NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Let communities control their own destiny

feature tile: image of 2 AHWs Carbal Medical Services (QLD) injecting ATSI baby in thighs; text 'Giving mob budgets and control over health services would close the gap better than Canberra bureaucrats'

The image in the feature tile is from the Carbal Medical Services (Qld) website, Aboriginal Health Workers – Improving Crucial Health Outcomes In Our Community webpage here.

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

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

Let communities control their own destiny

Canberra’s most senior public servant has urged his colleagues to relinquish power over Indigenous funding decisions and allocations to First Nations communities themselves. Professor Glyn Davis, who is secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, told the Institute of Public Administration Australia on Tuesday this week (5 December 2023) that giving Indigenous communities budgets and control over their employment, health and housing services would close the gap better than Canberra bureaucrats.

In the wake of the failed Voice referendum, the federal public service boss told sector leaders he expected a more hybrid delivery of Indigenous services to evolve after repeated failures of private models tackling Indigenous disadvantage. Professor Davis said that after 40 years of increased outsourcing, the future of public administration was now up for debate. “Empowered communities provide a vital way to address consistent program failure,” he said. “We will never close the gap if public servants in Canberra think we can solve the housing, employment and educational challenges of (Indigenous communities).

Professor Davis’ comments follow a damning Productivity Commission draft report on the Closing the Gap Indigenous program, which was highly critical of federal attempts to work more collaboratively with communities. The report described engagement as “tokenistic”, citing unrealistic time frames for meaningful community input from agencies, who provided limited feedback on how input had shaped policy decisions.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Let Indigenous communities control their destiny, Canberra’s top public servant says full click here.

satellite view of remote Aboriginal community Papunya, 240 kms from Alice Springs

Professor Davis cited Papunya, 240 kms from Alice Springs as an example of why a change in thinking and approach are needed. Image source: BushTel Papunya Profile, NT Government.

2023 HIV Awareness Week Trivia Champions

Yesterday’s 2023 HIV Awareness Week Trivia competition was a resounding success – 36 teams registered and 19 teams completed all trivia questions on the day. Some interesting results from the quiz included:

  • 10/19 teams successfully answered the question: What is unusual about an echidna’s penis? 1. It is wider than it is longer 2. It can rotate 360 degrees 3. It has four heads 4. It is green
  • 4/19 teams were able to correctly answer one of the more difficult questions: What is the name of the HIV surface protein that binds with the CD4+ Receptor of the human immune cells?  1. P17 2. P24 3. Gp120 4. Gp41
  • only one question got 19/19 correct responses: There is often no sign or symptoms that you have HIV, and many people with HIV feel well for years? True or False
  • only 3/19 were able to correctly answer the following two questions: 1. What is the most consumed manufactured drink in the world? 2. How many vaginal tunnels does a female Koala have?

Everyone put your hands together for AWAHSAlbury Wadonga Aboriginal Health Service, who are the 2023 HIV Awareness Week TRIVIA CHAMPIONS!

In second place we have Wurli WonderersWurli Wurlinjang Health Service, Katherine, NT

And bronze goes to ST MobCentral Australian Aboriginal Congress – Santa Teresa Clinic, NT

We asked you all to show up in your best sexual health costumes and you took us seriously! But there could only be one winner… a big shout out to Wurli Wurlinjang Health Service who took home Best Costume (voted by Dr Dawn Casey, NACCHO Acting CEO).

Congratulations also to Ord Valley Aboriginal Health Service for winning Best Prop for Dinosaur Bone (which can’t be posted here – if you know, you know 🦴).

VOTING is now open for People’s Choice, using this link.

We hope you all had a fabulous time, and we can’t wait for next year! 🤩

Steven Oliver, NACCHO staff dressed up for HIV Awareness Week Trivia

NACCHO 2023 HIV Awareness Week Trivia host comedian Steven Oliver and NACCHO staff dressed for the event. Image source: NACCHO.

Experts respond to NDIS review recommendations

Findings from an extensive review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), available here, have been released with ideas on how to transform it. Scott Avery, Policy and Research Director, First Peoples Disability Network said “the barometer for judging the NDIS review is the extent to which it advances a vision for a disability services sector that is anti-ableist and anti-racist, and accommodates a First Nations culture inclusive of people with disability in both word and action.”

Mr Avery said “There is one overarching recommendation that is specific to First Nations people with disability which is for the establishment of an alternative commissioning process to be creating in partnership with First Nations representatives, communities, participants and relevant government agencies. This can be read alongside the recommendations of the disability royal commission to make the NDIS more inclusive of First Nations decision-making in its governance and leadership.”

“What is understated in this report and others,” Mr Avery continued, “is the extent of the organisational change the NDIS and other organisations in the disability sector need to own to give meaningful effect to the dream of an authentically inclusive scheme. First Nations people with disability have been lending their wisdom and voice to one inquiry or another for what has seemed like a generation. Each inquiry has delved deeply into the trauma stories from our community, but at the same time has placed decision-making on implementation into a holding pattern. Disability community leadership and self-determination seems to be the consensus recommendation both the NDIS review and the disability royal commission have landed on. Can we now just get on with it please?”

To view The National Tribune article Recommendations to reboot the NDIS have finally been released. 5 experts react in full click here. Below is the The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister for Government Services address to National Press Club of Australia yesterday on “The NDIS Review”.

Cultural lens on pandemic preparedness

The success of Indigenous communities and health services in protecting Elders during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia is known all over the world. What we know less about are the experiences and perspectives of those who were shielded. An interesting research project, presented at the recent HEAL 2023 Conference, sought to capture some of these experiences using yarning circle workshops. The research team, led by Professor Pat Dudgeon AM and Professor Helen Milroy AM from the Bilya Marlee School of Indigenous Studies, at the University of WA, also sought and received insights about how future public health responses could be improved. Their findings will help form a submission to an ongoing inquiry into Australia’s COVID-19 response.

At the  HEAL 2023 Conference, Amie Furlong, from the University of Canberra, and Selina Edmonds, chair of the Miya Kaadadjiny (Learning Sanctuary) Community Centre in WA, delivered a joint presentation based on research undertaken to gain a better understanding about measures to keep Aboriginal Elders safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Older people are more likely to be negatively impacted by COVID-19, and previous research and experience on disasters has shown that pandemic responses need to be “fair, equitable and dignified for Aboriginal people”, Edmonds told the conference.

Aboriginal people have often been left out of critical planning and decision-making in the past, Edmonds said. It is important to include their voices in disaster response and management plans. Furlong said the lessons from this research will help provide practical suggestions and lessons learned about the pandemic for governments and organisations working in public health and emergencies.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Bringing a cultural lens to pandemic preparedness: Aboriginal Elders share their learnings from COVID in full click here.

gum leaves, wattle, woven basket, painted emu eggs

Artwork on display at the yarning workshops. Photo: Angela Ryder Am and Carolyn Mascall.

Fewer complaints about bad behaviour

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)’s end of year report has some good news for medical professionals, with an 8.6% drop nationally in notifications made about bad behaviour and 1.5% of registered health practitioners having a concern raised about them in 2022-23. The 17,096 notifications made across the country related to 13,584 individuals. 

Ahpra said the sustained increase in reports over the past two years reinforced its blueprint for reform, which has already seen a public review of the criminal history registration standard, the rollout of specialist investigators and an expansion of the Notifier Support Service, staffed by social workers.   

Ahpra’s CEO Martin Fletcher said  more work was needed to increase the rates of practitioners identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander working in the nation’s health systems. In 2022-23, only 10,813 health practitioners identify as Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander – just 1.2% of all registered health practitioners, and well short of the 3.8% representation in the general population.  

To view the Medical Forum article Fewer complaints about bad behaviour in full click here.

doctor in scrubs giving the finger

Image source: Medical Forum.

ALP and NZ U-turn on Indigenous affairs

The Voice referendum dominated the national discourse for much of this year. The result was a major setback for the government. Where does that leave the PM’s policy on Indigenous affairs? When asked about his commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart on 15 October, he simply expressed his respect for the outcome of the referendum. There was no mention of treaty or truth telling.

No doubt ALP strategists are currently considering their political options. It would be surprising if they weren’t also analysing NZ’s latest election. The previous Labour government took many steps aimed at improving the lives of Indigenous NZers. These included establishing a separate Māori Health Authority, commissioning He Puapua (a report on meeting the goals in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), promoting the use of the Māori language, and pursuing ‘co-governance’ (the sharing of certain governance arrangements between Māori and non-Māori). However, many of these steps proved controversial and were opposed during the election by National, ACT, and NZ First.

The election was a disaster for the Labour government. Its support crashed to just 27%, down from 50% in 2020. The number of its parliamentary seats nearly halved. There are many explanations offered for this wipeout – but the explanation that may trouble the ALP in Australia’s post-referendum environment is that significant sections of the kiwi electorate rejected Labour’s progressive agenda on Māori issues. Given the Voice referendum and the kiwi election, ALP strategists may worry that pursuing too progressive an Indigenous agenda in Australia could come at a significant electoral cost.

To view the Pearls and Irritations John Menadue’s Public Policy Journal article The ALP and NZ’s U-turn on Indigenous affairs in full click here.

Uluru Statement from the Heart

Uluru Statement from the Heart. Image source: Pearls and Irritations blog.

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.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Concerns about rising NT COVID-19 cases

feature tile: image of COVID-19 cells; text ' CAAC concerned about rise in NT COVID-19 cases especially amongst older and more vulnerable patients'

The image in the feature tile is from an ABC News video Australia records 23.6 per cent spike in COVID cases amid eighth wave published on 4 November 2023.

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

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

Concerns about rising NT COVID-19 cases

As an eighth wave of COVID-19 sweeps across Australia there has been a sharp rise in the number of people contracting the virus in the NT. This is of particular concern in the NT, where vaccine booster numbers remain low. Only an estimated 43% of NT residents 75 years and over have received a COVID-19 vaccination in 2023.

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC), the NT’s largest ACCHO, says the rise of cases – especially amongst older and more vulnerable patients – is concerning, “COVID-19 is a virus that affects the vascular system. This brings with it an increased risk of subsequent cardiac events and strokes; a big concern in our population where there are already too many people at high cardiovascular risk. The threat of severe illness continues to be greater for older patients and for those with chronic disease or other frailties. Unfortunately, Aboriginal people are over-represented in this category.”

The CAAC said the messaging around COVID-19 hadn’t changed, “Stopping transmission is the way to protect yourself and your loved ones. Wash your hands and cough/sneeze safely. Wear a mask if you are in crowded indoor settings. Stay home if you feel sick and be sure to self-test using a RAT.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article COVID-19 cases in the NT a worry for Indigenous health group in full click here.

CAAC health worker drawing COVID-19 vaccination

Photo: Samantha Jonscher. Image source: ABC News.

Resources support culturally responsive early learning

Be You, the national mental health and wellbeing in education initiative, has developed a suite of resources to help educators improve cultural responsiveness in early learning services and schools. The resources invite genuine connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities by supporting educators to create inclusive spaces where cultural diversity is celebrated.

Co-designed with a panel of First Nations Peoples, the resources aim to be an important step towards creating safe, welcoming and culturally responsive early learning services and schools. Nina Ross, Senior Officer Professional Learning Curriculum at Narragunnawali, Reconciliation in Education, was one of the panelists, and says the resources are very much needed. “This was a special thing to be a part of, as an Aboriginal person,” she said, also stating that the resources are a great tool to support non-Aboriginal or non- Indigenous people.

Ms Ross said that “With updates to the Early Years Learning Framework, new version of the National Curriculum and the current social and political change happening right now in Australia, educators need this resource to help with conversations and relationship building. There are a lot of children and young people who will benefit from this in their education setting.”

You can access the resources here, and view The Sector article Be You releases series of resources to support culturally respectful engagement in full click here.

ATSI educator with 4 young kids painting with hands

Image source: Be You website.

Dermatologists question NSW pharmacy trial

From next year, pharmacists will be able to prescribe medications for certain skin conditions as part of a statewide trial. The Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) has expressed “concerns” about the NSW Government’s plan to include some skin conditions in the state’s pharmacy prescribing trial, where participating pharmacists will be authorised to supply certain medicines without a prescription,  saying the risk of misdiagnosis could lead to incorrect treatment and dangerous delays to treatment.

An ACD spokesperson said “The ACD fully supports pharmacists working within medically led, multidisciplinary team-based settings such as general practices and ACCHOs and as part of appropriate clinically governed teams. These allow the pharmacist to work collaboratively with GPs and other health professionals to support the quality and safe use of medicines through patient education and medication governance activities and can help reduce medication misadventures during transitions of care between settings.

“However, we do have concerns about pharmacist prescribing models, particularly outside of GP-led team-based primary care setting. Some serious and malignant conditions can masquerade as common diseases of the skin. Misdiagnosis can lead to incorrect treatment, dangerous delays to appropriate treatment, and result in patients experiencing significant financial burden due to ineffective treatments.”

To view The Medical Republic article ‘Concerned’: dermatologists respond to NSW pharmacy trial in full click here.

ATSI man rubbing clay in palm of hands

Image source: Dermatology Australia, Skin Disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples webpage.

Health of young Australians on the decline

The health of a nation’s children and the ability for them to live longer and healthier lives than those who came before is often considered one of the key indicators of societal progress. Australia is consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the world per capita, however the health of children in Australia not only stagnating, but in some cases moving backwards.

This week saw the launch of a new national framework, Future Healthy Countdown 2030, to track the health of young people The framework will deliver annual reports in hopes of encouraging real systemic change in healthcare offerings over the next seven years.

A recent report published in The Medical Journal of Australia, highlights the factors that have led to growing negative health outcomes for children in Australia, including increasing wealth inequality, low levels of children achieving physical activity recommendations, and higher rates of psychological distress compared with older adults.

You can listen to the SBS News podcast Headlines on Health – Why is the health of young Australians on the decline? and read a transcript of the podcast here.

SBS News tile: Headlines on Health - Why is the health of young Australians on the decline? - 07:23 minutes

Image source: SBS News.

New resources for mob living with arthritis

The prevalence of arthritis conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples is 17%, compared to 13% among non-Aboriginal Australians. They also experience poorer access to healthcare, with Australia’s First Nations people half as likely to access primary care or to receive hip or knee replacement surgery to address osteoarthritis than non-Aboriginal people. Culturally appropriate information, communication and healthcare delivery are essential to improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

Arthritis Australia has launched Australia’s first culturally appropriate resources developed to support and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living with the chronic health conditions osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face higher rates of arthritis and autoimmune conditions. The Staying Moving Staying Strong project, funded by the Australian Government, is underpinned by the principle of cultural security. It has involved strong engagement with Aboriginal community members and a rigorous review of clinical practice guidelines, resulting in several academic publications.

Arthritis Australia CEO Jonathan Smithers said, “The Staying Moving Staying Strong resources are an important step towards providing better health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with these often debilitating conditions. We are incredibly proud of the work of the project team and grateful for the contribution of Aboriginal community members.”

To view The National Tribune article New resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and gout in full click here. You can also find more information about the Staying Moving, Staying Strong Project on the Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA website here.

image of 4 Arthritis resources for ATSI - Aboriginal painting in ochre, blue & brown on covers

Image source: Arthritis WA website.

Indigenous cadetship program a first for ERH

A second year ACU nursing student, Tazarni Clarke applied and was accepted to Echuca Regional Health’s first Indigenous cadetship program funded by the Department of Health. The program was created with the express purpose of increasing the number of Aboriginal nursing and allied health students, offering an opportunity to have paid work experience within a public health service and develop work readiness skills.

Ms Clarke said that part of her desire to work remotely is an understanding of how much work and care is required in these areas. “I want to work with those communities because the healthcare is so limited there and access to it and getting people to work there is very limited. I want to go out and explore and help out where I can,” she said.

Acting director of health at Njernda Kim Warde said it was a great experience for students. “You get a really good insight into the care of diabetic and chronic clients, what’s involved with the care of them and management plans. So, you’ll get a good experience,” she said. Having more local students working within the community will also be an important asset within the region, according to Ms Warde. “It really helps when you’re dealing with community. It really does break down a lot of barriers when you are from the community. So, I think it’s a good thing to have these students,” she said.

To read the Shepperton News article ERH welcomes new cadetship program in full click here.

L-R: Acting Director of Health at Njernda Kim Warde, Indigenous second year nursing student Tazarni Clarke, Director of Nursing Michelle Shingles and Director of Education Training and Research Meaghan Douglas

L-R: Acting Director of Health at Njernda Kim Warde, Indigenous second year nursing student Tazarni Clarke, Director of Nursing Michelle Shingles and Director of Education Training and Research Meaghan Douglas. Photo: Aidan Briggs. Image source: Shepparton News.

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.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Fight to shift dial on CTG has not ended

feature tile image: young ATSI boy clutching chest, looking up to camera with big smile; text 'Fight to Close the Gap has not ended despite Voice referendum result'

The image in the feature tile is from page 10 of the Barhava Report Indi Kindi Impact Report August 2020, available here.

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

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

Fight to shift dial on CTG has not ended

Victoria’s Minister for Treaty and First Peoples and key delegates in the state have declared the fight to shift the dial on positive outcomes has not ended despite October’s unsuccessful Voice referendum, with key goals in place before the end of the current government’s term. The Joint Council for Closing the Gap (CTG) held their first meeting following the result in Naarm (Melbourne) last Thursday (23 November 2023). State ministers responsible for Indigenous affairs, federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, and Coalition of Peaks, local government and First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria representatives attended the gathering. Recently re-appointed Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Natalia Hutchins said her government “remains steadfast in our commitment in progressing voice, truth and treaty with our First Peoples”.

Co-chair of Ngaweeyan Maar-oo (Voice of the People) – the Koori Caucus of Victoria’s Partnership Forum towards Closing the Gap, Lisa Briggs, said the journey towards better outcomes is “gaining momentum” despite being “challenging work”. Victoria’s implementation plan towards CTG has four priority areas; Formal partnerships and shared decision-making; Building the community-controlled sector; Transforming government organisations; and Shared access to data and information at a regional level.

“The priority reforms are intended to drive the structural changes needed to see meaningful improvements,” Ms Briggs said. First People’s Assembly co-chair Ngurra Murray said the assembly wants input on policy, and to see decision making in community. “We believe decisions about Aboriginal people should be made by Aboriginal people. Not just because it’s morally right, but it delivers better outcomes,” Ms Murray said. “My message to government is if you want to close the gaps, then give everyone an equal opportunity to implement our solutions. She said while “we can’t change history”, there is a need to address ongoing impacts of colonisation negatively affecting First Nations people.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Closing the Gap Joint Council meet for first time post-referendum in full click here.

Victoria's Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Natalia Hutchins at podium

Victoria’s Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Natalia Hutchins. Photo: Natalie Hutchins MP Facebook. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Flinders Uni empowers future health professionals

A group of 12 Indigenous students are celebrating a huge milestone on the path to becoming a doctor after successfully completing the 2023 Indigenous Entry Stream (IES) at Flinders University. Five students in NT and seven in SA have completed the program which provides Indigenous people with an alternative route to pursue a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.

Now in its 11th year, Flinders University offers this program to potential students wishing to study medicine who do not have a valid GAMSAT score. Arrernte woman and Program Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathways in Medicine, College of Medicine and Public Health, Kath Martin is pleased to report that the IES has just seen their biggest intake since the programs inception.

“This is the biggest intake we’ve had (12). Previously we’ve got about 5 or 6 in total,” she said. “The IES is about preparing them for what’s required of them when they come into the medial program where they get a taste of what they’ll be studying like Anatomy and science.” IES participants get acquainted with cultural, academic, and social support staff and available programs for potential progression into medicine studies.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Flinders University is empowering future Indigenous health professionals in full click here.

looking at replicas of body parts: Sophie L'Estrange (IES participant) with Jason Baird & Jahdai Vigona (Flinders staff)

Sophie L’Estrange (IES participant) with Jason Baird & Jahdai Vigona (Flinders staff). Photo: Flinders University. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

$1.7m for Indigenous health research

Millions of dollars have been invested in five Hunter research projects through federal government health and medical funding. Two projects led by University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute researchers received $1.7m through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Indigenous Health Research scheme.

Professor Kirsty Pringle received $726,149 as part of The Gomeroi Gaaynggal Breastfeeding Study, a community-led program to support breastfeeding Indigenous families and Associate professor Michelle Kennedy was awarded $999,186 for Koori Quit Pack, support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to quit smoking.

To view the Newcastle Herald article Millions of dollars for Newcastle research teams in full click here. You can also access the Gomeroi Gaaynggal Study website here.

mum holding toddler & ATSI dad holding young girl standing in a paddock

Image source: Gomeroi Gaaynggal Study website.

New adult COVID-19, flu, shingles vax plan needed

Governments should create a new national plan to make adult vaccination as robust as childhood vaccines, as rates lag across dangerous diseases and misinformation increases, according to a new report. A Grattan Institute report published today has found Australia “urgently needs a policy reset” with data showing rates of adult vaccination against COVID-19, flu, shingles and pneumococcal disease are far too low.

Beyond childhood, adults are recommended to get the influenza vaccine every year, the shingles vaccine at 65 and the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against a bacteria which can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infection and meningitis, at 70. Indigenous Australians and adults with medical risks are recommended to get these vaccines earlier. However, the report – titled A fair shot: How to close the vaccination gap – has found fewer than half of all Australians in their 70s are vaccinated for shingles, and only one in five are vaccinated for pneumococcal disease.

The report also highlights that rates of COVID-19 vaccination have “plunged”, with two and a half million people over the age of 65 not up-to-date with their vaccinations at the start of winter 2023 – two million more than a year earlier. The report found certain sectors of the population were more likely to miss out, including people who are not proficient in English, Indigenous, living in rural areas and poorer Australians. “Recent vaccination for the poorest people is nearly 40% lower than it is for the richest people, and the poorest people are nearly 20% less likely to be vaccinated against flu,” the report said. It also found people who didn’t speak English at home were only half as likely to get recommended COVID-19 vaccinations, while Indigenous people were a third less likely.

To view The Guardian article Australia needs new adult vaccination plan for Covid, flu and shingles, report warns in full click here.

woman from AHCWA receives COVID-19 vaccination

A woman receives the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo: Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services. Image source: The Guardian.

Nathan is proud of his old man for reaching out

Nathan Appo understands the importance of knowing when to reach out for help. The Brisbane resident and prominent Voice campaigner has worked in Indigenous health for years and watched his father struggle with depression and anxiety. “I’m really proud of my old man for eventually saying, “I need to go and see a doctor and get help”. “To see where he is now and how he looks after his health and how he reaches out for help when he needs it is really empowering.”

And Appo, a Mamu man from Innisfail with connections to Goreng Goreng and Bundjalung Country, recently did the same after spending more than a year campaigning for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. “I knew how I would feel if the vote didn’t get up, so I booked to see a counsellor straight away,” he says. In the lead-up to the referendum, he door-knocked Brisbane suburbs, hosted town halls, led Yes marches and handed out flyers at polling booths. While he never lost hope, by the campaign’s end his efforts on the frontline had taken a toll on his mental health.

“When I was polling, I had people racially abusing me, people try to fight me,” Appo says. “The discrimination and racism and the attacks on my identity and culture, the slander, it all really affected me, and I think it will have an effect on me for a long time.” But weeks after the referendum result, Appo was back on the campaign trail, this time as an ambassador for Movember. “The work doesn’t stop,” he says. Appo has grown his moustache to raise awareness for men’s health issues, including men’s suicide, for the past eight years.

To view The Age article ‘I’m really proud of my old man for saying he needed to get help’ in full click here.

Nathan Appo with arm around his dad's shoulders

Nathan Appo (right) is growing his moustache for the eighth year in a row to raise awareness around men’s health issues, inspired in part by his father’s mental health struggles. Image source: The Age.

Value of lived experience in creating change

Award winning founder of Yindamara Mens Healing Group, More Cultural Rehabs, Less Jails and co-founder of Brothers 4 Recovery Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Proud Wiradjuri man Jeffery Amatto, is an example of how recognising the value of lived experience can create the change our country needs. Mr Amatto, an advocate and presenter, has travelled more than 350,000 kms delivering workshops across Australia sharing his inspiring journey of grit, strength and resilience to uplift and give hope to others who are experiencing struggles similar to what he survived.

Bringing knowledge and passion to his work, Mr Amatto has a lived experience of incarceration, addiction and growing up black in the regional town of Wellington, New South Wales which he fondly refers to as god’s country. He currently resides on Darkinjung Country, a place he feels privileged to call home, because that is where his healing happened at a cultural rehab centre – The Glen.

As a child Mr Amatto was exposed to the negative impacts of intergenerational trauma including poverty, alcoholism and gambling, yet he still reflects on his childhood with positive memories of growing up and the strong relationship he had with his mum, nan and pop, and culture. “As a kid growing up, back home I loved it, I loved being back on country. It was a normal thing to go down to the river swimming and playing at the park or fishing,” he said. “We didn’t have the material things, but what we had was the three most important things for us as Indigenous people which was love, culture and respect.” Whilst there were good times growing up, once alcohol and gambling had started infiltrating his home life by age of five, his memories start to change.

To view the National Indigenous Times article More Cultural Rehabs, Less Jails founder Jeffrey Amatto on culture and lived experience in full click here.

Jeffery Amatto with white body paint & male ATSI youth with white body paint on beach

Mr Amatto sharing knowledge with the next generations. 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.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Calls for AHWs in prisons “day and night”

feature tile: ATSI man's hands through blue prison bars; text 'Calls for Aboriginal Health Workers to be based in the prison system “day and night”

The image in the feature tile is from an article Calls for ‘Urgent Reform’ to Address Skyrocketing Indigenous Incarceration Rate published by Pro Bono Australia on 11 July 2017.

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

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

Calls for AHWs in prisons “day and night”

The mother-in-law of Wayne Ugle, the young Noongar father who died in custody on 6 November, has called for Aboriginal Health Workers to be based in the prison system “day and night”. Margaret Kelly said the family received formal confirmation that Mr Ugle had dies in custody eight hours after he passed away, having heard earlier only through a relative in prison.

Mr Ugle’s family said earlier this week that Mr Ugle had asked for heart medication before his death in custody, but his requests were ignored. Ms Kelly said she had urged investigating officers to get Aboriginal Health Workers in to work in lock-ups. “We spoke with the Coroner Detectives and we put it to them they need to get Derbarl Yerrigan (Health Service) in the prison system, even for the overnight prisoners in the Watch Houses, they need to get Aboriginal Health Workers in there night and day.

Ms Kelly said the detectives had provided a pamphlet to her with a counseling service number, and that the Department of Child Protection had offered to assist her daughter Natasha, who, with Mr Ugle, had been caring for six foster children (four of whom are still minors) in addition to their three children.

You can view the National Indigenous Times article Family calls for Aboriginal health workers in prison system “day and night” after death in custody in full here.

Margaret Kelly (right) with her daughter Natasha Ugle (centre) with two of Ms Ugle's children

Margaret Kelly (right) with her daughter Natasha Ugle (centre) with two of Ms Ugle’s children. Photo: Rhiannon Clarke. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Work with researchers to prevent cervical cancer

NACCHO members are invited to consider working with researchers to help prevent and eliminate cervical cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Screen Your Way is one of a number of research projects designed to work in concert in achieving elimination of cervical cancer by reducing incidence and lives lost from this almost entirely preventable cancer. The research, which aims to increase participation in cervical screening among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix using self-collection cervical screening, will be led by Associate Professor Lisa Whop (Wagadagam), who is based at the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research.

Screen Your Way aims to support services to increase screening in a sustainable, community-led way, through working with your service and community to design and put in place strategies to increase self-collection and cervical screening in line with your community priorities. This research will be conducted by, with, and for the benefit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait lslander communities.

To find out more, submit an expression of interest or get in touch, you can visit the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research website here. You can also contact the research team directly by email here for more information .

Senator the Hon Penny Wong and the Hon Ged Kearney MP’s joint media release Making History by Eliminating Cervical Cancer in Australia and Our Region issued today (Friday 17 November 2023) can also be read in full here.

poster aqua & purple snake with text 'Eliminate Cervical Cancer' by ATSI artists Simone Arnol and Bernard Lee Singleton, Yalma

Artwork by Simone Arnol and Bernard Lee Singleton, Yalma. Image source: Cervical Cancer Elimination website.

HIV Awareness Week community grants now open

The NACCHO BBVSTI and ESR Programs have secured funding from the Commonwealth to fund ACCHOs who are raising awareness for HIV in Community. Funding of up to $1000 (excl. GST) is available to support your ACCHO to participate in for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV Awareness Week 2023!

To apply: please complete this form, including a description of HIV awareness activities to be undertaken, if successful in receiving funding.

Funding can be used for:
– Internal ACCHO wide training and presentations (tea break, or lunch sessions)
– Health promotion stalls in the clinic waiting room or at another event
– Community engagement activities
– Incentives to encourage screening during HIV awareness week
– Art and/or design competitions promoting awareness, screening, treatment etc.

Reporting requirements for the funding will be involve completion of an online form (similar to this one) with a few paragraphs and lots of photos!! If you have any photos in the lead up to your event, please send to the NACCHO BBVSTI team using this email, so NACCHO can promote your event!

NACCHO would like to acknowledge Prof. James Ward, University of Queensland’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and SAHMRI, creators of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV Awareness Week. HIV Awareness week will continue to build on the successes of the previous programs for years to come. For more information on the original program and the history, please visit the ATSIHIV website here.

tile text 'HIV AWARENESS WEEK COMMUNITY GRANTS NOW OPEN! etc. Aboriginal art & vector blue condom face, red ribbon & red cape

Mt Druitt Elder who touched lives, honoured

When the students from Chifley College in Mount Druitt speak about Aunty Gloria Matthews, their faces light up. One of the students whose life was touched by Aunty Gloria is Shaylah Hampton Dixon, a young Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri student at the college. He says that she meant everything to him. “She was the first Aboriginal Education Officer here and helped us with our education,” he said. “She gave me freedom.”

Aunty Gloria, a Yorta Yorta Elder from Cummeragunja Mission, began as an Aboriginal Health Worker in 1973, working at the grassroots level in health and education. The mural celebrates the work that Aunty Gloria did for mob, as well as where she came from and her story. The mural features Cummeragunja Mission, where Aunty Gloria grew up, and the Murrumbidgee River, where she used to swim and fish.

Words like ‘activist’ adorn the mural, highlighting what Aunty Gloria meant to the community. Artist Alex Grils worked on the mural for three weeks alongside students from Chifley College. “I came into the project and spent three weeks learning about her achievements and the things she’s done for the people and community here,” Mr Grils said.

To read the NITV article This Elder touched the lives of school students in Mount Druitt. Now she’s being honoured with a mural in full click here.
mural of Aunty Gloria Matthews at Chifley College in Mount Druitt

The mural of Aunty Gloria Matthews at Chifley College in Mount Druitt. Photo: Tim Hagan/NITV.

First Nations runners complete New York Marathon

Ten First Nations people have embarked on the trip of a lifetime, travelling over 15,000 kms to successfully complete the 2023 New York Marathon. The participants formed the squad of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation (IMF), a health promotion charity that uses running to celebrate Indigenous resilience and achievement, and create inspirational Indigenous leaders.

Sissy Austin, Jamie Collins, Peter Farrell, Joel Etherington, Arthur Pitt, Jobastin Priest, Faith Stevens, Jack Stevens, Lauren Vanson and Jade Ware were the ten members who passed the final selection stage, which included the successful completion of a 30 km test run in Alice Springs. The majority of the squad were from non-running backgrounds and had to work hard throughout the year to prepare their bodies for the arduous 42km run. The marathon was the culmination of a six-month program, which also included a personal commitment to health and nutrition, engaging in a Cert II or IV in Indigenous Leadership and Health Promotion, and specialised training in running, coaching, media, First Aid and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Aid.

The IMF’s official website states that the completion of the education and leadership component will ‘give them the skills and confidence to be impactful role models within their communities’. Former marathon world champion and founder of the IMF Robert de Castella says the squad showed a tremendous commitment to the project. “The marathon is synonymous with struggle, endurance, and achievement, so to go from no running to running the biggest marathon in the world, in the biggest city in the world, in just six months, is almost beyond comprehensive,” de Castella said.

To read the National Indigenous Times article First Nations runners complete New York Marathon in full click here.

Gunai Kurnai, Yuin and Palawa man Joel Etherington wearing black polo with Indigenous Marathon Project 2023 Squad logo

Gunai Kurnai, Yuin and Palawa man Joel Etherington ran a time of 3:54:42 at this year’s New York Marathon. Image source: National Indigenous Times

Deadly Runners a way to improve mob’s health

Pro Bono Australia has run a story about change maker Georgia Weir, founder of Deadly Runners. Georgia’s vision is to grow the network of local Indigenous running clubs by upskilling and employing local community leaders. Georgia is an Aboriginal woman who experienced the transformative power of running first-hand. She had been struggling with addiction and mental health issues and says running saved her life. She wants to enable First Nations people across Australia to experience the power of running, as well as the social connections that come from being part of a local group that gathers around a positive activity.

Deadly Runners is a grassroots running club for First Nations people, working in collaboration with local community leaders and Aboriginal Health Organisations to improve physical and mental health outcomes and enable people to make life changes. Pro Bono Australia interviewed recently interviewed Georgia, asking the following questions:

  • Describe your career trajectory and how you got to your current position.
  • What does this role mean to you?
  • Take us through a typical day of work for you.
  • What is the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your career, and how did you overcome it?
  • If you could go back in time, what piece of advice would you give yourself as you first embarked on
    your career?
  • How do you unwind after work?
  • What was the last thing you watched, read or listened to?

To view the Pro Bono Australia article Improving Aboriginal health through the power of running in full click here.

Georgia Weir wearing running tank top with words 'Deadly Runners'

Founder of Deadly Runners, Georgia Weir. Image source: Pro Bono Australia.

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.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: The benefits of integrating pharmacists into ACCHOs

The image in the feature tile is from Unspalsh.

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

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

The benefits of integrating pharmacists into ACCHOs

Integrating pharmacists into ACCHOs brings many benefits for patients with chronic diseases, according to Associate Professor Sophia Couzos, a public health physician with the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC). In a Croakey Health Media article Ms Couzos writes: We know that chronic diseases are the leading causes of illness, disability, and death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and are estimated to be responsible for 70 percent of the health gap. This considerable loss of healthy life due to chronic disease burden occurs at 2.3 times the rate for Indigenous people, compared with non-Indigenous Australians.

When 26 non-dispensing pharmacists were integrated into 18 ACCHOs in QLD, the NAT and VIC, with a comprehensive induction process to ensure they had an understanding of the ACCHO setting and of cultural safety, we saw improved outcomes in all the chronic disease categories measured. This project has shown that integrating a pharmacist within an ACCHO can reduce chronic disease burden in patients who are at risk. By expanding out these services, we can reduce the burden on hospitals and GPs, all through better care, and by better utilising the pharmacist workforce we have right now.

Read the full Croakey Health Media article here.

You can also read NACCHO’s July 2023 media release MSAC support funding pharmacists in First Nations Primary Health Services here.

Image source: Unsplash.

Save the date! HIV Awareness Week Trivia

All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services’ staff are invited to join this year’s HIV Awareness Week Virtual Trivia on Thursday 7 December at 3pm (EST). It is a fun and important opportunity to brush up on your HIV knowledge, dust off your sexual health themed costumes, and let your competitive edge shine through.

Sexual health-themed costumes and props are highly encouraged, with prizes for the best dressed up for grabs. Registration and event details will be announced soon. For now, mark your calendars for the annual trivia event of the year.

NACCHO would like to acknowledge Prof. James Ward, University of Queensland’s Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and SAHMRI, creators of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV Awareness Week. HIV Awareness week will continue to build on the successes of the previous programs for years to come. For more information on the original program and the history, please visit here.

Big shout out to Jess and Naizel from Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, who are 2023’s Lubelicious and Condoman.

QAIHC to launch mental health and wellbeing support program

Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) has secured funding from Queensland Health and NACCHO to launch a comprehensive mental health and wellbeing program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland following the defeat of the Voice to Parliament Referendum in October. QAIHC has identified a pressing need to address the emerging and ongoing social emotional and wellbeing challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland. The “no” vote in the referendum has highlighted feelings of devastation for some, leaving communities, people and their families hurting.

The program will focus on: Member services support (e.g. community events, counselling, yarning circles), workforce and impact (professional debriefing and mental health support for ACCHO and affiliate staff), localised support (employment of local people to provide support and training to community members), community needs (identification of community needs by employing local people such as elders or young leaders to assist ACCHOs) and pathways to healing (health and wellbeing activities).

If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well, or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from:
• 13 Yarn (13 92 76)
• Brother-to-brother (1800 435 799)
• Lifeline (13 11 14)
• Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800)

Read the full article here.

Image source: Sector Leader.

More public hearings announced for the parliamentary inquiry into diabetes

The Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport has announced more public hearings for the parliamentary inquiry into diabetes. There will be five public hearings this month in Canberra, Brisbane, Yarrabah, Cairns, and Melbourne. Dr Mike Freelander MP, Chair of the Committee said, “as part of this broad inquiry, we are looking at all forms of diabetes including type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes, and other rarer forms such as cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.” In Yarrabah, the Committee will hear from the local ACCHO,
Gurriny Yealamucka, about its experiences with diabetes.

In May 2023, the inquiry into diabetes welcomed submissions from peak health bodies and other organisations that play a role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes as well as advocacy and education. The Diabetes Australia, Australian Diabetes Society and Australian Diabetes Educators Association joint submission includes a summary of recommendations to reduce the impact of type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Recommendations include that policies and programs be culturally appropriate, led by communities and designed collaboratively.

You can also read NACCHO’s September 2023 Inquiry into Diabetes here.

Gurriny Yealamucka will meet with the Committee on Tuesday 21 November.

Applications open for Birthing on Country midwifery scholarships

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwifery students and graduates are being encouraged to apply for a range of Southern Cross University scholarships and bursaries, including two Birthing on Country Honours Scholarships and several Birthing on Country Placement Bursaries. Recipients will explore Birthing on Country or midwifery education and confidence on providing smoking cessation information for Indigenous women in rural and remote settings. The bursaries will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Bachelor of Midwifery students to attend clinical placement in an Aboriginal Health Service, additional to having travel and accommodation costs covered.

Taneeka Thomas Bachelor of Midwifery alumna and Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr woman said she decided to study midwifery after following the pregnancy journey of a family member and researching the poor maternity outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

“I was really interested in studying midwifery and found there is a big hole in the workforce for Aboriginal midwives. I looked into the statistics for Indigenous women and children and how a big part of improving those outcomes is increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwives,” Ms Thomas said.

“The most rewarding experience is working in a continuity model of care, seeing women from the beginning stages of pregnancy right through to when they become mothers. Playing a part in such a big experience in their life makes the work so special.”

Applications close February 1, 2024. Eligibility criteria and applications are available here.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Bachelor of Midwifery alumna, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr woman Taneeka Thomas. Image source: SCU.

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 – Trans Awareness Week

Monday 13 November – Sunday 19 November is Trans Awareness Week. The aim of the week is to celebrate trans and gender diverse pride and learn how to be a trans ally. The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) created a video with helpful tips on how to be a better ally to trans mob:

1. Use people’s proper pronouns. If you’re not sure, just ask. It shows respect and support.
2. Make your space inclusive by proudly displaying the trans, pride, and First Nations flags.
3. If someone changes their name as a part of their gender affirmations, use the name they tell you and not their birth name.
4. Remember, being a good ally is about love, respect, and understanding.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Those who’ve gone before never gave up

feature tile: portrait image of Sen McCarthy; text 'Senator McCarthy urges mob to get back to “business” after the disappointment of the Voice to Parliament referendum'

The image in the feature tile is of Senator Malarndirri McCarthy from an ABC RN Breakfast broadcast Malarndirri McCarthy on the Voice: ‘I think we could have been better’ published by ABC Listen on 17 October 2023.

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

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

Those who’ve gone before never gave up

Speaking at the 11th annual Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on Friday 10 November 2023, NT Labor Senator McCarthy said the deep hurt and devastation felt by so many who supported the Yes vote was evident, straight after the October 14 referendum. “We are such a resilient people, as First Nations people,” she said. “…resilience really is the key to moving forward. After the referendum, it’s also now about accepting and respecting that decision, which is a really difficult thing for people to do.”

The proud Yanyuwa Garrawa woman from Borroloola, in the NT, said whatever the outcome of the referendum, First Nations people continued to be incarcerated at rates way too high and experience poor rates of domestic violence and unemployment. The Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and Indigenous Health said the First Nations economic sector had a critical role to play in making changes to the broader Australian community.

In concluding her speech, Senator McCarthy said the most important issue post the referendum was improving the lives of First Nations people in Australia. “I do look at the example of those who’ve gone before us and the struggles and I where I come from,” she said. “When in 1976, we were the first to go for land of this area with we didn’t succeed. But it was difficult to give evidence in a former courthouse where their families had been jailed. I remember watching the Elders sitting there, speaking largely in language, but not really understanding what that Westminster System of law was all about. But we never gave up. And there’s always hope for a better future for all of us, for First Nations people.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Malarndirri McCarthy tells AEDF now is the time for Indigenous people to show respect and resilience in full click here.

Senator Malarndirr McCarthy who spoke at the Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on 10.11.23 with a a group of 4 ATSI women & young child

Speaking at the Aboriginal Economic Development Forum in Darwin on Friday, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy (back, centre) urged First Nations people to get back to “business” following the referendum’s defeat. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

What to say and do after suicide

April Burgoyne is not a counsellor but knows she has a key role to play in helping tackle Ballarat’s suicide rate, one of the highest in Australia. Ms Burgoyne, who is the Cultural Care Connect network coordinator for Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC) was among more than 30 representatives from different health and welfare organisations who recently attended a forum, led by StandBy Support After Suicide and Wellways. Data shows that those bereaved by suicide are at a higher risk of suicide amid ongoing ripple effects. Forum participants shared learnings and advice on what to do and say in the wake of lives lost to suicide.

“It’s good to connect and share cultural understandings to help up-skill other service organisations and to help up-skill our community in return,” Ms Burgoyne said. The BADAC program stems from a NACCHO move in post and prevention crisis support for Indigenous communities. Ms Burgoyne said this was focused on Aboriginal circle elements for social and emotional well-being support, including connections to ancestor spirit, culture, community and Country and kinship.

At the same time, it is also vital to work closely with other community organisations. StandBy Support After Suicide’s western Victoria program Coordinator Kristy Steenhuis, said one of the biggest barriers in her work has been awareness, “A lot of people have never heard of our service, that if someone’s bereaved, we’re someone to call.”  For Ms Burgoyne, there is still much work to do in developing what BADAC can offer. She said a long-term goal was after-hours crisis support. While BADAC has crisis support in business hours, Ms Burgoyne said a lot of clients reported needing to go to the hospital emergency department and have the traumatic experience of having to re-tell their stories without a warm hand-over. She also hoped to develop healing workshops with other health organisations to promote cultural awareness.

The above is an extract from an article What to say and do after suicide: welfare leaders face the question published in The Courier on 12 November 2023. You can access the StandBy – Support After Suicide website here.

StandBy Support After Suicide's western Victoria program coordinator Kristy Steenhuis giving a presentation at BADAC

StandBy Support After Suicide’s western Victoria program coordinator Kristy Steenhuis says there were “rich conversations” in a postvention awareness forum for community health leaders at Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative. Photo: Kate Healy. Image source: The Courier.

Cancer plans focus on those with worst outcomes

Although cancer care has improved dramatically in Australia over the past few decades, two new cancer plans, announced in the past fortnight, one launched by the Australian Government and the other developed by the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, NACCHO, aim to improve the cancer experiences of population groups who have the worst cancer outcomes. The plans hope to prevent Australians most at risk from “falling through the cracks”.

The Australian Cancer Plan, available here, was developed by the Australian Government’s cancer control agency Cancer Australia. Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Dorothy Keefe, said the plan sets out improvements and actions that can be made to improve Australia’s cancer control system, “This isn’t a plan to replace the state and territory plans. This is a plan to embrace them all, so that we can actually do the things together that are better done together and enable the jurisdictions to continue doing the great work that they do. The plan focuses on improving experiences and outcomes for priority population groups and improving outcomes for people with low survival rates.

Separately, a new cancer plan, available here, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has been developed by NACCHO. The plan, which was codesigned with the Aboriginal health sector, aims to change cancer experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “Consultations highlighted the need to focus on structural reform including sustainable funding, increasing accessibility of services and ensuring mainstream cancer centres are culturally safe and responsive,” NACCHO said. The plan acknowledges the goals of the broader Australian Cancer Plan in improving Aboriginal health outcomes. “By working together, these two plans will achieve better outcomes for more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families and Communities at a faster pace,” said Dr Dawn Casey, NACCHO Deputy CEO.

To view the InSight+ article New cancer plans focus on Aboriginal health and priority populations in full click here.

Cover of ATSI Cancer Plan document

Image source: NACCHO website.

Djäkamirr – caretaker of pregnancy and birth

Labor MLA Lisa O’Malley is backing the screening of a documentary which she hopes will lead to more culturally-appropriate birthing experiences for Indigenous women  Filmed over two years on the ancestral home grounds of Yolnu First Nations people in NE Arnhem Land, Djäkamirr: Caretaker of Pregnancy and Birth follows sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah as they journey through ancestral time, country and culture, working with the community to pilot the training of Djäkamirr (maternity caretakers).

The screening is being organised by maternity consumer representative Kylie Ekin, WA Country Health Service regional Aboriginal health consultant Janinne Gliddon, WA Country Health Service midwife Maddison Bell and Birth Tribe Midwifery founder Melissa Lynch. Ms Ekin said the documentary was a rare insight into Indigenous birthing culture and the importance of incorporating ancestral wisdom in contemporary maternity care.

“We must now implement Birthing on Country in WA and ensure continuity of midwifery-led care models are accessible for all Aboriginal women,” Ms Ekin said. Ms O’Malley said the documentary opened up an important conversation. 

To view the Fremantle Herald Interactive article Rebirthing in full click here.

poster for the film Djakamirr - caretaker of pregnancy & birth; image of Yolngu sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah

Yongu sisters Lawurrpa and Sarah on the film poster. Image source: Fremantle Herald Interactive.

Camp Jungai hosts historic ‘Gathering of Mob’

Taungurung Country hosted an historic ‘gathering of Mob’ over the weekend, which saw more than 300 people from across Victoria come together to share stories, yarn and heal. Held at Camp Jungai in central Victoria, a place of cultural significance for Indigenous Victorians that comes from the Wurundjeri language meaning “place of many possums”, 60,000 years of Aboriginal culture was brought together in a gathering of Elders, youth, and leaders from clans across the state.

The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) helped organise the weekend, with VACCHO CEO, Gunditjmara woman Aunty Jill Gallagher, saying the gatherings and events were vitally important for all Indigenous communities. “It’s crucial. Not only because of the disappointment that we’re dealing with because of the referendum, but it’s crucial that we stay strong together,” Aunty Jill said. “The Gunditjmara mobs can come down and hear Taungurung stories, and we can all dance our different culture dances. We’re just all together. That is how we keep our culture both strong, and alive.”

All the attendees helped deliver the message that First Nations communities were as strong as ever and would not falter. Gunditjmara, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri man Jessie Williams said the importance of a gathering of Mob was the facilitation and continual connection for various communities throughout the state. “Making sure that our relationships are strong within our own community and being able to return to that on Country, while practising culture, it’s invaluable,” he said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Camp Jungai hosts a historic ‘Gathering of Mob’ in full click here.

Koori Youth Will Shake Spears dance group and their back-up dancers

The Koori Youth Will Shake Spears dance group and their invaluable back-up dancers Photo: Dechlan Brennan. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Teens get a head start in careers in health

More than 30 Riverina high school students are set to embark on their healthcare careers through a school-based traineeship with Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD). As a part of the program, the Year 10 students will go on to complete a qualification in nursing, allied health or health administration. The program can be included as one subject for their High School Certificate and contribute to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank.

MLHD education and trainee support officer Laura Strano said the program offered students a supported pathway from school to work and further study options, “Our school-based traineeship program aims to help grow the rural health workforce, with a ‘grow your own’ model at the heart of its inception. The program focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student engagement and employment in health careers, with a holistic and supportive approach to completing the program and beyond. The program provides students with income while they are studying. Over the two-year traineeship, they complete a minimum of 100 days of paid, on-the-job training in their chosen area, one day a week during school term and the rest during the school holidays.”

Wagga Wagga High School student Darnee Doherty says she knows plenty of nurses around her and has always heard “good things” about the profession. “I was a late submission, but I’m glad I decided to get the application in on time,” Darnee said. “I’ve been given a great opportunity. Not many of my friends are doing anything else like this, but they all support me and have my back. I’m hoping for a healthcare career. I’m excited for it. I want to jump right in and get started and working already.” Darnee is set to start her midwifery training and hopes to stay in the region for her work. “I wouldn’t want to go too far away. If I can stay, that will be good,” Darnee said.

To view the Region Riverina article Local teens get a head start in their careers in health in full click here.

school students learning about CPR at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital

Students learn about CPR at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen. Image source: Region Riverina.

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.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Inaugural World Congress on RHD

young ATSI girl Tenaya Bell looking a long chest scar from heart surgery

The image in the feature tile is of Tenaya Bell, one of the 1,000s of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with RHD. The image appeared in the ABC News article Rheumatic heart disease has turned Tenaya Bell’s life upside down published on 25 September 2020.

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

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

Inaugural World Congress on RHD

In many parts of the world, Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) has been virtually eradicated for decades. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience some of the highest rates of RHD in the world. NACCHO’s commitment to addressing this inequity is a driver behind NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey’s keynote address at the World Congress on RHD in Abu Dhabi. Speaking on the disproportionate rates of the disease in the country, Dr Casey stated, “RHD is the epitome of health gaps between our Indigenous peoples and other Australians.”

Hosted by the World Heart Federation, the World Congress on RHD brought together experts from around the world to explore practical and effective solutions to ending RHD. On the world stage, Dr Casey stated that “real change” is only possible if the level of burden faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from RHD is recognised at a global level. “Australia’s Indigenous people have the longest continuous living culture in the world. Documented to be around 60,000 to 80,000 years,” she said. “Yet, both internationally and nationally we remain hidden, and barley acknowledged.”

NACCHO’s approach acknowledges that prevention is better than the cure, and that efforts designed to prevent RHD and Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are best placed in the context of comprehensive, and culturally safe primary care. Experts estimate that more than 69% of new cases of first ARF would be prevented by combining housing, health promotion, and primary care. Adequate housing and clean water are among strategies to reduce ARF and RHD, which are “more appropriately described as fundamental human rights,” Dr Casey said. “The impact on health is self-evident. “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities know this. NACCHO knows this. And we will not waver from this human right,” she said.

Learn more about NACCHO’s work on RHD and ARF here.

The below image is of a lunchtime panel symposium on how philanthropy can support collaborative efforts to ending RHD, sponsored by the Snow Foundation as part of the World Congress on RHD.

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

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

Inadequate CTG commitment holding back progress

Lowitja Institute has welcomed the draft findings of the Productivity Commission’s first three-yearly review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and urged all levels of government to accelerate the implementation of the Agreement’s four Priority Reforms. Lowitja Institute CEO Adjunct Professor Janine Mohamed said the draft review report, released on Wednesday this week (8 November 2023), tells us that governments do not adequately understand the urgency or magnitude of what is required to meet their commitments under the National Agreement.

The Productivity Commission review states that ‘governments are not adequately delivering’ on the National Agreement and there has been a ‘business-as-usual approach to implementing policies and programs that affect the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’. Adjunct Professor Mohamed highlighted the findings on Priority Reform Three that calls for governments to transform the way they work, ensuring they are accountable, transparent, culturally safe and responsive to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“The Coalition of Peaks made it clear to governments that the socioeconomic targets will only be achieved if governments transform the way they work. What is needed is whole-of-system understanding and effort to embrace every opportunity to embed Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. That means we can’t have a ‘one-size-fits all’ approach; we need place-based co-design, which is good for everyone,” Adjunct Professor Mohamed said. The Productivity Commission found that, in most policy areas, governments have not co-developed and enacted shared decision-making arrangements that enable reforms to be designed in genuine partnership. Their investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations is often short-term, unpredictable, and not collaborative and there has been little change to the public sector data-sharing landscape.

To view the First Nations Telegraph article Governments’ inadequate commitment to their Closing the Gap responsibilities is holding back progress in full click here.

portrait shot Lowitja Institute CEO Adjunct Professor Janine Mohamed

Lowitja Institute CEO Adjunct Professor Janine Mohamed. Image source: First Nations Telegraph.

Resources address high stillbirth rates

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women as well as migrant and refugee women from communities disproportionately impacted by stillbirth have been involved in co-designing new culturally appropriate pregnancy resources, to save the lives of babies in their own communities. Stillbirth rates in Australia remain tragically high, with six babies stillborn on average, every day.

A suite of sensitively-crafted, in-language resources, called ‘Stronger Bubba Born’ and ‘Growing a Healthy Baby’, have been developed from the evidence-based Safer Baby Bundle to improve maternity care for these communities and contribute to reducing stillbirth rates in Australia by 20%t. It is believed between 20 and 30% of late gestation stillbirths are preventable with better care, however systemic healthcare barriers can prevent important discussions about stillbirth prevention.

These new resources have been developed through extensive community consultation and input from health educators, to ensure the information and illustrations are culturally appropriate and reduce the devastating impact of stillbirth on these communities. The resources were developed by the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (Stillbirth CRE) Indigenous research team with the guidance of the Indigenous Advisory Group. Delivery partner Curtin University supported the extensive consultation and co-design process.

NACCHO and the Waminda South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation are also collaborators with the CRE on their Indigenous work. Arabic, Dari, Dinka and Karen-speaking communities now have access to important tailored information in the form of a written booklet, summary video and self-paced digital booklet with audio. The resources are now available at the Growing a Healthy Baby website here.

To view the First Nations Telegraph article Culturally-sensitive resources address high stillbirth rates in full click here.

tile Stronger Bubba Born, Aboriginal art circle & hands cupped

Artwork: produced by QAIHC. Image source: Stronger Bubba Born website.

Respiratory disease warning for remote mob

Indigenous Australians living in remote areas are 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory diseases compared with those living in major cities. According to the Federal Government’s Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s 2023 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework, 65 Indigenous people per 1,000 are hospitalised in remote areas, compared to 27 per 1,000 in cities.

Asthma WA CEO, Anne Hallam, said the numbers were concerning, urging West Australians, in particular those First Nations people living in remote regions, to pay earlier attention to their lungs. Ms Hallam said the organisation often leant on funding sponsors to undertake regional trips, with the aim for teams to visit regional communities two to four times annually. “We’ll reach out to people in that region to come and see us. This might be for face-to-face education, yarning sessions or lung function testing,” she said.

Aboriginal Health Council WA Public Health Medical Officer, Dr Caitlyn White, said chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung problems, like asthma or bronchiectasis, can make people cough a lot, get short of wind or even feel very tired. “If you have a cough that doesn’t go away, feel short of wind, cough up phlegm or blood, or feel tired or weak, see your clinic for a check-up with your health worker, nurse or doctor,” she said. Asthma WA provided free personalised support for people living with respiratory conditions, including COPD and asthma.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Asthma WA issues respiratory disease warning for Indigenous communities in full click here.

ATSI man with asthma inhaler


Asthma WA is concerned about an increase in COPD hospitalisations in the Indigenous population. Photo: Asthma WA. Image source: Asthma WA.

First Nations Research Summit returns for sixth year

Charles Sturt University is building on its Research Strategy with meaningful engagement with First Nations Elders and communities to create culturally safe research. The First Nations Research Summit, titled ‘Placing Research: Working with Country’, was held at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga yesterday and today (9–10 November 2023). Senior Lecturer Dr Holly Randell-Moon and Lecturer Dr Nicholas Ruddell, both with the Charles Sturt School of Indigenous Australian Studies in Dubbo and Bathurst, respectively, were co-convenors of the event.

The first summit was held in 2015 and is part of Charles Sturt’s overall strategy to include First Nations as a core part of the University’s narrative and regional strength. “First Nations Research Summits have been convened to foster professional development for Charles Sturt University researchers to engage in culturally safe research with First Nations,” Dr Randell-Moon said. “By working in partnership with First Nations communities to the benefit of those and other communities, research is conducted by both First Nations and non-Indigenous staff with an underlying respect towards different knowledge sources, ways of doing and ways of being.”

The summit provided an interactive forum to discuss how Charles Sturt can respond to the needs of its local communities and agencies through research partnerships. The focus of this year’s summit was the University’s strategic research areas of health, cybersecurity and agriculture. Guest speakers talked about embedding First Nations knowledge and science into agricultural research practices, the role and the future of Indigenous health data for the profession and related data security concerns.

To view the Charles Sturt University article First Nations research summit returns for sixth year in full click here.

night photo of exterior of Charles Sturt University

Image source: iTWire.

Beyond violence: widening the view on women’s health

Bonney Corbin is Chair of the Australian Women’s Health Alliance, and Head of Policy and Research at MSI Australia, says the meeting of Australian Health Ministers today (10 November 2023) was an opportunity for all jurisdictions to commit to resourcing and sharing progress on the National Women’s Health Strategy and a wider focus on women’s health. Ms Corbin said women’s health policy in Australia has been a tumultuous journey. It has been only 60 years since all women have had the right to vote in Federal Government elections. It’s been 14 years since the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health Strategy was published, without implementation funds. It has been only 10 years since a man appointed himself as the National Minister for Women, and in his first budget cut $80b to health and education expenditure over a decade.

Ms Corbin said that it was within this context that we learnt to rely upon the language of violence and vulnerability to be heard. We certainly have a lot to communicate in that language. In Australia almost 60 women have been killed this year. Structural racism brews following a referendum filled with misinformation. War and displacement affects our families and loved ones abroad. For decades we’ve rallied and reported about the perils of being a woman. We regularly share statistics on sexual violence, incarceration and homicide. We’ve shared heartfelt anecdotes about ongoing intersectional abuse, violence and discrimination.

It’s led to very important National Plans to End Violence Against Women and Their Children. We’ve seen increased investment in violence response helplines, refuges and support services. Women’s health is about more than our experiences of violence. Our health is also about things like access to education, housing, economic security. Women’s health is about connection to self, to Country, culture and kinship, to social and community supports. Our health is about autonomy to participate in democracy, advocacy and peacemaking. Community attitudes and our broader systems are gradually shifting. Backlash exists, but that is because we are at the start of an intergenerational process of gender-transformative change.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Beyond violence: widening the view on women’s health in full click here.

portrait shot of Bonney Corbin - Chair Australian Women's Health Alliance. Head of Policy Research, MSI Australia

Bonney Corbin – Chair Australian Women’s Health Alliance. Head of Policy Research, MSI Australia. Image source: ABC News.

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.

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NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: ACCHO-led outreach services as VIC decriminalises public drunkenness

The image in the feature tile is from Wathaurong Aboriginal cooperative.

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

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

ACCHO-led outreach services as VIC decriminalises public drunkenness

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians will have access to dedicated services throughout the state as Victoria decriminalises public drunkenness. There will be eight dedicated regional services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians which will provide help and support for intoxicated people, along with one First Nations sobering centre in St Kilda.

The eight regional areas are:

  • Geelong – Wathaurong Aboriginal cooperative
  • Ballarat – Ballarat and District Aboriginal cooperative
  • Bendigo – Bendigo and District Aboriginal cooperative
  • Shepparton – Rumbalara Aboriginal cooperative
  • Mildura – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation, supported by Mildura Base hospital
  • Swan Hill – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation
  • Latrobe – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation
  • East Gippsland – Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal corporation

Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation will run four of the regional services along with their pre-existing facility in St Kilda, which will become a six-bed sobering centre from today, Tuesday 7 November.

Ngwala CEO De-Joel Upkett said the programs they’ve previously operated would benefit now that clinical responses are included in services they can deliver.

“We always have met with community, but to be able to deliver a clinical response with a holistic approach; you know it’s an opportunity to bring community back into our services,” he said.

Read the full National Indigenous Times article here.

Cohealth’s outreach van. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

ADHD inquiry calls for national prescribing rules

An inquiry into attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has called for a national consistency in diagnosis and treatment to improve the lives of those with the condition. The Senate inquiry found cost, location, cultural and gendered barriers to access along with different prescribing rules in every state and territory are seeing some wait years for help. Senators heard these barriers to access have significant flow on effects seeing those with ADHD facing shorter life expectancy and higher rates of incarceration, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Director of policy at NACCHO, Nadine Blair told senators the issue particularly affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“One of the things that we know is that there are a lot of barriers for people, particularly for those living in border communities,” she said.

“If you are receiving your script from a doctor in one jurisdiction but you’re trying to fill it in another jurisdiction, that is problematic, you can’t always fill a script from another jurisdiction.”

Read the full ABC News article here.

If you are feeling stressed, not sleeping well or have increased anxiety and depression you can seek immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from:

Image source: ABC News.

“It’s got to be Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands, every day” – Danila Dilba on Prison Health care.

Danila Dilba Health Service provides a program to support young people detained at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. A team of Aboriginal youth workers provides therapeutic group work and one-on-one support, as well as a weekly program that includes after-hours and some weekend activities such as sport and recreation.

At the 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference session Prison Health Care, Tiana McCoy, Executive Manager, Clinical Services at Danila Dilba Health Service spoke about the successes and opportunities for improvements in providing wrap around support for youth detainees, following the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.

Speaking about the Prison Health Care program, Ms McCoy stated, “Nobody else in the country had done this, so we were the first to step up and say, ‘we will be the leaders for making this the norm’ – because we are the only ones, it’s got to be Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands, every day.”

Having doctors and nurses providing these services in the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre makes it accessible to young people who may not ordinarily seek out health and medical support. The question Ms McCoy is asking is, ‘How do we give them the tools to be able to walk into any of our clinics and know that they can see a staff member?” and get support.

She explained that many young people at the youth detention centre come from remote communities, and the health service loses sight of them once they return to Community.

Since the Royal Commission in 2017, there have been improvements in the youth detention space including, increased engagement with the health system, medication compliance, and vaccination rates. Ms McCoy said that this all indicates ‘that we’ve actually made a change and it’s been a positive change, and does that measure success? Yes. Definitely.”

Other opportunities for improvement outlined in the session include:

  • Medicare billing.
  • The current Don Dale facility is not fit for purpose.
  • Raising the age of criminal responsibility.
  • Increased funding for therapeutic care/diversional therapy.
  • Staffing levels.

Learn more here.

Elder Care Support Training in Whyalla

NACCHO attended the South Australian West Coast ACCHO Network’s (SAWCAN) Elder Care Support Training in Whyalla. The Elder Care Support program is designed to deliver Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care support, connection, and coordination. SAWCAN staff, Shellander and Rianna attended NACCHO’s ‘train the trainer’ Elder Care Support session earlier this year and rolled the training out to their members last week.

Stakeholders in the Aged Care space attended the three-day training which allowed for ACCHOs to speak directly with key stakeholders on issues affecting our Elders. It was a great opportunity to bring the SAWCAN Elder Care Support staff together to discuss the future of the program and how to best support our Elders.

Learn more about Elder Care Support here.

Elder Care Support Training in Whyalla.

SWAMS Djin Djin Mart providing social and support services.

South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) has opened the doors to a new home for those wanting a yarn or needing support. Djin Djin Mart, or good group support in Noongar, was officially opened last month as the new home of the organisation’s social men’s and women’s groups, and a disability peer support group.

SWAMS chief executive Lesley Nelson said it was exciting to see the building come to fruition,” I believe the staff that are involved in this space out here, they’re certainly going to ensure it is a safe space, it is a cultural space and it’s a space that will welcome everyone that wants to come in.”

Djin Djin Mart will also offer expanded mental health, alcohol and other drug support through the Mental Health Commission-sponsored Moorditj Mia program, which will include weekly relaxion, arts and crafts and music sessions.

Mental health, alcohol and other drug manager Justin Brown said it was fantastic to see the facility opened,” it is about bringing people and community together so we can come and enjoy each other’s company.”

Read more here.

Justin Brown, Tessa Grimshaw, Lesley Nelson and Ernie Hill. Image source: The West Australian.

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.

 

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: CTG is possible with proper use of information

feature tile image ATSI mum holding baby; text 'Closing the Gap can only be achieved if service gaps are identified and filled'

The image in the feature tile is from the Strong Mothers, Strong Families webpage of the Carbal Medical Services webpage.

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

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

CTG is possible with proper use of information

Ian Ring AO, a Professor in tropical health and medicine at James Cook University says if there was general agreement about anything in the recent Voice referendum, it was that progress in Closing the Gap (CTG) has been unacceptable. Given this, Professor Ring said you would have thought, the key question asked by all might be “Why has progress been so slow – and what needs to be done to turn that around?” According to Professor Ring there are steps that could be taken right now to put the targets for life expectancy and child mortality “on track”. They are not unaffordable, do not require new knowledge and have been sought by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for a very long time. But they would require governments to heed the voice of Indigenous people, strengthen Indigenous leadership and conduct a root-and-branch overhaul and upskilling of key government agencies – and make proper use of information that has long been available to it.

Professor Ring points to child mortality as an example. He explains that most childhood deaths occur very early in life and are driven by birthweight, and that healthy birthweight is much more likely in those who start to access antenatal services early in pregnancy and receive adequate care for a range of health conditions and effective health promotion strategies for nutrition, smoking and other important factors. The Strong Mothers, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program, first developed by Aboriginal women and health workers in the early 1990s and was followed by various adaptations of this approach has led to improvements in the birthweight distribution and a reduction in perinatal mortality.

In 2014 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) said “Evidence shows that models of care tailored specifically for Indigenous women result in quantifiable improvements in antenatal care attendance, pre-term births, birth outcomes, perinatal mortality, and breastfeeding practice. These models include culturally appropriate and safe care as well as continuity of care, collaboration between midwives and Indigenous health workers, and involvement of family members such as grandmothers.” Professor Ring says that given this information, it might have been expected that the Commonwealth would conduct a service inventory of existing ACCHO services for mothers and babies, identified service gaps and then developed a forward plan to fill the service gaps across Australia. Sadly, that has not been the case and there has been no significant change in the Indigenous low birthweight rate between 2013–2019, and between 2010–2019 there was no significant change in the Indigenous child and infant mortality rates.

Major changes to improve ACT justice system

The ACT Government has formally announced several major changes to key laws in a bid to improve current performance and trajectory in the justice system, including increasing the age of criminal responsibility from 10 years of age to 14 years by the year 2025.  By raising the age of criminal responsibility the ACT Government is hoping to divert youth away from the criminal justice system and ensure they receive the therapeutic rehabilitative support needed to address the underlying cause of their behaviour. Attorney General Shane Rattenbury said “children in our community, especially those engaging in harmful behaviour, need our care and attention, not to be locked away in prison. Barbara Causon, the current Advocate, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People in the ACT, said First Nations’ children “are currently over-represented in the juvenile justice system and this important reform, along with carefully considered, culturally informed, alternative service responses aims to address this concerning issue”.

“The importance of involving our local Aboriginal community in the development and implementation of an alternative service response will go a long way to addressing the significant over-representation of our children in the juvenile justice system and have the potential to improve lifelong outcomes for our First Nations children and young people,” she said.

First Nations leader, Bundjalung man and Joe Hedger said “the issues of over-representation are interconnected, part of a web of poverty, limited access to education, healthcare, housing and cycles of disadvantage. By collaborating closely with First Nations people and organisations, the ACT Government can unlock the tremendous expertise and insights they bring to the table. This not only addresses immediate challenges but sets the stage for holistic reform in areas like education, healthcare, employment, housing and mental health, ensuring a brighter future for all.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article ACT leading the way with historic changes to justice system in full click here.

Joe Hedgers (left) with Alicia Payne, Aunty Violet Sheridan, Noah Allan, Paula McGrady and Katy Gallagher at Parliament House

Joe Hedgers (left) with Alicia Payne, Aunty Violet Sheridan, Noah Allan, Paula McGrady and Katy Gallagher at Parliament House. Photo: Jess Whaler. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Top End life expectancy research wins award

NT Health research looking at the life expectancy of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the NT has won the 2022 Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) Award for Excellence in Medical Research. The research conducted by Dr Yuejen Zhao, Shu Qin Li, Dr Tom Wilson, and Professor Paul Burgess, found that life expectancy for Indigenous people in the NT improved markedly from 1999 to 2018, with fewer lives lost to cancer, injuries and chronic disease.

The MJA Editor-in-Chief, Professor Virginia Barbour said “Their important research has helped contribute to the growing Australian academic literature about Indigenous health and wellbeing. We know that more needs to be done to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, so the MJA really encourages more research into this area. It is also vital that the research community recognises the importance of research into the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Co-author Professor Paul Burgess, the Senior Director of Health Statistics and Informatics at NT Health, said the team were honoured to receive the award. “We are delighted and humbled to accept the MJA award for Excellence in Medical Research,” Professor Burgess said on behalf of the team. “As public health officials, we generally eschew the limelight — outside the occasional pandemic! However, we think the true recognition for this work belongs to the many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people who have volunteered or worked tirelessly over the past 20 years to improve health outcomes across the NT.”

You can read the research in the Medical Journal of Australia here and the InSight+ article Indigenous research wins MJA Award for Excellence in Medical Research in full here.

Aboriginal man's hand being held by health worker in hospital

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Important others see racism called out

A GP has been banned from registering as a doctor for a year in Australia because of discriminatory behaviour toward an Indigenous doctor he accused of being a “fake Aboriginal” akin to “like a watered down bottle of Grange”. The medical board describedthe decision as a “landmark outcome” as it is the first case to make reference to changes in the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) national law introduced last year to include a definition of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s findings, the Canberra-based GP’s name was suppressed but the Indigenous doctor, Yuggera, Warangoo and Wiradjuri man associate professor Kristopher Rallah-Baker, made the unusual request that his name be published. “It was important for me that this outcome wasn’t faceless, for people to see they won’t be brought down if they complain about racism,” Rallah-Baker said. “Racism in the healthcare system contributes to patient harm and premature death.”

The nation’s first Indigenous eye surgeon knows the consequences of racism all too well. He was inspired to become a doctor to stem the cycle that saw his grandmother orphaned at 12. “My nanna lost her own mother from pneumonia after refusing to see the white doctors for medical assistance. She was a member of the stolen generation.” While still at the University of Newcastle medical school Rallah-Baker became one of the founding members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association,, developed and managed the Indigenous Health Unit in the Logan-Beaudesert Health Service District, as well as developing the Deadly Ears Indigenous Hearing Health Program for Queensland, which has now been adopted as the National Indigenous Hearing Health Program by the federal government.

To view The Guardian article Doctor banned for 12 months after sending racist email to Australia’s first Indigenous eye surgeon in full click here.

Australia's first ATSI eye surgeon Ophthalmologist Kristopher Rallah-Baker in scrubs in theatre

Ophthalmologist Kristopher Rallah-Baker received an offensive email from a GP. That doctor has now been reprimanded over misconduct. Photo: Michael Amendolia. Image source: The Guardian.

Suicide prevention, postvention support

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

The suicide rate among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is more than double that of the Australian population overall, a terrible legacy of the dispossession and trauma wrought by colonisation. But those supporting Aboriginal people in the Illawarra say First Nations people have a lot of strengths to focus on as work continues to drive down the tragic toll. Suicide rates were especially high among males, and suicide was the leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Kim Reid works with Thirrili, a postvention service that supports Indigenous people and communities after a suicide or traumatic death. Mr Reid said he believed the high suicide rates were the result of generational trauma stemming from colonisation, leading to lower socio-economic status, lower employment rates and poorer health. Racism also takes its toll.

Sharlene Cruickshank, Aboriginal mental health clinical lead with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, works with a team of Aboriginal clinicians and mental health workers who ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the region are supported in a culturally safe and sensitive way. “We need to make sure that people feel safe, they trust the service, they trust the people around them, they feel comfortable,” Ms Cruickshank, a Wandi Wandandian, Wodi Wodi and Jerrinja woman, said.

To view the Illawarra Mercury article Suicide prevention, postvention support for Aboriginal community in full click here.

Kim Reid from Thirrili and Sharlene Cruickshank from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District

Kim Reid from Thirrili and Sharlene Cruickshank from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. Photos: Ainslie.Co. Images source: Illawarra Mercury.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Healing power of art for doctors and patients

Medicine cannot cure all diseases, but one simple yet powerful tool – art – can help patients and doctors alike. It is well known that art is good for patients. “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” as stated by the 1947 Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO uses art in health promotion and communication. In 2019, the WHO tested the effect of arts in advancing specific health goals, including improving mental health, suicide and blindness prevention, and maternal health. The WHO’s Regional Office for Europe is conducting research on the effect of art in health, in its Behavioural and Cultural Insights Program. Art also helps communicate health messages across different cultures and helps with emergency preparedness.

Indigenous artwork displayed in hospitals is one means to aid a culturally safe environment for Indigenous patients. It is also a reminder to non-Indigenous people in the hospital, to mentally acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land that the hospital lies on. Engaging in art is instrumental in the wellbeing and healing of Indigenous patients. For many Indigenous people, art is not a commodity but rather as “something akin to a family member”. Engaging in and displaying art, when treating Indigenous patients, could be a valuable part of the management plan. However, it remains widely unadopted. The incorporation of Indigenous artwork into staff uniforms of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Queensland, which they report has helped improve engagement of Indigenous people in their mental health programs.

Art as a method of healing is still viewed as an accessory tool, rather than a primary tool, in the doctor’s toolbox. This likely stems from a multitude of factors: a lack of education of doctors and medical students in the importance of art for patients and themselves, a lack of time in a busy hospital system for the doctor to remember and use available hospital art services, perhaps a feeling that art is not as important as current clinical practice backed with research, a lack of funding for art services in hospitals, and a lack of research studying the effect of art on the physical and mental health of patients. There are likely many other reasons why today, there are still hospitals in Australia without an arts service for its patients or an Arts in Medicine program for its doctors.

To view the InSight+ article The healing power of art for doctors and their patients in full click here.

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.

NACCHO Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health News: Australia’s first national cancer plan a reality

feature tile image of ATSI cancer survivor Jacinta Elston; text 'Improving outcomes for ATSI people a priority of Australia's first National Cancer Plan'

The image in the feature tile of cancer survivor Jacinta Elston appeared in an ABC News article Australia’s first national cancer plan aims to improve outcomes for Indigenous and regional Australians, available here, published yesterday, Thursday 2 November 2023. Image: Blacklock Media.

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

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

Australia’s first national cancer plan a reality

Improving outcomes for Australians with the poorest cancer experiences, especially First Nations people, will be a priority for the nation’s first cancer plan. Cancer Australia CEO Professor Dorothy Keefe launched the landmark Australian Cancer Plan this week in a plenary address to the 50th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) in Melbourne. The plan has been developed by Cancer Australia, in consultation with the states and territories, First Nations communities, clinicians, researchers, people with lived experience of cancer and support organisations.

The plan covers all cancer types, across the whole cancer journey, from prevention and early detection to treatment, recovery, and end of life care. A key priority of the plan is improving outcomes for groups with the poorest cancer experiences, with a particular focus on First Nations people. Achieving equity for First Nations people was an urgent priority, Professor Keefe said. First Nations people are 14% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 45% more likely to die from cancer than non-Indigenous people.

Professor Keefe said she and everyone at Cancer Australia were “very excited” to see the plan come to fruition. “This is the first time Australia has ever had national cancer control plan,” she said. “And this one was created by the entire sector working together. The patients, the advocates, the researchers, traditions, the government’s it’s just great.” The plan sets out two and five-year goals for achieving these strategic objectives, and a 10-year ambition. The strategic objectives include:

  • Maximising cancer prevention and early detection
  • Enhanced consumer experience
  • World-class health systems for optimal care
  • Strong and dynamic foundations
  • Workforce to transform the delivery of cancer care
  • Achieving equity in cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

To view the Medical Republic article Australia’s first national cancer plan a reality in full click here.

Major step towards new WA ACCHO

The Fitzroy Valley Health and Wellbeing Project Working Group has taken the next step in its mission to establish a community controlled health service with the recent incorporation of Barrala Health Service Aboriginal Corporation. The aim of the Fitzroy Valley Health and Wellbeing Project, established in 2021, is to establish a dedicated Aboriginal community controlled health service to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare services in Fitzroy Crossing.

With the the entity now incorporated, Barrala has begun work on a detailed business plan for the establishment of the health service which will include staffing, service design, specialist services, infrastructure and capital works. The service’s design will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the Fitzroy Crossing community.

Barrala will partner with stakeholders including the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS), the Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA), NACCHO, the WA Country Health Service and the WA and Commonwealth Governments.

To view the Broome Advertiser article Fitzroy Valley Health and Wellbeing Project takes major step towards community controlled health service in full click here.

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service treasurer Chris Bin Kali and Barrala Health Service co-chairs Delvene Green and Joe Ross

Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service treasurer Chris Bin Kali and Barrala Health Service co-chairs Delvene Green and Joe Ross. Image source: Broome Advertiser.

Political misinformation regulation required

The recent open letter to the PM and parliamentarians broke the week-long silence from Indigenous leaders after the country rejected the proposed First Nations Voice to Parliament. The letter emphasised the damage caused by the “lies in political advertising and communication” prevalent in the recent campaign. The immediate consequences of these campaign messages have been profoundly damaging, with Indigenous-led mental health helpline 13 YARN receiving a 108% increase of Indigenous people reporting racism, abuse and trauma.

The federal government has proposed to introduce legislation to address the risks of political misinformation as a way of addressing three crucial factors: 1) Fake news and information spreads faster than real news, and is very hard to stop once it gets going. Misinformation can be posted on social media and reach a large audience before the information can be taken down. It’s easier to ensure politicians and political actors are prevented from saying it in the first place. 2) The public is often largely unaware when information is incorrect, and don’t necessarily have the skill or engagement to verify facts for themselves. 3) Belief in misinformation continues even after correction, a factor known as the continued influence effect.

Relying solely on the media, the public and rival political candidates to correct false statements is like expecting rain to extinguish a bush fire without any intervention from emergency services. While rain might sometimes help douse the flames, it’s inconsistent and unreliable. Similarly, while media and public scrutiny can occasionally correct misinformation, it’s not a guaranteed or systematic solution. Political misinformation spread online is like thousands of small fires simultaneously being lit.

To view The Conversation article Regulating political misinformation isn’t easy, but it’s necessary to protect democracy in full click here.

snapshot of AAP FactCheck post text 'This claim in false. Experts say results at the electorate level are not an indication of how Indigenous people voted'

Image: AAP FactCheck Twitter post. Image source: The Conversation.

Funding boost for three health projects

Three Indigenous health projects led by teams at the University of Sydney will share in over $3.2m as part of an initiative by the Australian Government to help find new ways to reduce chronic disease, improve mental health, help people quit smoking and increase resilience in kids. The projects are focused on involving First Nations people from their inception, and listening to the lived experience of the communities and peoples involved at every stage.Professor Robyn Ward, Executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor Medicine and Health, congratulated the recipients, noting the impact that Indigenous-led and community informed projects can have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Professor Ward said the projects listed below, “have the potential to address areas of critical need for Indigenous Australians. We welcome the support from the Australian Government to support our researchers and communities. Working together is the best way to make a difference for mental health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

  • Connecting our Way – aims to build confidence in children in emotional regulation, mindfulness, and managing emotions at high-risk times
  • Creating Mental Health Safe Spaces in Pharmacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consumers: Educating the primary care workforce in Mental Health First Aid (The MH-SPACE Trial) – aims to address the disproportionate lack of adequate mental health support available to First Nations Australians by upskilling the frontline, primary care workforce, namely community pharmacists – who are highly accessible and trusted healthcare professionals
  • Social Wellbeing Program – aims to develop a culturally-based social and emotional wellbeing program for young First Nations people in prison, to better deal with the underlying causes of unsocial behaviours, such as intergenerational trauma

To view The University of Sydney article Indigenous health projects get funding boost in full click here.

close up photo of grass tree plant, superimposed with white dot & line Aboriginal lines

Image source: The University of Sydney.

Input invite: PSA palliative care training program

In recent months the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) has been successful in its application for a grant under the National Palliative Care Projects grant program. Over the next 2 years the PSA’s aim is to develop a palliative care foundation training program for Australian pharmacists. This training program is not intended to prepare pharmacists to specialise in palliative care, but rather to broadly upskill and equip Australian pharmacists with the foundation knowledge, skills and compassion needed to provide palliative care support to patients through quality use of medicines. The course, once developed, will be available free of charge to all pharmacists nationally by means of online self-directed learning.

The PSA is keen to ensure that the palliative care needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people and communities are considered throughout the training course, and brought to the attention of pharmacists and are seeking input from individual health professionals and also from carers and consumers, via 2 separate online surveys. The input will be carefully considered as the PSA develop the key learning objectives and overarching module structure of the program.

You can find more information on the National Palliative Care Projects grant program here.

The health professionals survey is available here, and the carers and consumers survey is available here.

The closing date for all input is Friday 17 November 2023 at 5pm AEDT.

ATSI hand being cradled by health worker

Image source: PSA Returning to Spirit webpage.

Helping improve health outcomes in the bush

Australia’s leading organic global meat producer, Hewitt has committed $750,000 to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) sections in Qld, SA and NT, and NSW, delivering critical health and wellbeing care to remote Indigenous and farming communities.  The RFDS is vital in turning the tide to help improve health outcomes for people living in rural and remote areas. Around 230,000 occasions of care are delivered each year between Qld, SA and the NT, and the South Eastern Sections. Around 28% of the Australian population live in rural and remote areas, with data revealing people in these communities often experience poorer health outcomes when compared to city dwellers, due to less access to primary health care services. 

For Indigenous communities, which make up around 32% of those living in rural and remote Australia, life expectancy is lower and there is a higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors that could lead to serious health issues such as kidney, urinary tract or coronary heart disease, injury or suicide. The five-year partnership between Hewitt and the RFDS aims to improve the physical and mental health and well-being of people in rural, regional, and remote areas of Australia by ensuring vital medicine, health technology and medical/mental health advice is delivered. 

RFDS (Queensland Section) CEO Meredith Staib said the Hewitt collaboration will go towards providing important front-line services to people in rural and remote communities, “Our aim is to provide the finest care to the furthest corner and we’re grateful for the generous support of Hewitt over such a significant amount of time. “ We’re continuing to work hard to provide positive and equitable health outcomes across Australia and this is only possible with the support of Australia’s rural sector.”

To view the Third Sector article Helping improve medical and mental health outcomes in the bush in full click here.

RFDS plane in outback, patient on stretcher being carried 4 adults to the plane

Image source: Third Sector.

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.