Tag Archives: Australia

Nov 11 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal health news alert: Aboriginal population will soar to more than one million in the next 20 years.Download the report here

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Dr Biddle said the indigenous population was likely to become “more urban and older”. He warned that “it won’t come without costs, as certain determinants of indigenous wellbeing, like cultural participation, language usage and acquisition and maintenance of country, will be more difficult to maintain.”

THE number of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders will soar to more than one million in the next 20 years, as the indigenous population rapidly ages and becomes more urbanised.

Report edited from the AUSTRALIAN PATRICIA KARVELAS Follow @PatKarvelas

A groundbreaking report,  released this month, predicts that the fastest indigenous population growth will be in Brisbane, Rockhampton, Cairns, southwestern Western Australia, South Headland, Townsville and Mackay.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

The report forecasts that the indigenous population will grow from about 670,000 in 2011 to about 1.06 million by 2031, an increase of about 59 per cent, compared with an increase of about 20 per cent for the non-indigenous population.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE NACCHO  HEALTHY FUTURES PLAN 2030

From making up about 3 per cent of the total population in 2011, indigenous people will comprise 3.9 per cent by 2031.

The paper, by the Australian National University’s Nicholas Biddle, finds that even excluding changes in whether people identify as indigenous, the regions in Queensland and Western Australia are projected to grow by at least 3 per cent a year.

Four regions — Apatula, Tennant Creek, Katherine and northwestern NSW — are projected to grow by less than 1 per cent per year over the period.

The indigenous population is projected to become much more urban over the next 20 years. In 2011, the indigenous population of Brisbane was estimated to be 65,000. This is slightly less than the roughly 69,000 indigenous people estimated to live in the whole of the Northern Territory.

By 2031, the Brisbane region is projected to have an indigenous population of a little more than 132,000 people, about 50 per cent more than the Northern Territory, with a little less than 89,000.

Although the total indigenous population is projected to grow by 59 per cent between 2011 and 2031, the population up until age 24 is only projected to grow by 47 per cent. This is still faster than the equivalent projection for the non-indigenous population in that age group, but is much slower than the indigenous population aged 65 and older, which is projected to grow by 200 per cent.

The 65-and-older cohort is forecast to comprise 6.4 per cent of the indigenous population in 2031, compared with about 3.4 per cent at the 2011 census.

This could have profound financial implications, as low rates of employment are likely to mean that indigenous retirees have far less in savings than their non-indigenous counterparts. It is also likely to have implications for health and disability policy.

Dr Biddle said there were two main reasons for the relatively rapid projected growth, including migration from non-urban to urban Australia, and high rates of intermarriage between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. “As the children of these partnerships tend to be identified as indigenous, there is therefore an additional contribution to growth.”

He said that even in the regions with the slowest growth, the indigenous population was likely to grow faster than the non-indigenous population.

The report, funded by the federal government, warns that a rapidly growing indigenous population could put budget pressures on programs. “For programs that are funded on a fixed-dollar basis per person, a large growth in the eligible indigenous population could mean that the cost of the program would need to be either increased or spread across a greater number of people,” it says.

Dr Biddle said the indigenous population was likely to become “more urban and older”. He warned that “it won’t come without costs, as certain determinants of indigenous wellbeing, like cultural participation, language usage and acquisition and maintenance of country, will be more difficult to maintain.”

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Nov 11 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal Employment and Training news: Opportunity to report to the PM Tony Abbott on Aboriginal health employment and training needs

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Jobs are the key to improving opportunities for all Australians.

It would be a shame to miss this great opportunity to put the focus on Aboriginal community controlled health and away from the mining sector.

Here is your opportunity to tell the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Tony Abbott MP your needs in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector.Picture above Congress Alice Springs

STAKEHOLDERS MEETING DATES BELOW

Or written submissions close 31 December  2013

DETAILS HERE

The Commonwealth Government believes more needs to be done to boost Indigenous employment and support Indigenous Australians to get ahead.

All Australians yearn to see practical and genuine improvement in the lives of Indigenous people.

Too often, employment and training programmes provide ‘training for training’s sake’ without the practical skills that people need to fill the jobs that exist.

To address this, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Tony Abbott MP, has asked Mr Andrew Forrest to lead a Review of Indigenous Training and Employment Programmes.

This Review will report to the Prime Minister in April 2014, providing practical recommendations to ensure Indigenous training and employment services are targeted and administered to connect unemployed Indigenous people with real and sustainable jobs.

It will consider ways to dramatically improve how services can better respond to employers who want to provide sustainable employment and end the cycle of Indigenous disadvantage. Innovative approaches that secure real jobs will be central to the Review, including practical life training and mentoring.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minster, the Hon Alan Tudge MP, will guide and shape the Review process with Mr Forrest.

Date for consultations

Perth Friday 15 November 2013 …9.45am – 11.15am Perth Convention Centre 21 Mounts Bay Rd, Perth

Adelaide Tuesday 19 November 2013…9.45am – 11.15am Adelaide Convention Centre North Terrace, Adelaide

 Alice Springs Tuesday 19 November 2013…3.45pm – 5.15pm Alice Springs Convention Centre 93 Barrett Dr, Alice Springs

Kununurra Wednesday 20 November 2013…9.45am – 11.15am Ord River Sports Club Chestnut Dr, Kununurra

 Darwin Wednesday 20 November 2013…5.30pm – 7.00pm Darwin Convention Centre Stokes Hill Rd, Darwin

Brisbane Thursday 21 November 2013…9.45am – 11.15am Brisbane City Hall 64 Adelaide St, Brisbane

 Sydney Thursday 21 November 2013…5.15pm – 6.45pm Masonic Conference Centre 66 Goulburn St, Sydney

Melbourne Friday 22 November 2013…9.45am – 11.15am Melbourne Town Hall Cnr Swanston and Collins Street, Melbourne

There is so much goodwill from employers.

The challenge, though, is to convert good intentions into practical change for the better.

As Chair of the Review, Mr Forrest is looking for breakthrough ideas to, once and for all, end the disparity in employment for Indigenous Australians. Your input is vital. In order to realise real change, new and sustainable solutions are needed.

To have your say, you may wish to participate in a meeting with Mr Forrest and the Review team, or lodge a concise written submission.

Further information is provided at How to get involved. This website will be updated regularly to include details of meetings and how to participate.

Are you interested in working in Aboriginal health at a national level?

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Are you interested in working in Aboriginal health?

NACCHO is the national authority in comprehensive Aboriginal primary health care currently has a wide range of job opportunities in the pipeline.

Current NACCHO job opportunities

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Nov 7 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal health news : Aboriginal women take hands on role in health

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Picture above: Dea Delaney-Theile, third from left, rear, and her fellow graduates with Lisa Jackson Pulver, right.

NACCHO congratulates Sheila Hure, Elaine Lomas, Joanne Delaney, Jennifer King, Sethy Willie and Ms Delaney-Theile who all received their degrees while working full-time at the Aboriginal Medical Service in Mount Druitt – home to Australia’s largest urban Aboriginal population.

Photo: Supplied     Story Sydney Morning Herald Lucy Carroll

When her mother died of a heart attack aged only 44, Dea Delaney-Theile needed answers.

”She dropped dead on the streets of St Marys,” she said. ”At that moment I had to find out why my people were dying so young.”

Now, 30 years later, Ms Delaney-Theile is one of six Aboriginal women – all of them the first in their families to gain a university qualification – to graduate with public health degrees from the University of NSW this week.

It is the largest group of Aboriginal people to graduate from a university medical faculty at one time.

Sheila Hure, Elaine Lomas, Joanne Delaney, Jennifer King, Sethy Willie and Ms Delaney-Theile all received their degrees while working full-time at the Aboriginal Medical Service in Mount Druitt – home to Australia’s largest urban Aboriginal population.

”Twenty years ago it was a very rare thing to have an Aboriginal person studying medicine or public health,” said Lisa Jackson Pulver, professor of public health at UNSW. ”These women have worked incredibly hard.”

Ms Delaney-Theile, who has worked in Aboriginal health for 23 years, plans to ”overhaul” research to reduce the high incidence of chronic disease, including heart disease, diabetes, renal disease and mental health, in the western Sydney community. ”Incarceration rates are still really high and there is still a 10-year life expectancy gap,” she said.

Ms Delaney-Theile said the role of education – particularly in urban areas – was crucial to improving health outcomes. Often boarding school scholarships only help kids from rural communities.

”But we have big Aboriginal populations in the cities and you don’t hear about many kids who get the opportunity to go to Joey’s or Saint Ignatius,” she said.

Professor Jackson Pulver estimates there are about 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying public health in Australia – a number that is on the rise.

But university is still out of the ”reality” for many young Aboriginal people, she said. ”Universities are normally in very expensive cities and most Aboriginal families don’t have the financial resources behind them to support their children,” she said.

School guidance councillors often discourage children from entering health, she said. Despite this, there are 260 indigenous students studying medicine in Australia and 56 of those are studying at UNSW.

“We’ve come great strides and we have a lot to shout about,” Professor Jackson Pulver said.

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Are you interested in working in Aboriginal health?

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Are you interested in working in Aboriginal health?

NACCHO is the national authority in comprehensive Aboriginal primary health care currently has a wide range of job opportunities in the pipeline.

Current NACCHO job opportunities

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Nov 4 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal health news: HIPPY help for Aboriginal parents and carers in 25 communities

HIPPY Coordinators and Tutors at a training forum

HIPPY Coordinators and Tutors at a training forum

Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley today announced the providers chosen to deliver the 2014 Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) in an extra 25 Indigenous communities.

Children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities will benefit as parents and carers receive Australian Government support to be their child’s first – and best – teacher.

For further information about the HIPPY program, please visit

http://www.hippyaustralia.org.au/ and

http://education.gov.au/further-information-about-hippy

Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley today announced the providers chosen to deliver the 2014 Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) in an extra 25 Indigenous communities.

“This programme is critical in helping make a real difference in the lives of Aboriginal families and I’m excited to see it so close to starting in so many regions,” Ms Ley said.

“Rolling HIPPY out to these communities means almost 2000 four-year-old children will benefit from the programme throughout the next year.”

Already operating in 50 communities around Australia, HIPPY is a home-based initiative which develops foundations for school success in the home during the crucial early years.

It also offers some parents a supported pathway to employment and local level community leadership.

“I am particularly pleased we can provide the support of HIPPY to more families in rural and regional Australia,” Ms Ley said.

“The new providers I announce today have a track record of success in working with families in need. I look forward to them bringing that expertise to many more families and children as they prepare for school”, Ms Ley concluded.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence delivers HIPPY for the Australian Government. More than $100 million has been committed to the programme.

New Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIPPY Communities and Programme Providers to commence early 2014

 

New South Wales

Albury/Wodonga – Gateway Community Health

Armidale – Armidale Family Support Service

Broken Hill – Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation

Moree – Miyay Birray

Orange – CareWest

Raymond Terrace/Port Stephens – Port Stephens Family Support Services

Wellington – Barnardos

Willmot/Shalvey/Emerton/Hebersham – Catholic Care Social Services

Queensland

Bundaberg – Bundaberg Baptist Family Day Care Scheme

Burdekin – Centacare Townsville

Hervey Bay – Australian Red Cross

Palm Island – Cathy Freeman Foundation

Toowoomba – Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Corporation

Upper Ross – NQ Community Services

Warwick – Australian Red Cross

South Australia

Riverland – Anglican Community Care

Murray Bridge – Anglican Community Care

City of Onkaparinga (Aldinga Beach/Christie Downs/Morphett Vale/Hackham West/
Huntfield Heights/Noarlunga Downs) – Anglicare SA

Victoria

East Gippsland – UnitingCare Gippsland

La Trobe Gippsland – Anglicare Victoria

Mildura – To be confirmed

Western Australia

City of Armadale – Parkerville Children and Youth Care

City of Gosnells – Parkerville Children and Youth Care

East Kimberley – Wunan Foundation

Northern Territory

Palmerston – Good Beginnings

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Nov 1 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal health : Coalition’s focus on improving Aboriginal health service access for regional Australians

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“Our vision is for a sustainable system that delivers quality health outcomes for all Australians, including indigenous Australians whose health and well-being are a key priority for this government.”

Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Fiona Nash pictured above

THE largest rural medicine conference ever held in Australia has been told the federal government has a reform program in place to ensure better access to health services for people living in regional, rural and remote communities. 

Story Picture Brad Cooper

Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Fiona Nash (pictured) told 650 delegates in Cairns today that there would be more time and effort put into consulting local professionals and communities about their needs.

The centrepiece of Senator Nash’s address was a commitment to provide $40 million over the forward estimates to support up to 100 additional intern places each year in private hospitals and non-traditional settings, with priority given to positions and rotations in rural and regional areas.

She said the government would provide $13.4 million for an additional 500 scholarships for nurses and allied health professionals, and allow more rural allied health workers to take leave, on top of the 100 allied health locum placements provided each year.

“Further, the government will invest $119 million to double the Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Teaching Payment for GPs who provide teaching opportunities with an additional benefit paid to those in rural and remote areas,” Senator Nash said.

“GP practices can also apply for expansion grants for teaching infrastructure based on an equal financial commitment, starting next July.

“Training for existing doctors and nurses in rural areas is also vital to keep up their skill levels and allow them to develop as professionals.

“Our vision is for a sustainable system that delivers quality health outcomes for all Australians, including indigenous Australians whose health and well-being are a key priority for this government.”

Rural Doctors Association of Australia president Dr Sheilagh Cronin, Cloncurry, said more support for training students was one of the best ways of increasing doctor numbers in the bush.

“We know that students who spend time in rural communities to get their training and have a positive experience there are more likely to return as registrars before moving to become qualified general practitioners,” she said.

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Oct 30 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal Health News : Evaluation of the Federal Indigenous chronic disease Package

Menzies delivers evaluation of Federal Indigenous chronic disease Package

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Primary healthcare policy and planning experts from the Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) have welcomed the release of the report into the landscape of chronic disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

Chronic disease contributes to two thirds of the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Commissioned by the federal Department of Health and Ageing, the Sentinel Sites Evaluation (SSE) is a holistic evaluation of the $805 m Indigenous Chronic Disease Package (ICDP) ; a federal initiative designed to improve the capacity of primary health care services to more effectively prevent and manage chronic disease among Indigenous populations.

Menzies Senior Researcher and SSE project leader, Professor Ross Baillie said health authorities around the world were struggling to re-orient their health systems to address the epidemic of chronic disease.

“in 2010, the Australian Government engaged Menzies to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package, “Prof Baillie said.

“The evaluation was undertaken to inform ongoing refinements in design and implementation of the program.”

The evaluation was undertaken to inform ongoing refinements in design and implementation of the program.”

The evaluation team conducted 72 community focus groups with a total of 670 participants, and over 700 interviews with key informants from community controlled, government services and GP sectors. Findings were reported back to local health services and to government in six monthly cycles between 2010-2013.

Prof Baillie said the effective completion of the SSE shows Menzies’ capacity to inform and impact national policy with the view to maximise the potential benefit to Indigenous communities across the country.

“The challenges of providing high quality chronic illness care remain complex and will require stakeholders at multiple levels of the system to grapple with new concepts, and develop and implement sophisticated strategies to address health disparity in Australia, “ Prof Baillie said.

Professor Baillie said the implementation of the ICDP to date has shown some notable achievements. These include :

–          Improved access to primary health care services and to affordable medication for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

–          Improved orientation of the General Practice sector to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

–          Significant steps towards the early establishment of a new workforce that is focused on health promotion and in development of local health promotion initiatives

–          Increased attention to enhancing access to specialist, allied health and team-based approaches to chronic illness care.

–          Professor Baillie emphasised that the evaluation report had been informed by frontline evidence from a variety of healthcare providers and community members. The report provides some direction for how service organisations and policy makers can build on the existing strengths of the ICDP priority areas.

–         “It is clear that the evaluation has influenced program refinement and policy discussions within government, particularly with regard to how the wide variation between regions in service capability can be addressed. This is vital to enhancing efforts to improve prevention and management of chronic illness to those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are most in need.”

Interviews :

Interviews are available with Professor Ross Baillie. Professor Baillie is the Scientific Director of the Centre for Primary Health Care Systems and leads the NHRMC funded ABCD National Research Partnership on quality improvement in Indigenous primary health care. He is also involved in research on food supply and environmental health and housing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Richmond Hodgson, Senior Communications and Events Officer, 0408 128 099 / communications@menzies.edu.au

Need help about breast cancer or the location of your nearest ACCHO on your SMARTPHONE or IPAD

Info Download the new NACCHO Health APP HERE

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Oct 17 2013

NACCHO press release:NACCHO launches new Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands App

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The chair of National Aboriginal Community Controlled health organisation (NACCHO) this week joined with the AFL Indigenous All Stars at its International rules training session in Melbourne to launch Australia’s first Aboriginal Health APP.

Pictured above: MICK O’Loughlin coach of the Indigenous All Stars and Sydney Swan legend promoting the NACCHO APP

Mr Mohamed said it was quite appropriate to publicly launch the NACCHO Aboriginal Health App in front of 25 of the fittest Aboriginal males in Australia, because the new APP compliments NACCHO’s  Investing in Healthy Futures for Generational Change plan 20130-2030 and  sports activity is a key element to Close the Gap.

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“Our APP promotes the sports healthy futures program that will give Aboriginal youth the opportunity to improve their overall health and wellbeing through active participation in sports.

Research shows that if a young person is happy and healthy they will be able to get the most out of their education, build their confidence and their self-belief and hopefully one day become a well-educated “Indigenous All-star” in the sport or employment of their choosing.” Mr. Mohamed said.

Mr. Mohamed said he is encouraging all  150 NACCHO members and stakeholders to promote the APP to their 5,000 staff and over 100,000 clients so that our community members can really have Aboriginal health in Aboriginal Hands. All ready in first few days over 1,000 Apps have been downloaded from the APP Store and Google Android store.

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Here are the URL links to the App – alternatively you can type NACCHO into both stores and they come up!

iPhone/iPad

ios.giveeasy.org/naccho

Android

android.giveeasy.org/naccho

“The NACCHO App contains a geo locator, which will help you find the nearest Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in your area and  provides heath information online and telephone on a wide range of topics and where you can go to get more information or assistance should you need urgent help “ Mr Mohamed said.

Location

Health help includes:

Ambulance, Alcohol, Babies Breast Cancer, Cancer, Children,  Depression, Diabetes, Domestic Violence, Drugs, eHealth, Eye Health, Gambling, Healthy Eating, Hearing, Male health, Medicare, Mental Health, Prostate cancer, Smoking , Suicide, Teenagers, Women’s Health.

The NACCHO App allows users  to share, connect or contact NACCHO through our social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, daily news alerts and the NACCHO website.

The App also allows people to donate to the NACCHO Sport Health Futures program. Through the NACCO App you can make secure credit card donations, have receipts delivered straight to your device and find out how your donation is making a difference to the lives of young and old Aboriginal Australians.

The Sport Health Futures program aims to distribute up to 1,000 AFL/NRL footballs, netballs, soccer balls, basketballs and other sports equipment to Aboriginal community organisations, sporting clubs and schools throughout Australia.

Mr Mohamed said he would encourage any NACCHO member, Aboriginal community, sports or school to complete this  online  application.

For the donated sports equipment the applicant must partner with a NACCHO member and organise for  team members to have a health checks at an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service or other medical service if applicable –

APPLY HERE

For media contact and further information contact Colin Cowell Mobile 0401 331 251 or Email

APP DETAILS

This App provides a quick and easy way

1. Find an Aboriginal Health Service

Aboriginal patients can now locate their nearest Aboriginal Community Controlled Health service throughout Australia.

2. Health Help online and Telephone

Need health help or information online or a telephone hotline number for;

Ambulance, Alcohol, Babies Breast Cancer, Cancer, Children,  Depression, Diabetes, Domestic Violence, Drugs, Ehealth, Eye Health, Gambling, Healthy Eating, Hearing, Male health, Medicare, Mental Health, Prostate cancer, Smoking , Suicide, Teenagers, Women’s Health.

3. NACCHO AFL Indigenous players

Our NACCHO Investing in Healthy Futures For Generational Change Plan 2013-2030 has just been released and by partnering in 2013 with the AFL we can promote and achieve our Close the Gap targets for our future generations.

NACCHO is a proud partner of the Indigenous All-Stars Team and all the current listed AFL indigenous players are listed on this APP.

4. Learn/Inform

How our NACCHO members are making a difference

5. Share, Connect or contact

With NACCHO through our social media platforms such as Twitter, FACEBOOK and Daily News Alerts and website

6. Invest/donate to healthy futures.

We are inviting all sport followers to help NACCHO “invest in healthy futures for generational change” by donating to our sports star future fund that aims to supply over 1000 footballs, netballs, soccer balls and basketballs to Aboriginal community clubs over the next 12 months.

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Oct 16 2013

NACCHO Aboriginal health alert: Report reveals Aboriginal socio-economic disadvantage

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Picture above NT Chief Minister Adam Giles and new Minister the Indigenous Affairs Senator Nigel Scullion visit bush camps at Utopia North East of Alice Springs a remote area in the NT

In a recent article  in The Australia outlined that Indigenous Australians are more likely to live in neighbourhoods where the rest of the population is relatively disadvantaged.

More than a third of indigenous Australians (36.6 per cent) live among the most disadvantaged 10 per cent of the population and only 1.7 per cent live among the top 10 per cent.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

The paper, by the Australian National University’s Nicholas Biddle, finds that in every area analysed, the Indigenous population had higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage than the non-indigenous population.

Although disadvantage was generally higher in remote locations, there was wide variation in both urban and remote and regional locations.

The report ranked, in a joint pool, the non-indigenous and indigenous populations of 368 locations around the country based on a socioeconomic measure that incorporated three employment measures, three for education, two for housing and one for income. The non-indigenous and indigenous components of a community were then compared to see whether there was socioeconomic equity.

The average difference was 48.3 percentile places, meaning the non-indigenous population in an area ranked about 48 places (out of 100) higher than the indigenous population in the same area.

The smallest gap between the two populations was in “Sydney — lower north”, where the indigenous population was ranked in the 9th percentile while the non-indigenous population was ranked in the top percentile.

There were three areas where the indigenous population ranked in the 100th (most disadvantaged) percentile while the non-indigenous population ranked in the first (most advantaged percentile): Ramingining-Milingimbi and outstations; Great Sandy Desert; and Kaltukatjara and outstations.

All are in remote Australia, where the gaps between the indigenous and non-indigenous population were greatest.

Between 2006 and 2011, there were eight areas that improved their relative socioeconomic ranking by 20 percentile places or more. Dr Biddle said most of these areas were in remote parts of the country including Bulloo-Quilpie-Barcoo and Nhulunbuy-Gunyangara.

“However, there was also significant improvement in the socioeconomic ranking of the inner suburbs of Darwin,” he said.

There were seven areas that worsened in terms of their socioeconomic rank by 20 percentile places or more.

“The areas that worsened the most tended to be in regional areas, including Atherton in Queensland,” Dr Biddle said. “However, there was also a worsening in the outcomes for the indigenous area of South Perth-Victoria Park.”

Dr Biddle said that possibly the most important finding from the paper was that in every area in Australia, Aborigines had substantially worse outcomes than non-indigenous Australians.

“Indigenous status is only one predictor of disadvantage,” he said.

“However, in every part of Australia indigenous status predicts poorer socioeconomic outcomes and our policy makers, service providers, educators, employers — everyone really — needs to be aware of this.”

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Are you interested in working in Aboriginal health?

NACCHO is the national authority in comprehensive Aboriginal primary health care currently has a wide range of job opportunities in the pipeline.

Current NACCHO job opportunities

Human Resource Officer

QUMAX Project Officer

Quality & Accreditation Support Project Officer

Close the Gap Project Officer

Oct 14 2013

NACCHO AFL news: Indigenous All stars team calls on 40,000 years of history to be recognised

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The NACCHO supported Indigenous All Stars squad has used its final training session before representing Australia in Ireland to call for the first 40,000 years of Australia’s history to be recognised in our nation’s Constitution.

Pictured above NACCHO chair Justin Mohamed who gave the team a briefing on the new NACCHO Aboriginal health in Aboriginal hands APP that will be launched October 18 to coincide with the tour.

The NACCHO sponsored games can watched free to air

IRS – Match 1

Date: Saturday 19 October, 2013

Time: 7:00pm (local) / 5:00am Sunday, 20 October (Daylight Savings Time)

Location: Breffni Park, Cavan

Broadcast: 7Mate 06:30 AEDT (national broadcast – respective times in each state)

FOX: TBC

 

IRS – Match 2

Date: Saturday 26 October, 2013

Time: 7:00pm (local) / 5:00am Sunday, 27 October (Daylight Savings Time)

Location: Croke Park, Dublin

Broadcast: 7Mate 06:30 AEDT (national broadcast – respective times in each state)

FOX: TBC

 

NACCHO AFL All Stars website

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The team wore the shirts of the Recognise movement to perform their War Cry to help build support for the referendum within two years.

The All Stars will be the first All-Indigenous team to represent an Australian sporting code at senior level overseas since the first cricket team toured England in 1868, more than 150 years ago.

Head coach and Sydney Swans champion Michael O’Loughlin is a strong supporter of constitutional recognition.

“Every one of the guys in this squad is about to go and represent Australia overseas and defend our nation’s sporting honour in this series,” O’Loughlin said.

“And they’re doing that proudly even though their history – the 40,000-year history of Indigenous Australians – isn’t recognised in our nation’s Constitution, when it should be.”

“The long presence of Aboriginal people in this land is part of Australia’s history. I think every fair-minded Australian can understand why recognition will help us to heal old wounds.”

“This is something that’s important to me personally, and to my family, so that the long history of Australia can be understood and valued by future generations of Australians, black and white.”

Two-time Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes said going overseas with an Australian team highlighted why our Indigenous history should be part of Australia’s Constitution.

“Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are one of the things that make Australia unique,” he said. “It’s something every Australian can take pride in. And when we recognise that in the document that makes us a nation, we’ll help to safeguard our unique identity for future generations of Australians.”

AFL chief executive officer Andrew Demetriou said “Just as Indigenous players are a crucial part of the AFL, Indigenous Australians are a crucial part of our nation and that should be recognised.”

The Indigenous Australian International Rules team is an official supporter of Recognise; the people’s movement to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution.

Supported by Coles and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Indigenous Australian International Rules team depart ed for Ireland from Sydney International Airport Saturday, October 12.

The team will play two Test matches against Ireland. The First Test will be played at Breffni Park in Cavan on October 19, followed by the Second Test in Dublin at Croke Park on October 26.

The International Rules Series matches will be broadcast nationally on 7Mate.

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Are you interested in working in Aboriginal health?

NACCHO as the national authority in comprenhesive Aboriginal primary health care currently has a wide range of job opportunities in the pipeline.

Register your current or future interest with our HR TEAM HERE

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Oct 10 2013

NACCHO political health alert: Warren Mundine says we must talk about Aboriginal health to close the gap

Close the gap

Close the gap

WE NEED to talk about Indigenous health. And the reason we need to talk about Indigenous health is because Indigenous people have significantly poorer health than other Australians and die much younger.

I have already reached the life expectancy of an indigenous male of my generation. And last year I had quintuple bypass surgery after the doctors found a 75 per cent blockage in the main artery to my heart. I also have diabetes. I have previously been obese. Fortunately I’ve never smoked or I would be dead.

Having cheated death I now live – psychologically at least – on borrowed time.

Please note: Warren Mundine is appearing on Q and A Monday 14 October ABC TV 9.30 pm

You can ask him a question HERE

So I no longer have the time or the patience to wait while the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians in health and life expectancy stagnates or closes at a glacial pace. We can only close the gap by addressing the socio-economic standing of Indigenous people. We can only do that by looking at this issue through an economic and commercial lens.

The full speech is online at http://www.indigenouschamber.org.au/

Photo and article from Daily Telegraph

Most of us are aware of the depressing facts about indigenous health – it all paints a singular picture, a tapestry of interconnected health problems, risk factors and social issues. And when you step back from the tapestry, what you are really seeing here is poverty.

Most Aboriginal people of my generation grew up in poverty or not far above it.

I was no different. When my parents had their first child they lived on the banks of the Clarence River in a tent. By the time I came along, eight children later, they had bought a small house in Grafton.

We were a family of 13 but my father worked as a grader driver which was a good job for an Aboriginal man back then. Still, there wasn’t a lot of income. We were an example of the working poor. But at least we were working. My parents sent us to Catholic schools which were not segregated. Many Aboriginal people were doing much worse.

Then in the early 1970s the law was changed to mandate equal pay for Indigenous people and the government provided them with a welfare framework. Many working as stockmen or domestics lost their jobs. and they received money and services from the government for which they didn’t have to do anything in return.

Indigenous people embarked on a new existence. They would receive housing and other services and be taken care of. The older people coined the phrase “sit-down money” – and they weren’t being complimentary.

Poverty is both a cause and a result of poor health. People living in poverty live in environments that make them sick. If we want to lift people out of poverty then we need to get it right in three crucial areas: education, employment and the economy.

The most effective way to get people out of poverty is to get them into a job. For that they need an acceptable level of education and to live in a real economy. Many indigenous people don’t.

At the moment there are not enough jobs in remote indigenous communities, not because of remoteness but because there is almost a complete absence of commerce.

There are more jobs in urban communities but too many lack the education or training to fill them or are trapped in intergenerational welfare dependency.

One of the things we need to do as a matter of utmost priority is get more indigenous people working in the health sector.

Improving indigenous health is not just about indigenous people as patients. We also need indigenous people to be health workers. We need more indigenous doctors, nurses, midwives, researchers, dentists, dental hygienists, physiotherapists, occupational health therapists, optometrists, disability carers, aged care workers – and I could go on.

Training and actively encouraging Indigenous people to work in the health sector addresses Indigenous health in many ways. Firstly, it means putting Indigenous people in jobs, which is the best way to lift them out of poverty.

Secondly, it should help improve access to health services in remote and regional Australia. Demand for health services in remote and regional areas usually outweighs supply. We also know that the indigenous population is skewed towards remote and regional areas. People who come from those areas are also more likely to want to work there. So if more indigenous people from remote and regional communities who work in the health sector, it should help meet the demand for health services on the ground.

Thirdly, and very importantly, having indigenous people as health providers helps to address the fears and reluctance of some Indigenous people to access services.

I think there may be a perception that the health sector involves high-skilled jobs that are more likely to be out of reach of Indigenous people. Sure, it takes a long time to become a doctor or a researcher. All the more reason to be focused now on the increasing number of young indigenous people who are getting a first-rate education.

But not every job in the health industry is high skilled. There are many supporting, administrative and lower-skilled jobs that don’t require a university degree. Some even provide a pathway to higher-skilled jobs in the future.

In recent years I have been involved with the initiative to train 1000 Indigenous accountants by 2021. Why shouldn’t we also try to train 1000 indigenous doctors or set targets for other health professionals?

Australia should be able to solve these problems. We have skills, money, resources and brain power. Most importantly the Australian people and all Australian governments want to see the gap in indigenous health closed.

I would like to see it closed in my lifetime.

Warren Mundine is the executive chairman of the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce. this is an edited version of a speech for Baker IDI Central Australia in Alice Springs last Friday.

Warren Mundine - Panellist 

Warren Mundine

Warren Mundine was born in Grafton, New South Wales. He is from the first Australian nations of Bundjalung and the Gumbaynggirr people and is the former National President of the ALP.

He succeeded Barry Jones as President of the ALP, beginning his term in January 28, 2006, and became the first Indigenous Australian to serve as President of an Australian political party.

No longer a member of the ALP, Warren is the chair of Tony Abbott’s Indigenous Advisory Council.

Warren is Chief Executive Officer of NTSCORP Ltd, a company that assists traditional owners to achieve social justice and promote economic, environmental and cultural development through native title and other avenues.

As Chair of the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Warren provides national leadership for initiatives to promote economic development and help Indigenous people break the welfare cycle, such as the Australian Employment Covenant and the First Australians Business Awards.

Warren has been recognised for his community, government and business achievements by being awarded Doctor of the University at Southern Cross University. He has also been awarded the Centenary Medal for services to the community and local government and the Bennelong Medal for Leadership in Indigenous Affairs.

Warren was the ninth of 11 children in his family, eight boys and three girls. He was raised a Catholic. In 1963, the family moved to Sydney and settled in the inner-western suburb of Auburn. After leaving school, he found work as a fitter and machinist and as a sewerage worker, then later went back to night college to earn his Higher School Certificate. Following a job at the Australian Taxation Office, Warren moved to Adelaide, studying at the South Australian Institute of Technology. He now lives in Sydney and has seven children

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