• New national screening program aims to prevent many lung cancer deaths
• First Nations leaders urge ‘bold’ reforms on truth, treaty and closing the gap
• New ABS data reveals 1 in 6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are living with diabetes, one of the highest rates in the world
• Strong Born, Strong Communities: New FASD Guidelines empower healthy futures
• Helping Indigenous families navigate genomic health
• Sector Jobs

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

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

New national screening program aims to prevent many lung cancer deaths

On 1 July, just seven weeks from now, Australia will become one of the few countries in the world to launch a national lung cancer screening program, hoping to save hundreds of lives a year by finding and treating lung cancer earlier.

Despite dramatic cuts to smoking rates in Australia, lung cancer is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, behind breast, prostate, colorectal cancer and melanoma. It is the leading cause of cancer death every year.’

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the toll is higher, in every age group: it is both the most common type of cancer and the most common cause of cancer death. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are twice as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to both be diagnosed with and to die from lung cancer.

Peter Bligh, a Kullilli and Wakka Wakka man and director of cancer for the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), hopes the screening program will “turn the tide” for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

He is optimistic the program will be effective, so long as it builds on the strengths and resilience of communities and invests strongly in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce to address barriers like access, stigma and lack of cultural safety.

“It’s Closing the Gap in a way that’s meaningful for communities,” he told Croakey.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

First Nations leaders urge ‘bold’ reforms on truth, treaty and closing the gap

The Albanese government must use its historic mandate and standing with the electorate to deliver the remaining reforms of the Uluru Statement, namely treaty and truth-telling, Indigenous leaders say.

Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO who has spent decades working with governments to improve the lives of First Nations people, said the returning Albanese government “can’t rest on their laurels”.

“I’m really pleased that the Labor government has been returned,” she told Bridget Brennan on ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday.

“The alternative was unthinkable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

But as one of the architects of the Closing the Gap national agreement, she said she was putting the government on notice because “there is so much to be done”.

Ms Turner said she wanted the federal government to take a stronger role in lifting the age of criminal responsibility, deliver needs-based funding to the community-controlled sector and finalise the Coalition of Peaks’s economic development partnership with Treasury.

“Closing the Gap is every minister’s responsibility, not just Malarndirri McCarthy’s, it belongs to every minister in the federal cabinet,” she said.

Read more here.

Pat Turner, NACCHO CEO on ABC News Breakfast.

New ABS data reveals 1 in 6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are living with diabetes, one of the highest rates in the world

1 in 6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are living with diabetes. 1 in 5 don’t even know they have it.

At NACCHO, we are taking action. In partnership with the Bupa Foundation, we’re training up to 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers in culturally safe diabetes prevention, supporting local, community-led care.

This partnership invests in our people and recognises that solutions must come from within our communities. It’s a bold step to close the health gap, reduce preventable deaths, and build a stronger health workforce across the country.

Diabetes is the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and the fourth for men. But with the right training, early detection, and culturally safe care, we can change the story.

Learn more here.

Watch Dr Jason Agostino, NACCHO Senior Medical Advisor on NITV (from 02:48 onwards).

Image source: NACCHO

Strong Born, Strong Communities: New FASD Guidelines empower healthy futures

The University of Queensland has released Australia’s first national clinical guidelines for the assessment and diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), aiming to improve early intervention, reduce stigma, and increase access to support across all communities.

The release of the guidelines aligns with the Strong Born campaign, launched by the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and supported by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.

Gudanji-Arrernte woman and NACCHO CEO Pat Turner said the campaign is focused on raising awareness and reducing shame around FASD in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

“The Strong Born campaign is about raising awareness and understanding of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and reducing stigma and shame,” Ms Turner said.

“Growing strong healthy mums and bubs leads to healthy communities.”

The new guidelines are expected to support national efforts like Strong Born by equipping more practitioners with the tools to identify and support individuals with FASD, particularly in regional and remote communities.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Helping Indigenous families navigate genomic health

Being diagnosed with a genetic disease can be challenging for many people and their families, but it is hoped new resources will help them feel more empowered and less alone.

After working with First Nations communities over a decade, National Centre of Indigenous Genomics deputy director Azure Hermes said she had heard many stories from people navigating genomic health services.

“Patients and families were saying ‘I’m finding it difficult to understand what a genetic counsellor is, I don’t know what their job is’, or ‘I don’t know the questions I should ask’,” the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji woman told AAP.

The centre, alongside community organisations and with support from Australian Genomics, developed a series of animations, live videos and fact sheets exploring rare disease, DNA, genomics research and what to expect during appointments at a genetic health service.

The resources are being translated into Yolngu Matha, Anindilyakwa, Torres Strait Island creole, Warlpiri and Pitjantjatjara languages.

Read more here.

Navigating the health system after a genetic disease diagnosis can be complex, Azure Hermes says. (Image: Azure Hermes/AAP PHOTOS)

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.