.

NDIS Logo. Image Source: UNSW Canberra.

Health key policy area for the Voice

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be asked to give advice on four main policy areas including health, education, jobs and housing, if the referendum held later this year is successful. At the National Press Club on Wednesday Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said, “The Voice will be tasked with taking the long-view.

“I will be asking the Voice for their input to solve these most pressing issues,” she said.

Minister Burney said Australia needs new perspectives to solve old challenges. To illustrate how the Voice would work and how better policy can be developed, Ms Burney used the example of the Indigenous-led birthing on country movement.

“Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations have pioneered a more effective way of caring for mums and babies, one that embraces tradition and language so mothers feel safe accessing medical services early and often.

“And by respecting and elevating the role of the extended family Birthing on Country sets mums and babies up for a health beginning,’ she said.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article Voice to be asked for advice on four key policy areas here.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney. Image source: Mick Tsikas AAP Photos.

TAC reflects on 50 years of providing care and advocacy

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) has been dedicated to promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, culture, health and wellbeing for 50 years. Serving the Tasmanian community for five decades, TAC northern regional manager, Lisa Coulson reflected on the adversity overcome by the organisation in its early days and the milestones achieved throughout the years.

“From its small beginnings in Tamar Street … to today with over 240 staff shows the growth of the organisation and the need within the Aboriginal community for the support of the programs that we deliver,” Ms Coulson said.

TAC has already ticked off a few celebratory events this year, including the Putalina Festival, “There was also the Invasion Day rally on January 26, and in March we celebrated a 30-year anniversary of the Palawa Kani language program,” said Ms Coulson.

Looking ahead TAC aims to expand its services, strengthen cultural education, and create sustainable economic opportunities for Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.

Read the full article here.

TAC northern regional manager Lisa Coulson. Image source: Rod Thompson.

Sector Jobs

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

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

5 July 2023

image of Aboriginal Health Worker & ATSI patient lying on bed in health clinic; text 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals are a source of national pride that should be celebrated every day'

The image in the feature tile is from an article Scholarships on offer for Indigenous health practitioners published in the Katherine Times on 20 February 2020, featuring a Mala’la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation Aboriginal Health Worker in the Maningrida Health Clinic, NT. Photo: NTPHN.

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

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

Celebrating the contribution of our health professionals

Kuku Yalanji man Carl Briscoe is the CEO of National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP), the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners in Australia. NAATSIHWP members work in the Aboriginal community-controlled health sector, other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical services, mainstream and private health services.

Mr Briscoe values the opportunity to influence how program initiatives and policies are shaped. The practical experience working as an Aboriginal Health Worker provided a solid grounding for the policy roles he has undertaken, he said. In addition, Briscoe has enjoyed working to raise the profile of the profession. While there’s a long way to go, he said a range of stakeholders within the health sector, including the Australian Medical Council and RACGP, recognise the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker and Practitioner. In particular, the cultural expertise of the profession is being “respected and recognised”, Briscoe said.

One of the strengths of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professions is their cultural knowledge, understanding and personal experience. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce “holds a diverse range of experiences of being a First Nations person in this country, and the knowledge of their family and communities, and how this may influence a person’s interaction with the health system,” according to Fiona Cornforth, a Wuthathi descendant and Chair of the National Health Leadership Forum (NHLF) and CEO of The Healing Foundation. Briscoe added: “Our profession is the only culturally raised health profession with national training and regulation, and we think it’s a source of national pride that should be celebrated every day.”

To view the Croakey Health Media article Celebrating the contributions and expertise of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals in full click here. You can also listen to an interview Karl Briscoe in the video below.

Why the Voice is critical to mob’s health

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, says later this year, Australians will have the chance to change our Constitution and recognise the place of First Nations people in this country. Australians will get a chance to embrace that recognition through a voice to parliament, and I can’t think of a more important area where we should listen to that voice than health. The voice will be a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who offer advice to the parliament on issues that affect them.

We need their insights so we can improve their lives. For too many years the parliament and health ministers of both political persuasions have been confronted with the appalling health gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. There are many health challenges that unarguably impact Indigenous Australians differently, and some others that are largely unknown to n  on-Indigenous Australians.

To view Minister Butler’s media release Why Voice is critical to First Nations health in full click here.

Aboriginal flag flying with Australian Parliament House in background

Photo: Mick Tsikas, AAP. Image source: The Guardian.

Breaking down digital health barriers

NAIDOC Week 2023 (2-9 July) provides a significant opportunity to showcase how digital health tools can support healthcare access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including reducing the need for people to travel to get the care they need, and supporting care on Country regardless of location. The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), in consultation with the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), has released an in-language educational video as part of an ongoing initiative to enhance digital health literacy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities so that people can most effectively engage with their health.

The newly launched educational video offers valuable insights into the array of digital health tools available to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. It centres around the health journey of Latoya, a person living with a chronic illness, providing culturally appropriate and accessible information to the community. Importantly, the video has been created in both Yumpla Tok, a language spoken in the Torres Strait Islands, and English.

Amanda Cattermole PSM, CEO of the Australian Digital Health Agency said “Co-designing communications with Indigenous audiences is vital so that the information hits the mark. Our consultations suggest that animation is one innovative means of engaging well with Indigenous peoples, and so for this video we have presented Latoya’s story in animation form.”

To view the Australian Government ADHA media release Latoya’s Journey: breaking down barriers to digital health literacy with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community driven resources in full click here.

RACGP welcomes boost for rural pharmacies

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has welcomed a significant financial boost for community pharmacies across Australia, which took effect from Saturday 1 July 2023. Changes announced by the Federal Government include comm2023.unity pharmacies being paid more for dispensing medicines, pharmacies outside the big cities will have their location allowance doubled, and pharmacy medicine stocks will be assured.

RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said the support for community pharmacies is welcome. “Australia needs a strong and sustainable primary care system with GPs working together with pharmacists, allied health and nurse practitioners to provide the best care for patients,” she said. “Community pharmacies play an important role in dispensing medication. They also provide various associated services, such as for opioid dependence treatment, medication reviews, and Indigenous health, which are government subsidised.”

“The significant financial boost to pharmacies from 1 July 1 welcome, particularly for those in our rural communities. The regional pharmacy maintenance allowance has doubled, so pharmacies in the most remote areas are now eligible for more than $90,000 a year to keep their doors open. Rural and remote communities typically have limited access to health services, sometimes there’s just one GP practice and pharmacy, and the local community relies on them heavily. The rural primary care community is also tightknit, we support each other, and I know there will be many rural GPs who’ll be happy to hear about this additional support for their local pharmacists.”

To view the RACGP media release RACGP welcomes financial boost for rural pharmacies in full click here. You can also view Minister Butler’s media release Rural Pharmacies receive major funding boost here.

pharmacist's hands holding medicine boxes

Image source: newsGP.

Improving literacy, numeracy and digital skills

The Albanese Government is working to close the gap, by removing barriers to accessing education and training for First Nations Australians. Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor will announce in Darwin today a specific Indigenous stream to the Government’s Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) foundation skills program, to improve literacy, numeracy and digital skills for First Nations Australians.

Around 1 in 5 Australian adults lack the basic literacy, numeracy and digital skills to gain better jobs and participate fully in society. For First Nations people, it is estimated that 40% of adults have minimal English literacy and this figure can rise as high as 70% in remote communities, such as those in the NT. The Government is investing $436 mover four years to fundamentally reform the way the Commonwealth delivers Foundation Skills programs, so Australians have the core literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills to succeed.

To view the media release Better access to literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills crucial for Indigenous Australians in full click here.

3 young Aboriginal kids with a book in classroom

Image source: Indigenous Literacy Foundation website.

Eye sector unites for equitable eye health outcomes

The 2023 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference (NATSIEHC23) recently took place over three days on Dharug Country in Western Sydney. The remarkable event drew in over 240 delegates, including over 40 optometrists. The conference aimed to build on the collective work of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health sector to improve eye health access and outcomes for First Nations Australians. It was led by the National Expert Group in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health (NEGATSIEH) and co-hosted by AH&MRC (Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, NSW) and the Indigenous Eye Health Unit (IEHU) at The University of Melbourne.

The NATSIEHC23 theme ‘Our Vision in Our Hands: Finding Our Voice’ sought to highlight emerging and future First Nations leaders of the sector, while also resonating the strength and values of the longstanding movement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination in health and the broader current national movement to enshrine First Nations Voice to parliament.

Optometry Australia Policy & Advocacy Manager Sarah Davies said “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a long history in promoting health and wellbeing and providing health care, and as a peak, national eye health professional body, Optometry Australia believes it has a responsibility to advocate with and work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, to facilitate an Australia where all people have ready access to the eye care they need, provided in a culturally safe and respected environment. NATSIEHC23 provided a unique opportunity for gathering and collaboration, showcasing the work occurring nationwide to advance eye health outcomes for Australia’s First Peoples, and to celebrate the success of our collaborative efforts to date.”

To view the Optometry Australia article Eye health sector unites to achieve equitable eye health outcomes for First Nations peoples in full click here.

Conference participants and presenters: (L-R) Kane Ellis, Donna Murray, Lauren Hutchinson, Karl Briscoe, Renata Watene and Uncle 'Widdy' Welsh

Conference participants and presenters: (L-R) Kane Ellis, Donna Murray, Lauren Hutchinson, Karl Briscoe, Renata Watene and Uncle ‘Widdy’ Welsh. Image source: University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health webpage.

Sector Jobs

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

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

28 June 2023

feature tile: portrait shot of Prof Tom Calma; text '2023 ANU Reconciliation Lecture: Professor Tom Calma AO urges action NOW for those who COME NEXT'

The image in the feature tile is of Professor Tom Calma AO from the ANU Reconciliation Lecture 2023 in partnership with UC webpage of the Australian National University (ANU) website.

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

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

Professor Calma: act now for those who come next

The ANU Reconciliation Lecture is part of a lecture series, which began in 2018 to highlight Indigenous researchers and Indigenous research, has since become the ANU’s flagship event for National Reconciliation Week. This year the lecture was delivered by Professor Tom Calma AO, a Kungarakan Elder, a member of the Iwaidja people, 2023 Senior Australian of the Year and the Chancellor of the University of Canberra.

Professor Calma said that although National Reconciliation Week had passed, reconciliation is an ongoing endeavour as the theme “Be a Voice for Generations” aptly illustrates. Professor Calma said “The theme is about speaking up and carrying on the work of those who came before us. To honour their legacy by acting now for those who come next. It’s a call to not be silent, but to raise our voices to demand action for a better future.”

Professor Calma reiterated comments he’d made in 2008 as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, “Without proper engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, governments will struggle in their efforts to make lasting progress in improving the conditions of Indigenous people and in our communities. Much of the failure of service delivery to Indigenous people and communities, and the lack of sustainable outcomes, is a direct result of the failure to engage appropriately with Indigenous people and of the failure to support and build the capacity of Indigenous communities. It is the result of a failure to develop priorities and programs in full participation with Indigenous communities.”

“Put simply, governments risk failure – and will continue to do so – if they develop and implement policies about Indigenous issues without engaging with the intended recipients of those services. Bureaucrats and governments can have the best intentions in the world, but if their ideas have not been subject to the “reality test” of the life experience of the local Indigenous peoples who are intended to benefit from this, then government efforts will fail.”

To read the ANU article 2023 ANU Reconciliation Lecture: Full Speech by Tom Calma in full click here. You can also watch Professor Tom Calma AO delivering the 2023 ANU Reconciliation Lecture in the video below:

$3.4m to WA ACCOs to improve service delivery

The WA Government has awarded grants to 16 Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) as part of the implementation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. In partnership with Lotterywest, the WA Government, released the grants program in October 2022 calling for ideas from ACCOs to improve the delivery of priority community services to Aboriginal people and communities across WA.

Not-for-profit ACCOs across WA were encouraged to apply for a share of grants from the $3.4m Closing the Gap funding. Grant applications were invited from organisations who wanted to improve, expand or develop initiatives across the priority sectors of housing, health, disability, and early childhood care and development. The grants are to assist ACCOs in delivering high-quality, sustainable services and outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities.

Of the 16 grant recipients, four are ACCHOs:

  • Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Limited (KAMS)
  • Moorditj Koort Aboriginal Corporation
  • Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council Aboriginal Corporation (NPY Women’s Council)
  • South-West Aboriginal Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation (SWAMS)

To view the Government of WA’s media statement Grants inject $3.4 million to support services for Aboriginal people in full click here.

Clockwise from L: KAMS building; Moorditj Koort gym; NPY Women's Council logo; SWAMS mobile van

Clockwise: KAMS, Moorditj Koort, NPY Women’s Council logo and SWAMS mobile van.

Smart glasses to improve foot wound treatment

Mixed-reality smart glasses with holographic features are set to revolutionise the treatment of leg and foot wounds for people with diabetes and vascular disease in regional and remote areas in the future. University of Adelaide researchers are leading the development of new software for a mixed-reality headset that will allow practitioners working in the city to “see through the eyes” of rural health workers in real time as they assess and treat patients’ leg and foot ulcers.

“This new technology will potentially change how wounds are treated and the way telemedicine is practiced,” said the University of Adelaide’s Professor Robert Fitridge from the Adelaide Medical School, who is chief investigator on this study. “Chronic ulcers on the lower limbs are a common problem and cause significant illness and diminished quality of life. The new software will allow health professionals in different locations to work more closely together, potentially preventing leg and foot amputations and saving lives,” he said.

“Seeing through the eyes of rural health workers to accurately diagnose and treat wounds will reduce the rates of emergency hospitalisations for rural and regional patients while frequently allowing them to stay in their home communities when they otherwise would have needed to come to a metropolitan hospital,” said Dr Neil McMillan, a researcher at the Adelaide Medical School. “There is an increasing need for this type of technology as the rates of diabetes and cardiovascular disease continue to rise. Reduced access to health services outside of the city contributes to delayed screening and detection of disease in rural communities, not to mention the financial burden on patients and the health system,” said Dr McMillan. Diabetes-related foot disease caused an estimated 1,700 deaths and more than 5,000 lower limb amputations in Australia in 2019–2020 alone.

To view The University of Adelaide article Smart glasses to improve diagnosis and treatment of foot wounds in full click here.

health worker using smart glasses to examine patient's feet

Image source: The University of Adelaide website.

Empowering communities with My Health Record

The Australian Digital Health Agency is hosting a webinar for consumers to learn more about the benefits of My Health Record and the my health app in supporting the preservation of bush medicine information, care on Country and community wellbeing.

There will also be an opportunity for questions and answers at the end of the session.

WHEN: Wednesday 5 July 2023

TIME: 1.00 – 1.30pm AEST

To register for the Empowering communities with My Health Record webinar click here.

AIDA My Health Record banner - logos of AIDA & My Health Record

PAMS wins social impact architecture award

Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub has been named a joint winner of the inaugural ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact. The award recognises projects that promote the common good and rewards architectural practice that preferences empathy over aesthetics. Situated in one of the remotest communities in Australia (1,200 km north of Perth), the project collaborated and consulted community, including the Nyiyaparli and Martu Elders. Now, the state-of-the-art health facility is infused with the needs and wishes of the users and serves as a significant meeting place.

The award’s jury chair Katelin Butler said, “Design excellence is not found in the creation of beautiful buildings alone. It is also found in the architectural process – that is, how the problem or brief is defined, who is empowered to be part of the journey, and who benefits from the outcome. How does the building work to support the client? How does it align with the broader public benefit? And how does the design itself enhance these benefits?”

The building designed by Kaunitz Yeung Architecture creates a visual narrative that emphasises inclusion and history of the local. Beyond aesthetics, the Health Hub has increased presentation rates for medical treatment by reducing the need to travel long distances for care.

Read more about the ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact here.

Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub (WA) courtyard

Puntukurnu AMS Healthcare Hub by Kaunitz Yeung Architecture. Photo: Robert Frith. Image source: Arch Daily.

Plan to deliver holistic mental health care for mob

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) has launched a three-year plan aiming to improve mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the region. The Aboriginal and Mental Health and Wellbeing Implementation Plan prioritises culturally safe and accessible care, and focuses on involving Aboriginal people in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of mental health services. Aboriginal community members participated in yarning sessions to provide feedback and share their mental health experiences.

ISLHD says it recognises the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in in-patient mental health services and highlights the need for a shift towards community-based care to better meet the community’s needs. That includes an emphasis on the importance of creating culturally inclusive and responsive services that address the historical trauma and barriers faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Fostering an environment of respect, empathy, and support, the plan aims to close the gap in mental health outcomes.

ISLHD CEO, Margot Mains said, “We commit to acknowledging the past and we commit to continuing to strive to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. We’ve worked hard to build a stronger workforce and a healthier Aboriginal community, but we have a long way to go.

Read the full Region Illawarra article Mental Health Plan aims to deliver holistic model of care for Aboriginal communities here.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District CEO Margo Mains, Clinical Lead Sharlene Cruikshank & Acting Director Mental Health Services Adam Bryant

At the launch of ISLHD’s Aboriginal Mental Health Plan: CEO Margot Mains, Clinical Lead Sharlene Cruikshank and Acting Director Mental Health Services Adam Bryant. Photo: Jen White. Image source: Region Illawarra.

Sector Jobs

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

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

31 May 2023

feature tile image: hand holding vape; text 'BIG TOBACCO SLAMMED "It's our duty to ensure young people know vaping is harmful, and those selling vapes to minors need to be stopped"

The image in the feature tile appeared in the article Maari Ma Slams Big Tobacco on World No Tobacco Day written by Stuart Kavanagh and published in the Barrier Truth yesterday Wednesday 30 May 2023.

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

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

Health leaders slam Big Tobacco

World No Tobacco Day is a time to inform the public on the dangers of using tobacco and highlight what the World Health Organisation (WHO) is doing to fight the tobacco epidemic. NSW ACCHO Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation is rallying against Big Tobacco’s insidious influence, calling for communities to join in the battle.

Maari Ma’s CEO, Richard Weston says there is an urgent need to support those trying to quit smoking and the young from health damages caused by vaping: “Health authorities are now reporting that 99% of vapes in Australia contain nicotine, and they are being marketed towards our young people – the next generation of smokers for Big Tobacco.”

Mr Weston said Big Tobacco is targeting the next generation of smokers with sweet-smelling, coloured and flavoured vapes laden with highly addictive nicotine. Despite the federal government’s recent introduction of regulations to prohibit selling vapes to anyone under the age of 18, schools have reported an alarming rise in vaping among students. Mr Weston said the entire community has a role to play in addressing this health crisis, “We are ready to support our community to kick the addiction and prevent our children from becoming the next generation of smokers through vaping.”

You can find out more about World Tobacco Day on the WHO website here and read the Barrier Truth article Maari Ma Slams Big Tobacco on World No Tobacco Day in full here.

Racism continues to plague lives of mob

Dr Hannah McGlade, Kurin Minang human rights expert and member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, says “Australia is a racist country. It has a racist history which continues to impact on the lives of Aboriginal people. Evidence of racism in Australia against Aboriginal people is extensive.” Nearly three decades on from her 1997 analysis of the Race Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) review, Dr McGlade said “with racism and racist views being displayed overtly to Aboriginal people, including from politicians, we must ask – how far have we really come in addressing racism, a serious violation of human rights?”

The issue of racism against Aboriginal people took national stage recently over the treatment of ABC journalist Stan Grant who stood down in the face of shocking racial abuse directed towards him and his family. This abuse had intensified during Grant’s reporting of the King’s Coronation where perspectives of Indigenous peoples on the Crown were aired. Initially no one from ABC’s management spoke publicly in his defense, although they had in the past done just that when it concerned a prominent white journalist who’d experienced harassment. Stan Grant told us to keep our sympathy for those in our community that don’t have his privilege, and who are feeling alone and abandoned.

Dr McGlade said that she has recently for the first time in her life been on the receiving end of racist emails, in response her speaking out about the children at Banksia Hill Detention Centre; Aboriginal children who’d had guns pointed at their heads by police after they rioted in response to successive lockdowns, which have been declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. Dr McGlade said she knew she could simply delete the racist messages and continue her human rights advocacy in relative safety. She acknowledged, however, that this was not so for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Racism continues to plague the lives of Aboriginal people in full click here.

ABC staff outside of ABC Sydney HQs holding 'I stand with Stan' signs

ABC staff gathered outside the organisation’s Sydney headquarters in support of Stan Grant. Photo: Keana Naughton, ABC News.

Ear health vital to improve education outcomes

Up to nine in 10 Aboriginal children in remote areas experience middle ear disease, according to Ear Science Institute Australia, which left untreated can cause hearing loss and have a profound effect on language development, education and employment. Ear Science Institute Australia recently formed a partnership with Mineral Resources (MinRes) to increase resourcing to the Lions Healthy Hearing Outback program for the Nyiyaparli and Martu people in the East Pilbara region in WA. Under the partnership Ear Science Institute Australia is able to deliver an integrated service model combining telehealth with an Ear Health Coordinator providing on-the-ground logistical support to patients that need treatment.

Audiologist Lucy Mitchell took on the role of Ear Health Coordinator in March and will travel to Newman, Jigalong, Punmu, Parnngurr and Kunawarritji to tackle what she described as “a massive social justice issue”. “Aboriginal children will experience ear disease earlier, sometimes from two weeks old, they’ll experience it more severely and more frequently than non-Aboriginal children. This will have long lasting impacts throughout someone’s life because if you can’t hear, you can’t learn,” she said. “Even with mild hearing loss it can be very difficult to hear the teacher in a classroom or to communicate with family at home. Overcrowding in housing, hygiene and nutrition are all factors that can contribute to poor ear health.”

The program is run by Ear Science, Rural Health West and the Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS), with MinRes’ $600,000 commitment over three years bolstering service delivery. Nurses and Aboriginal health workers in the communities will be trained to use a video otoscope that captures photographs and video inside a patient’s ear, with the examinations facilitated by an ENT specialist 1,600km away in Perth.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Tackling the ear health gap vital to improving education outcomes for Indigenous children in full click here.

Dr Anton Hinton-Bayre, ENT Consultant Aboriginal girl's ear

Dr Anton Hinton-Bayre, ENT Consultant, at work. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Uni receives $3.5m Birthing on Country grant

Imagine being 38 weeks pregnant and having to leave your family and community behind to travel hundreds of kms to get the care you and your baby will need for the birth. Though far from ideal, this is the reality many Aboriginal women in remote communities face when it’s time to have their babies – and it’s something Southern Cross University (SCU) and its partner organisations are committed to changing.

SCU has secured a $3.558m grant from the Department of Health and Aged Care to collaboratively scope and design an innovative program for Birthing on Country with three ACCHOs. The Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme – Workforce and Maternity Services Grant will include help for Aboriginal mums-to-be to quit smoking. The project will be led by Professor Gillian Gould and Australia’s first Aboriginal Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialist, Dr Marilyn Clarke, both from the University’s Faculty of Health.

“I’m very excited to be part of this successful research grant, which will allow the Birthing on Country movement in Australia to be further explored and integrated with culturally competent smoking cessation care.” said Dr Clarke. Professor Gould leads iSISTAQUIT, a program for pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are wanting to quit smoking. “We know that Birthing on Country has a very powerful impact on Aboriginal women, and that quitting smoking is one of the most important things they can do for their own health and the health of their babies,” said Professor Gould. “Coupling the already successful iSISTAQUIT program with a long-term plan to facilitate safe Birthing on Country will create a holistic pre-natal health plan for Aboriginal women living remotely.”

To view the Southern Cross University News article Southern Cross receives $3.5m Birthing on Country grant to improve Indigenous midwifery services and quit smoking program in full click here.

Professor Gillian Gould & Dr Marilyn Clarke holding iSISTAQUIT purple carboard frame text ' change starts with a chat - I'm helping mob to be smoke-free'

Project leads Professor Gillian Gould and Dr Marilyn Clarke. Image source: Southern University News webpage.

Study finds smoking target ‘cannot be achieved’

A plan to cut adult smoking rates in Australia to 5% by 2030 is likely to fall short by several years, the authors of new research have warned. The target, which also forms part of the recently published National Tobacco Strategy 2023–30, will not be met according to modelling carried out by the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney. Their research, available here, was published this month in the Tobacco Control journal.

The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicate around one in 10 adults (10.1%) smoked in 2021–22. However, while smoking has fallen significantly in recent decades – with more than one in four adults (26%) recorded as smokers as recently as 1998 – plans to halve the current rate by the end of the decade are not on track, the article suggests.

“[The] 5% adult daily smoking prevalence target cannot be achieved by the year 2030 based on current trends,’ the authors wrote. “Urgent investment in concerted strategies that prevent smoking initiation and facilitate cessation is necessary to achieve 5% prevalence by 2030.” Professor Nick Zwar, Chair of the RACGP’s smoking cessation guidelines’ Expert Advisory Group, agrees that without further action the target is likely to be missed. However, he remains hopeful of an improved outlook. “The recently released National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030 sets out actions, proposed by the Government at the Commonwealth level, which could change that situation,’ he said.

To view the RACGP newsGP article Smoking target ‘cannot be achieved’ on current trends: Study in full click here.

Aboriginal woman's hand holding a cigarette

Aboriginal smoking rates can be over 70% in some remote communities. In the early days after invasion Aboriginal people were paid with tobacco. Source: Creative Spirits webpage.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Reconciliation Week – 27 May–3 June

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) runs from 27 May to 3 June each year, with the dates representing significant milestones in the fight for justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Advocates say this year’s event is especially significant due to the upcoming Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum. NRW organisers say the 2023 mission is to encourage “all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise”. Each year, NRW features community events around the country that promote greater awareness and respect for First Nations culture and history and aims to strengthen the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.

In the regional city of Armidale in NW NSW, the anniversary of the Bridge Walk (28 May 2000) is marked with a community event at a local bridge, drawing 200 people from around the region for a day of music, speeches and food. Co-organiser Diana Eades said attendance has grown over the past 13 years.

“It’s the biggest event in this region for reconciliation. And really what we’ve been saying, especially this year now more than ever, is it is the time for non-Aboriginal people to stand with Aboriginal people very publicly and say that we stand for justice, equality, respect. And we stand against racism and scaremongering,” she said.
To read the SBS News article National Reconciliation Week is here. What does it represent and why is it significant? in full click here.
CEO of Reconciliation Australia Karen Mundine (right) addresses Stolen Generations survivors and advocates on the first day of Reconciliation Week 2023

CEO of Reconciliation Australia Karen Mundine (right) addresses Stolen Generations survivors and advocates on the first day of Reconciliation Week. Source: Image source: Twitter / Reconciliation Australia – SBS News website.

30 May 2023

The image in the feature tile is of Wiradjuri man Stan Grant as he announced he was taking some time out from his high-profile media role. Photo: Getty Images. Image source: article True Reconciliation or just history repeating? published on the University of Melbourne Pursuit webpage on 27 May 2023.

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

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

Protecting mental health in referendum lead up

Campaign messaging in the 2017 marriage equality plebiscite saw LGBTQIA+ communities experience frequest sex and gender discrimination. It’s beginning to feel like history is repeating itself, with hatred and racism toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people being shared publicly amongst Australian citizens amidst the referendum.

Discourse, particularly on social media, surrounding the Voice highlights the prevalence of racism in Australia. Proud Wiradjuri man, Stan Grant, who recently stepped down from his high-profile media role to prioritise his health, urged others to: “Please send that support and care to those of my people, and all people, who feel abandoned and alone, who are wondering whether they have a place in this country and do not have my privileges.”

There’s concern for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are faced with the current racist abuse dominating conversations across the country, who do not have a support network. The Government has provided extra funding to support mental health during this time, but the mental health system is still in crisis mode following COVID-19. The educational campaign promoting empathy understanding and social inclusivity needs to be intensified and promoted.

To view the Pursuit article True reconciliation or just history repeating? in full click here. You can also read a related article We need to learn from our mistakes in the Marriage Equality Voice and Support First Nations Peoples during the Voice debates published in Lifehacker Australia here.

The same-sex marriage Yes vote provided the LGBTQIA+ community with a feeling of being accepted and supported, protecting against poor mental health. Photo: Wikimedia. Image source: The University of Melbourne Pursuit webpage.

NACCHO Sexual Health Update webinar

Please join the NACCHO Communicable Diseases Team for an update on sexual health during the NACCHO Sexual Health Update webinar.

This webinar will include:

  • Review of the Kirby Surveillance Report
  • Changes to ASHM testing guidelines
  • Training/workshop needs in ACCHOs
  • Discussion and question time

WHEN: Wednesday 31 May 2023, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (AEST)

We look forward to having you attend the event!

To join the on-line webinar click here.

tile re NACCHO Communicable Diseases Team update on sexual health webinar

Aboriginal peacemakers discuss conflict resolution

Fifty “peacemakers” from remote communities across the NT have met in Katherine to discuss ways to resolve disputes without using violence. The program, run by the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), brought community leaders together last week from Yuendumu, Galiwin’ku, Wurrumiyanga, Lajamanu, Groote Eylandt and Yirrkala. Peacemaker Danny Garrawurra, from the remote community of Galiwin’ku, said he worked with service providers to resolve disputes while maintaining his Yolngu cultural obligations. “We are facing those problems within family to family, and it really is a struggle for us,” he said.

Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) showed the rates of hospitalisations of Indigenous Territorians due to assault were the highest in Australia, particularly in disadvantaged remote areas. Last week, a young man from Wadeye was sentenced to prison for his involvement in a violent riot that left a man dead.

NAAJA’s principal legal officer Nick Espie said local mediators required more support and resourcing to prevent family and domestic disputes from escalating. “There are a lot of people here that have worked very hard in this role that often takes a personal toll,” he said. “They’ve done this unnoticed, and often without funding and without being paid.”

To view the ABC News article Aboriginal peacemakers meet to discuss conflict resolution in remote NT communities in full click here.

Aboriginal peacemaker Danny Garrawurra from Galiwin'ku green shirt standing against tree

Peacemaker Danny Garrawurra from remote community of Galiwin’ku. Photo: Samantha Dick. Image source: ABC News.

ACCHO hosts family violence forum

Domestic and family violence is disturbingly common in the Orana region, with 2,860 incidents recorded by NSW Police between 2021 and 2022. The real number though is much higher as many victims will never report their experiences, and this is something that needs to change. To help foster this, the Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Services (WACHS) hosted a domestic violence forum called ‘Let’s Make Change’ last week on Thursday, 25 May 2023.

One of the guest speakers at the event was notorious bank robber turned Indigenous leader and lifestyle coach Jeff Morgan, who after experiencing homelessness and spending more than 18 years in maximum security prison turned his life around by embracing important lessons from his crimes and accepting accountability and changing his mindset. Experiencing abuse as a young man and growing up in Redfern, Sydney, Mr Morgan has seen the impact of domestic violence both personally and within communities.

He now travels the country delivering well-being and mindset programs, believing that if things are going to change with domestic violence there is a genuine need for role modelling and facilitating honest conversations. Mr Morgan said he wanted the Wellington domestic violence forum to be a place where residents could sit with a “taboo” topic and have “courageous” conversations so they could learn new skills, ideas, tips, or tools to change their outlook on domestic violence.

“You plant the seeds, and you nurture it and all of a sudden you’re creating more leaders and you’re building on resilience throughout the community,” he said. Mr Morgan said forums like this were important not only for the adults but to educate the next generation. “Everything is around your habits, and I know after 18 years in jail as a bank robber, my habits were about survival initially and that evolved into a life of crime,” he said. “Then that one courageous conversation helped me tap into a different version of myself and one I couldn’t see before. Mr Morgan urges people to go to events and forums like this one to listen and learn as much as you can.

The above has been taken from an article Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Services hosts domestic violence forum published in the Daily Liberal yesterday, 29 May 2023.

Lewis Bird, Leteisha Peckham, Ursula Honeysett, Jay Forrester, and Jeffrey Morgan standing in front of sign 'Domestic Violence Forum - End the Silence' Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service logo

Lewis Bird, Leteisha Peckham, Ursula Honeysett, Jay Forrester, and Jeffrey Morgan. Photo: Belinda Soole. Image source: Daily Liberal.

New culturally appropriate PCOS resource

A prominent women’s health organisation says there is an “unmet need” for culturally appropriate information around Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in remote Central Australian communities. PCOS is a condition caused by a hormone imbalance which results in painful or irregular periods, excessive facial or body hair, weight gain, challenges with fertility and in many cases insulin resistance.

Jean Hailes CEO Sarah White said while PCOS generally impacted one in 10 women, among Indigenous women that rate was as high as one in six. She said this was compounded by research showing Indigenous women were more likely to forego general health appointments or not engage with their GP around the issue. “There’s been a lot of research which says Aboriginal women feel like they face more barriers in terms of seeing a doctor or being heard by a health professional,” she said.

Working alongside Alukura Women’s Health Service on behalf of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, a team from Jean Hailes has been engaging with Arrernte communities around Alice Springs to produce culturally sensitive resources around PCOS. She said they found information around PCOS and periods in general were missing in ways communities could relate to or understand, or were culturally appropriate.

“For Aboriginal women it was very much understanding the language they used to describe symptoms, the resources are also badged very clearly as being women only because these are issues that are only acceptable to discuss in front of other women and not with men,” she said. Released in late 2022, the resources are now in their third print run in less than six months.

She said the organisation was receiving orders from “all over Australia” including Queensland and Victoria, with the resource opening up conversations nationally. “I think uptake from around Australia demonstrates there is very much an unmet need in terms of having resources that are culturally appropriate,” she said. “A lot of women think that periods should just be painful, we rarely talk about women’s health issues, one of things we can do with these resources now is bring these issues into the open.”

To above was extracted from an article New resource tackles ‘unmet need’ for culturally appropriate information on PCOS published in The Chronical on Saturday 27 May 2023.

cartoon drawing of ATSI woman with acne looking in the mirror

An illustration featured in the resources, which Ms White says is helping more women discuss PCOS and women’s health in general. Picture: Illustration by Coolamon Creative 2022. Image source: The Chronicle.

Sector Jobs

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

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

Key Date – Reconciliation Week – 27 May–3 June 2023

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time 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. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023, Be a Voice for Generations, encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise, and urges all Australians to use their power, their words and their actions to create a better, more just Australia for all of us.

For the work of generations past, and the benefit of generations future, let’s choose to create a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all. Reconciliation Australia’s research shows large community support for the next steps in Australia’s reconciliation journey, including the Voice to Parliament, treaty making and truth-telling.

You can learn more about the history of NRW here and read more about what Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine has to say about the NRW 2023 theme here.