6 May 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.

Historic gathering of Torres Strait Islander doctors

Thirty years ago, there were no Torres Strait Islander doctors. Now, the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) has taken a group of Torres Strait Islander doctors from the mainland to the islands for the first time. For many of the students and doctors, it’s the first time they’ve been on Country. They heard firsthand from Elders about the remote health experiences of First Nations People.

Jade Abernethy, a medical student at the University of Newcastle, said it was overwhelming seeing so many Torres Strait Islander doctors in one place, “Having the Uncles come forward and speak on behalf of the communities … was really important. I think it highlights that … historically there was a big deficit in the Torres Strait for access to health care, and it does have implications on community and family members.” Today, out of the 130,000 total doctors across Australia, 127 are Torres Strait Islander. Ms Abernethy said she was excited to also be visiting schools and talking to young people aspiring to become doctors. “I think it can be very isolating, being an Indigenous person in a very historically non-Indigenous system,” she said. “One thing that’s really, really helped me through my studies is my friendships with other Indigenous students.

AIDA CEO Donna Burns said the industry is realising the need for more Indigenous doctors to be able to provide culturally safe care. She said the organisation had recently struck a deal with Queensland Health to help provide training on culturally safe practices. “This is really new, and Dr. Katherine McDougal, who is the Acting Chief Health Officer, was with us this morning here [on Waiben],” she said. “We are really trying to actively work with them to understand cultural safety, and they’re really engaging in that so it’s fantastic.” She said the work AIDA did was made possible by communities who were continuously pushing for better participation in their own health.

To view the SBS NITV article Calls for better access to health prompts historic gathering of Torres Strait Islander doctors on Waiben in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy at celebrations of gathering of doctors on Waiben

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy joined the celebrations of a historic gathering of doctors on Waiben. Photo: NITV. Image source: SBS NITV.

AMA welcomes sickly sweet sugar tax calls

Australia should introduce a tax on sugary drinks to help combat obesity and diabetes according to the Australian Medical Association (AMA), in a call backed by a new report from the Grattan Institute. AMA President Professor Steve Robson welcomed the Grattan Institute report, available here, which once again shows how targeted sugar taxes work to reduce the amount of sugar in many of our most commonly sold drinks.

Sugary drinks make us sick, and we know this is a huge health problem for Australia,” Professor Robson said. “Sugar hides in a lot of drinks and we don’t realise the huge quantities we are actually consuming – it’s not always immediately apparent.” The Grattan Institute joins a long list of leading public health groups in calling for the introduction of a sugar tax.

The AMA’s #SicklySweet campaign, available here, and pre-budget submission, available here, highlight that a tax on sugary drinks will help tackle obesity and other preventable chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. “Our own modelling backs up the Grattan Institute report, showing we can prevent thousands of cases of diabetes is we act. More than 100 countries and jurisdictions have acted and introduced sugar taxes. If we want to see industry reformulate their products in Australia and we want a healthier society, then now is the time to act,” Professor Robson said.

To view the AMA media release AMA welcomes sickly sweet sugar tax calls in full click here.

AMA banner text '#Sickly-Sweet - Sugary drinks are making us sick. It's time we do something about it' & 2 softdrink bottles with AMA logo & '#Sickly-Sweet' in red & white resembling Coca-Cola logo

Image source: AMA Sickly Sweet campaign.

Community key to sector-first approach to mob’s health

Community members and top medical bodies across the Hunter and New England regions have joined forces in a powerful bid to improve First Nations health outcomes. ‘Research Our Way’ – a collaborative strategy between the University of Newcastle, Awabakal Limited, the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and the Hunter New England Local Health District – aims to set a new standard for the national tertiary sector.

The project is a revolutionary approach, according to Worimi man and the country’s first Indigenous surgeon, Professor Kelvin Kong, “There is a better way in which we all do research and the key to that is community engagement and community involvement.” “Historically, our people have been more likely to be research subjects rather than centred voices part of the co-design process and we want to change that going forward,” Wiradjuri man and Pro-Vice Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Leadership, University of Newcastle, Nathan Towney said.

The 2024 Australian Universities Accord, a government review of the country’s higher education system, has identified First Nations success and high-impact research as priority areas for the sector. “This strategy really does start to shift those power dynamics to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the ones who get to say what gets researched, how it is researched, who’s doing the research, and we hope that this has a far greater impact on our health outcomes,” Mr Towney said. Central to the success of the project is ‘Wukul Yabang’ – meaning ‘one path’ in the Awabakal language. ‘Wukul Yabang’ is a diverse panel of local community and health representatives that meet periodically to provide essential research ethics, research methodology, cultural and community oversight.

Mr Jason Smith, CEO Awabakal Ltd said Wukul Yabang provided researchers and institutions an opportunity to present to the panel and ensure their work was appropriate. “Knowing there is a group of diverse Aboriginal people who have expertise in health, that researchers and Aboriginal Health organisations have access to, will make a huge difference in how Mob can benefit from research,” Mr Smith said. While ‘Research Our Way’ has been designed to suit the needs of the Hunter and New England regions, the founding organisations aspire for the approach to be adopted and rolled out suitably across the country.

To view the Hunter Medical Research Institute article Community key to sector-first approach to Indigenous health in full click here.

Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) laboratory & HMRI logo

Image source: Hunter Medical Research Institute website.

Early Years Conference in Cairns

The Early Years Conference being held from 16 to 17 May 2024 in Cairns, will bring the early childhood education and care (ECEC) and allied sectors together for two days of  learning and discussion with a view to promoting more impactful work in this space. The conference is a collaboration between The Benevolent Society, Mission Australia, Queensland Department of Education, the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, Queensland Health, ACT For Kids, The Cairns Institute, James Cook University and Wuchopperen Indigenous Health Service.

The theme for this year’s conference is “It takes a village to raise a family“. The conference will unite a variety of organisations and sectors, including education, health or social support services to promote integration and collaboration between the disciplines that are touch points for families during the early years.

“Early years support often involves integrated services across sectors including education, health and social welfare,” Cassy Bishop, Manager for the Cairns and Gordonvale Early Years Centres at The Benevolent Society explained. “Collaboration across these sectors helps early years practitioners grow in their roles and learn new ways of delivering this support to children and their families. The Cairns Early Years Conference continues to play a central role in enabling this collaboration and knowledge-sharing between our sector peers.”

To view The Sector article Early Years Conference will bring ECEC together for 2 days of learning in Cairns in full click here.

6 images of children in the playground at Goodoo Early Learning Centre, Palm Island

St Mary MacKillop Goodoo Early Learning Centre, Palm Island. Image source: Mary MacKillop Childcare NQ website.

Strengthening healthcare outcomes for mums and bubs

A positive experience with a student midwife during the traumatic birth of her second child planted the seed for Research Midwife Emma Kendall to become a midwife herself. Now a mother of five children, Emma has been a midwife for five years and loves supporting women’s choices, giving them the information and tools to feel empowered during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period, long after they have completed their midwifery care.

“I have always been interested in research, and after working as a midwife for ACCHOs in the Wide Bay and Gympie region, I wanted the opportunity to work in research while also continuing to work clinically,” Emma said. “With a background working in Indigenous health with mums and bubs, when I saw an opportunity for a research midwife position in the Indigenous Health Research Group at Mater Research, I jumped at the opportunity to apply.”

As part of her role, Emma also works with the Indigenous Queensland Family Cohort (IQFC) study to support First Nations families during pregnancy and up to six-weeks postnatal. “Using biological samples as well as health surveys answered by the families, data is collected to allow researchers to answer questions relating to the health of First Nations families. I enjoy the continuity-of-care nature of this role, working with the women and families, following them through on their pregnancy and postnatal journey and seeing how excited they are to participate in a study that will help to strengthen healthcare outcomes for First Nations mums, bubs and families. I am grateful to be part of research that can hopefully go on to inform our practice as midwives and clinicians, ensuring that we are practicing evidenced-based care.”

To view the Mater Research article Strengthening healthcare outcomes for First Nations mums and bubs through research in full click here.

Senior Indigenous Research Assistant Davina Smith and Research Midwife Emma Kendall

Senior Indigenous Research Assistant Davina Smith and Research Midwife Emma Kendall. Image source: Mater 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.

International Day of the Midwife

Midwives are the heroes of millions of stories. As providers of culturally sensitive health care, leaders in their communities and emergency responders in times of crisis, they are courageous and indispensable. When disasters such as climate events or conflict strike, midwives are most often the first responders for women, representing the single-most effective way to avoid preventable maternal deaths.

The climate crisis in particular carries specific threats for women and girls: research shows that hotter temperatures can lead to pregnancy complications and can cause or worsen maternal-health issues including premature births and miscarriages. But midwives are not only first responders in the climate crisis. As providers of safe and environmentally sustainable services, they also represent a vital climate solution for the future. With that in mind, the 2024 theme of the International Day of the Midwife, celebrated on 5 May every year, was Midwives: a vital climate solution.

Many of the countries most at risk of climate change are also where women and girls are the most vulnerable to preventable maternal deaths, child marriage and gender-based violence. Climate disasters can disrupt access to family planning, safe births and other vital services. Midwives are instrumental in ensuring that health services are more mobile and can urgently reach women.

You can find out more about International Day of the Midwife on the United Nations Population Fund website here.

tile with image of sphere & doppler & text 'International Day of the Midwife 5 May 2024'

Image source: International Confederation of Midwives website.

World Hand Hygiene Day

Each year the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls on everyone to be inspired by the global movement to achieve universal health coverage (UHC), i.e. achieving better health and well-being for all people at all ages, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. Infection Prevention and Control, including hand hygiene, is critical to achieve UHC as it is a practical and evidence-based approach with demonstrated impact on quality of care and patient safety across all levels of the health system.

As part of a major global effort to improve hand hygiene in health care, led by WHO to support health-care workers, the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual global campaign was launched in 2009. The central core of SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands is that all health-care workers should clean their hands at the right time and in the right way. WHO SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual initiative is part of a major global effort led by the WHO to support health-care workers to improve hand hygiene in health care and thus support the prevention of often life threatening healthcare associated infection (HAI).

You can find more information about World Hand Hygiene Day on the World Health Organization website here.

hands being washed; text 'World hand Hygiene Day - SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands'

Handwashing at AgroIndustries Bhutan in Thimphu on 11 August 2023. Photo: Sue Price, WHO. Image source: WHO website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

3 May 2023

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

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

Senator McCarthy: ACCHOs crucial to CTG

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, has hailed ACCHOs as essential partners in Closing the Gap (CTG). Speaking to the WA Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector in Fremantle earlier this week (Wednesday 1 May 2024), the Yanyuwa senator said the government was committed to the sector, announcing three new four-chair renal dialysis units for two sites for the Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance in Tom Price and the Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service in Wiluna.

“We have to be able to roll out the care for our people on country, so they are not caught in places where they don’t feel they belong. Many people prefer to be back home on country, so we have to see what we can do, to roll out those chairs in those places,” she said. “Cases of treated kidney failure are 6.9 times higher for First Nations people compared to non-Indigenous Australians.” Senator McCarthy said funding was also going to Purple House for a dialysis clinic in Balgo, whilst the government was also “looking at further sites later in the year.”

Senator McCarthy said her government was improving health infrastructure including $4.7m to Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service for a health clinic in Midland; over $900,000 to the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service for a solar power system; and another solar system, worth $322,000, to the Yura Yungi Medical Service in Halls Creek. She said a total of 120 ACCHOs were being provided with rolling funding arrangements to help deliver health care under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme (IAHP).

The senator also highlighted the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program, run by NACCHO, which has seen 250 enrolments, and 40 completing it, since it was rolled out 18 months ago. These include trainees who have completed their qualifications at the Marr Mooditj Training Aboriginal Corporation and the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services.

You can read the National Indigenous Times article Malarndirri McCarthy says Aboriginal-controlled health organisations crucial to Closing the Gap here and Senator McCarthy’s speech at the conference yesterday in full here.

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy speaking in the Senate

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. Photo: Lukas Coach, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Partnerships and data key to health in pandemics

Effective partnerships between government and ACCOs during COVID-19 not only offer lessons for future pandemic control for Indigenous communities but also for how the National Agreement on Closing the Gap could operate. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led and governed responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were critical in minimising the impact of the pandemic on First Nations people and communities, according to submissions to the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Response Inquiry.

“The community-controlled health sector, in partnership with governments, led a highly effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic”, NACCHO said in their submission, available here. The establishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 Advisory Group (Advisory Group) in March 2020 – co-chaired by NACCHO and the Australian Government’s Indigenous Health Branch – enabled culturally safe and targeted measures that “set an excellent standard in terms of equity of access,” NACCHO wrote.

Under the guidance of the Advisory Group, the COVID-19 Point of Care Testing Program  became the “world’s largest decentralised SARS-CoV-2 molecular POC testing network.” It enabled rapid responses to positive test results, including safe isolation, and overcame some of the challenges accessing pathology labs in regional and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. An evaluation of the Program, available here, of the Program found that it “averted” between 23,000 and 122,000 COVID infections that “would be likely to have arisen in the 40 days after the first infection was identified”.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Effective partnerships and data are key to Indigenous health in pandemics in full click here.

COVID-19 virus cell under microscope

COVID-19. Photo: Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Mid West eye care clinic helping mob

A fully equipped eye health clinic has been created in the Mid West thanks to a partnership between local stakeholders. The WA Centre for Rural Health and the University of WA (UWA) is working with the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service (GRAMS) to develop programs to help vulnerable populations who may otherwise not have access to eye care services.

The clinic can offer rural patients low-cost glasses, as well as early diagnosis, referral, and treatment for a range of conditions which can affect sight. UWA optometry lecturer Sophia Gerritsma is working with GRAMS eye health co-ordinator Eric Dalgety to deliver the project. According to UWA, “comprehensive, culturally safe eye care” is paramount when patients attend the facility.

UWA school of optometry students in their final year are helping develop the programs, as well as assisting with mobile school and aged-care eye exams, and making eye-related disease appointments more streamlined before the patient sees a specialist. The pilot program for the school eye care program will run at four schools in the Mid West: Bluff Point Primary School, Goodstart Early Learning Wonthella, Mullewa District High School, and Mount Magnet District High School. The school programs will begin on Monday, 6 May 2024.

To view The West Australian article Eye care clinic for the Mid West aimed at helping vulnerable population in full click here.

GRAMS eye health co-ordinator Eric Dalgety performing an eye exam

GRAMS eye health co-ordinator Eric Dalgety performing an eye exam. Image source: The West Australian.

Symposium on effects of natural disasters

Earlier this week the Yarra Ranges Council (YRC) hosted a national symposium Our Country – Our Way to discuss the Indigenous knowledge systems building resilience. YRC Cultural Recovery Coordinator Nelson Aldridge, a Taungurung man, said the symposium was an Indigenous-based event on the effects of natural disasters. “We have this symposium to bring in Indigenous knowledge systems in regards to how to possibly make Country more sustainable and be proactive instead of reactive,” he said.

“Resilience has been in Aboriginal culture for thousands of years, and we’re going through that at the moment getting an understanding of Country and how we can work with Country that has a sustainable way going forward. “YRC is very passionate about these topics of events that are trying to lead the way with the Indigenous development team ensuring that we’re always looking at how to look after the Country. It was a fantastic day and we’re looking forward to the next steps.”

Aileen Blackburn and Buzzy Hewat from Moogji Aboriginal Council based in Orbost were the first guest speakers who spoke about the Black Summer bushfires. “They spoke about how it was. It was just a disaster in terms of how agencies communicated with the community afterwards,” Mr Aldridge said. “We then heard from Dr Carlie Atkinson about trauma-informed practices and the Lismore flood. At the lunch, we had Dr Andrew Peters who talked about resilience and reciprocity. And then we had Oonah which is an Aboriginal health organisation in Healesville talking about the services they offer to the community and the role they played in the recovery process of the storm.”

To view the Star Mail article Indigenous-based symposium in full click here.

Dr Carlie Atkinson giving presentation at symposium; text on screen 'In the Eye of the Storm: Community Led Indigenous Informed Healing Responses to Nature Disasters - Developing a culturally safe trauma informed response to the Northern Rivers Floods'

Dr Carlie Atkinson. Photo: Dongyun Kwon. Image source: Star Mail.

Colonisation: forgotten culprit in gendered violence

Last week, the mounting death toll of Australian women allegedly murdered by men sparked tens of thousands of people to gather and protest male violence against women. This epidemic is a critical conversation that must be had, but we need to make sure that Aboriginal women are not left behind.

Phoebe McIlwraith says that existing as an Aboriginal person, and as a woman, she was taught again and again that the way I acted and the way I looked was my responsibility to repel unwanted attention and violence — from the state, from cops, from racists and from men. Ms McIlwraith said she didn’t blame her parents for trying to give her the tools to avoid violence in her life, even if the onus should be on men to not hurt women and on systems to enforce that expectation, because their fear of their Aboriginal daughter being harmed was not unfounded.

Recent homicide statistics reveal an overrepresentation of First Nations people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people account for 20% of all homicide victims and First Nations women are seven times more likely to be killed than non-First Nations women. First Nations women are also three times more likely to experience violence in general and 32 times more likely to be hospitalised from family violence. The perpetrators of this violence are largely men, from different cultural backgrounds.

The big takeaway: violence against women is not an issue particular to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but it is particularly impacting our communities. Like the broad issue of male violence, the causes and the solutions are not cut and dry, but addressing the violence against First Nations women requires specific considerations. Violence against First Nations women cannot be addressed without first understanding colonisation. This isn’t just a historical issue but a framework of analysis, since colonisation is not a singular event but an ongoing process. There is an unbroken line from invasion, displacement, massacres, Frontier Wars, generations of discriminatory policy in all areas of life, rampant racism and the destruction of Country, to the trauma in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

To view the Refinery29 article Colonisation Is The Forgotten Culprit In Gendered Violence in full click here.

Phoebe McIlwraith wearing black t-shirt with Aboriginal flag standing in bush setting

Phoebe McIlwraith. Image source: Refinery 29 Australia.

‘Every Yarn Counts’ Hep C campaign launch

From 2022, EC Australia at the Burnet Institute has been collaborating closely with a network of national partners from the ACCH sector to design, implement and evaluate a National Hepatitis C Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Hepatitis C Health Promotion Campaign, ‘Every Yarn Counts’ Live Free From Hep C‘. Nine ACCHOs are implementing the campaign over the next three months, with campaign activities aiming to normalise discussions about hepatitis C in the community — eliminating barriers, stigma and misconceptions associated with the disease to encourage people to get tested and treated. The campaign has been co-designed by a national reference group comprising representatives from 13 ACCHOs, various state peak bodies and the EC Australia team to ensure that it’s inclusive, has shared ownership and empowers communities in a culturally responsive way.

“We want to normalise conversations and discussions in the community about hepatitis C — that it’s curable, and that treatment is now easier and much more accessible,” said Troy Combo, Program Manager at the Burnet Institute. “This campaign is incredibly important. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a disproportionate burden of hepatitis C. According to a 2021 report, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accounted for 16% of all notifications, despite comprising 3% of the population. This is why we need co-designed, locally delivered solutions to ensure Aboriginal people feel comfortable to have a yarn about hepatitis C and get tested” said Mr Combo.

‘Every Yarn Counts’ aims to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people accessing ACCHOs into hepatitis C testing and treatment. As part of this, the implementing sites will be provided with flexible funding which can be used for campaign activities, and a suite of merchandise, promotional material and social media toolkits.

You are invited to join a webinar hosted by the EC Australia Burnet team to hear further details about how the campaign is rolling out and types of activities, learnings and outcomes that sites are implementing and experiencing. The webinar will be held on Wednesday 12 June at 1:30pm. You can register for the webinar here.

tile text ''Every Yarn Counts' - have a yarn with us today everyyarncounts.com.au' logos for EC Australia & Burnet Institute

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.

Patient Experience Week – 29 April–3 May 2024

Patient Experience Week, generally health in the last week in April, is an initiative of the Beryl Institute (the Institute), an international collective of people passionate about improving patient experience, to celebrate healthcare staff impacting patient experience everyday. The Beryl Institute defines ‘patient experience’ as the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organisation’s culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care.

Inspired by members of the Institute community, Patient Experience Week provides a focused time for organisations to celebrate accomplishments, re-energise efforts and honour the people who impact patient experience everyday. From nurses and physicians, to support staff and executive professionals, to patients, families and communities served, the Institute aims to bring together healthcare organisations across the globe to observe Patient Experience Week.

You can find more information about Patient Experience Week here.

To celebrate Patient Experience Week 2021 Cancer Nurses Society of Australia (CNSA) Director Sue Schoonbeek spoke to Wayne, Consumer Advisor, about how he shares his experience as a patient to give something back:

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Cairns: 14–15 May 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

Governance Workshop - Cairns

1 May 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.

Indigenous mums taking measures into own hands

Aboriginal mothers and their babies have higher death rates and poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. New community-led services are trying to change that. Edie recently gave birth to her fourth child. After the birth she took her placenta with her from hospital and buried it close to where she was born. It is something Edie has done with each of her three children. The placenta, she says, is a baby’s first home, so it is buried “on Country” to identify that place as the baby’s home. It gives the newborns their first connection to the generations of ancestors that came before then and the land they inhabit.

The 35-year-old from Brisbane, Qld, is one of a growing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are turning to a movement known as “Birthing on Country” as an alternative to standard maternal services offered by the Australian healthcare system. It is a concept that aims to better meet the needs of Indigenous Australian mothers and their babies. “Birthing on Country connects what we know as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the modern world to what our ancestors did,” says Yvette Roe, a professor of Indigenous health at Charles Darwin University.

Roe, a proud Njikena Jawuru woman herself, is one of the co-directors of the Molly Wardaguga Research Centre at Charles Darwin University’s Qld campus, alongside Sue Kildea, a professor of midwifery. They are at the forefront of research, implementation and collaboration with Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and maternal services. The organisation, established in 2019, was born out of a growing recognition that standard maternal care in Australia was failing to meet the needs of Indigenous women. “The principle of Birthing on Country is that it is baby and woman-centred, rather than seeing birthing through a biomedical model where it is often just a transaction between a mother and a clinician,” says Roe.

To view the BBC article Indigenous mothers are being ‘failed’ in Australia – so they are taking measures into their own hands in full click here.

drawing of ATSI baby held by roots of tree with a border of wattle

Credit Emmanuel Lafont/BBC. Image source: BBC website.

Data underscores rural health investment urgency

A new update released yesterday (30 April 2024) from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) shows that people living in very remote areas were hospitalised at almost twice the rate compared to major cities. Data also shows that access to General Practitioner visits was lowest in remote and very remote communities. “Such appalling disparities should be rectified with targeted investment and innovative approaches. Your postcode should not determine your access to health care,” said National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) Chairperson, Nicole O’Reilly.

According to the AIHW analysis of data from the 2022 Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey, health risks due to alcohol and smoking as well as arthritis, mental health issues and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are some of the significant health concerns that take a toll on rural communities. “We need high quality, culturally safe primary healthcare in rural areas, especially for prevention and management of health and behavioural risk factors and chronic conditions. This would significantly reduce the reliance on the acute hospital sector and rectify enduring disparities in health outcomes,” said Ms O’Reilly.

“The annual health underspend in rural Australian areas is a whopping $6.55 billion which equates to about $850 less spent on health per person per year. It shows that our rural communities are treated as second-class citizens when it comes to health care. The government, therefore, needs to invest in place-based models of care which meet local needs and recognise that funding models that work in the city do not work where markets are thin or failing. The Alliance has proposed a model of care and funding – Primary care Rural Integrated Multidisciplinary Health Services (PRIM-HS) which would be a solution for many rural communities.,” said Ms O’Reilly.

To view the National Rural Health Alliance media release AIHW data reinforces the need for targeted investment in rural health in full click here.

aerial view of remote outback town

Image source: RACGP newsGP article ‘The tyranny of distance’: rural health inequities persist published on 15 December 2023.

Murder of Indigenous women a national crisis

PM Anthony Albanese is discussing the topic of gendered violence, which he describes as a national crisis, with state and territory leaders today.  The latest Homicide in Australia report shows a rise in the number of women murdered by current or former partners. The number of women killed by intimate partners rose by 28% in the 2022/23 financial year with 89% of all intimate partner homicide victims being women, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology report.

Mr Albanese said previous statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) also painted an alarming picture of the murder rate for Indigenous women. “This is a national crisis, and for Indigenous women, they’re 7.6 times more likely to die from homicide, to be killed, than non-Indigenous women,” he told ABC Radio yesterday. “(Preventing violence against women) requires a whole of government and whole of society, including the media and others, to be engaged.”

Updated figures from the Homicides in Australia report showed the homicide rate for Indigenous women was 3.07 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.45 for non-Indigenous women. The PM said national cabinet discussions will focus on solutions to prevent violence against women. The meeting will examine measures to strengthen prevention and focus on online harms, including countering violent and misogynistic content. Further opportunities for states and the Commonwealth to share information about high-risk perpetrators and serial offenders will also be examined.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Murder of Indigenous women a national crisis: PM in full click here.

rally re: violence against women

Indigenous women are far more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women. Photo: Steven Markham/AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

PM says $20m investment ‘making a difference’

PM Anthony Albanese says the purpose of his trip to Alice Springs this week has been to “listen to local people” and determine whether the federal government’s $250m support package for Central Australia has seen positive outcomes. The four-year support package, announced by the Commonwealth after the PM’s last visit to the town in January 2023, includes $40m for on-country learning and $23.5m to improve First Nations health outcomes.

Mr Albanese claimed an increase in school engagement across the Central Australia was due to the recent federal funding boost. “Improved school retention is a pretty good start,” he said. “Enrolments in remote government schools are increasing and the number of children who haven’t been attending schools for 20 consecutive days has gone down and there’s also very early signs that attendance is up right across Central Australia. “The investment is making a difference.”

Michelle Ayres, the Australian Education Union’s NT branch president, said it was too early to tell if the funding boost had meaningfully contributed to improving school attendance. However Ms Ayres said she had received positive feedback from principals in Central Australia whose teachers have benefited from the additional funding. Mr Albanese said Centralian Senior College had used the new funding to support some of its “most disengaged” students, with a marked attendance increase for those taking part in the program. “Attendance is up 37%, a remarkable figure in a short period of time,” he said. Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said “education is the absolute key to turning around the lives and the life outcomes for all students in this region”. But the PM conceded long-term change would take time. “You don’t solve intergenerational disadvantage overnight,” he said.

To view the ABC News article Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Alice Springs, says $20m investment is ‘making a difference’ in full click here.

PM Albanese taking selfie with students of Centralian Senior College

Mr Albanese says attendance rates in Centralian Senior College have improved because of the funding. Lee Robinson. ABC News.

Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale online module

NACCHO has a new online elearning module Perinatal Mental Health Screening and Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women using the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale for members and non-members.

This module provides a detailed description of how to perform a routine psychosocial assessment with Aboriginal clients using the Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale. It also explains pathways for follow-up and referral, and the importance of psychosocial care.

Those who complete the module should be able to:

  • Understand the unique context of Aboriginal perinatal mental health.
  • Understand approaches to screening that are acceptable for Aboriginal women.
  • Use the KMMS to perform a routine psychosocial assessment for Aboriginal women during pregnancy and in the first year post birth.
  • Understand pathways for follow-up and referral for women at risk of perinatal mental health conditions.
  • Describe psychosocial supports that may be useful for clients with risk factors and/or mild symptoms of a perinatal mental health condition.

You can access details about the module on the NACCHO website here and enrol here.

Rural Clinical School of WA Research Fellow Erica Spry with the KMMS online training program on her laptop

Rural Clinical School of WA Research Fellow Erica Spry with the KMMS online training program for healthcare professionals. Image source: NRHA Partyline online magazine.

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.

World Maternal Mental Health Day

World Maternal Mental Health Day draws attention to essential mental health concerns for mothers and families. Life changes around pregnancy make women more vulnerable to mental illness. The negative cycle of poverty and mental illness impact on a woman’s ability to function and thrive. This may also directly affect her foetus or child, with long-lasting physical, cognitive and emotional outcomes.

Mental health care provides the necessary support to empower women to identify resources and personal capabilities. This can enhance their resilience to difficult life circumstances and support them to nurture their children optimally. Caring for mothers is a positive intervention for long-term social development.

You can find more information on the World Maternal Mental Health Day – 1 May 2024 website here.

World Maternal Mental Health Day 2024 tile - map of world with yellow dots for global partners

Image source: World Maternal Mental Health Day Facebook page.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

29 April 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.

Danila Dilba hosts Timor Leste delegation

Limited resources including chronic understaffing, with health clinics that are supposed to have five staff making do with one or two. A population that struggles with literacy, poverty and inclusion, worsening health outcomes. Geographic barriers, both in delivering health services and accessing them. Dependency on other jurisdictions to accept referrals in serious cases. One might be mistaken for thinking this is a description of the NT’s health system, but in fact this is a description of the challenges facing one of our nearest neighbours, Timor Leste.

However, the parallels are undeniable and it is why, last Friday Darwin’s Danila Dilba Health Service, an ACCHO that services 17,000 clients and has a workforce of 220, hosted a high-level delegation from the island nation, including its Health Minister, Dr Élia A.A. dos Reis Amaral.

Danila Dilba CEO Rob McPhee said the heart of the ACCHO model was that it is “community-driven, they are run by the community. Our clients always see an Aboriginal person before they see any other clinician. That immediately establishes rapport. It aids with cultural safety and communication as well. Often they [the Aboriginal health practitioner] will know the family or they’ll be able to understand the circumstances of that individual, so it creates this whole lot of understanding right at the beginning of the process, and I think that’s what we can share with place like Timor Leste.

The above is an extract from the article Danila Dilba Health Service hosts Timor Leste delegation seeking solution to health struggles published in the Cairns Post yesterday, 28 April 2024.

Danila Dilba Health Service chairwoman Carol Stanislaus with Timor Leste's Health Minister, Dr Elia A.A. dos Reis Amaral

Danila Dilba Health Service chairwoman Carol Stanislaus with Timor Leste’s Health Minister, Dr Elia A.A. dos Reis Amaral, April 26, 2024. Photo: Alex Treacy. Image source: Cairns Post.

Youth suicide appalling blot on national conscience

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

The death of a 10-year-old boy in foster care is a grimly familiar one. Existing ‘prevention schemes’ aren’t preventing anything and must be reformed. A 10-year-old Indigenous child dies in apparent suicide in WA. Family and community are devastated and the incident is so utterly awful – the child so young – that it catches national attention. It happens in March and a month later, when it’s made public, everyone says something must be done. This wasn’t March this year. It was March 2016.

Eight years ago, the WA coroner, Ros Fogliani, held a special inquiry into the deaths of 13 Indigenous children and young people in remote WA. Fogliani made 42 recommendations – her key observation applied to every case: “The deaths of the 13 children and young persons the subject of this Inquest were all preventable.”

The rate of Indigenous suicide in this country, especially among children and especially in the north-west of WA, should sit as an appalling blot on our national conscience. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among Indigenous children nationwide. Five years ago, concluding her report, coroner Ros Fogliani said “mainstream” suicide prevention programs were still being “adapted in an endeavour to fit into a culturally relevant paradigm” instead of being properly designed “in a completely different way”.

To view The Guardian article Indigenous youth suicide is an appalling blot on Australia’s conscience in full click here.

rear of ute on WA remote Kimberley road

he death of young boy in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region is a stark reminder of policy failure. Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP. Image source: The Guardian.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

More support for Cape and Torres kids

A new child development service is taking referrals for families needing the support of a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or psychologist. Designed to assess and support children from 0–18 years with complex developmental delays and disabilities, the family-centred service has already received more than 80 referrals after community visits to Bamaga, Injinoo and Thursday Island.

Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) and the Torres Strait were identified as priority areas with higher instances of children with developmental delays, but Torres and Cape Hospital Health Service (TCHHS) said it had been determined to ensure the service could be delivered to all communities within its service footprint. TCHHS allied health manager child development service Natalie Bellew said the team would spread their travel across 34 communities.

“It is so exciting that we have begun delivering this service, and such a benefit that we are able to see these children in their home communities where they can be supported by their whole family,” Ms Bellew said. “The team will work closely with local allied health teams and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, along with our maternal and child health nurses and paediatricians.” While collaborating with local Indigenous health workers, the child development service team will also travel with a First Nations community engagement officer.

To view the Cape York Weekly article More support for Torres and Cape kids with developmental delays in full click here.

child development service team (4 women) for Cape York & Torres Strait

The child development service team will travel across 34 Cape York and Torres Strait communities to support children with developmental delays and disabilities. Image source: Cape York Weekly.

Big diabetes investigation

Tackling the growing problem of diabetes requires action on many fronts, including ensuring that Indigenous communities have affordable access to healthy foods and priority access to essential medicines that are currently in short supply, according to Associate Professor Lesley Russell, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney. Since May 2023 the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport has been conducting – at the request of the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler – an inquiry into diabetes. Submissions for this inquiry closed in August 2023 with 470 submissions, available here received.

Recognising the wide range of issues that need to be addressed as part of the broad Terms of Reference, a new series of hearings were convened for November last year and continue into 2024. The Committee travelled to Yarrabah, an Aboriginal community outside of Cairns, to hear from the local ACCHO, Gurriny Yealamucka, about its experiences with diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more than three times as likely to live with diabetes and nearly five times more likely to be hospitalised with diabetes-related complications. A 2022 study showed that the burden of diabetes in the remote Aboriginal population of the NTis among the highest in the world.

You can read NACCHO’s September 2023 submission to the Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport’s Inquiry into Diabetes in full here.

To view the Croakey Health Media article The Health Wrap: a big diabetes investigation, questions for the Treasurer, primary care reforms, and the benefits of crochet in full click here.

Gurriny and Yarrabah hosted the committee members of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes

Gurriny and Yarrabah hosted the committee members of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes. Dr Jason King briefed the committee on the many social determinants that impact health in Yarrabah. Image source: Gurriny Yeaelamucka Facebook page 22 November 2023.

Guideline for assessing and managing CVD

The 2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk provides updated evidence‐based recommendations for the clinical assessment and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk for primary prevention. It includes the new Australian CVD risk calculator (Aus CVD Risk Calculator), based on an equation developed from a large NZ cohort study, customised and recalibrated for the Australian population. The new guideline replaces the 2012 guideline that recommended CVD risk assessment using the Framingham risk equation.

A variety of communication formats is available to communicate CVD risk to help enable shared decision making. Healthy lifestyle modification, including smoking cessation, nutrition, physical activity and limiting alcohol, is encouraged for all individuals. Blood pressure‐lowering and lipid‐modifying pharmacotherapies should be prescribed for high risk and considered for intermediate risk individuals, unless contraindicated or clinically inappropriate. Reassessment of CVD risk should be considered within five years for individuals at low risk and within two years for those with intermediate risk. Reassessment of CVD risk is not recommended for individuals at high risk.

The updated guideline recommends assessment over a broader age range and uses the Aus CVD Risk Calculator, which replaces the previous Framingham‐based equation. It incorporates new variables: social disadvantage, diabetes‐specific risk markers, diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and use of blood pressure‐lowering and lipid‐modifying therapies. Reclassification factors are also a new addition.

The full guideline and Aus CVD Risk Calculator can be accessed here.

To view The Medical Journal of Australia article 2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk in full click here.

woman having blood pressure taken

Image source: Australian Journal of General Practice.

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.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work – 28 April 2024

Yesterday, Sunday 28 April 2024 was World Day for Safety and Health at Work (World Day). The latest data shows that in 2022, 195 workers in Australia were fatally injured at work. This concerning statistic amplifies the importance of increasing awareness around work health and safety (WHS) to prevent work-related injuries and fatalities.

In 2024, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) World Day theme explores the impacts of climate change on occupational safety and health.  The theme recognises that changing weather patterns can create WHS risks. Heat, flooding, and extreme weather events are increasingly likely to disrupt the normal operation of many businesses.

In addition, new technologies and industries in decarbonisation and the circular economy are emerging, creating new roles. Climate change, increasing urbanisation and proximity of humans and animals have also led to the emergence of novel infectious diseases and increased the transmission and spread of other diseases.

You can find more information about World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the International Labour Organization website here.

tile of globe with yellow hard hat & text 'World Day for Safety and Health at Work'

Image source: iStock.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

26 April 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.

Too many kids lost due to broken CP system

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

Ken Wyatt says Australia has “lost too many lives” of vulnerable kids because the child protection (CP) system is still focused on intervention rather than prevention. His comments come following the death to suicide of 10-year-old Aboriginal boy in State care 12 April 2024. “My immediate reaction is, another life lost,” said Mr Wyatt, the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to Federal Parliament’s House of Representatives. “An opportunity to turn the circumstances around and give a child a better pathway has been lost once again.”

Mr Wyatt, said governments cannot expect to close the gap if it does not invest in prevention to stop the cycle of children in care. “We need to be focusing on prevention instead of intervention, instead of putting a Band-Aid on (the issue) afterwards,” the Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi man said. “This is a repetitive pattern across the nation.” There were about 56,900 children aged under 18 in out-of-home care across Australia during 2020–21. About 19,500 of those — or one in three — were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. In WA, about three in five children in out-of-home care are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Governments have committed to reducing the rate of Indigenous over-representation in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031. But Productivity Commission data shows that rate is actually increasing. “The Government has to make commitments. Governments have committed to a strategy, and they have to focus on those targets and deliver on those targets,” Mr Wyatt said.

To view The Nightly article Ex-Indigenous Australians minister Ken Wyatt says too many kids lost because of broken child protection system in full click here.

Ken Wyatt in navy suit with Perth city in background

Ken Wyatt says we’ve lost “too many” vulnerable children. Photo: Iain Gillespie, The West Australian. Image source: The Nightly.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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

MensLine – 1300 789 978

Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467

Soap Aid is saving children’s lives

An initiative to clean and reuse soap bars from Australian hotels is saving the lives of 1,000sof children around the world. It was on a flight that Hunter Amenities, Managing Director Michael Matulick came up with the idea for Soap Aid. During the trip, he was discussing with an epidemiologist how the accommodation industry discarded five million soap bars per year, and at the same time, 1.5 million children were dying per year from hygiene-related illnesses. By the end of the flight, the idea for Soap Aid was born.

Its mission was to save children’s lives – and help the environment – by collecting soap bars from hotels (many only used once with logos still visible), and recycling them into new soap for distribution to vulnerable communities. Thirteen years later there are now 270 hotels involved. Matulick says Soap Aid has distributed more than three million recycled soap bars to vulnerable communities in Australia, Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and NZ.

Here in Australia, Soap Aid has supplied soap to the Trachoma Control Program, an initiative of the WA Country Health Service that aims to improve the health of Indigenous communities and reduce incidences of the painful condition called trachomatous trichiasis — which eventually causes blindness. Matulick said “The impact on the environment is enormous, as 300 tonnes of soap have been diverted from landfill, saving more than 435 tonnes of CO2e from entering the earth’s atmosphere.” But, he says, we have a long way to go.

To view the KarryOn article Soap Aid: The sustainable initiative supported by luxury hotels that is saving the lives of thousands of children in full click here.

child's hand holding out bar of soap with words Soap Aid

Image source: KarryOn.

Creating healthier societies in a a time of polycrisis

As the world grapples with the interlinked public health crises of climate disruption, environmental breakdown, conflict and wars, rising inequalities, fragmentation of societies, undermining of social cohesion and democracies, harmful corporate power, and a dangerous, unstable news and information ecosystem, the University of Adelaide recently hosted a timely public event. Healthier Societies: laying the pathway for change was the title of a lecture by Professor Ilona Kickbusch, an internationally renowned public health and health promotion expert, and a former South Australian Thinker in Residence.

New approaches to societal structures, systems and health economics are critical for creating healthier societies, according to world-leading public health expert Professor Ilona Kickbusch. “We still carry with us these old societal structures that are counter to equity and wellbeing,” Kickbusch told an audience at the University of Adelaide on Kaurna Country last week. She said initiatives like SA’s Voice to Parliament “could be a wonderful example” of addressing the impact from old societal structures on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Opening the event, Marina Bowshall, interim Chief Executive of the newly established Preventative Health SA (formerly Wellbeing SA) reminded the audience of Kickbusch’s innovative and forward-thinking approaches to health and wellbeing. As a Thinker in Residence in SA in 2007, she examined “strategies to improve wellbeing among our citizens” and helped formulate a Health in all Policies approach, available here, said Bowshall. Through Preventive Health SA, Bowshall said the SA Government is “strengthening its commitment to building the wellbeing and resilience and health of our community” by prioritising prevention of ill health. However, it will be important to implement evidence-based responses that not only address health risk factors, but also the determinants of health, Bowshall added. “Complex challenges require complex system level responses with multiple strategies,” she said.

To view the Croakey Health Media article Creating healthier societies in a time of polycrisis, what does it take? in full click here.

graphic tile with text 'Frist Nations Voice to SA Parliament' in lights against night sky

Image source: SA Attorney-General’s Department website.

Relief for flood-stranded Yarralin community

The federal and NT governments have been collaborating to support food security in the remote NT community of Yarralin, covering the cost of a number of flights carrying food and other essentials to the local store. Around 300 Yarralin locals have been isolated for weeks after flooding destroyed highways and prevented access to road transport. Visiting Yarralin on Wednesday (24 April 2024), Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians and NT senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the Commonwealth’s $50,000 package is contributing to flights into Yarralin and providing much-needed relief to the community. The funding was provided to Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation, the First Nations organisation that operates the Yarralin store, to ensure it remains stocked while roads remain closed.

The community has relied on charter flights to restock shelves and fridges since the road into Yarralin became impassable in March as a result of flooding in the Victoria Daly region. The federal government continues to work closely with NT authorities to help the community access fresh and shelf-stable food as it recovers from what has been a devastating wet season. Further support is being provided by the Commonwealth Government to the community of Yarralin through the School Nutrition Program (SNP), which aims to improve student’s health, attendance and learning outcomes in schools.

A $30,000 funding boost has been provided to One Tree Community Services to continue its delivery of the SNP in the aftermath of flooding to fund additional food supply and transportation costs. This builds on the 5 year $554,400 funding package for One Tree Community Service’s School Nutrition Program in Yarralin. Senator McCarthy said affordable and reliable food is a basic necessity, “yet First Nations people living in remote communities are disproportionately affected by a lack of access to food and other essential supplies”. “As we have seen across the country, extreme weather can isolate remote communities such as Yarralin from critical supplies and the Commonwealth government is committed to supporting essential services in providing affordable, accessible and healthy food to these communities,” she said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Relief arrives for flood-stranded Yarralin community in full click here.

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy with group adults & kids at Yarralin School

Senator Malarndirri McCarthy at Yarralin School on Wednesday (24 April 2024): Image source: National Indigenous Times.

New stillbirth resource ‘Jiba Pepeny’

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

The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence has published a new resource ‘Jiba Pepeny’ (Star Baby) to support mothers, fathers, partners and families on their Sorry Business journey after losing a little Bub. This is a distressing and confusing time in families’ lives.

Sadly, we know Aboriginal people have higher rates of stillbirth than non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 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 this time.

This resource was made by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people to support them through this difficult period so they can feel strong in the decisions they are making for themselves and Bub.

The Stillbirth CRE would like to acknowledge and thank the artists,  ergaia and Wamba Wamba women Skye Stewart and Wergaia and Gormanjanyuk woman Annie Joy, for the original artworks and illustrations included in Jiba Pepeny: Star Baby.

To view the Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) – Supporting your journey after losing Bub booklet click here.

cover of booklet text 'Jiba Pepeny (Star Baby) - Supporting your journey after losing Bub

Cover of the Jiba Pepeny resource booklet.

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

13YARN – 13 92 76, 13yarn.org.au

Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

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.

Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day – 26 April 2024

Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day, which is observed every last Friday in April, and April 26 this year, is aimed at raising awareness of undiagnosed genetic diseases present in children. Each year, it is estimated that approximately 2,500 children in Australia are born with a syndrome without a name, a genetic disorder so uncommon that it is likely to go misdiagnosed. Children who aren’t diagnosed end up having a lot of medical appointments, and tests carried out, leaving their parents concerned that they won’t get the help that they need. Around 7,000 defined rare diseases and several others often remain undiagnosed.

You can access more information about Undiagnosed Children’s Awareness Day on the National Today website here.

You can also find information about Australia’s  primary support group for undiagnosed children – Syndromes Without A Name (SWAN) here. SWAN is a community of unique children and their families, providing information, support, connection and systemic advocacy for families caring for a child with an undiagnosed or rare genetic condition.

tile text 'I Support Undiagnosed Children's Day 26 April 2024' - graphics of young children with disability

Image source: Genetic Alliance UK website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

24 April 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.

Colonial thought a barrier to listening

Indigenous peoples comprise about 5% of the world’s population, care for 20% of the planet’s lands, and 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. This heavy lifting for the world (human life depends on biodiversity) is achieved despite imposition of some of the worst social and health inequities. It’s time to listen to the wisdom of Indigenous peoples and forge a sustainable future for our children.

Colonisation has been a planetary catastrophe. The history of ruthless violence to obtain resources and land while destroying, assimilating, and replacing original peoples is often poorly understood. A particular fallacy is that colonialism is a thing of the past. However, in the present, colonisation continues to drive significant inequities, overconsumption, and unfeasible resource extraction to the point of peril for all humans.

Those of us living in colonised countries are culturally immersed in colonialism. We tend to have problematic colonial thought processes, often without even knowing or understanding that these exist. So, if you think you have no colonial thoughts, then think again. Problematic colonial thoughts such as those listed below are very ingrained.

  • Western knowledge is superior to Indigenous knowledge
  • non-Indigenous ownership or governance over Indigenous knowledge is acceptable
  • devaluing elders and young ones
  • patriarchy
  • disconnection from Country and the non-human world
  • wealth hoarding
  • power, control and decision-making over Indigenous peoples’ lives
  • believing Indigenous inequity is caused by Indigenous peoples and not society
  • seeing equity initiatives as gifts to Indigenous peoples rather than rights
  • homogenising Indigenous peoples
  • erasure and changing definitions of who Indigenous peoples are
  • normalising policies and structures that provide inequities

To view the Monash University LENS article It’s time to listen to Indigenous peoples’ knowledge – but how do you do that? in full click here.

hands making a kangaroo medicine band about connecting to Country

Making a kangaroo medicine band about connecting to Country. Image source: Monash University LENS.

Drones to improve rural healthcare access

A specialised medical drone which increases accessibility to essential health services such as pathology, treatments and telehealth services in rural and remote regions of Australia is under development at the University of Sydney. The  drone is being designed to enable early detection, prevention, and treatment of health conditions common in rural and remote regions of Australia, such as sepsis, and to actively contribute to addressing the health inequities for some of Australia’s most vulnerable and isolated communities.

Huge areas of Australia do not have easy access to medical care. Current technology doesn’t allow drones to cover the required distances while being sustainable. People living in regional and rural areas face unique challenges due to their geographical location and often have poorer health outcomes than people living in metropolitan areas, with higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths, injury, and poorer access to primary health services. Rural and remote areas have double the number of preventable hospitalisations and two-and-a-half times more potentially avoidable deaths compared to metropolitan areas.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the National Indigenous Australians Agency(NIAA), First Nations Australians make up 32% of the population of rural and remote areas and have lower life expectancies, a high burden of disease, poorer self-reported health and a higher likelihood of being hospitalised than non-Indigenous Australians.

To view the Healthcare Channel article Hydrogen-powered medical drones to improve rural healthcare access in full click here.

aerial view of very remote Aboriginal Community Finke, NT

Aboriginal Community Finke, NT. Image source: Healthcare Channel.

LGBTQ+ health service inspired by ACCHOs

ACON, a NSW-based health promotion organisation focused on LGBTQ+ and HIV health, is opening a new health centre in South Eveleigh later this year. Called Kaleido Health, the service is claimed to be the first of its kind to provide integrated and multidisciplinary care for sexuality and gender diverse people across the state. The NSW Government has provided $4.2m in funding for the development of Kaleido Health as part of the NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022–2027.

ACON has been working towards the establishment of a dedicated LGBTQ+ health service since 2016 and its opening in spring 2024 marks a significant step forward. “The centre will deliver integrated care that is designed with the health needs of sexuality and gender diverse communities in central focus. LGBTQ+ people will be able to access a wide range of health services in a space that is for them, run by community, for community,” said ACON Deputy CEO and Kaleido Health Project Lead Karen Price.

“We’ve also taken inspiration from community-controlled health services operating in areas such as Aboriginal health and women’s health, and learned from service models that have been operating in the USA for over 50 years. Importantly, we’ve applied our relationships and knowledge of the NSW health system and our own experience in health service provision,” Price said. The centre will provide a range of primary care and specialist health services including general practice, sexual health services, mental health support, gender-affirming health care, drug and alcohol interventions, cancer screening services and more.

To view the Hospital and Healthcare article Specialised LGBTQ+ health service to open in NSW in full click here.

tile with coloured ribbons in top right corner; hand with yellow paint, purple circle; text 'NSW LGBTIQ+ Health Strategy 2022-2027, Health outcomes that matter to LGBTIQ+ people'; NSW Government logo

Image: NSW Health.

Upcoming flu season could be worse than 2023

NSW residents are being urged to protect themselves against serious illness as cases of influenza spike. The latest respiratory surveillance report has revealed more than 4,700 people across the state have been diagnosed with the flu over the past four weeks, a 16% increase compared with this time last year. NSW hospitals have also had 480 admissions of people with influenza-like illness between January 6 and April 2024. The upcoming flu season is predicted to be just as bad, or worse, than 2023, with one-in three people tipped to get a cold or influenza.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said more young children were admitted to intensive care with life-threatening complications from the flu in 2023. There are particular worries for those considered to be at a higher risk of severe illness, such as children aged between six months and five years, 65-year-olds and over, Aboriginal people from six months of age, pregnant women, and anyone with serious health conditions.

These vulnerable people are eligible for a free flu vaccine from their local GP or pharmacist.

To view the Bunbury Herald article NSW residents urged to get vaccinated ahead of worrying flu season in full click here.

young man receiving a vax

Image source: RACGP newsGP.

Aboriginal woman make CDU history

Teegan Wattam has created Charles Darwin University (CDU) history by becoming the first First Nations graduate to receive a Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Speech and Language Therapy double degree. Originally from the NT, Ms Wattam commenced her tertiary healthcare education in Sydney however when CDU offered places for a double degree in health science and speech pathology, the proud Larrakia and Wadjigan woman jumped at the chance to return home and be part of the first cohort of the course.

“I chose to study at CDU because it’s close to home. I’m a Territory girl born and raised,” Ms Wattam said. “The biggest factor for me growing up was that there weren’t always the opportunities to study here. And most often than not, you had to leave home to access those opportunities. So having CDU open up this course, and being in the first cohort to graduate, was a really big thing for me.”

Set to graduate alongside hundreds of fellow students CDU’s Casuarina campus this week, Ms Wattam said she is eager to address healthcare challenges in the NT, particularly in helping Territorians who have speech and swallowing difficulties to communicate and manage their conditions effectively. “I think there’s such a shortage of allied health professionals up here, and because of that there are long wait lists, which is probably the biggest impact as well, that we have a really high turnover of staff,” she said.

To view the National Indigenous Times article ‘Territory girl born and raised’ makes history at Charles Darwin University in full click here.

Charles Darwin University graduate Teegan Wattam in garden wearing graduation gown & mortar

Charles Darwin University graduate Teegan Wattam is the first First Nations student to receive a Bachelor of Health Science/Master of Speech and Language Therapy. Photo: CDU. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

 

 

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.

World Immunisation Week – 24–30 April 2024 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) website says the global vaccine drives of the second half of the 20th century are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. Immunisation campaigns have enabled us to eradicate smallpox, nearly defeat polio, and ensure more children survive and thrive than ever before. This year World Immunisation Week will celebrate 50 years of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) – recognizing our collective efforts to save and improve countless lives from vaccine-preventable diseases and calling on countries to ramp up investments in immunisation programs to protect the next generations.

At its inception in 1974, the EPI focused on protecting all children against 6 childhood illnesses, but today, this number has grown to 13 universally recommended vaccines across the lifecourse, and 17 additional vaccines with context dependent recommendations. With the expansion of vaccination program across the life course we now call it the Essential Programme on Immunization.

In the last few years during the pandemic, progress on immunisation slipped. While more than 4 million more children were vaccinated globally in 2022 compared to 2021, there were still 20 million children who missed out on one or more of their vaccines. Growing conflicts, economic downturns, and a rise in vaccine hesitancy are some of the threats to efforts to reach these children. As a result, the world is seeing sudden outbreaks of diphtheria and measles diseases that, until now, we’d had nearly in hand. While global vaccine coverage is good – with 4 out of 5 kids fully covered – we have more to do.

We can make it possible for everyone to benefit from the life-saving power of vaccines.

You can find more information about World Immunisation Week 2024 on the WHO website here.

tile with graphic globe - virus at bottom, needle at top, people walking across the top of the globe; text 'World Immunisation Week 24-30'

Image source: PACE Hospitals website.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

22 April 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.

Overcrowding under scrutiny amid flu outbreak

A flu outbreak in the Far North Qld Indigenous community of Yarrabah has put the issue of housing in the spotlight. Grandmother Cheryl Flanders is still recovering from a debilitating case of the flu. The Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti and Bundjalung woman says she lived with the virus for three weeks. “I couldn’t move. Every bone, every joint in my body was aching. I really suffered.” She suspects she contracted the virus from one of her three grandchildren, who are all living in the same home.

At the town’s ACCHO, Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service (GYHS), staff have seen a significant spike in people presenting with flu-like symptoms. GYHS CEO Suzanne Andrews said, “Every year, this time of year around flu time, we do have a high uptake of mob getting the flu. We’re asking people now that we have vaccines, come and get vaccinated so you can fight flu like symptoms. It’s a big social issue particularly in Yarrabah where there is overcrowding that does make you more susceptible to getting the flu.”

It’s put a renewed focus on housing. While Yarrabah’s population according to the census is just over 2,500, health authorities estimate that figure is closer to 4,500. Community leaders like Father Leslie Baird say it’s not uncommon for multiple families to live in one dwelling. “If any outbreaks happen in the community, then the whole community is at a higher risk than what Cairns or Gordon Vale or any other place would be, because of the housing problems we have here. We have a need for at least 300 new homes, there’s only 400 homes for a community of 4,000 people.” 

Father Baird says overcrowding has been an issue in Yarrabah for years. “If the housing problem is not fully addressed, then we will always be at higher risk than any other place in Australia. The government needs to begin to listen because we have the Yarrabah leaders forum which is our voice for the community which speaks to state and federal government.”

To listen to the SBS News First Nations First podcast episode Overcrowded housing under scrutiny amid influenza outbreak or read the transcript in full click here.

SBS News First Nations First podcast banner, text 'Overcrowded housing under scrutiny amid influenza outbreak'

Image source: SBS News.

Maari Ma opens ‘holistic’ health centre

The Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC) has praised the opening of another purpose-built wellness and health facility to service a small Indigenous community of Wilcannia. Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation chair Des Jones officially opened Wilcannia’s new Health and Wellbeing Centre on the banks of the Barka (Darling) River on Thursday, a project that took 11 months to complete and has been operational for three months.

Mr Jones said “To have a community-controlled, functional, purpose-built health service here is something that Maari Ma has been striving to achieve for a long time.” Mr Jones stressed a good health service for First Nations people was more than just good bricks and mortar. “It’s a holistic concept that includes the delivery of a culturally-appropriate health service, providing respect for people and respect for cultural and spiritual wellbeing,” he said. That holistic concept is being delivered here, thanks to the architects and the builder, the services that Maari Ma is providing and the staff who are here for our community.”

The wellness centre will provide GP services, chronic disease management, child and family health – including antenatal and immunisation – as well as several mental health and social services, a healing program, dietician and take visiting medical specialists such as paediatricians, endocrinologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, optometrists, ophthalmologist, psychiatrists and obstetricians. Maari Ma’s child dental service would continue at the old hospital.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Maari Ma opens ‘holistic’ health centre in Wilcannia in full click here.

ILSC board director Roy Ah-See and corporate executive director David Silcock at the opening of the new health centre

ILSC board director Roy Ah-See and corporate executive director David Silcock at the opening of the new health centre. Photo: ILSC. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

 

Awesome STI resources for mob

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has released a range of awesome resources on sexually transmissible infections (STIs):

STIs with Aaron and Tawhio – True or Gammon – 5 minute video

Aaron Fa’aoso sits down with deadly Aboriginal health practitioner, Tawhio from Tennant Creek, NT. In ‘True or Gammon’ style, they answer all your burning questions about STIs, available here.

STIs with Janty and Jecinta – True or Gammon – 6 minute video

Deadly comedian Janty Blair yarns with Aboriginal health practitioner, Jecinta from Darwin, NT. In ‘True or Gammon’ style, they shed light on some myths about STIs, available here.

Got burning questions about STIs with Janty – True or Gammon – Poster 1

True or Gammon poster encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to talk with a health worker about getting tested, available here.

Safe sex a prickly subject? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Got the kind of crabs that aren’t good for eating? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Got a slippery question about what’s on your budoo? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Got burning questions about STIs? – Green – True or Gammon – Poster 4

True or Gammon poster encouraging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to talk with a health worker about getting tested, available here.

A rash down below got you in a flap? – True or Gammon – Social animation

A 15-second video animation to share on your social channels to encourage yarning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available here.

Too Deadly for Diabetes program to go national

A home-grown program for helping patients with Type 2 diabetes will soon inform nationwide policy after years of success in small-town communities. The health and lifestyle program Too Deadly for Diabetes (TDFD) was developed by Gomeroi man Ray Kelly with the hopes of reversing diabetes in local Indigenous communities. “Our participants are seeing improvements in their blood sugar and blood pressure within days,” Mr Kelly said. “It also has a great flow on effect for the community, with the participants’ family and friends being inspired along with the health care professionals providing the program.”

Operated primarily through local Aboriginal Medical Services, TDFD has been making waves since its inception in back in 2017. Having a culturally-informed approach to tackling the disease is essential, as Indigenous Australians suffer higher rates of diabetes as well as a higher rate of hospitalisation and death from diabetes than non-Indigenous Australians.

The 10-week program focuses on sustainable weight loss, healthy eating, and physical activity; key components in managing and preventing Type 2 diabetes. “Across NSW we’ve worked with 16 communities so far and they’ve lost more than 5800 kilos in total,” Mr Kelly said, After catching the attention of the NSW government, Mr Kelly’s program received a significant funding boost in August 2023, enabling its expansion into more communities across the state, including Tamworth and Werris Creek.

The above is an extract from the article Home-grown health program goes national to tackle diabetes crisis published in The Northern Daily Leader earlier today (22 April 2024).

You can find more information about the TDFD program on the TDFD website here.

NSW Regional Health Minister & Too Deadly for Diabetes program director Ray Kelly outside TAMS

NSW Regional Health Minister Ryan Park and Too Deadly for Diabetes program director Ray Kelly outside the Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service. Picture supplied by the office of Hon Ryan Park MP. Image source: The Northern Daily Leader.

Program helps young men get life back on track

When Jahdai Vigona and Danté Rodrigues were heading down the wrong path after high school, they had two options: keep going or make a change. They chose the latter, and ever since they have been working tirelessly to improve the mental and physical health of Indigenous men in their community.

The two cousins, who are are both proud Tiwi Islands men, say that with the help of mentors, family members and positive role models, they were able to turn things around for themselves, and hope to do the same for others. “Jahdai and I grew up around a lot of things like domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and crime and for a while we were even going off on our own wrong path,” Danté says. “I’m only 22 and I’ve lost more friends and family than I can count,” Jahdai adds. “I’ve attended more funerals than weddings in my lifetime. That’s just the harsh reality for someone like me coming from the NT.”

Jahdai and Danté decided to take matters into their own hands — or boxing gloves. “How can you expect someone to be a good person, if you don’t teach them how to be,” Danté says. “We are lucky that we had a lot of positive role models to help us, but for a lot of people in the NT, Indigenous or not, they just don’t have that support.” With their One Percent program, they try to help young Indigenous men in the NT become better versions of themselves day by day, 1% at a time.

To view the ABC News article How two cousins from the NT formed the One Percent Program to help young men get their lives back on track in full click here.

Founders of the One Percent Program Jahdai and Danté sitting on concrete steps outside a building

Jahdai and Danté have used their own personal experiences and backgrounds to develop the program. Photo: Leah White, ABC News.

Commonwealth supports justice reinvestment initiatives

Ten justice reinvestment programs have secured support through the federal government’s First Nations justice package. Announced last Friday (19 April 2024) the community-led initiatives follow nine initial grants delivered under the package in February. They form part of the federal government’s $109m First Nations justice package, with $79m allocated to support up to 30 community-led justice reinvestment initiatives in First Nations communities across Australia. The investment marks the largest commitment to justice reinvestment ever delivered by the Commonwealth.

Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said the initiative will deliver place-based projects to improve lives, support safer communities and help to close the gap.”Justice Reinvestment is all about putting First Nations communities front and centre when it comes to preventing contact with the criminal justice system,” Ms Burney said. “Communities can work together with local police, organisations, education and health services and local government to drive local solutions.”

Justice reinvestment is a long-term, community-led approach to preventing crime, improving community safety and reducing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults and children in custody. Following assessment by an independent panel, ten community-led justice reinvestment initiatives have been selected across the NT, Qld, SA, WA and NSW. Applications for funding under the federal government’s justice reinvestment programs remain open year-round, with communities encouraged to apply via the GRANTS.GOV website here when they are ready to do so.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Community-led justice reinvestment initiatives secure commonwealth support in full click here.

Linda Burney portrait shot

Linda Burney said projects announced under the federal government’s justice reinvestment initiative will deliver place-based projects to improve lives, support safer communities and help to close the gap. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

19 April 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.

Enduring inequities in breast cancer care

Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) today joined an international call to raise the standard of breast cancer care and close gaps that exist between and within countries – including in Australia. Earlier this week he new Lancet Commission on Breast Cancer released findings and recommendations on improving breast cancer care globally. Globally, breast cancer is the most common cancer and by 2040, the incidence of new breast cancers is predicted to be more than 3 million per year.

BCNA’s Director of Policy, Advocacy & Support Services Vicki Durston welcomed this landmark report. “While advances have been made in breast cancer, there remain significant inequities including access to care and treatment among disadvantaged groups, financial toxicity, and a lack of comprehensive cancer data to inform global policy development,” Ms Durston said.

“Although the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is high in Australia, there are still significant equity of access issues, particularly for those with metastatic breast cancer, and people from priority populations including First Nations, LGBTIQ+, CALD and rural and remotes communities.”

You can read the BCNA’s article BCNA joins international call to challenge enduring inequities in breast cancer care here and access the Lancet Commission report in full here.

Learning from 50 years of alcohol programs

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led initiatives to reduce alcohol harms are profiled in a new book that privileges, prioritises and amplifies First Nations voices. Nicole Hewlett, a Palawa woman and co-author with Peter d’Abbs of Learning from 50 Years of Aboriginal Alcohol Program, available here, says their book showcases “the solution-focused, strengths-based and resilient spirit of our people, despite the challenging realities we live in”.

The story of this book began with Peter d’Abbs, a non-Indigenous researcher. Over the past 50 years, d’Abbs witnessed the cycles, patterns and changes of government. He has firsthand accounts of how and why alcohol policy and programs were decided upon. Most importantly, he understood that the knowledge of those with lived experiences of the impact of such policies and programs.

The evidence that has informed government policy decisions such as the 2007 Intervention in the NT had unilaterally imposed a blanket ban on alcohol on all Aboriginal land in the NT has almost always not included the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who become pawns in a game to win the white middle-class vote. Despite this, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have continued to stand up and get on with supporting our communities.

To view the Croakey Health Media article “This book provides a gift of knowing, of truth and of hope” in full click here.

co-authors Nicole Hewlett & Peter d'Abbs holding book

Co-authors Nicole Hewlett and Peter d’Abbs at a recent roundtable meeting in Parliament House. Photoe: Mel Hill Photography & FARE. Image source: Croakey Health Media.

Injuries: leading cause of disability and death for kids

Injuries are the leading cause of disability and death among Australian children and adolescents. At least a quarter of all emergency department presentations during childhood are injury-related. Injuries can be unintentional (falls, road crashes, drowning, burns) or intentional (self harm, violence, assault). The type, place and cause of injury differs by age, developmental stage and sex. Injury also differs by socioeconomic status and place of residence. Injuries are predictable, preventable events, and understanding where and how they occur is essential to inform prevention efforts.

A new report, available here, from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released yesterday, tells us injury patterns differ between boys and girls and the causes of injury in children change as they progress through different stages of development. The Australian government has drafted a new National Injury Prevention Strategy, available here, which is expected to be released later in 2024. This will provide clear guidance for all levels of government and others on prevention strategies and investment needed.

In the meantime, better injury surveillance data is sorely needed to better identify the cause of injuries (such as family violence, alcohol and other drug misuse, intentional self-harm or consumer product-related injuries), and to identify where injuries took place (home, school, shopping centre, and so on). There is also insufficient attention paid to priority populations, including people of low socioeconomic status, those in rural and remote areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To view The Conversation article Falls, fractures and self-harm: 4 charts on how kids’ injury risk changes over time and differs for boys and girls in full click here.

young Aboriginal child on climbing rope structure in a playground

Image source: The Telethon Kids Institute website.

Wide ranging health benefits for mob of clean energy

Onsite renewables, such as solar farms, will help improve health outcomes for Indigenous communities by increasing energy security and lowering costs, according to submissions to a Federal Government consultation. Submissions informing development of a First Nations Clean Energy Strategy say replacing polluting, expensive diesel generators would allow for the continued operation of essential health equipment. A more reliable energy supply would also help improve online access to health resources.

The importance of improved housing for Indigenous communities in a warming climate is also highlighted in submissions to a consultation by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). While Australia’s transition to clean energy could bring important health benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, submissions stress that achieving these outcomes will require greater autonomy and decision-making in designing solutions, particularly when it comes to housing policy.

In its submission, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) noted that the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was undermined by many economic and social determinants of health and wellbeing. It said the climate crisis would result in “more respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the prevalence and geographic distribution of food and water-borne diseases, implications for food and water security, changes in the prevalence of infectious diseases, and potential impacts on the mental health of First Nations people”.

To view the Croakey Health News article National consultation highlights wide-ranging health benefits for First Nations communities from clean energy in full click here.

The image below is from an article How climate change is turning remote Indigenous houses into dangerous hot boxes, available here, published in The Conversation on 17 June 2022.

exterior view of poorly insulated house Yuendumu, NT

A poorly insulated home in Yuendumu, NT. Photo: Dr Simon Quilty. Image source: The Conversation.

Integrated health helping 2 year-old Carter hear

For the first two years of his life, everything was a little quiet for Carter Ah Chee-Maytum. Mum Yolandi Ah Chee said she quickly realised her baby was suffering from hearing loss — and behavioural issues like scratching, fights with his sister, yelling and the inability to understand people were rife. “He was a very angry little boy, because he just couldn’t hear anything for the first two years of his life,” she said. Faced with an 18-month waitlist and thousands of dollars in medical bills at a private doctor, Ms Ah Chee said it was a struggle to access medical intervention.

For the first time, Telethon will now fund a services coordinator and full-time speech pathology service for the super clinic. Ear, nose and throat surgeon Francis Lannigan said chronic ear disease was considered by UN agency the World Health Organisation as a marker of public health — and Australia was leading the world in its disease rates. “When you reach above the level of about 4% it’s considered to be a public health crisis,” he said. “In remote communities, up to 70% of Aboriginal children have chronic ear disease.”

Dr Lannigan said more needed to be done to address the healthcare disparities — including addressing the disease rates in Government commitments like Closing the Gap. “I’d like to see a cohort of First Nations children arrive at kindergarten with normal speech and language,” he said. “I cannot understand why it isn’t a bigger focus of the Closing the Gap program.”

To view The West Australian article Telethon: Cockburn Integrated Health helping kids like 2yo Carter to hear his mum in full click here.

Yolandi Ah Chee with 2 year-old son Carter

Yolandi Ah Chee said she notice early on that Carter was impacted by hearing loss. Photo: Kelsey Reid, The West Australian.

Investment in culturally relevant vocational training

The Victorian government has announced more culturally relevant training for First Nations people through continued investment in the vocational educational and training sector. More than $6m in funding was announced at the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative farm in Mooroopna for nine projects to help expand skills and training pathways for Indigenous people in the state.

Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney also visited Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association to launch Koorie Education in Learn Locals: Best Practice and Protocols. This is a practical tool helping Learn Locals – over 200 of which operate across the state, offering courses in maths, literacy and workplace skills to help find work or pursue study – better meet the needs of Koorie learners and communities. The new protocols for Learn Locals offer guidance on building relationships with local Koorie communities as well as making sure the learning communities are culturally safe.

The Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI) president Geraldine Atkinson said: “We are very pleased to see the Koorie Protocols and Principles launched today and shortly distributed to every Learn Local in Victoria. It’s an important step in ensuring Aboriginal learners are welcomed and encouraged to succeed in community adult education.”

You can access more information on Learn Locals here and view the National Indigenous Times article More investment for culturally relevant vocational training in Victoria in full click here.

VAEAI President Geraldine Atkinson

VAEAI President Geraldine Atkinson. Photo: James Ros, AAP. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

17 April 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.

Health professionals call for mob to get flu vax

With the onset of flu season, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) is calling on all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The influenza vaccine is available and free at clinics now and with the flu particularly serious for First Nations people, the IUIH are urging all people to visit a health professional as soon as possible.

Community Liaison Officer Uncle Billy Gorham said he regularly addressed misconceptions about the vaccine from community members. “I hear all sorts of things about the flu. Some people think they’re young and healthy, or they take vitamin C, so they’ll be ok; that the flu isn’t bad,” he said. “I always say they should yarn with their GP or someone at their local clinic, it’s important they know what’s true and how they can look after themselves and our Mob.”

Mr Gorham said he has already taken his flu shot, because he didn’t want to get sick so he could protect his family. “We all live with people we care about, we don’t want to bring home the flu and make everyone sick. Even if you think you’re OK, think about those Mob you care about,” he said. IUIH Public Health Physician, Dr Jacqueline Murdoch, said First Nations people are at a higher risk of serious illness from the flu, which includes elevating the risk of heart attacks, stroke and pneumonia.

To view National Indigenous Times article Health professionals urge Indigenous people to get the flu vaccine in full click here.

tile graphic hand with word 'flu' text" 'don't take the risk, this season get the flu vaccine'

Image source: Victoria Harbour Medical Centre website.

Alice Springs kids failed by system

In Alice Springs Aboriginal Elders are crying out to be heard – and say, unless, the voices of the community are listened to, the cycle of over-policing and crime is doomed to be repeated. Arrernte man William Tilmouth, the founding chair of Children’s Ground, an Aboriginal organisation that focuses on prevention, early intervention and empowerment rather than crisis and deficit says Aboriginal people are the most policed people in the world and also subjected to the greatest injustice, racism and oppression. “We have a history of over-incarceration of our people and over-representation in the criminal justice system,” he said. “The damage that this does and how this response perpetuates trauma in our families and in our culture.”

Youth in Alice Springs have been under a night time curfew for weeks since violence broke out after a funeral. The curfew lifted yesterday (Tuesday 15 April 2024), coinciding with school going back. Children’s Ground wants to see comprehensive government investment into learning, health, culture and wellbeing and says policies that promote punitive measures will see history repeat. “This is a created condition from generations of neglect,” Mr Tilmouth said.

“Anyone walking into any community or town camp or homeland will be struck by the abject lack of community facilities, infrastructure, resources and opportunities and the devastating overcrowding. Our children and young people have been failed by the system and that must be addressed now,” Mr Tilmouth continued. The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council, an Anangu-led organisation that delivers heath, social and cultural services in Central Australia, says young people deserve the best possible chances in life.

To view the National Indigenous Times article Children failed by the system, say First Nations groups in full click here.

ATSI children skate park Alice Springs at night

Indigenous leaders want to see early intervention and prevention instead of over policing. Photo: Mick Tsikas, AAP Photos. Image source: National Indigenous Times.

Health Care Homes program study results

The results of a study to assess the impact of the Health Care Homes (HCH) primary health care initiative on quality of care and patient outcomes was published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) earlier this week.

Practice registration for the HCH trial included 227 practices (165 of which ultimately enrolled patients), including 32 Aboriginal Medical Services and ACCHOs, in 10 primary health networks following expressions of interest in late 2016 (Adelaide, Country SA, South Eastern Melbourne, Brisbane North, Hunter New England and Central Coast, Nepean Blue Mountains, Western Sydney, NT, Perth North, and Tasmania) — and the enrolment of patients of any age who attended participating HCH practices commenced on 1 October 2017.

The study concluded that the HCH initiative was associated with greater access to care and improved processes of care for people with chronic diseases, but not changes in diabetes‐related outcomes, most measures of hospital services use, or risk of death. Its impact was limited by lower than expected enrolment of both patients and practices, variations between practices in implementation, and the short trial period. Patient‐centred primary care is one of three reform streams outlined in Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022–2032. Evaluations of future patient‐centred primary care initiatives should be larger scale randomised controlled studies of longer duration, with more efficient linkage of primary care records and administrative datasets.

To view the MJA research paper The Australian Health Care Homes trial: quality of care and patient outcomes. A propensity score‐matched cohort study in full click here.

Katherine’s culturally-led approach to mental health

A culturally-led response to mental health needs in Katherine is set to influence positive change and ensure adults are supported to access the mental health services needed. John Berto, CEO of the Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation (JAAC) said combining clinical responses with cultural protocols would “foster innovate responses for all community members seeking mental health support. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with other local health and service delivery organisations and together (we will be) shaping the way our community responds to the needs of our diverse community.” JAAC will be the lead organisation of the Katherine-based “Satellite Site” for the Australian Government’s Head to Health program.

Lisa Mumbin, Chairperson of JAAC said the Association was “uniquely placed” to deliver this work by leveraging off existing successful culturally-led programs that are managed by the Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun Grup. Programs include family support, domestic violence prevention, youth engagement for social enterprise, and other cultural activities including bush medicine.

“We understand that connection to country is medicine and that this is supportive of all in our community, no matter where we are from,” Ms Mumbin said. “Jawoyn is about sharing country and culture and we have healing protocols and places that when combined with western ways of supporting mental health, together we can make a difference to people’s lives.”

The story has been extracted from a Katherine Times article Head to Health to kick off published on 15 April 2024.

portrait photo of Lisa Mumbin

Lisa Mumbin. Image source: Katherine Times.

World Health Summit Regional Meeting 22-24 April

The World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 in Melbourne, Australia from 22-24 April will bring together stakeholders from all relevant sectors of global health – under the theme Shape the future of health across Asia and the Pacific.

For the first time the World Health Summit Regional Meeting is being held in Australia, and the three-day meeting is hosted by Monash University, Melbourne. With more than 40 sessions and over 150 speakers from around the world, the goal will be to address strategies to improve global health and health inequities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Topics include:

  • The health of Indigenous Peoples
  • Achieving health equity for women and girls
  • Accelerating towards sustainable and resilient health care services
  • Clinician-led health system reform
  • Putting lived and living experience at the centre of mental health care
  • Priorities for education, training and a future-proof health workforce
  • The impact of AI when ancient ways of knowing and new technology collide
  • Protecting and improving health in an increasingly divided world
  • Global preparedness for the next pandemic
  • Leadership opportunities in SDGs and health
  • Misinformation itis: the impact of tech on health (open public session)

To view the Monash University media release World Health Summit Regional Meeting in Australia opens on 22 April in Melbourne in full click here.

tile aerial view of Melbourne CBD text 'World Health Summit - Regional Meeting 2024 Melbourne 22-24 April'

Image source: Australian Global Health Alliance website.

Grants to expand delivery of CHSP to mob

Forecast opportunities for Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) growth funding grants have been published on the Australian Government GrantConnect webpage.

The CHSP First Nations Growth Funding 2024-25 Grant Opportunity seeks to expand delivery of culturally safe CHSP services for First Nations older people.

You can find more information about the CHSP First Nations Growth Funding 2024-25 Grant Opportunity on the Australian Government GrantsConnect website here.

If you have any questions on the CHSP program and/or the CHSP growth funding opportunity please reach out to the  Australian Government Health Grants team by email here.

elderly ATSI woman with carer sitting at table on verandah

Image source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.

14 April 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.

Housing overhaul need to combat RHD

Building more and better living space is crucial to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Aboriginal people living in remote areas, yet the current model of remote housing is failing to improve conditions. The 2020 Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, available here, acknowledges that reducing the negative impacts of overcrowding for remote living Aboriginal people has strong evidence. Overcrowded living conditions are ripe for the spread, directly or indirectly, of Streptococcus, which is the trigger for acute rheumatic fever in hyper-exposed individuals. Reducing conditions that lead to overcrowded living spaces will decrease streptococcal colonisation and subsequently reduce rates of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

In the NT, the reason that Indigenous houses are so overcrowded is simple: there are not enough houses. And, thus, it makes sense that building more houses will rectify the problem of physical overcrowding. However, if houses are designed in ways that force people to crowd indoors, then they may actually exacerbate overcrowded conditions ripe for diseases such as rheumatic fever, and this is what is currently happening. In hot climates, if houses do not perform well in the hot weather and cost too much to keep cool, they will exacerbate overcrowding.

The current model of remote housing in the NT has not only failed to improve but probably worsened physical overcrowding. In the past five or so years, more houses and more bedrooms have been built in remote areas in the NT than ever before, yet the rate of diseases such as RHD, which are the canary in the coalmine of overcrowding, is going up. Despite the $1.1b remote housing spend, which last week was extended to $4b over the next 10 years, there is evidence that something with this housing model is going very wrong. And we do not need research to tell us the reason; communities have clearly expressed that the new houses being built and designed without community consultation have forced them to live in closer proximity.

To view the Insight+ article Housing overhaul needed to combat rheumatic heart disease in full click here.

exterior of recently completed house renovation in remote community Mt Liebig

Recently completed renovation in the remote community of Mt. Liebig under the Room to Breathe program. Constructed under existing veranda space. Light and heat absorbent brown paint, no eaves with sunlight directly on blockwork wall, air conditioning not installed but instead a purpose-built hole in the wall for residents to purchase and install low energy efficiency wall mounted unit, but no brackets installed so residents have used a ladder. Photo: Simon Quilty. Image source: InSight+.

COVID-19 resources for mob

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has made available a range updated COVID-19 vaccination resources specifically tailored for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

poster with ATSI mum kissing child on cheak, text 'keep your kids protected with a COVID-19 vaccination' ring 1800 020 080 to book vax or visit health.gov.au

Image source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Strength in Connection Members Workshops

More than 50 Members from across Qld enjoyed comprehensive training in accreditation and human resources at QAIHC’s Strength in Connection Members Workshops at Stamford Plaza in late February. The Members’ Accreditation Workshop and the Human Resources Training Workshop were coordinated over a two-day period and covered a range of topics, including the development of the ACCHO sector and its workforce. The event attracted Members from areas including Far North Queensland, Mackay, Rockhampton, Charleville, Fraser Coast South East Queensland, and the Sunshine Coast. The Members Accreditation Workshop focused on how to coordinate and deliver a high-quality, professional and fully compliant health service.

Facilitated by QAIHC Compliance and Quality Manager Melita Parker and Senior Quality and Compliance Officer Tamara Dix, the workshop discussed the importance of forward planning, barriers and opportunities, building an accreditation plan as well as a wide-ranging question-and-answer session. Melita said the workshop was important not just for accreditation but building a community of practice where administrators could network and share information. “Accreditation and compliance are incredibly important, but we also wanted to provide a safe space where Members could connect with other Members,” she said. “If people in our Membership can talk to each other and share that knowledge, that’s how we build a strong and resilient ACCHO sector.”

The Human Resources Workshop focused on the complexities of human resources delivery in the ACCHO landscape and was delivered by HR Specialist Ron Nelson. Topics included workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding; industrial relations and workplace investigations; and legislation, best practice and general administration. “Workforce planning is an integral piece of work which drives the success of an organisation driven and supported by the organisations’ strategic plan and goals. It is inextricably linked to recruitment, retention and ultimately service provision which impacts the ongoing reputation and viability of the organisation. There is no place for complacency,” Mr Nelson said.

To view the QAIHC Sector Leader article Housing overhaul needed to tackle rheumatic heart disease in full click here.

35+ Strength in Connection accreditation training

The group attending the Strength in Connection accreditation training. Image source: QAIHC Sector Leader.

Barrabggirra participant working to establish health career 

Robert Rahman is a participant in Souths Cares Barranggirra Program who is working hard to establish his career within the Healthcare sector. In addition to studying for his HSC this year at Corpus Christi College, Robert is on-track to complete a School-Based Traineeship in Health Services with Sydney Local Health District. Robert’s School-Based Traineeship is based at the Sydney Eye Hospital, where he works in the Day Procedure Unit to support patients pre-surgery and post-surgery. Throughout his School-Based Traineeship he is learning a host of valuable skills including participating in patient handovers, taking medical histories, documenting patient observations and providing patients with medical information as they discharge from surgery.

Whilst Robert is now thriving in his education and training, he had to overcome some challenges in Year 10 which saw him struggling with motivation to engage with education and attend school. Robert has a close connection with Souths Cares, having previously been a participant in the Deadly Youth Mentoring Program and attending Leadership and Cultural Camps. Robert explained the connection to culture and mentoring support provided through Souths Cares programs has been an important part of his journey. Robert has developed a passion for healthcare and has a few career options in mind including becoming paramedic or becoming an Aboriginal Healthcare Worker within a public hospital or regional community.

Souths Cares Barranggirra Program has been supporting Robert complete his School-Based Traineeship through providing regular mentoring support and group mentoring sessions with other School-Based Trainees at this workplace and TAFE. Barranggirra Employment and Training Mentor, Robyn Murphy explained Robert was setting an outstanding example for other young people in his community. “Robert has had to overcome some hurdles during his high school years but is now on a great trajectory. He has met life’s challenges with bravery and class – setting a great example for his peers”, Robyn said.

To view the Rabbitohs article Barranggirra Participant Working Hard to Establish his Career in Healthcare in full click here.

Souths Cares Barranggirra participant Robert Rahman

South Cares Barranggirra Program participant Robert Rahman. Image source: South Sydney Rabbittohs website.

Tackling overcrowding one swag at a time

As a boy, Dan Fischer was in and out of different foster homes. He describes his younger self as “a serial runaway”. At 14, he was sent to a remote cattle station near Alice Springs as part of a youth justice program. Mr Fischer said this experience was a turning point in his life and taught him the strong work ethic he now hoped to inspire in others. “I stayed there for about two years, then came back to Darwin and I didn’t want to go on the dole,” he said. “So I went and walked one end of Winnellie Road to the other until I found someone to give me a job, and it just so happened to be an upholstery place.”

A few decades on, Mr Fischer is using his upholstery-making skills to help jobseekers in remote communities find work. Over the past two years, he and his students from Gapuwiyak, Mornington Island and Katherine have made about 150 swags. And in the NT, a jurisdiction that has a homelessness rate 12 times the national average and chronic issues with overcrowding, the swags also offer a safe place to sleep. “That’s another 150 beds out there,” Mr Fischer said. “We all know there is not enough housing out there but there is plenty of ground to roll a swag out.”

He said the idea for the program arose when he was living and working in Ramingining, where families were having “big issues” with kids not going to school. “The kids were staying up all night because the parents were sleeping in the beds, so there can be up to 20 people in a house and they sleep in shifts,” he said. “So, I thought, ‘How can I tackle this and get some more beds out there?’ “We were making bed frames at the time, but there’s not enough room in the houses to put huge wooden bed frames. “[But] the swags roll up to nothing and they can put them in the corner.”

To view the ABC News article NT man Dan Fischer tackling overcrowding and helping jobseekers one swag at a time in full click here.

3 ATSI tradesmen in swag making workshop

Members of Kalano community in the swag workshop. Photo: James Elton, ABC News.

Marang Dhali Eating Well Program graduates

A number of local Indigenous women have completed the Marang Dhali Eating Well (MDEW) Program in Condobolin. Those who attended the Graduation Ceremony received a Certificate of Completion and a gift bag last month, on 21 March 2024. ‘Marang Dhali’ is the Wiradjuri language phrase for ‘eating well’, with participants taking part in sessions at the Hope Community Church in William Street. The group created healthy meals and learned about healthy eating during the course. They also shared meals together once the cooking was finished or took leftovers home to their families.

This program is a joint initiative between Lachlan and Western Regional Services Incorporated through their Training as Parents (TAP) Program, funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA), and the Western NSW Local Health District. TAP Coordinator Rebecca Dodgson along with Condobolin Community Health Senior Aboriginal Health Worker Shirley-Ann Merritt and Ellen Doolan from Western NSW Local Health District ran the sessions. Jackie Coe (CatholicCare Family Carer) and Tracey Sauerbier (Hope Community Church) also lent a helping hand.

“Marang Dhali is about increasing participants’ food and cooking knowledge, skills and confidence, thus supporting healthy food behaviours,” Mrs Dodgson explained. “It’s also about cooking on a budget and making your money go further in relation to shopping and food. During the sessions participants cook healthy recipes, discuss ideas for good nutrition and share the prepared meal together, or take some home for the family to try. We would like to congratulate all those who have completed the course. You have all worked hard to create delicious healthy meals that you can share with your family.”

To view The Condobolin Argus article Marang Dhali Eating Well Program in full click here.

The image below is from a previous article in The Condobolin Argus, available here, about the recognition of the Marang Dhali Eating Well Program (MDEW) with the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) TNN Excellence in Aboriginal Healthcare Award.

Condobolin Health Service’s Shirley-Ann Merritt, Gabriella Barrett & Debbie Beahan

Condobolin Health Service’s Shirley-Ann Merritt, along with Gabriella Barrett and Debbie Beahan. along with others, help deliver the Program across the WNSWLHD. Image source: The Condobolin Argus, 13 October 2022.

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.

Free, specialised governance workshops for ACCHOs will be delivered in multiple locations across the country during 2024 and 2025. 

Registrations are open now for Perth: 16-17 April 2024. 

The program is delivered by legal experts and covers:  

  • Delegation of powers 
  • Finance for Boards
  • Governance documents
  • Managing conflicts of interest 
  • Managing risk  
  • Principles of good governance  
  • Structure and role of boards and sub-committees 

To register, go here.

For more information, please contact NACCHO using this email link.