3 July 2024

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

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

CTG PBS Co-payment Program has been expanded

The Closing the Gap (CTG) PBS Co-payment Program has been expanded to include section 100 (S100) PBS medicines dispensed by community pharmacies, approved medical practitioners, and private hospitals in Australia. This expansion is in addition to the section 85 (general schedule) medicines which are also dispensed under this program. The initiative also covers all section 100 PBS medicines supplied under Continued Dispensing arrangements. Starting from 1 January 2025, the program will extend to all section 85 and 100 PBS medicines currently dispensed by public hospitals around the country.

The CTG PBS Co-payment Program aims to improve access to PBS medicines for First Nations people with or at risk of chronic diseases, and addresses the significant barrier of medicine costs. It helps ensure they can adhere to their prescribed medication regimen, reducing the likelihood of setbacks in the prevention or management of their conditions.

Registered participants on the CTG PBS Co-payment Register who would normally pay the full general PBS co-payment amount now pay the concessional rate. Those who already pay the concessional rate receive their medicines for free, without any co-payment costs. Additionally, the Remote Area Aboriginal Health Services (RAAHS) program complements this initiative by allowing clients in remote areas to receive free PBS medicines directly from their RAAHS without the need for a normal PBS script.

You can find more detailed information about the expansion of the CTG PBS Co-Payment Program on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s PBS News webpage here. 

New programs to combat diabetes and chronic conditions

Two new programs will be rolled out this year to help combat diabetes and other chronic conditions in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is good news for the Mackay community, according to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Mackay Integrated Team Care (ITC) team.

ATSICHS Mackay Indigenous Health Project Officer Sharni Scott-Knight (nee Dorante) said the ITC team recently participated in the Diabetes Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes training as well as the My Health for Life facilitator training. “These programs are currently in the planning stages and will be rolled out this year,” Mrs Scott-Knight said.

“These programs will be extremely beneficial to help people manage their chronic conditions and continue to access culturally safe and high-quality health care services, at both ACCHOs and mainstream private practice” said Mrs Scott-Knight.

To view the PHN Northern Queensland article Our Region, Our People: Meet Sharni in full click here.

-R: ITC Outreach Worker Atha Power, ITC Care Coordinator - Private Practices patients Alma Hawdon, ITC Care Coordinator - ATSICHS Mackay patients Thelma Fry, and Indigenous Health Project Officer/Team Leader Sharni Scott-Knight

L-R: ITC Outreach Worker Atha Power, ITC Care Coordinator – Private Practices patients Alma Hawdon, ITC Care Coordinator – ATSICHS Mackay patients Thelma Fry, and Indigenous Health Project Officer/Team Leader Sharni Scott-Knight. Image source: PHN Northern Queensland website.

GPs key to overcoming immunisation misinformation

AMA President Professor Steve Robson says support for general practitioners (GPs) in continuing to play the lead role in vaccinating the community must be at the heart of Australia’s next National Immunisation Strategy. In its submission, available here, to the federal government’s public consultation on the 2025–2030 National Immunisation Strategy, the AMA has highlighted the critical role GPs have played in the achievement of world leading rates of vaccination in Australia and calls for this to be strengthened even further. Prof Robson said the situation around the world was concerning, as a drop in childhood vaccinations is driving a global resurgence of measles and other infectious diseases.

“Australia’s world-leading National Immunisation Program has led to an exceptionally high rate of childhood immunisation, but there are many challenges to overcome on the path to the national coverage target of 95%,” Professor Robson said. “We are unfortunately still seeing misinformation about vaccines spreading like wildfire on social media, while a mixture of vaccine hesitancy and fatigue set in following the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Data shows immunisation rates are falling among Australia’s most vulnerable cohorts, including the elderly and children, amid a significant rise of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, RSV and whooping cough this winter. “GPs have proven to be the best at ensuring Australians receive their vaccinations in a safe and timely manner, as shown by the impressive growth in vaccination rates over the past 25 years,” Professor Robson said. “This is because GPs spend time with patients to answer questions and discuss any concerns a patient might have, helping to counter the rise of dangerous misinformation.”

To view the AMA’s media release GPs critical to overcoming vaccine misinformation and fatigue in full click here.

Utju (Areyonga) NT resident receiving a vaccination

Residents in the remote NT community of Utju (Areyonga) were proud of the community’s vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Samantha Jonscher, ABC Alice Springs.

Healthcare workforce growing slower than demand

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) report Australian’s Health 2024 shows Australia’s healthcare system is facing increasing strain despite record resourcing. Despite workforce growth, increasing demand on the healthcare system has led to a shortage of healthcare workers across the country. Four out of five (82%) of health occupations were in shortage in 2023, with particularly acute shortages of general practitioners, nurses and mental health professionals.

The report gives three main reasons for the growth in healthcare demand: an aging population, rising concerns about mental health, and redistribution. As people age, there is a higher prevalence of chronic conditions and a greater need for medical care. AIHW CEO Zoran Bolevich said “Chronic conditions present a key challenge for individuals, health providers and society as a whole. Individuals with chronic conditions often have complex needs that require services from all levels of the health system.”

AIHW reports routinely show the relationship between healthcare quality and proximity to a major city is almost linear. The cost of programs that redistribute health resources to under-serviced areas increases costs to the system as a whole. Health inequalities persist for many population groups in Australia — including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people living in rural and remote communities.

To view The Mandarin article AIHW data shows healthcare workforce growing slower than demand in full click here.

Shield yourself from shingles – what you need to know

In the video below Dr Richard Mills (GP) speaks with Trina Scott (Registered Nurse and Bundjalung woman) about the shingles vaccine, Shingrix, that’s just been made free for nearly 5 million eligible Australians. Dr Mills has been a GP for over 30 years with half that time spent working as a GP for an ACCHO in Qld and also in the NT.  Trina Scott works in primary health care, First Nations health, diabetes education and nurse navigation.

Dr Mills and Ms Scott explain what shingles is and why it’s important for people to protect themselves against shingles, especially as they get older and if they are immunocompromised. Over 95% of Australians over the age of 30 have had chickenpox. If you’ve had chickenpox as a child, there’s a good change that you’ll have shingles as an adult. About one in three people will get shingles in their lifetime with the risk increasing with age and in those 65 years and older. First Nations Australians are more likely to experience complications from shingles from the age of 50.

There are changes to the shingles vaccine under the National Immunisation Program. The shingles vaccine, Shingrix, replaced Zostavax and is available for free for a broader group of people at higher risk of serious illness. You’re eligible for the free Shingrix vaccine if you’re aged 65 years and over, you’re a First Nations person aged 50 and over, or you’re an immunocompromised adult with eligible medical conditions.

To view the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s webpage Shield yourself from shingles – Get your questions answered here.

Integrated PHC key oral health in remote areas

Access to oral health care for rural and remote Australians is limited, particularly for underserved populations that rely on public dental services. This includes First Nations Peoples. This is largely due to poor distribution of oral health services and a limited dental workforce supply in these areas.

Released on 20 June by Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association’s (AHHA) Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research, the Issues Brief ‘Integrating oral health into primary healthcare for improved access to oral health care for rural and remote populations’ synthesises evidence about the extent of access challenges in rural and remote Australia.

AHHA CEO Kylie Woolcock said the Issues Brief “highlights the missed opportunities for inter-professional collaboration and interoperability of oral and primary healthcare professionals, as there are no mandated data reporting, management, and sharing mechanisms between dental and broader healthcare systems.” The Issues Brief recommends improving health training for rural and remote primary healthcare professionals, allowing primary healthcare professionals to include oral health care in their scope of practice, identifying oral health as a ‘core’ primary healthcare service, increasing interoperability and data sharing, and improving access to oral health care under Medicare for rural and remote populations.

To view the Retail Pharmacy article Integrated Primary Health Care key to oral health improvement in rural and remote Australia in full click here.

UQ Dental Clinic in Dalby; Aboriginal man receiving treatment

University of Queensland Dental Clinic in Dalby. Photo: Laura Cocks, BC Southern Qld.

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.

2 July 2024

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

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

MJA Special Issue in partnership with the Lowitja Institute: Centring Indigenous Knowledges

The Medical Journal of Australia’s ‘Special Issue in partnership with the Lowitja Institute: centring Indigenous knowledges’ has been timed to coincide with NAIDOC week — with the theme “Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud” — and recognises and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and excellence in health and medical research. This article is a collaboration between the MJA Editorial Team and the Guest Editors, where we jointly reflect on the thinking and processes behind this Special Issue.

Scholarly publishing sits at the core of issues of power, privilege, and the production of knowledge in health and medicine. As Australia’s national medical journal, the MJA plays important roles not only in knowledge dissemination, but also in defining, legitimising and validating what types of knowledge matter in health and medical research, practice and policy making. To date, the Journal predominantly operated from a biomedical perspective that has embedded colonial practices, norms and assumptions that produce and sustain inequalities in health and unjust outcomes for Indigenous Australians. This inaugural collaboration between the Lowitja Institute and the MJA stems from the recognition that currently “Indigenous health research in Australia is largely informed by non‐Indigenous world views, led by non‐Indigenous people, and undertaken in non‐Indigenous organisations.”

To read the Special Issue in partnership with the Lowitja Institute: centring Indigenous knowledges, go here.

Image source: The Medical Journal of Australia.

Implementing the cultural determinants of health: our knowledges and cultures in a health system that is not free of racism

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health outcomes remain unjustifiably poor, with policy making requiring urgent reframing. Policies produced and implemented by policy makers and health care providers are being dominated by Western European Australian biomedical knowledge systems. If we are to reform a health system that is failing to reduce health inequities and is not free of racism, the cultural determinants of health (CDoH), which are the knowledges and cultures held and owned by Indigenous peoples, must be front and centre to transforming government services.

When designing, implementing and evaluating policies and services, power sharing, underpinned by doing things with, and not to, Indigenous people, is critical, while brokering systems change that guarantees:

  • privileging of Indigenous voices, control, direction and codesign;
  • leadership by and collaboration with Indigenous scholars and experts; and
  • greater self‐determination, decision making, governance and control by Indigenous Peoples, who are the disruptors, deconstructors and decolonisers of Western knowledge systems and cultures.

To read the full article in the Centering Indigenous Knowledges special edition, go here.

Image source: Shutterstock.

Coalition of Peaks invites community input on new partnership

The Coalition of Peaks has called for community input on a new partnership to grow employment, training and business opportunities.

“Have you had trouble getting a loan for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander-owned business? Do mainstream employment services meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander jobseekers?” – are just two of the questions the Coalition of Peaks, which represents more than 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled peak organisations, is asking through a series of online workshops, a survey, and a call for submissions.

The Coalition said the engagements, which end 7 July, will help shape a First Nations Economic Partnership, to which the federal government committed in September last year.

The survey asks people to identify priorities for the partnership and who should represent them, and is open to anyone who wants to respond.

First Nations Economic Partnership Working Group chair Jamie Lowe said the partnership would aim to improve economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“The partnership will focus on the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, communities and organisations, supporting job creation and translating our knowledge, assets, and rights into sustainable benefits,” said Mr Lowe, who is also CEO of the National Native Title Council.

Coalition of Peaks lead convenor Catherine Liddle said shared-decision making was a cornerstone of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

“Formal partnerships between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander bodies on key policy areas such as this are one important avenue for shared-decision making,” said Ms Liddle, who is also chief executive of SNIACC – National Voice for Our Children.

“This is not another government-led inquiry, advisory body or consultation. Policy partnerships require governments to relinquish some power and come to decisions by consensus with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives.

“This new way of working ensures parties can regularly and directly meet with senior government officials on equal footing, and governments are required to report on progress.”

The Coalition of Peaks and Commonwealth Treasury are working together to shape the partnership and its priorities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, businesses and individual community members are invited to get involved.

“Your involvement will be invaluable in making this a truly equitable partnership that focuses on the right areas for reform to achieve economic justice for our people,” Mr Lowe said.

The community is invited to fill out a survey or make a submission before 7 July.

To read the National Indigenous Times article, go here.

Coalition of Peaks council members with federal, state and territory ministers. Image: Coalition of Peaks.

National Strategy for Food Security in Remote First Nations Communities

The Australian Government is developing a national strategy for food security in remote First Nations communities (the Strategy) in a partnership with state and territory governments and First Nations health organisations.

To help shape the final Strategy and suite of actions, the Australian Government, state and territory governments and First Nations health organisations are seeking feedback. Consultation is open now and will close 11 August 2024. More information and consultation documents are available on the National Indigenous Australians Agency Website.

You can provide feedback in a number of ways. Consultations include regional forums, discussions in remote communities and feedback via online submissions. In-person consultations will be facilitated by PwC Indigenous Consulting.

Make an online submission or register to attend a forum here. Make sure you have your say before consultations close Sunday, 11 August 2024.

The consultation team is also visiting remote communities in July and early August to hear from residents and community-based organisations. The consultation team are working with remote communities on timing and delivery of community visits.

Image: The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre.

Increasing breast screening

Breast screening amongst Aboriginal women in the Edward River region is the highest in NSW, thanks to the efforts of the Deniliquin Local Aboriginal Land Council. As a partner in the award-winning Aboriginal led invitations and bra lift breast screen participation project, its staff have driven positive health outcomes in the district. DLALC has partnered with Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Breast Screen NSW Greater Southern (BSGS) and Support the Girls to run the project in the local area.

The program also runs in the Albury region, and has been such a success in both areas that it received the Exceptional Aboriginal Health Care Award at this year’s MLHD Excellence Awards.

The project was designed to harness the local knowledge of community members, tailoring support appropriately for women who needed transport to and from screenings, more frequent reminders, or more reassurance and support.

Rather than invitations to screening coming via a letter from BreastScreen NSW, the project relied on Aboriginal partner organisations liaising with BSGS to determine which patients were overdue, due or had never screened.

Equipped with this knowledge, trusted women from Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service and Deniliquin Local Aboriginal Lands Council then called clients to have a yarn about the importance of screening, to book them in, and to note what reminders or transport support were required to overcome barriers.

To read the full article, go here.

Heather Hilliam from MLHD, Jane Holmes from Support the Girls, Karen Mobourne from the DLALC, Cheryl Penrith and Dr Elyce Green from CSU 3 Rivers. Photo by JACKIE COOPER.

Managing diabetes in Mackay

ITC program helps First Nations people access care to manage diabetes and other chronic conditions. Two new programs will be rolled out this year to help combat diabetes and other chronic conditions in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is good news for the Mackay community, according to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Mackay Integrated Team Care (ITC) team.

 ATSICHS Mackay Indigenous Health Project Officer Sharni Scott-Knight (nee Dorante) said the ITC team recently participated in the Diabetes Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes training as well as the My Health for Life facilitator training.

“These programs are currently in the planning stages and will be rolled out in this year,” Mrs Scott-Knight said.

“The ITC team plans on providing culturally appropriate group education with our clients and motivational interviewing for health goal setting as part of the My Health for Life Health Lifestyle Program.

“We are also planning upcoming facilitator training in the Diabetes Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diabetes program which features Magnet Man, a new and improved Felt Man, to assist in one-one-one and group education on diabetes.

“This will encourage our people to maintain healthy lifestyle choices, gain health education and literacy, and self-manage their conditions.

To read the full article, go here.

Pictured from left: ITC Outreach Worker Atha Power, ITC Care Coordinator – Private Practices patients Alma Hawdon, ITC Care Coordinator – ATSICHS Mackay patients Thelma Fry, and Indigenous Health Project Officer/Team Leader Sharni Scott-Knight.

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.

1 July 2024

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

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

Health care must be ‘by community, for community’

On the eve of the Indigenous Health Special Issue of the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), available here, in partnership with the Lowitja Institute, Professor Kelvin Kong was a guest on the MJA podcast to discuss his work with ear disease, the importance of representation and cultural safety, and his optimism for the future of Indigenous health care.

Professor Kong regularly travels to remote Australia to provide ear, nose and throat services to Indigenous people, where he sees firsthand the dichotomy in health outcomes for ear disease in this country, “…the non-Indigenous population have a completely different prevalence and incidence and outcome from ear disease than Indigenous kids. And yet this is in the same hospitals, in the same health district, in the same country that we live in, that we’re seeing this real distinct difference.”

Professor Kong emphasised the importance of culturally safe health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with a need for representation at all levels of health care to ensure that health care is “by the community, for the community. Health to us is how do we make our kids successful and out of hospitals? How do we make sure that our mental and spiritual wellbeing is very encompassed? How do we make sure that we progress in society to be able to live the dreams that we want to dream and be a part of and engaged in society? And that’s being healthy and well.”

You can listen to the podcast with Professor Kelvin Kong here and view the InSight+ article Health care ‘by the community, for the community’ with Professor Kelvin Kong in full click here.

Professor Kelvin Kong

Professor Kelvin Kong. Image source: InSight+ website.

Wathaurong moves from strength to strength

Big things are happening at Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative. Last week Geelong council progressed Wathaurong’s application to rezone the site of its headquarters in North Geelong to allow for the construction of a new $43m centre, allowing the organisation to have all its services at the one site. Wathaurong also played host to Victorian Minister for Employment and Prevention of Family Violence Vicki Ward, who met with the organisation’s staff and board to officially open the recently installed Aboriginal Access Point and view designs of the new hub.

Since forming between 1978 and 1980, Wathaurong has provided a central point for the Indigenous community in the Geelong area, providing health, community and family services and a way for Aboriginal people to connect. Through that time, the organisation has evolved, grown and sometimes been forced to reassess its direction. Wathaurong CEO Simon Flagg began his career at the co-operative in 1996 as an Aboriginal Worker trainee before embarking on a 20-year career as a public servant. Since taking up the head role in 2021 he has worked to return the organisation’s focus to community building rather than service delivery.

During her visit, Ms Ward said it was fantastic to see a strong community working together to become even stronger, “When you’ve got people who absolutely understand the strengths in the community, understand how to build on that, but also understand the challenges a community might experience, it creates that environment where things can happen easier and faster. To be able to have an access point where you know you’ll be treated respectfully, safely, and be able to find your pathway is really important and it’s wonderful to see how well they’re doing it here.”

To view the Voice Ocean Grove article Wathaurong moves from strength to strength in full click here. 

Member for Lara Ella George, Wathaurong CEO Simon Flagg and Minister Vicki Ward at the official opening of the Aboriginal Access Point Barwon service.

Member for Lara Ella George, Wathaurong CEO Simon Flagg and Minister Vicki Ward at the official opening of the Aboriginal Access Point Barwon service. Photo: Louisa Jones. Image source: Voice Ocean Grove website.

Cultural safety needed in medical specialist training

Dr Paul Saunders, a proud Biripi man, academic, doctoral student, and former medical practitioner says that while there is growing attention and priority regarding cultural safety in Australian health care, an equally significant concern is mounting vis‐à‐vis the capacity of medical professionals to provide care that is deemed culturally safe by Indigenous peoples.

It is increasingly evident, says Dr Saunders, that health inequities within Indigenous populations “are primarily due to unequal power relationships, unfair distribution of the social determinants of health, marginalisation, biases, unexamined privilege, and institutional racism,” prompting the need for attention at a variety of levels within health care, including at the systemic, organisational and individual levels. Along with medical schools and pre‐vocational medical training institutions, specialist medical colleges have a considerable responsibility to ensure their organisation and training programs commit to developing medical professionals who can demonstrate cultural competence within clinical contexts.

Unlike traditional components of medical training that adopt well defined competencies to determine progression, cultural safety training is nebulous. This is due to ambiguities surrounding the concept of culture and cultural safety, which focus heavily on introspection and critical consciousness of power differentials within societal structures and systems, including health care. It is purported that such disparities in power are directly linked to the colonisation of Indigenous lands and have constructed and maintained health inequities that disadvantage Indigenous peoples. European‐based systems (eg, health care) were forcibly introduced during colonisation, often conflicting with Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing. The manifestation of such epistemological, ontological and methodological conflict is inequity regarding access to, and participation in, such public systems, resulting in disproportionate outcomes.

The Medical Journal of Australia article Fulfilling cultural safety expectations in specialist medical education and training: considerations for colleges to advance recognition and quality by Dr Saunders, available here, is part of the Indigenous Health Special Issue of the MJA available here.

Dr Paul Saunders & front of Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education, Western Sydney University

Dr Paul Saunders. Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education, Western Sydney University. Image source: Western Sydney University website.

Better to Know sexual health resource for mob

Better to Know is a sexual health resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It provides information about common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), what to do if you have an STI and where to get tested. It contains information that deals with both men’s and women’s business.

The Better to Know website includes a range of resources and information including:

  • information about STIs
  • a list of STIs
  • how to notify a partner if you have an STI
  • being told you may have been exposed to an STI
  • how to register for a sexual health check-up reminder
  • where to find available services such as ACCHOs, HIV organisations, clinics and Aboriginal Medical Services

You can access the Better to Know website here.

Towards genomics-guided precision cancer medicine

Delivering cancer control at scale for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a national priority that requires Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and codesign, as well as significant involvement of the Aboriginal community‐controlled health sector. The unique genomic variation observed among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may have implications for standard and precision medicine. Yet, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are absent from, or under‐represented within, human reference genome resources, genomic studies, cancer studies, cancer cell lines, patient‐derived xenografts and cancer clinical trials.

Genomics‐guided precision cancer medicine offers an opportunity to reduce cancer health disparities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through personalising prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long term management. Here, we describe what is required to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can receive the benefits of precision cancer medicine.

Equity of access to care, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer workforce, and appropriate genome reference resources are important for safe and effective cancer medicine. Building Indigenous data sovereignty principles and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance into research is required to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and collective interests. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community engagement should be undertaken to develop an understanding of the unique cultural and ethical considerations for precision cancer research. Local and national genomic health research guidelines are needed to define a consensus best practice in genomics research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To view The Medical Journal of Australia article Towards precision cancer medicine for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer health equity in full click here. The below image is from a Lab+Life article Next-gen genomics reveals diversity of Indigenous Australians published earlier this year and available here.

Aboriginal people in traditional face paint / dress; Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background

Image source: Lab+Life website.

IUIH program making cataract surgery accessible

Ian Delaney was struggling with everyday life as his vision deteriorated. “In my right eye everything was very blurry,” said the 70-year-old Quandamooka man. “Not having clear vision was a problem making simple things like walking around the house hard. I had to be careful not to trip or fall over.” First Nations people suffer blindness at about six times the rate of non-Indigenous people, which Mater Hospital ophthalmologist Jon Farrah said was shocking, “We’ve got six times the rate of poor vision in the Indigenous population, we’ve got 90% that’s treatable and about a third of that is actually cataract blindness. It’s pretty important to address it.”

The effects of cataracts like Mr Delaney’s can be debilitating, but public waiting lists can be long, hospital settings overwhelming and specialist appointments inaccessible or expensive, so cataracts can go untreated. But through the cataract pathway program, run by the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) and Mater Hospital, groups of up to 30 patients are having their eyesight restored. More than 1,000 cataract operations have been performed so far under the program.

IUIH optometrist Celia McCarthy said while it can be stressful and intimidating to go to hospital, bringing in groups of patients to the Mater Springfield can make the waiting room feel less scary. Being supported by health workers they know builds trust in a system that hasn’t always been accessible for First Nations people, she said. IUIH also provides transport and support for patients on the day of surgery, as well as any follow up appointments, to ensure the most appropriate and holistic care for each person.

To view the Health Times article Sights set on cataract surgery for Indigenous people in full click here.

Aboriginal woman in hospital bed having eye checked after cataract surgery

Only 59% of Indigenous people requiring cataract surgery will receive it. Photo: Daniel Jesus Vignolli, Fred Hollows. Image source: Insight website.

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

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

28 June 2024

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

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

New Aboriginal-led service for mob affected by FV

Aboriginal communities have worked with the Victorian government to deliver a new, Aboriginal-led service to support people affected by family violence  (FV) in the Barwon / Wadawurrung Country area. Victoria’s Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Vicki Ward, this week officially opened the Aboriginal Access Point Barwon service, which is being operated by Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative.

Ms Ward said the state government is “investing in needed Aboriginal-led family violence supports that are culturally safe and tailored to meet the needs of Aboriginal people”. The service is fully staffed by an Aboriginal workforce who provide culturally safe support for local Aboriginal families affected by family violence, living on Wathaurong, Gulidjan and Gadabanud Country, in the Geelong, Bellarine and Colac regions.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg said the Co-operative “welcomes the investment into culturally safe support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our region. This service, alongside services that Wathaurong already provides with The Orange Door, will allow us to support our community who are experiencing or at risk of family violence.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article Aboriginal-led service to help people affected by family violence on Wadawurrung Country in full click here.

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg. Image: Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative

Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative CEO Simon Flagg. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

VACCHO framework aims to improve cancer outcomes

The Victorian government has announced their support of a new initiative to improve cancer outcomes for Indigenous people in the state, as well as helping to close the gap in cancer research and care. Yesterday (Thursday 27 June 2024), Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas announced $3.87m towards Framework Respect – a culturally responsive and safe framework to boost participation in cancer clinical trials – led by VACCHO in partnership with local ACCHOs.

VACCHO CEO and cancer survivor, Jill Gallagher said VACCHO’s journey strategy “provides the roadmap for improving cancer outcomes” for Indigenous Victorians. “This commitment means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will have greater access to the latest approaches to detect and treat cancers, with ACCOs providing that access,” the Gunditjmara woman said.

This framework will form part of the Cancer Clinical Trials Program 2024–2028 and is on top of the $7.8m plan by the government to “support the development and implementation” of VACCHO’s Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy 2023–2028. “Equity in healthcare must be a priority, and we can’t ignore the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have worse outcomes when it comes to cancer – this funding will help address that gap,” Minister Thomas said. “These new guidelines will ensure that health services have a clear and consistent framework when engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in clinical cancer trials in a meaningful and respectful way.”

To view the National Indigenous Times article New funding a roadmap to improving cancer outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians in full click here.

van painted with Aboriginal art outside VACCHO office building

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Murdered First Nations Women report due soon

A major investigation into violence against First Nations women and children will soon be released, almost two years after the Senate referred an inquiry to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. The inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children has since published  87 submissions and held multiple hearings.

Jade Bradford, a Ballardong Noongar freelance journalist based in WA, has been following the inquiry closely, and undertaken a thematic analysis of some of the key issues raised by submissions. Ms Bradford  found that while many different organisations and individuals from different places and contexts have made submissions to the inquiry, three clear themes emerged from hre systematic view:

Truth telling is foundational, including truth telling about the connections between colonial violence and the violence experienced by First Nations women. In their submission QAIHC cited research suggesting that the decision made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women on whether or not to disclose violence was directly related to the cultural safety of services.

Self-determination was another key theme was the importance of self-determination in all responses, whether in prevention, or policy and service development and delivery. In their submission the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) said “ACCOs, especially ACCHOs, should be recognised as preferred providers for government funded services to address family violence, in recognition of their greater service effectiveness, their higher levels of employment of Aboriginal women, and their formal structures for involving Aboriginal communities in general and women in particular in decision-making.”

Investment in social and cultural determinants of health especially poverty and housing, and a lack of cultural safety in policy and services was highlighted in many submissions, including the one from CAAC, “Increased investment in housing for both remote and urban areas as an important underpinning strategy to support women’s independence and address mental health and social and emotional wellbeing issues, including family violence.”

To view the Croakey Health Media article Truth telling and self-determination are critical for addressing violence against First Nations women and children in full click here. 

Michael, Rose and Orlyn at the graveside of their mother

Michael, Rose and Orlyn at the graveside of their mother, Constance Watcho. Photo: David Maguire, Four Corners. Image source: ABC News website.

Important Stronger Bubba Born surveys

The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) has developed two very important surveys to evaluate and improve the Stronger Bubba Born program. Both surveys are anonymous and will take about 10–15 minutes to complete.

One survey is for Health Care Professionals and is titled Co-design of stillbirth prevention and care resources for diverse communities in Australia. It is a part of the evaluation of the Cultural Adaptation of the Safer Baby Bundle (inclusive of Stronger Bubba Born and Growing a Healthy Baby). This survey is aimed at clinicians who provide maternity care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and/or migrant or refugee women. You can access this survey here or by clicking on the QR code below:Stronger Born Bubba QR codeThe second survey is titled Developing resources for a safer pregnancy: a survey for Indigenous women. This is targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are 16 years of age and above and are either currently pregnant or were pregnant in the previous 3 years. Due to ethics requirements, the QR code can’t shared here but will be sent out to ACCHO practice managers to promote within house.

Please contact the NACCHO Maternal and Child Health team via email here if you have any questions.

culturally-sensitive resources for ATSI women to have a safer pregnancy

Culturally-sensitive resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Image source: Stillbirth CRE website.

Workforce Wellbeing Guide for Kimberley ACCHOs

The Workforce Wellbeing Guide: A self-reflection and self-care resource for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in the Kimberley was written in Rubibi (Broome). It was developed by the Wellbeing Informed Care – Kimberley (WIC-K) research project in collaboration with the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service (KAMS), and the University of WA (Rural Clinical School of WA and School of Indigenous Studies).

The WIC-K project team would like to thank the Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) workers, and Aboriginal Health Workers who contributed their time, knowledge, and lived experience to the development of this guide.

You can access the Workforce Wellbeing Guide on the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing blog here.

cover of KAMS Workforce Wellbeing Guide for Kimberly ACCHOs

Image source: TIMHWB blog.

OAMS staff visit Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre

Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS) staff Linda, Facilities & Assets Maintenance Manager and Ri, CQI Coordinator recently travelled to Toronto near Newcastle, NSW, to visit the Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. The centre brings together a range of education, health, and family support and early childhood services to improve local Aboriginal families’ overall health, education and wellbeing.

It was an exchange of ideas meet up where Emma, Centre Manger and Jennifer DCJ Program Director gave a centre tour and talked about their various free programs such as women’s art therapy, nutrition and healthy lifestyle activities. They also host events such as community breakfasts, and many other organisations, such as the AECG (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group), who use their space to hold regular meetings.

A highlight was a viewing of the artwork from members of the Nikinpa art group. One member of the artists group is Aunty Brenda Simon is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Gulargambone. All seven of Brenda’s children were taken from her by government authorities in the 1970s, and her story is now the subject of a powerful new documentary, The Last Daughter, on Netflix. Aunty Brenda attends the art group each week and says painting leaves has helped build connections in her community.

You can find more information about the Nikinpa Aboriginal Child and Family Centre on the Muloobinba Aboriginal Corporation website here and watch a trailer to The Last Daughter here.

collage 3 images, 4 women, woman with artwork, painted gumnut leaves

Images from the OAMS staff visit to the Nikinpa Aboriginal Child & Family Centre. Photos supplied by OAMS.

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.

27 June 2024

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

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

FASD Strong Born Grants are Back!

Applications Open: 26 June 2024 
Applications Due: 19 July 2024, 23:00 AEST / 11pm Canberra time  

NACCHO invites applications for the third round of the FASD Strong Born Campaign grants. ACCHOs can apply for funding to raise awareness, enhance resources, and strengthen workforce capability around fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).  

Funding and Activities: ACCHOs can apply for grants of up to $60,000 (GST excl.), depending on annual client numbers. Example activities include:  

  • Creating locally relevant communications materials and resources by using existing ‘Strong Born’ campaign materials. This covers translation services, design, printing, and publishing costs.  
  • Hosting FASD community events and yarning circles.  
  • Conducting FASD information and awareness sessions for staff and community members.  

Refer to the funding guidelines for more information on eligible activities.  

Eligibility: 
All ACCHOs are strongly encouraged to apply, regardless of whether they currently deliver FASD-specific programs or received funding under Grant Rounds 1 or 2 in 2023.  

Timeline:  

  • Applications Open: 26 June 2024  
  • Applications Due: 19 July 2024, 23:00 AEST / 11pm Canberra time  
  • Applicants Notified: August 2024  
  • Implementation Period: September 2024 to May 2025  

How to Apply: 
To apply, please complete the short application form, below. Key documents to assist with the application process include:  

Questions: 
Please reach out to the NACCHO FASD Grants team at fasdprograms@naccho.org.au with any questions – we are here to help!  

  

Victorian Rural Health Awards: Recognising Excellence in Rural Health

The Victorian Rural Health Awards, hosted annually by RWAV since 2005, hour the outstanding contributions of rural health professionals across Victoria. These awards celebrate the exceptional work of medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, Aboriginal health workers, and practice managers in rural communities. 

In a significant win for our community, Ms. Shannon Balfour, from Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in Mooroopna won this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Award.  

This award highlights significant contributions in providing care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and communities. 

Shannon Balfour, is a proud First Nations woman and manages the Woongi Unit at Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in Shepparton-Mooroopna. She oversees a range of mental health and social and emotional well-being programs, including Alcohol and Other Drug support, counselling, post-discharge care, family violence support, and other healing initiatives. Shannon has enhanced group yarning sessions, clinical care, language lessons, and holistic well-being approaches.  

She has forged partnerships with mainstream services, secured a psychiatrist, linked Woongi to First Nations discharge plans, and collaborated with the University of Melbourne and local TAFE for student placements. Shannon’s efforts have significantly increased service use by the local First Nations community. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Management for the Bridge Youth Services in Shepparton and actively engages with the local community. 

Big Congratulations Shannon and Rumbalara!  

For the full story, click here. 

Shannon Balfour, Manager at Woongi Unit, Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative

Shannon Balfour, Manager at Woongi Unit, Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative

Transforming Australia’s Mental Health System Through the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration

Webinar Highlights Mental Health Impacts of Voice to Parliament Referendum
A recent webinar hosted by Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia on 21 June examined the impacts of the Voice to Parliament referendum on the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Participants discussed findings from focus groups that revealed the racism and stress experienced by these communities during the referendum, underscoring the importance of initiatives like the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration to promote social and emotional wellbeing.

Rachel Fishlock on the Declaration
Rachel Fishlock, CEO of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia, describes the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration as a call to action for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership in the Australian mental health system. The Declaration aims to achieve the highest standards of social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and suicide prevention outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Social and emotional wellbeing, a multidimensional concept defined by connections to body, mind, family, community, culture, Country, spirit, and ancestors, is integral to maintaining good mental health. It is shaped by experiences of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, racism, and structural discrimination.

Systemic Changes for Mental Health
The Declaration, built on principles from the 1989 National Aboriginal Health Strategy and the 1995 Ways Forward Report, calls for recognising First Nations concepts of wellbeing across Australia’s mental health system. It promotes a balance of clinical and culturally informed responses and stresses the importance of First Nations leadership and values in mental health services.

To translate the Declaration’s goals into action, a Framework and Implementation Plan have been developed. These outline strategies and priorities for the next decade, focusing on cultural strength, best practices, evidence, First Nations presence, and leadership.

Urgent Need for Action
Highlighting the urgency of this work, Fishlock points to alarming statistics: in 2022, the suicide rate for First Nations men was 2.6 times higher than for non-Indigenous men, and 2.5 times higher for First Nations women. Reducing suicide rates and ensuring high levels of social and emotional wellbeing are critical concerns.

Implementing the Declaration represents an important step for mental health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country. As the recent Productivity Commission’s Review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap noted, systemic changes are necessary. The full implementation of the Declaration could lead to substantial improvements in mental health and wellbeing.

For the full story, click here.

For more information on the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration, visit Gayaa Dhuwi.

Group of people in circle from diverse culture holding hands.Cooperation and teamwork.Community of friends or volunteers committed to social issues for peace and the environment.Top view

Photo credit: iStock / melitas

 

Celebrating the Next Generation at the National NAIDOC Awards

The National NAIDOC Youth Award nominations are shining a light on the incredible achievements of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals who are making a significant impact in their communities.

Dante Rodrigues: Tiwi Islander Fighter
Dante Rodrigues, a Tiwi Islander, is a professional fighter who represented his community and Australia at the World Kickboxing Championships in Portugal. Overcoming a difficult upbringing with domestic violence, substance abuse, and crime, Dante turned to sports to improve his mental and emotional well-being. Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, and anxiety at 18, he co-founded the One Percent Program with his cousin Jahdai Vigona. This program helps men in the Northern Territory become their best selves.

Piper Stewart: Swimming Advocate
Piper Stewart, a proud Gulidjan woman, faced her fear of swimming at a young age and founded Bambigi at just twelve years old. Bambigi funds six months of swimming lessons for Aboriginal kids in the Griffith region, addressing financial and transport barriers. Piper’s efforts have increased Indigenous participation at local pools, improving water safety and confidence.

Ieyesha Roberts: Kidney Health Advocate
Ieyesha Roberts, a 24-year-old Dunghutti woman from Kempsey, was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure at twelve. Now a research assistant at the University of Sydney, Ieyesha advocates for Indigenous health, particularly kidney health. Her work on the CARI clinical guidelines ensures culturally safe treatment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. Despite her own health challenges, Ieyesha’s dedication has significantly impacted the lives of others.

These young leaders exemplify resilience, innovation, and a commitment to their communities, proving that the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is bright.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.

NACCHO invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners to nominate themselves and/or others to be part of NACCHO’s, Keep the Fire Burning NAIDOC series where we will acknowledge and celebrate the critical contribution they make in ‘keeping the fires burning’ in our sector and our communities.

We just need:

  1. A photo of your beautiful face!
  2. A couple of sentences answering the question:
    What does this year’s theme mean for you? What ‘ignites the fire in you, to do your job?
  3. Send your nominations to: nacchonews@naccho.org.au

For the full story, click here.

NAIDOC WEEK Logo

 

New Resources to Enhance Cultural Safety in Psychology Supervision

The Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) at The University of Western Australia has launched an innovative set of free resources aimed at increasing cultural safety in psychology supervision. The “Listening More: Embedding Cultural Safety in Supervision” initiative, led by Noongar woman and clinical psychologist Belle Selkirk and her colleague Dr. Joanna Alexi, offers tools to help psychology supervisors work more effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Under the guidance of Bardi woman and psychologist Professor Pat Dudgeon AM, the initiative is part of the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing research project. The resources include a guide, a manual, and a reflective journal designed to address the critical need for culturally safe supervision practices in psychology.

“It is every psychologist’s responsibility to be able to work in culturally safe ways with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and this includes culturally safe psychological supervision,” said Ms. Selkirk.

These resources come at a crucial time, coinciding with proposed changes in the Psychology Board of Australia’s competencies for general registration, and aim to support the 46,000 registered psychologists in Australia.

The Listening More working group, which includes representatives from AIPEP and the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association, has produced these resources with support from the Australian Psychological Society, Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, and Heads of Departments and Schools of Psychology Association.

For more information and to download the resources, visit the AIPEP website.

For more information about the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing research project, visit their website, here.

For the full story, click here.

Hand of young supportive man consoling his friend with post traumatic syndrome

Image source: iStock /shironosov

 

First Nations Women Demand Action for Female Prisoners

A powerful roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra has brought to light the urgent issues faced by First Nations female prisoners, calling for immediate government action. The event, part of the Truth Telling Yarns: Women in Prison series, was organised by Sisters Inside, an independent community organization. Former inmates and community groups shared their harrowing stories during the discussion.

Debbie Kilroy, CEO of Sisters Inside, stressed the need for First Nations communities to support their own people. “Communities need to be re-imagined by themselves to build modes of safety and security without any castle (law enforcement) tentacles,” Kilroy said. She highlighted the historical and ongoing harm faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women since colonization.

Statistics reveal a grim reality: First Nations women and girls are the most imprisoned female group globally, accounting for two in five incarcerated women in Australia, with over 80 percent being mothers. Kilroy described this as a “crisis,” comparing it to the Stolen Generations, with many jailed mothers denied custody of their children.

Senator Lidia Thorpe, a Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurring woman, spoke at the roundtable, arguing that incarceration and police intervention are not the solutions. “Communities can self-determine their own destiny, their own solutions,” said Senator Thorpe, who co-chaired the discussion with Senator Fatima Payman and MP Bridget Archer.

The need for community-based intervention programs was underscored by a report from the Justice Reform Initiative. The “Jailing is Failing” report highlighted research showing that early intervention programs could reduce reoffending among at-risk populations by 50 percent, preventing their entanglement in the justice system.

Kilroy called for government action, urging leaders to commit to real change. “We just need a government that has got the guts to put their money where their mouth is and actually act,” she said.

For more details, read the full story on ABC News.

Photo credit - ABC News, Jono Searle, AAP PHOTOS

Photo credit – ABC News, Jono Searle, AAP PHOTOS

Tax Time Scammers Targeting Remote Communities in WA

Community announcement.

Financial counsellors and community leaders across Western Australia’s remote north are raising alarms about an increasing number of tax time scammers targeting residents in remote areas. The ABC has identified Facebook accounts impersonating Centrelink and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) interacting with people who appear to reside in the Kimberley region.

Elder Monica Stumpagee, from Beagle Bay, 130 kilometres north of Broome, expressed her concerns after being financially hit by the collapsed Youpla funeral fund in 2022. This experience has left her and others wary. “Who will we go to? We might get scammed again. We don’t know what to do, we’re just sitting on the edge,” she said.

Ms. Stumpagee has noticed an increase in scams within her community, including Facebook requests from accounts posing as deceased family members. “It’s really getting frequent… now we’re getting scammed on our phones, they’re pretending to be dead family members,” she explained.

Ms. Stumpagee is now participating in financial counselling sessions in Beagle Bay to educate her community. “I’m aware of all that now and I’m not going to fall for any tricks,” she said. “What can we do? We vulnerable people get scammed all the time, so we try to help each other.”

Broome Circle financial counsellor Veronica Johnson works with remote communities throughout the Dampier Peninsula to build the capacity of community members to protect themselves from scams. “[It’s] absolutely devastating for clients who are vulnerable, who are just now being taken for another ride in believing it’s Centrelink… when it clearly is not,” she said.

Last year, Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams, with older people suffering the greatest losses according to a report by the consumer watchdog. Elderly residents in remote communities are often a greater target for scammers, as noted by Ms. Johnson.

Athena Sarah, who works with Home Aged Community Care (HACC) in Beagle Bay, has also observed a rise in online scams targeting residents. She emphasised the need for banks and Centrelink agents to visit remote areas to assist the elderly. “It’s hard because you have some old people who don’t have transport to go into the bank or Centrelink,” she said.

Kevin Collard, Consumer Protection senior regional officer for the Kimberley, urged residents to report any scams to the WA government’s ScamNet website. “People may feel embarrassed or a degree of shame because they’ve been a victim of a scam,” he said. “It’s important to report so that more of the community can become aware of the types of scams that are out there.”

Stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to help protect our communities from scammers.

To read the full story on ABC, click here.

Multi-generational indigenous Australian family, three generations of Aboriginal Australian women

Photo credit: iStock / Thurtell

Celebrate Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: Nominate Now for the 2024 NAATSIHWP Awards!

Nominations close 5pm July 15, 2024.

Nominations are now open for the prestigious 2024 National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) Excellence Awards!

These awards shine a spotlight on the outstanding achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners who have made remarkable contributions to their communities and workplaces.

This is a chance to honour individuals and organisations that are creating exemplary models of care, fully engaging and supporting the career paths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners.

The awards are open to those who meet the eligibility criteria in the following five categories:

  • NAATSIHWP Young Warrior: Celebrating rising stars who are making a significant impact early in their careers.
  • NAATSIHWP Individual Champion: Honouring individuals who have shown exceptional dedication and achievement.
  • NAATSIHWP Workforce Legend (or Respected Elder): Recognising the invaluable contributions of experienced professionals and elders.
  • NAATSIHWP Models of Care and Career Pathways Innovation: Acknowledging innovative approaches to care and career support.
  • NAATSIHWP Board Memorial Lifetime Achievement: This esteemed award, previously known as the Lifetime Achievement Award, is nominated and selected by the NAATSIHWP Board.

The winners will be celebrated at the 2024 NAATSIHWP Conference “Reaping the Rewards of Resilience” Gala Dinner, taking place at the Perth Convention Centre on the night of September 3, 2024.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to highlight the heroes in your community. Submit your nominations before COB on July 15, 2024.

Let’s come together to celebrate resilience, dedication, and excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health!

To see the full details, click here.

Photo credit: NACCHO

 

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.

26 June 2024

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

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

Community-led family violence responses needed

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

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

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

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

Dr Hannah McGlade portrait shot, Aboriginal painting in the background

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

Project aims to improve custodial healthcare for mob

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

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

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

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

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

custodial nurse Hugo Chatwin-Smith

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

Health costs widen gap for rural, remote mob

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

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

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

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

RFDS nurse treating young Aboriginal boy on plane

Image source: Royal Flying Doctor Service website.

PSA Faye McMillan grant winners announced

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

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

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

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

tile with text PSA Faye McMillan Conference Grant - 2024 Winners Announced, PSA logo & photo of Faye McMillan

Image source: PSA website.

Genocide in the Wildflower State documentary

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image source: Yakai.

$550k for Kempsey Her Futures Wellbeing project

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

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

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

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

mural of Aboriginal woman, snake & stars

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

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

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

 

25 June 2024

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

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

New report calls for urgent action on diabetes prevention

Diabetes Australia’s 2024 State of the Nation report, launched at New South Wales Parliament, reveals a worsening diabetes crisis, with alarming increases in type 2 diabetes diagnoses among younger Australians.

Over the past decade, there has been a 44% rise in diagnoses among 21 to 39-year-olds and a 17% increase among those under 20. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth (15-24 years) now experience the world’s highest rates of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, with prevalence doubling in the last five years.

Diabetes Australia CEO Justine Cain expressed concern over the lack of a national diabetes prevention plan, noting that over 300 new cases are diagnosed daily. With an estimated 2 million Australians living with diabetes, Cain emphasised the urgent need for prevention efforts to protect future generations.

The report, coinciding with an upcoming Federal parliamentary inquiry, includes 25 recommendations for addressing the crisis. Key proposals include a 20% levy on sugar-sweetened beverages, promotion of type 2 diabetes remission, a national diabetes kidney screening program, increased funding for diabetes research, and new training programs for aged care staff.

To view Diabetes Australia’s media release in full, click here.
To view The State of the Nation 2024 Report, click here.

A cut boy and his mother making silly faces while in a restaurant

iStock.com / Brian Koellish

$16 million to support healthcare in rural and remote Australia

The Albanese Government is investing $16 million to support 11 innovative healthcare projects in rural and remote Australia that aim to provide a range of innovative models of care, including:

  • better care for chronic disease,
  • specialist geriatric services for older Australians,
  • culturally safe maternity care for First Nations families,
  • outreach to reduce liver disease among First Nations communities,
  • child health outreach to small rural communities,
  • mobile primary care clinics,
  • better collaboration between general practice and pharmacy,
  • better training and support for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

Projects are supported in every Australian state and the Northern Territory. This funding will support healthcare professionals to work together across disciplines in new ways, to meet the needs of people in rural and remote communities.

You can read the Department of Health and Aged Care’s media release here.
Further information on the trial projects can be found on the Department of Health and Aged Care website here.

“These trials will help build a stronger rural healthcare system, and provide better care, closer to home, for people living in the bush.”
Assistant Minister McBride

clinic in black paint with red arrow on tin on pole at side of red dusk road

Photo: Ian Waldie, Getty Images. Image source: ABC News.

Disparities persist in childhood cancer rates

Despite national and global reports of rising incidences of cancer affecting children and young people, new analysis has found rates of childhood cancer have remained unchanged over the past 30 years in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

A new analysis reveals that childhood cancer rates in South Australia and the Northern Territory have remained stable over the past 30 years, contrasting with rising incidences reported nationally and globally. Dr. Suzanne Mashtoub from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University highlighted that this stability suggests different underlying causes for childhood and young adult cancers.

The study, involving researchers from various institutions including the Telethon Kids Institute and Menzies Research Institute, examined cancer incidence and survival among children aged 19 and under from 1990 to 2017. Findings showed a significant decrease in cancer incidence among non-Indigenous children and unchanged rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, with lymphocytic leukemia being the most common diagnosis.

While overall survival rates improved in South Australia, they remained steady in the Northern Territory. Despite significant improvements in survival for Indigenous children over the past 20 years, disparities persist compared to non-Indigenous children.

Dr. Justine Clark from the Telethon Kids Institute emphasised the need to address issues faced by Indigenous families in the NT, including timely diagnosis, financial and logistical barriers, and cultural safety within cancer services. She called for the healthcare system to tackle these challenges to improve cancer outcomes for Indigenous children.

To view The University of Adelaide’s media release in full, click here.
To view the report in full, click here.

Cancer can affect anyone. But the good news is, finding cancer early gives you the best chance of getting better.
Find out more at Yarn For Life.

Videos aim to help youth go vape-free

Vaping is a significant issue in the regions where Danny Allende works, with young Indigenous people statistically more likely to take it up. As the manager of Na Joomelah, a program addressing smoking and vaping among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Sydney and Wollongong, Allende notes that vaping impacts a wide demographic, including children as young as Year 2.

Na Joomelah, in collaboration with the Lung Foundation Australia and young First Nations people, has launched a series of animations to tackle vaping. These animations focus on the health impacts of vaping, as well as environmental and sporting concerns. The resources are being shared in schools, youth groups, social media, and community events.

Early results are promising, with a noticeable shift in young people’s attitudes towards vaping. Paige Preston from Lung Foundation Australia noted that three months into the pilot program, a third of participants had increased their knowledge about vaping’s harmful effects.

The success is partly attributed to the involvement of First Nations youth in the development process, ensuring the message resonates with the target audience. Na Joomelah also addresses the health of pregnant women and the broader community.

To view the full story in National Indigenous Times, click here.

Allied health key to critical health reform

Allied health professionals are an “untapped resource” essential for health reform, with a crucial focus on Aboriginal health, according to experts at a recent Western Sydney Local Health District event. Professor Beverley Harden MBE from NHS England emphasized rethinking allied health roles to address future health challenges.

Held on Dharug Country, the forum discussed leveraging allied health professionals to improve efficiency, retain workforce, and enhance patient outcomes amid an aging population and rising chronic diseases. Jacqueline Dominish of NSW Health stressed the need for system transformation to prevent future crises.

Innovations like the Rapid Assessment, Intervention, and Discharge-Emergency Department (RAID-ED) program were highlighted for improving patient satisfaction and reducing hospital admissions. Expanded roles for allied health professionals, including paramedics and Aboriginal Health Practitioners, were also discussed.

Belinda Cashman, Director of Aboriginal Health Strategy, emphasized incorporating a cultural lens into all initiatives to improve Aboriginal health outcomes and trust in the health system. She called for increasing Aboriginal representation in allied health careers and ensuring culturally appropriate care.

To view the full story on Croakey, click here.

Australian Aboriginal Ceremony, man hand with green eucalyptus branches and smoke, start a fire for a ritual rite at a community event in Adelaide, South Australia

Image source: iStock / Elena Pochesneva

Treaty inquiry slams ‘illusion of concern’ on housing

Victoria’s truth-telling inquiry has criticised the state’s lack of progress in addressing homelessness among First Nations people, who make up 3.8% of the population but account for 20% of the homeless.

State Housing Minister Harriet Shing apologised for the historical and ongoing disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities during her testimony at the Yoorrook Justice Commission.

Despite pointing to existing forums and advocating for more federal funding, Commissioner Maggie Walter and others expressed frustration with the ineffectiveness of long-standing bureaucratic measures. Shing acknowledged systemic issues but denied that the government intentionally set up the program to fail, while admitting the system’s failure.

To read the full story at SBS, click here.

Homeless person's bedding stored under a bench

Homeless person’s bedding stored under a bench

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

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

24 June 2024

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

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

Aged Care leaders commit to cultural safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

Denticare is the goal but long road ahead

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

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

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

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

Aboriginal woman in dental chair

Image source: Central Australian Aboriginal Congress website.

National Anti-Racism Framework workshops

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

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

Healthcare Services, ACCHOs, Health Organisations/Departments

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

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

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

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

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

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

Australian Human Rights Commission national Anti-Racism Framework tile, AHRC logo & circle with different colour wedges

Image source: AHRC website.

Identifying upper GI cancers GP training

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

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

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

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

You can view a flyer for the education modules here.

More support for birthing on Country

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

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

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

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

Aboriginal mum & baby

Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Millions unknowingly at risk of heart failure

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

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

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

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

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

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.

21 June 2024

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

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

Largest remote housing investment in NT signed

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

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

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

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

Selena Uibo, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and Marion Scrymgour MP (centre three) with locals in Milikapiti

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

Ensuring Ballarat kids are ready for school

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

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

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

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

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

Screenshot of video from SNAICC about the Connected Beginnings program

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

Interventions show promise to prevent elder abuse

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

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

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

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

NT Aboriginal Health Forum marks 100th meeting

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

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

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

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

NT Aboriginal Health Forum NTAHF 100th meeting group

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

Why you may be asked to draw a clock

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

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

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

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

Warning as flu cases surge

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

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

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

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

hospital ward

Photo: Kate Geraghty. Image source: 9 News.

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

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

20 June 2024

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

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

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Elders share wisdom and stories to encourage men at Bega Garnbirringu mental health event

Aboriginal elders in Kalgoorlie-Boulder offered wisdom and shared stories as they encouraged younger men to look after themselves and each other at a men’s mental health lunch. Bega Garnbirringu Health Service hosted the event, with Indigenous men given the chance to connect with one another over a meal. Local elders Aubrey Lynch, Allan Bonney and Ron Harrington-Smith shared moving stories from their childhood and inspired attendees to have important conversations with their mates.

Bega Garnbirringu social and emotional wellbeing councillor Bret Lambadgee helped organise the event to help men in the community learn skills to cope with the challenges of life.

“Unfortunately a lot of men are killing themselves whether they’re Indigenous or not, so it is about saving our men really,” he said.

“We need the men to know their value that they matter, that we acknowledge them, we see them.

“Just to know there’s support out there is really important those supports to help you get through the low times in life because we all know what life is like — it goes up and down.”

NDIS remote community connecter Rex Weldon said the advice of Elders was central to Aboriginal culture.

“The whole idea of having the event incorporate our elders, who are always inspirational to us, and that’s in our culture, to listen to what they have to say,” Mr Weldon said.

He said the event was also a chance for more people to learn about the services on offer at Bega.

“We’ve got a number of clients that are doing it hard out there and the system from our perspective seems to be failing them a bit so we need to get the word out there that we have resources here available — wraparound services within the one organisation.”

To read the full article, go here.

Goldfields Aboriginal elders Aubrey Lynch, Allan Bonney and Ron Harrington-Smith shared stories at the men’s mental health event organised by Rex Weldon and his team. Credit: Anneke de Boer.

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. The four organisations in blue offer immediate help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Ray Martin backs new facility for Tamworth Aboriginal medical Service

A planned new Aboriginal medical service is still waiting on government funding, but its proponents hope work can get under way in the next 12 months. Since opening their doors 30 years ago, Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) has provided a range of services to Tamworth’s Indigenous community. Having outgrown their Peel Street facility, the planned $20.2 million medical centre has been on the agenda “for a long time,” TAMS CEO Damion Brown said.

“We have put in for two federal proposal and we have gotten through to the second round of both proposals,” Mr Browns said.

“We have been notified that we were not successful in one of those.”

But the TAMS board is not giving up hope, as they await the outcome of the second grant application. Highly regarded television journalist Ray Martin was in the region last week to film a documentary about the TAMS project.

“TAMS is pretty unique,” he told the Leader.

“They do about 200 patients a day and 6,000 plus a year. They are now too big for their building, which is filled with damp and leaks.”

Over the course of four days, Mr Martin visited the Tamworth-based facility, met with staff and looked over plans for the proposed South Tamworth medical cantre.

“TAMS is doing a great job, and I don’t understand what the problem is; why the government cannot say, ‘tick that box and support them.’”

If given the green light for funding, the facility will be built in a “centeralised” location in South Tamworth. Mr Brown said the new facility would be “fit-for-purpose” and “culturally aligned.” It would also provide a variety of services, including elderly care, homelessness services, mental health support, GP visitation, and more.

The TAMS CEO hopes to see shovels hit the ground in the next 12 months.

To read the full article, go here.

Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Services CEO Damion Brown in front of the Peel Street facility they have outgrown. Picture by Peter Hardin.

Supporting your journey after losing bub

The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence’s Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) Supporting your journey after losing bub is a resource made by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people with the support of the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence and Mater Research.

Aboriginal people have higher rates of stillbirth than non-Indigenous people. The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence and its partners identified that there is little availability of culturally supportive, responsive and safe services and resources that are directly related to stillbirth and caring for families during Sorry Business.

This resource is a way to support you through the Sorry Business of losing your little bub. In hopes this guide gives you the information you need to feel strong in the decisions you are making for yourself and Bub.

To view the Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) Supporting your journey after losing bub resource, go here, and for further resources, go here.

Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) Supporting your journey after losing bub cover.

VACCHO says raising the age of criminal responsibility is a step forward, however ‘bolder steps are needed’

Victoria’s peak Indigenous-controlled health organisation has welcomed the state government’s decision to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 – without exceptions – but warned it would need to be raised to 14 to avoid the well-known detrimental impacts of criminalising children.

Announced on Tuesday, the Victorian government’s decision to raise the age – a long-term priority for the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), along with other Indigenous organisations, human rights groups, and medical experts – means the state will be the first in the country to raise the age without carve outs.

Chief executive Jill Gallagher said the announcement was “long overdue,” but called on the government to be “bold and brave and truly lead the way” by increasing the age to 14.

“Contact with the criminal justice system continues to stigmatise young people and makes it more likely that they will have ongoing contact with the system,” the Gunditjmara woman said.

“This exacerbates intergenerational trauma and perpetuates cycles of disadvantage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in Victoria.”

VACCHO, who along with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) have been two of the most high profile organisations in Victoria calling for the age to be raised, said whilst the decision was welcomed, they mirrored VALS’ concerns yesterday that the age of criminal responsibility should be immediately raised to 14 – in line with medical expert advice and international standards for child development.

“While VACCHO believes the move to raise the age to 12 is a step in the right direction, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the 12-13 age bracket will continue to be disadvantaged, and experience poorer outcomes than their non-Aboriginal peers,” a statement said.

The organisation argued there should be a “greater focus and investment in evidence-based trauma informed intervention programs,” arguing they better address the cause of offending, and offer support that reduces recidivism in the long-term.

The Victorian government has committed to raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14 by 2027, with an independent review panel announced in October having already begun consultations on a new alternative service model.

To read the National Indigenous Times article, go here.

VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher has urged the age to be raised to 14. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Indigenous language program for patients takes flight

Indigenous language-speakers in rural NT can expect better communication with air ambulance staff after a leading service introduced cutting-edge digital communication tools. Aeromedical service CareFlight has developed animated video content in Indigenous languages to foster better communication between First Nations patients and English-speaking staff.

The videos explain patients’ rights and expectations as well as detailing how to provide feedback and complaints.

“We had a poster that was full of English language that, you know, was quite long,” CareFlight nursing director Amanda Quinn said.

“And we kind of looked at it going, how can we do this in a more meaningful way?”

The videos, created by Indigenous graphic designers Echo Whiskey with support from Viva Energy, will be presented on an iPad and available in nine languages that can be selected on a map.

“We talked about iPads for patients to be able to distract them if they’re in pain, particularly for the kids, and we kind of went, well, we could combine this” Ms Quinn said.

The service estimates about 90% of its patients in rural NT are Indigenous and it expects the program will significantly improve the delivery of healthcare in the region.

“We’re picking up some of the most vulnerable patients on the worst days of their life,” Ms Quinn said.

“We’re always wanting to make sure our messaging gets across and the patient feels more comfortable and supported.”

To read the full article, go here.

CareFlight NT is using an Indigenous language program to better inform its patients. (HANDOUT/CAREFLIGHT).

Improving access to comprehensive eye care

Shane Brookman, former owner of Capital Eye and founder of Angel Eyecare, a mobile optometry service which provides comprehensive eye exams that check for glaucoma, macular degeneration, cataracts and corrective eyewear from the comfort of peoples’ home.

“There’s plenty of people sitting at their homes right now that can’t get to their local optometrist because of mobility issues and need to have a medical health professional come to them,” says Shane.

“No matter where they are, even if they’re in residential aged care, nursing homes, veteran centres, if we can just get one son or daughter to say, ‘my mum needs this, my dad needs this’, call me up and I can go there.”

In the last five years, Shane says mobile optometry technology has rapidly grown, with portable devices that can photograph the back of a person’s eye and show if they have diabetes, high blood pressure or cataracts, and devices to take photos of the front of the eye to look out for cancers.

Shane also established the eye clinic at Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services in 2017, after learning there is a 20-year health gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

“My grandmother was indigenous, and so from a very young age, she kind of drummed into me, ‘this is part of who you are, don’t forget this side of who you are’.

“So I felt very moved by that, and I approached Winnunga and said: ‘I’m an optometrist, I’ve got a special interest here because of my family connection, I’ve got a practice in Barton, how can I help?’”

Shane says his ultimate aim is to improve lives through the gift of sight, including for patients who may not be able to afford or easily access comprehensive eye care.

“It’s all about removing the barriers to quality care by providing an essential community service, and preventing blindness,” he says.

To read the full article Optometrist meets his mission with mobile eye tests, go here.

Mobile optometrist Shane Brookman conducts an eye test at a patient’s home. Image source: CBR City News.

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