” The COVID-19 pandemic highlights more than ever, the need for a robust, agile and culturally relevant health promotion and prevention strategy, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
While traditional public health promotion[1] has delivered important messaging and education to mainstream Australians, it has failed to reach and have meaning to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is due to a range of factors including: use of language and terminology that is foreign, lower health literacy, and stigmatisation through ‘failure’ to change lifestyle choices.[2]
The dispersed geographic spread of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities also presents a challenge in ensuring that key health promotion and prevention messages are delivered through a range of appropriate channels and multi-media formats. ”
Adrian Carson has over 28 years’ experience in the Indigenous Health sector, working within government and non-government organisations.
As CEO of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd, he leads the development and integration of health and wellbeing services to Australia’s largest and fastest growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in South East Queensland.
He has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council and on numerous other Aboriginal health organisations.
While many Australians may believe that the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders live in remote and very remote regions, the majority (79%) in fact live in urban areas. [3]
South East Queensland has recorded the largest and equal fastest growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the country.[4] It is estimated that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population will grow to 133,000 by 2031. [5]
To address the growing population and demand for health services in the region, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) was established in 2009 to assist the four member Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) with regional planning, development and delivery of comprehensive primary health care services.
Deadly Choices was established as the flagship preventative health and community engagement brand of IUIH. “Deadly” meaning good to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, DeadlyChoices is a strengths-based approach that uses cultural identity to define what it means to make healthy choices and reinforces our people as leaders and health promoters.[6]
Deadly Choices is considered one of Australia’s most recognizable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brands, with over 30 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations ACCHOS and 16 NRL and AFL clubs nationally already delivering DeadlyChoices licensed activities across the country.
Behind the brand is a suite of health education, behaviour change programs and social marketing that have increased the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders taking control of their health by accessing their local health services, completing regular Health Checks, and engaging in physical activity, nutrition, quit smoking and other healthy lifestyle programs – all critical determinants of better health outcomes.
Since 2010-11, Deadly Choices has contributed to:
762% increase in health checks completed in SEQ[7]
33,000 new patients reached
576% increase in GP Management Plans
In 2018-19 alone, there were 38,000 active clients in SEQ and over 23,000 health checks completed.[8]
An external evaluation of Deadly Choices multimedia campaign[9] found very strong campaign recognition (73%), call to action was very high (85% indicated starting some health change after seeing the campaign) and exceptional Net Promoter Score[10] – 59 compared to best industry score of 27.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and increasing restrictions on group assembly and social distancing necessitated a rethinking of the structure and delivery of Deadly Choices programs and activities.
Building on the recognition and experience with highly engaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on social media[11], Deadly Choices dramatically increased our offerings.
Important COVID-19 awareness, education and prevention messaging was developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences. Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok) continued to carry these new messages along with existing physical activity, nutrition, quit smoking and competitions.
During the first week of trialing the increased online presence, Deadly Choices achieved a massive 31,683 reach and 876 reactions to our Facebook post on “We Can Control the Spread of Coronavirus – it’s up to us.” Similarly, the “Deadly Guide to social distancing” reached 16,293 with 244 reactions.
Live streaming of our DCFit physical activity program and Good Quick Tukka (GQT) cooking program commenced in week two. Current engagement of the first series sits at over 4,300 views of the DCFit session and over 5,400 views of the GQT program. In week three, the second series of DCFit sits at over 4,000 views and GQT sits at over 1,800 within one hour of live streaming.
There is appetite within our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for health promotion, prevention and education that is a cultural fit and engages with our people in a positive way.
Deadly Choices is well positioned to ensure that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are informed and up to date, not just about healthy lifestyles, but also prevention and recognition of COVID-19 symptoms.
The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a rapid opportunity to rethink our traditional messaging and methods of health promotion. This is something which can be shared with mainstream public health promotion.
Further investment and flexibility of funding to allow such innovation by ACCHSs is needed. This will ensure that appropriate and timely health promotion and prevention messages reach our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
References:
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia – Stories from the Census, 2016; Cat No. 20171.0
Hefler, M; Kerrigan, V; Henryks, J; Freeman, B & D. Thomas 2018, ‘Social media and health information sharing among Australian Indigenous people’ in Health Promotion International, 2019; 34; 706-715.
Markham, F & N. Biddle 2017, Indigenous Population Change in the 2016 Census, Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), Australian National University (ANU), Canberra.
McPhail-Bell, K (2014), Deadly Choices: better ways of doing health promotion, downloaded 8 April 2020, accessible at https://eprints.qut.edu.au/76238/
McPhail-Bell, K; Appo, N; Haymes, A; Bond, C; Brough, M & B. Fredericks (2018), ‘Deadly Choices empowering Indigenous Australians through social networking sites’, in Health PromotionInternational, 2018; 33; pp 770-780.
Pollinate 2019, Evaluation of Deadly Choices Statewide Campaign, Pollinate, Melbourne.
World Health Organisation 1986, Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, First International Conference on Health Promotion, Ottawa, 21 November 1986
[1] The Ottawa Charter (WHO 1986) defines health promotion as ‘the process of enabling people to increase control over the determinants of health and thereby improve their health’.
[2] McPhail-Bell 2014, Deadly Choices: better ways of doing health promotion, QUT, Brisbane.
[3] Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia– Stories from theCensus, 2016; Cat No. 20171.0
[4] Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia– Stories from theCensus, 2016; Cat No. 20171.0
[5] Markham & Biddle 2017, Indigenous Population Change in the 2016 Census, CAEPR, ANU.
[6] McPhail-Bell, K; Appo, N; Haymes, A; Bond, C; Brough, M & B. Fredericks (2018), ‘Deadly Choices empowering Indigenous Australians through social networking sites’, in Health Promotion International, 2018; 33; pp 770-780.
[10] Net Promotor Score (NPS) measures customer loyalty to brand
[11] Hefler, et al 2018 found that social media use is higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than the general Australian population.
1.VIC : Essendon Football Club and The Long Walk partners with Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) to promote Deadly Choices
2.NSW :Awabakal opened a new Community Clinic to mark National Close the Gap Day
3.WA : The AHCWA team took action to raise awareness of National Close the Gap Day 2018!
4.NT : Mobile health lab expands educational offering through Heart Foundation partnership
5.ACT : Winnunga ACCHO Download monthly News from CEO Julie Tongs
6.QLD : Apunipima ACCHO Closing the Gap on health inequality for Indigenous mothers and babies in Cape York
7. Tas: TAC : The Tasmanian Aboriginal community gathered in the North-West last weekend for an annual celebration of Aboriginal culture, heritage and land ownership.
Wednesday by 4.30 pm for publication each Thursday
1.VIC : Essendon Football Club and The Long Walk partners with Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) to promote Deadly Choices
“We’re proud and pleased to partner with another urban Community Controlled Health Service (VAHS) to deliver Deadly Choices to their communities. Programs like Deadly Choices demonstrate that the solution to improving Indigenous health and well-being is within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,”
CEO of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, Adrian Carson, is excited to see Essendon and VAHS rolling out Deadly Choices in their region.
Essendon Football Club and The Long Walk are proud to announce they have partnered with Victorian Aboriginal Health Services (VAHS) to promote the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander preventative health campaign, Deadly Choices.
A social marketing campaign developed by the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), Deadly Choices aims to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families, with a specific focus on:
Quitting smoking
Eating a healthy diet
Exercising daily
Accessing their local Community-Controlled Health Service for an annual ‘Health Check’
The Club will work closely with VAHS and IUIH in order to encourage more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make Deadly Choices.
General Manager of The Long Walk and Indigenous Affairs, Leanne Brooke, said Essendon is the first AFL Club in Victoria to get behind Deadly Choices.
“Essendon and The Long Walk are proud to support Deadly Choices, and we look forward to working closely with VAHS and IUIH to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Brooke said.
“Essendon’s strong following, and our long and proud connection to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, will not only help us promote the importance of making Deadly Choices in the North of Melbourne but right across Australia.
“Partnering with VAHS using the Deadly Choices preventative health campaign reinforces Essendon and The Long Walk’s ongoing commitment to celebrating, educating and empowering Australia’s first nation’s people.”
As part of the new partnership, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Joe Daniher and Michael Hurley were unveiled as the Club’s Deadly Choices Ambassadors.
Today the trio joined their teammates in showing off the new Essendon themed Deadly Choices t-shirts, which participants receive after having an annual health check.
CEO of VAHS, Michael Graham, said the new partnership would raise vital awareness about the importance of good health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“For VAHS, Deadly Choices as a marketing tool is a ‘game- changer’ for the long term health and well-being of our people,” Mr Graham said.
“When we get on the front foot and have people informed about their health status and support them to take control with Deadly Choices, then we are heading in the right direction.”
CEO of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, Adrian Carson, is excited to see Essendon and VAHS rolling out Deadly Choices in their region.
“We’re proud and pleased to partner with another urban Community Controlled Health Service (VAHS) to deliver Deadly Choices to their communities. Programs like Deadly Choices demonstrate that the solution to improving Indigenous health and well-being is within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” Carson said.
“Essendon players will promote the preventative health messaging that will attract even more clients to VAHS health clinics, to make their health a priority.”
To find out where your nearest VAHS clinic is, click here.
2.NSW :Awabakal opened a new Community Clinic to mark National Close the Gap Day
On Thursday 15 March, Aboriginal organisation Awabakal opened a new Community Clinic in Raymond Terrace to mark National Close the Gap Day.
This new Clinic will be the start of an expansion for Awabakal as they work to meet the region’s demand for Aboriginal health and community services and to assist in addressing the serious issue of the disparity in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. In addition to the new Raymond Terrace site, another Clinic will open in Cardiff in April and there are plans to service an additional two communities with their mobile outreach clinics.
Awabakal’s Chief Executive Officer, Raylene Gordon is proud of the organisation’s growth and the support they have had from the community.
“It’s wonderful to see our community growing as people engage with our services. To now have the opportunity to take these services to a wider territory takes us a step closer to closing the gap,” says Raylene.
=“We are always aiming to lead the way in delivering culturally appropriate health and wellbeing services to our people. The Raymond Terrace site is exciting because it is a partnership with a local Aboriginal organisation, Wahroonga.
Awabakal’s new Clinic will operate to provide additional access to services already delivered by Awabakal Medical Service in Hamilton which currently provides primary health care, advocacy, social and emotional support to Aboriginal families in the Newcastle area.
In additional to growing their geographical reach, Awabakal has also recently expanded their services by becoming a registered provider of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). They are also currently in the process of developing new Youth programs to continue to work towards closing the gap in life expectancy by providing better services and opportunities for Aboriginal people from a young age.
With more than 40 years behind them as an Aboriginal managed not-for-profit organisation, Awabakal continues to set the standard for Indigenous health services that both honour the Aboriginal culture whilst opening the possibilities for greater equality in the health and wellbeing of all Australians.
Visit www.awabakal.org for more information about Awabakal’s services
3.WA : The AHCWA team took action to raise awareness of National Close the Gap Day 2018!
The Close the Gap campaign calls on governments to take real, measurable action to achieve Indigenous health equality by 2030
4.NT : Mobile health lab expands educational offering through Heart Foundation partnership
People living in remote Northern Territory communities will benefit from an expanded health education offering through a partnership between Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) and the Heart Foundation.
This year, Menzies’ mobile health laboratory HealthLAB will be delivering the Heart Foundation’s LiveLighter program to five remote communities in the Top End and three communities in Central Australia.
Associate Professor Heidi Smith-Vaughan, HealthLAB director, said the team was excited to show people living in remote Australia ways to lower their risk of developing chronic diseases by delivering hands-on health promotion.
“LiveLighter is a fantastic public education campaign. It aligns with the aims of HealthLAB, which is promoting positive health behaviours and empowering people to reduce the risks of developing health issues later in life for themselves and future generations,” Assoc Prof Smith-Vaughan said.
The LiveLighter program aims to encourage Australian adults to lead healthier lifestyles by making simple changes to what they eat and drink, and by being more active.
HealthLAB uses the latest health technology to measure participants’ health and inform them about the impacts of smoking, alcohol misuse and diet, which can increase the risk of long-term diseases such as diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, obesity and heart disease.
HealthLAB stations are operated by dieticians, sonographers, clinical professionals and scientists who provide education and measure physical health through body impedance, blood pressure, carbon dioxide analyser, and upper body strength, among others.
Heart Foundation Northern Territory CEO, Simon Dixon, said the Heart Foundation was delighted to be partnering with Menzies to deliver HealthLAB to communities in the Territory.
“Healthy lifestyles lead to healthy hearts,” said Mr Dixon.
“The LiveLighter program has successfully educated thousands of Australians about the importance of healthy nutrition and activity,” he said.
“Now with the involvement of HealthLAB we will be able to spread this message to a really important audience in remote communities as well.”
The first HealthLAB and LiveLighter program was delivered in Maningrida on Close the Gap Day, Thursday, 15 March 2018. The team also set up at the Tiwi Islands AFL Grand Final on Sunday, 18 March 2018.
5.ACT : Winnunga ACCHO Download monthly News from CEO Julie Tongs
I was very pleased, in late February to again welcome Minister for Health Ms Meegan Fitzharris and Minister for Community Services Ms Rachel Stephen-Smith to Winnunga AHCS. I am genuinely grateful for the interest which both Ministers are showing in Winnunga AHCS and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
The primary purpose of the meeting was to update the Ministers on initial concept and design work which Winnunga AHCS has commissioned Judd Consulting to undertake in respect of the proposed new health and community services facility. A number of issues were covered during the discussion on plans for the new building. These included issues such as timing, project management, funding model, lease arrangements, ownership, design, construction and parking.
This is an incredibly exciting and important project for Winnunga AHCS and all of its clients and I am grateful for the collaborative approach which Minister Fitzharris, in particular, has adopted.
At the meeting with the Ministers we also discussed the plan announced recently by the Government to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre of Excellence in Health at the Canberra Hospital. I expressed some surprise that neither the reason nor rationale for the creation of the Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health had been conveyed to either me or anyone at Winnunga AHCS. I explained it was not clear what role the Centre would play and how it would relate to Winnunga AHCS – the first choice for health care for the majority of Canberra’s Aboriginal community. The Minister advised that while she had understood that Winnunga AHCS had been consulted about the proposal she was most concerned that that was not the case. I await with interest an explanation of what it is that the proposed Centre will do.
I also discussed with the Ministers my concerns about the continuing delay in finalising the tender process for the return of Boomanulla Oval to Aboriginal control and management.
The meeting with Ms Fitzharris and Ms Stephen-Smith was open and constructive and I look forward to their continued interest in, and support of the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
6.QLD : Apunipima ACCHO Closing the Gap on health inequality for Indigenous mothers and babies in Cape York
Apunipima Cape York Health Council announces a new project to address the health inequality of Indigenous mothers and babies in Cape York.
Families in remote Cape York communities will benefit from a new project being undertaken by Apunipima Cape York Health Council to improve nutrition before, during and after pregnancy.
Apunipima has been awarded funding from Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) to deliver the Optimal Infant Nutrition for Cape York Mums Project.
The project will build upon Apunipima’s award-winning Baby One Program and further develop a suite of tools, workshops and activities around nutrition for mothers and infants to improve long-term health and wellness outcomes.
Population Health and Research Team Leader Melinda Hammond said it is well known that underlying poor nutrition is a major contributing factor to the higher burden of disease experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared with other Australians.
“We know that improving health and life expectancy starts early in life. The healthier a pregnancy is, the healthier the child will be and the better they will learn and grow.” said Ms Hammond.
NQPHN Chief Executive Officer John Gregg said improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health by closing the gap is a priority area of NQPHN.
“This partnership with Apunipima will assist in education for families that may otherwise be out of reach for many within Cape York communities.
“We are proud to be a part of this program, as we continuously work towards helping northern Queenslanders to live happier, healthier, and longer lives.”
Aboriginal women have an increased risk of having low birthweight babies and complications of anaemia, poor nutrition and there are high rates of smoking and chronic disease during pregnancy. This increasing risk of adverse health outcomes for the mother and baby. Poor nutrition before, during and after pregnancy and during the first few years of life can result in chronic disease later in life. Preventing this starts with healthy mothers, babies and children.
The project will be run over the next two years and will initially focus on two Cape York communities. Apunipima will be working in partnership with researchers at James Cook University, Monash University and Menzies School of Health Research to ensure robust evaluation of all the project activities is shared widely.
7. Tas:TAC :The Tasmanian Aboriginal community gathered in the North-West last weekend for an annual celebration of Aboriginal culture, heritage and land ownership.
The three-day camping event was held at Preminghana, a property north of Arthur River that was handed back to the Aboriginal community in 1995.
Scott Wells of Wynyard entertains campers with music. Picture: Supplied
The Preminghana Camp was organised by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre and featured cultural activities such as walks on country, kelp basket making, traditional language activities, storytelling and games.
CEREMONY: Brenton Brown of Burnie does a Cleansing Dance while Launceston boys Calvin Riley and J’Kobi Hughes beat clap sticks. Picture: Supplied
TAC North-West regional manager Lisa Coulson said there was “a real sense of community and cultural connectedness” among the 170 people who attended.
Ms Coulson said the camp also provided a chance for family and friends to catch up.
“It was a great opportunity to get kids and their families out of the cities and into their natural environment on their land,” she said.
The TAC also ran workshops on protective behaviours and strategies to keep young people safe, updated the community about land management efforts at Preminghana and had experts on nutrition and quitting smoking on hand.
The annual camp was started in 1991 and moved to Preminghana in 1995.
Aboriginal community members from around Tasmania enjoy cultural activities at the preminghana Camp.
8.SA :SA’s biggest Closing the Gap Day
11am – 3pm
Thursday 22 March 2018
Adelaide Showground, Ridley CentreJoin us for SA’s biggest Closing the Gap Day at the Adelaide Showground.
Closing the Gap Day is a FREE all-ages event which aims to bring together people from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to share information and take meaningful action in support of achieving Indigenous health equality by 2030.…FEATURING MUSIC BY NANCY BATES & ELLIE LOVE GROVE
MC SHELLEY WARE | COMEDIAN JOSHUA WARRIOR
DELICIOUS LUNCH | FREE HEALTH CHECKS | HENNA TATTOOS | NGANGKARI TRADITIONAL HEALERS | SA METROPOLITAN FIRE SERVICE TRUCKS | REPTILE ZOO | JUMPING CASTLE & MANY MORE FUN ACTIVITIES FOR KIDSSee More
3.QLD : Johnathan Thurston 2018 Queensland Australian of the Year
4. 1 WA : Kalgoorlie Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) team – Make a Change” hip hop project
4.2 WA : SWAMS celebrates two decades of Aboriginal health care
5. 1 NSW : Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS) clocks up 25 years
5.2 NSW : Katungul Aboriginal Corporation has joined forces with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Brisbane (IUHI) to deliver the Deadly Choices program on the Far South Coast.
6. Vic : VAHS Healthy Lifestyle Ambassadors win title
7.NT Miwatj Health Service : Christina’s Story on Quit Smoking Tobacco
8 SA : Artists painting their Indigenous songlines to stay healthy and strong
Wednesday by 4.30 pm for publication each Thursday
1.1 National: NACCHO members elect new Chair and Deputy
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) members have elected John Singer as their new Chairperson and Donella Mills as Deputy Chairperson at the last week NACCHO Annual General Meeting in Canberra
1.3 Heart Foundation survey Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heart health resources
The Heart Foundation is committed to improving the heart health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In this survey, we are seeking your feedback on how we can improve the use and effectiveness of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heart health resources, for both health professionals and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
“Winnunga is excited to be part of the Deadly Choices Deadly Roos campaign. The more organisations like ours can work together, the closer we can move towards Closing the Gap and improving the health outcomes in our communities”,
Winnunga Nimmityjah CEO Julie Tongs OAM.
“We know from our Deadly Choices campaign that people respond to health promotion messages from celebrities and sporting legends.
Partnerships like this one with the Deadly Roos and Winnunga Nimmityjah are a powerful vehicle for positive change in the lifestyle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health CEO, Adrian Carson, echoed Ms Tongs’ sentiment.
Pictured above Julie Tongs with the Deadly Choices team and Team NACCHO Oliver Tye and Kayla Ross
Prevention being better than cure is the message of the day at Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services today, as the Narrabundah clinic welcomed Australian rugby league legends in Canberra for their 2017 Rugby League World Cup game against France.
Australian Kangaroos squad members Cooper Cronk and Dane Gagai, and Coach Mal Menginga, joined former Kangaroo Steve Renouf to spread the word about the importance of getting regular health checks. The clinic visit is one of a series of events throughout Australia during the 2017 World Cup.
In September, Federal Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt AM announced that legendary Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and other Indigenous and non-Indigenous players would become ambassadors for the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health’s Deadly Choices program, to extend its message across Australia.
Deadly Choices is a community-based healthy lifestyle campaign launched in 2013. There is particular focus on young people, as well as the importance of exercise, education, school attendance, quitting smoking, and regular preventive health checks.
Through media campaigns, sports carnivals and community events Deadly Choices has prompted:
almost 19,000 annual health check-ups in South East Queensland;
1,155 smoke-free household pledges; and
more than 3,300 smoker interventions.
Community members who get their 715 Health Check at a participating Aboriginal Medical Service – such as Winnunga Nimmityjah – during the World Cup can score a special edition Deadly Kangaroos World Cup jersey.
3.QLD : Johnathan Thurston 2018 Queensland Australian of the Year
HE IS a legend on the field, a hero in the community — and now Johnathan Thurston is on his way to becoming Australian of the Year.
The NRL star was last night recognised for his tireless commitment to helping others, taking out the 2018 Queensland Australian of the Year award at a ceremony in Brisbane.
His stellar career as a rugby league player is matched by his community endeavours, which includes championing the Achieving Results through Indigenous Education academy and serving as an ambassador for an anti-ice campaign ran by the Apunipima Cape York Health Council.
4. 1 WA : Kalgoorlie Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) team – Make a Change” hip hop project
The Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) team at Bega Garnbirringu Health Service created a music video to educate and empower young people in the Goldfields region to not take up smoking. The hip hop music video was created during a week-long workshop in June 2017.
The Bega Garnbirringu TIS team also created TV ads, radio ads and other informational materials by using the video as a main theme.
The Bega Garnbirringu TIS team engaged and educated the hip hop participants on smoking cessation through regular visits. Participants included East Kalgoorlie Primary School and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community High School students (Clontarf and Kalgoorlie Girls Academy).
Participants were also informed about smoking issues and how to change the culture of smoking. Participants were provided with information about second-hand smoke and prevention strategies. The education sessions assisted participants to create a hip hop song. The participants were given the opportunity to write poetry/raps which included local heritage and culture in their health messages, vocal coaching and learnt how to create a video clip.
In less than four months, the hip hop video received more than 5,700 views on Bega Garnbirringu YouTube channel. Community Members liked the video sharing on Facebook and other social media platforms. Community Members recognised participants in the video, and complimented them on their enthusiasm, participation and efforts.
The participants were interviewed informally during and after the workshop. It was reported that they loved and enjoyed the workshop. Participants were aware of smoking harms and recognise support services of Bega Garnbirringu TIS team that delivers education to the local community on a regular basis. Participants noted that they will never smoke, and ask family and friends to not smoke or to quit smoking.
The Hip Hop video can be found here. The TV advertisement can be found here. The GWN7 promotional segment can be found here.
4.2 WA : SWAMS celebrates two decades of Aboriginal health care
The South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) is celebrating its milestone 20th birthday with a week-long festival of events being held across the South West from 16-22 December 2017.
SWAMS, an Aboriginal Community Controlled organisation, plays a pivotal role in improving the quality of life for Aboriginal people in the South West, through the delivery of culturally focused primary health care.
“Twenty years ago, no such service existed. Aboriginal people were dying from preventable disease, diabetes was rife, and a lack of cultural awareness in tertiary medicine made it difficult for Aboriginal people to get the specialist care needed,” SWAMS CEO Lesley Nelson said.
“All that has changed now. We are a thriving organisation with highly trained staff working across six clinics to improve the quality and quantity of life for thousands of Aboriginal people under our care,” Ms Nelson said.
“This isn’t just a celebration for SWAMS. This is a celebration for an entire community and for those community members who had a vision for better Aboriginal health care back in 1997.”
“We still have a long way to go, but I think it’s safe to say that they would be proud of the organisation SWAMS has become and the difference we make to the community.”
The celebrations will take place in Bunbury, Busselton, Manjimup, Collie and Harvey and will include a series of free family picnics in each town, featuring a BBQ lunch, birthday cake and entertainment.
The highlight of the festival programme is a ticketed 20th Anniversary Gala Evening at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, with live entertainment by The Merindas and comedian Kevin Kropinyeri.
Gala tickets can be purchased from http://www.trybooking.com/329821 or from the SWAMS administration building located at 3/30 Wellington Street, Bunbury (cash only).
SWAMS 20th Anniversary Festival events:
Please refer to the attached schedule.
For more information on the SWAMS 20th Anniversary Festival, contact the office on (08) 9791 1166 or email info@swams.com.au.
5. 1 NSW : Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS) clocks up 25 years
“From little things big things grow.”
That is what founding member of the Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service (WACHS), Aunty Joyce Williams, said to herself 25 years ago when the service was launched.
It has certainly been the case for the organisation which flourished over the last two decades to now service locations across the state.
The milestone was celebrated with the help of community members, ambassadors and services at Pioneer Park on Friday – a sight to behold for Aunty Joyce who reminisced on the service’s early days.
“From little things big things grow – I always said that and I believe it,” she said.
“It’s still happening, it’s still growing.
“Look at all the students here – in years to come these children will remember this day.”
Aunty Joyce gave credit to CEO Darren Ah-See who she said has done a wonderful job in the organisation’s progression.
WACHS chairperson, Marsha Hill, agreed the milestone was a big day for the indigenous community of Wellington.
The Move it Mob Style crew kept school students entertained.
“It is a massive milestone acknowledging the Elders who set up the service,” she said
“It took a lot of time, effort and dedication for a mob of people in a time that it wasn’t a positive experience for Aboriginal people.”
She said the service initially started with one drug and alcohol worker, and has since grown to employ close to 100 staff members across NSW.
“It has allowed opportunities for staff to train and earn professional qualifications so the best quality service can be delivered to the community,” Marsha said.
She added the service has expanded across the state to include Moree, Dubbo, Mt Druitt, and soon to be Penrith and the Blue Mountains.
“It’s a really good service to work for and an absolute pleasure to see our community healthy and have access to the best and quality health care,” Marsha said.
Friday’s celebrations were attended to by local schools and services, QuitBFit ambassadors, and special guests including Move it Mob Style, NRL and former NRL players Timana Tahu, Nathan Merritt, Ash Taylor, Will Smith Braidon Burns, and Tyrone Roberts.
5.2 NSW : Katungul Aboriginal Corporation has joined forces with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Brisbane (IUHI) to deliver the Deadly Choices program on the Far South Coast.
Steve Renouf (left), Aidan Sezer (centre), and Jack Wighton (right) were on hand to help promote Katungul’s partnership with Deadly Choices.
Rugby league legend Steve Renouf announced the partnership at a community event in Narooma on Saturday, November 4.
Current Canberra Raiders players Jack Wighton and Aidan Sezer also attended the event at NATA Oval.
The partnership expands the delivery of Deadly Choices across Australia, representing an ongoing commitment by community controlled health organisations to Close the Gap in Indigenous life expectancy.
Deadly Choices is a community-based healthy lifestyle campaign launched in 2013. It has a particular focus on young people, as well as the importance of exercise, education, school attendance, quitting smoking, and regular preventive health checks.
Renouf said the partnership with Katungul was an important part of Deadly Choices’ aim to spread its Indigenous health message across Australia.
“The big thing for Deadly Choices is we get Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who historically weren’t getting their health check to get them,” he said.
“We’ve launched a partnership with the Kangaroos and the Rugby League World Cup. We were in Canberra on Friday night, and we launched a week ago in Melbourne with the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service down there.”
Robert Skeen, CEO of Katungul, said the partnership was an achievement born from months of planning.
“We are really excited to partner with Deadly Choices to further expand the program and the benefits it provides to community,” he said.
“We’re empowering our community to make Deadly Choices, by getting their health checked and spreading the message that prevention is better than cure.”
Wighton and Sezer, both of an Indigenous background, helped promote the new partnership, with Wighton stressing the importance of such events.
“I love coming out to these things,” he said. “Helping our people is a big thing, and these events are giving a rise to people getting healthy.”
Sezer also sees the importance in community events, and thinks the pathway to health is often a mindset.
“You can see from the turnout how much the Indigenous community appreciates the fact that Deadly Choices have provided this day for them to enjoy,” he said.
“I think it (staying healthy) is more about people keeping a good mind-frame, and taking days like this as a blessing to come down and enjoy it.”
In September, Federal Minister for Indigenous Health Ken Wyatt AM announced that legendary Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and other Indigenous and non-Indigenous players would become ambassadors for the Deadly Choices program.
Community members who get their 715 Health Check at a participating Aboriginal Medical Service – such as Katungul – during the World Cup can score a special edition Deadly Kangaroos World Cup jersey.
6. Vic : VAHS Healthy Lifestyle Ambassadors win title
Congratulations to NJS Storm for winning the grand final at the A.C.T Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Netball Tournament! What an honour to be able to take home the trophy in memory of Neil Smith! Good job to the girls who played all 8 games undefeated. We are proud to have you as healthy lifestyle ambassadors! Enjoy the victory!
7.NT Miwatj Health Service : Christina’s Story on Quit Smoking Tobacco
Check out the incredible Christina from Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island, NT, Australia her sharing story on why she decided to quit smoking tobacco.
Ft. our legendary #YakaNgarali workers, Glen Gurruwiwi and Oscar Datjarranga.
We could not be more proud of the strength and determination Christina has shown in her quitting journey. If you want to #StartTheJourney like Christina, contact Glen or Oscar today!
8 SA : Artists painting their Indigenous songlines to stay healthy and strong
Dorothy Ward taps her head and her heart as she explains the process of painting her songlines.
“My family had the knowledge, the knowledge with culture, of every dreamtime rock hole … they bring the story into the painting,” she says.
“They start doing their own dreaming, from their grandmother or grandfather. They bring that story up to the canvas, they make it known, they do it with their mind and heart and it strengthens them and they be, you know, they strong.”
She is sitting with other artists from the Warakurna arts centre in remote Western Australia. Warakurna represents artists from the Ngaanyatjarra lands, communities whose country is on the Western Australian side of the Gibson desert, 330km east of Uluru.
They are waiting for the three-day art fair to begin. Twenty-four stallholders, representing Indigenous arts centres from around Australia, have brought their best work to Adelaide to sell in the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. The art fair is part of the Tarnanthi festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, a citywide festival that runs until 22 October.
In the Ngaanyatjarra lands, as in many remote communities, art is one of the main sources of income.
“Art provides another income stream,” Warakurna arts centre’s manager, Jane Menzies, tells Guardian Australia. “One can’t live off the Centrelink dole payments. It’s woeful, unsustainable out there … the cost of living is so high.”Welfare payments range between $540 a fortnight for the unemployment benefit and $890 for the aged care pension. Once the bills are taken out, it’s barely enough to cover the cost of petrol.
“A lot of our artists are travelling for funerals, and funerals are not just 10km up the road, it’s 800km up the road,” Menzies says. “The elders are doing this sometimes three times a month. The cost of doing this is much higher than the money that they receive from the government.”
Art is also a way of building resilience in communities straddling the divide between Indigenous cultural traditions and the western expectations of state and federal governments.
“It empowers people to share their knowledge, to collaborate and paint that knowledge and ensure that it has a place that’s ongoing: a legacy, which clearly has huge benefits for mental health and wellness,” Menzies says.
The role of art as cultural maintenance is particularly important when people become too old or unwell to travel on country themselves.
Once a week, a busload of artists from Warakurna travel 100km down the Great Central Road to Kungkarrangkalpa aged care facility in Wanarn to paint and hear the stories of old people who can no longer return home.
“It gives the old people an opportunity to paint their Tjukurrpa [a Ngaanyatjarra word meaning culture or dreaming] with artists and to see their family,” Menzies says.
When they age they go there and they paint, paint, paint
Dorothy Ward
Ward, who takes part in the visits every Friday, says it helps to keep both older and younger people “healthy and strong”.
“They keep the knowledge into their system, whole body, to work through it,” she says. “When they age they go there and they paint, paint, paint.”
Across the border in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in South Australia, art is playing a more direct role in improving the health of people in remote communities. They are holding an auction to raise money to pay for nurses to run a dialysis centre at Pukatja, a remote community formerly known as Ernabella. Pukatja is about 1,300km north of Adelaide and 420km south of Alice Springs.
Since the Northern Territory closed its borders to out-of-state dialysis patients in 2009, dialysis patients in Pukatja and other APY communities have had to travel more than 1,000km south to Port Augusta
or to Adelaide, to receive treatment.
Purple House, a community-controlled health organisation based in Alice Springs that has helped six remote communities in the territory and three in WA open local dialysis centres, has secured a federal funding grant to build a four-chair dialysis centre and nurses’ accommodation in Pukatja.
But the funding does not cover operational costs. Purple House has already raised $180,000 and hoped to raise the final $150,000 needed to cover the first 12 months at an auction on the last day of the art fair on Sunday.
Leading artists from the APY lands’ prolific arts centres, including Jimmy Pompey, Robert Fielding Punnagka and Nura Rupert, donated works to the auction. A number of the artists also have pieces showing in the Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of SA, which will run until January.
The largest piece at the auction, a women’s collaborative work from Tjala Arts, was expected to sell for $30,000 alone.
It sold for $69,000 and has been donated to the SA Museum to form part of an installation with dialysis machines about the impact of kidney failure in remote communities.
In total, the auction raised $169,300, enough to open the doors of the new dialysis centre.
Addressing the crowd following the auction, one Pukatja/Ernabella elder, who had been living in Adelaide to receive dialysis, said she was going to roll up her swag and “hit the road to Ernabella!”.
Others who might otherwise have put off treatment to avoid leaving their home will also be able to receive treatment locally, Purple House chief executive Sarah Brown says.
“There are a number of senior artists who have got family on dialysis and this will mean that they’ll be able to get home from Adelaide, Port Augusta and Alice Springs back to the APY lands, and there’s a lot of people who know that they’re going to need dialysis soon who may actually otherwise choose not to start dialysis and pass away on country,” she says. “And if that happens, all their cultural knowledge and all their creative spirit will be lost to the whole of Australia.”
Diabetes is the second leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, behind heart disease. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, rates of death from diabetes in 2016 were 4.9 times higher for Indigenous Australians than non-Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous people are five times more likely to be hospitalised from chronic kidney disease, whether linked to diabetes or other causes, than non-Indigenous Australians. In remote communities in the central desert region, Brown says, rates of kidney disease can be between 15 and 30 times the national average.
Purple House opened its first remote dialysis centre at Kintore in the Pintupi homelands, 550km west of Alice Springs, in 2004.
Paniny Mick and Wawiriya Burton with the APY women’s painting. Photograph: Tjala Arts
“We started to get people home, very gently and quietly and carefully, and people’s health just improved enormously,” Brown says. “People who had been stuck in town painting for carpetbaggers, dodgy art dealers, were suddenly back out in their community able to support their family through painting for their art centre.”
The Kintore clinic and the central Purple House clinic in Alice Springs were kickstarted by funds raised at an art auction, just like the Pukatja centre. Subsequent centres have been built and run using mining royalties, government grants and philanthropic donations.
Brown hopes a new Medicare item number for remote community dialysis, proposed by the expert taskforce conducting a review of the Medicare Benefits Scheme, will provide ongoing funding.
“So then we know as long as people want to go home for dialysis and they’re well enough to go that we’ll have the money to be able to do it,” she says. “We’re really hoping that that’s going to start in the next year or so, and the donated money will run the service up until then. Anything left can go to making sure that this service is really robust and we’re working to help people get home safely.”
Guardian Australia travelled to Adelaide courtesy of the Art Gallery of South Australia.
” VAHS is excited to be part of the Deadly Choices Deadly Roos campaign. The more we can all work together, the closer we can move towards Closing the Gap and improving the health outcomes in our communities”,
VAHS CEO Michael Graham.Community members who get their 715 Health Check at a participating Aboriginal Medical Service – such as VAHS – during the World Cup can score a special edition Deadly Kangaroos World Cup jersey.
“We know from our Deadly Choices campaign that people respond to health promotion messages from celebrities and sporting legends,
“Partnerships like this one with the Deadly Roos and VAHS are a powerful vehicle for positive change in the lifestyle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health CEO, Adrian Carson, echoed Mr Graham’s sentiment.
Prevention being better than cure is the message of the day at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) last week, as the Fitzroy clinic welcomes Australian rugby league legends in Melbourne for the opening of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.
Australian Kangaroos squad member James Maloney and Coach Mal Meninga will join former Kangaroo Steve Renouf to spread the word about the importance of getting regular health checks.
The clinic visit is one of a series of events throughout Australia during the 2017 World Cup.
In September, Federal Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt AM announced that legendary Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and other Indigenous and non-Indigenous players would become ambassadors for the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health’s Deadly Choices program, to extend its message across Australia.
“Deadly Choices is what I like to call a ‘jewel in the crown’ of Indigenous health, achieving some stunning results since it kicked off in South East Queensland four years ago.
The Deadly Kangaroos is an expansion of this program, using the star power of the ambassadors and the excitement of this year’s World Cup to reach more even communities.
Our national rugby league stars need to be in peak physical condition to play at the top of their game and we appreciate the players’ support to start discussions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about ways to improve their health “
Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt AM, said legendary Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and other Indigenous and non-Indigenous players would become ambassadors for the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health’s Deadly Choices program, to extend its reach across Australia.
The launch in Canberra was attended by the NACCHO Chair Matthew Cooke (pictured on right )
Deadly Choices is a community-based healthy lifestyle campaign launched in 2013. There is particular focus on young people, as well as the importance of exercise, education, school attendance, quitting smoking, and regular preventive health checks.
Through media campaigns, sports carnivals and community events Deadly Choices has prompted:
almost 19,000 annual health check-ups in South East Queensland;
1,155 smoke-free household pledges;
more than 3,300 smoker interventions; and
active patient numbers to triple to over 330,000 in the next few years.
“Deadly Choices is what I like to call a ‘jewel in the crown’ of Indigenous health, achieving some stunning results since it kicked off in South East Queensland four years ago.
The Deadly Kangaroos is an expansion of this program, using the star power of the ambassadors and the excitement of this year’s World Cup to reach more even communities.
Our national rugby league stars need to be in peak physical condition to play at the top of their game and we appreciate the players’ support to start discussions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about ways to improve their health “
Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt AM, said legendary Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga and other Indigenous and non-Indigenous players would become ambassadors for the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health’s Deadly Choices program, to extend its reach across Australia.
The launch in Canberra was attended by the NACCHO Chair Matthew Cooke (pictured on right )
Members of the elite Australian Kangaroos Rugby League 2017 World Cup squad will headline the expansion of a successful grassroots campaign to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
Deadly Choices is a community-based health lifestyle campaign launched in 2013.
There is particular focus on young people and the importance of exercise, education, school attendance, quitting smoking and regular preventive health checks.
Through media campaigns, sports carnivals and community events it has prompted:
Almost 19,000 annual health checkups in South East Queensland
Active patient numbers to triple to over 330,000
1,155 smoke-free household pledges
More than 3,300 smoker interventions
“Experience shows that sport and sporting legends can help communities kick major goals in health awareness and foster real change,” the Minister said.
“I encourage everyone to support Australia in the World Cup in October, just as the Kangaroos are supporting better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and all Australians.”
The ambassadors will make appearances at game day events as the Australian team travels through the ACT, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and regional Queensland for the World Cup.
“Key ambassadors for the Deadly Kangaroos are Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis,” the Minister said. “Also, the best three players from the national men’s and women’s teams at the Arthur Beetson Deadly Choices Murri Rugby League carnival will also be chosen as community ambassadors to promote positive health messages.
“Merchandise, including a special Deadly Kangaroos World Cup jersey, has been produced as an incentive for people to have a health check.
“The messages will also be promoted through television, radio, social media and at coaching clinics and Aboriginal community controlled health services.”
The Australian Government is contributing $235,000 to help support the Deadly Kangaroos campaign
The Rugby League World Cup runs from 26 October – 2 December 2017.
” The Deadly Choices program’s intent is to provide a measurable difference in addressing Aboriginal health issues.
“Aboriginal people have far higher mortality rates than the average population and die at much younger ages. Despite government intentions to ‘close the gap’, the problem isn’t getting any better,
Chronic disease and preventable health conditions are taking a toll on our communities and we need to find innovative ways to move the dial toward better health outcomes.
We hope, with support from the Port Adelaide Football Club, our Deadly Choices initiative will encourage our young people to take responsibility and stop smoking, stay active and look after their own wellbeing, and that of their families.”
Aboriginal Health Council of SA chairperson John Singer
Port Adelaide has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia Ltd (AHCSA) to deliver Deadly Choices – a program that will build awareness of healthy lifestyle choices and encourage regular health checks.
‘Deadly’ is a common term used to express positivity or excellence within Aboriginal communities, and Deadly Choices is designed to help improve the excellent health choices made by Aboriginal people in South Australia.
Gavin Wanganeen ( right ) won the 1993 Brownlow Medal. Wanganeen is a descendant of the Kokatha Mula people.
The program is based on a successful model used in Queensland since 2009 with the Brisbane Broncos, developed by Adrian Carson and his team and staff at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health.
That program led to a 1300 per cent increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people undergoing health checks.
Deadly Choices provides participants with limited edition merchandise in exchange for taking part in educational programs and undergoing regular health checks.
The merchandise is provided as a ‘money can’t buy’ incentive, with revenue from undergoing health checks used to fund subsequent stages of the program.
Port Adelaide players will support the promotion of the program and encourage participants to take part in the eight-week education program to receive their Deadly Choices footy guernsey.
As part of the program:
Education programs will be launched in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in collaboration with the Nganampa Health Council in June, in support of Port Adelaide’s WillPOWER program.
Curriculum will cover leadership, chronic disease, tobacco cessation, nutrition, physical activity, harmful substances, healthy relationships, access and health checks.
Health checks will be provided in the first stage of Deadly Choices by AHCSA-aligned members, which already provided comprehensive primary health care in SA.
Long-term partnerships with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) are being explored to established metropolitan clinics to provide health check services.
Port Adelaide chief executive officer Keith Thomas said the decision to partner with AHCSA is a continuation of Port Adelaide’s commitment to helping forge tangible outcomes for Aboriginal communities in South Australia.
“But importantly, there’s plenty of healthy food around the place and I think the big thing is we can all get together and meet and see people we haven’t seen for a long time.
“To have something like this and promote important health messages at the Murri Carnival is great, as we promote the benefits of living healthy”.
League legend Steve Renouf told NITV’s League Nation Live
Some boys from Murri United under 15’s team finished doing a Tobacco Survey! Thanks boys
The 2016 Murri Carnival will showcase Queensland Indigenous Rugby League at its best, but also provide an important health message to all involved.
The Murri Carnival is not just about Rugby League, with plenty of events happening away from the footy field.
League legend Steve Renouf is an ambassador for the carnival and will have two of his sons participating in the junior tournament.
Whilst the Queensland and Australian star is happy to play a part in the Rugby League showcase, he’s also thrilled to be making an impact on the health of many Indigenous Australians.
Organisers have ensured that the event is a drug, smoke, alcohol and sugar free carnival as well as providing free health checks, with plenty of fun stuff as well for the younger at heart.
“There’s a lot of fun stuff happening around the ground with rides and that for the kids,” Renouf told NITV’s League Nation Live.
The Murri Carnival is already underway, but the Senior Men’s and Women’s competitions begin on Wednesday at Redcliffe Oval in Queensland.
Unlike the New South Wales equivalent, the Murri Carnival isn’t a knockout tournament, with each team guaranteed three matches.
Renouf says the fact that teams play a pool format gives the Murri Carnival a significant boost over its Koori Knockout rival.
“That’s very important I think when you’ve got guys from all over the state, they don’t want to just play a game and be knocked out, that’s it,” said Renouf.
“There are some very good players amongst those playing and we do have scouts here. Even if you’re not going to be in the team that wins the competition, you still get the opportunity to show your wares.”
NITV will show coverage of the Semi Finals and Final of the Murri Carnival. Check your local guides for more information.
Awabakal Newcastle Aboriginal Co-operative and the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation have formed a partnership that aims to raise awareness of women’s health in the local Aboriginal community.
For a limited time an exclusive Deadly Choices Breast Cancer jersey will be available for Aboriginal women who visit the Awabakal Aboriginal Primary Health Care Centre (AAPHCC) for a women’s health check.
The initiative is part of Awabakal’s Deadly Choices program which was introduced to the Hunter in August this year and aims to improve Aboriginal health by educating and empowering local Aboriginal people to make healthy choices.
Since the program was introduced the organisation has seen a 630% increase in the number of Aboriginal people undergoing health checks. The success of this program can be placed, in part, on the highly-prized and very exclusive Awabakal Deadly Choices jerseys, which can only be claimed following a health check at the AAPHCC.
Awabakal Chief Executive Officer, Don MacAskill, said that the partnership with the Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation would bring breast cancer and women’s health awareness to the forefront of Aboriginal health.
‘Breast cancer is a serious disease with one in eight women diagnosed nation-wide. It doesn’t discriminate between the indigenous and non-indigenous populations, which is why partnerships like this are so important in our attempts to tackle chronic disease in the local Aboriginal community,’ Mr MacAskill said.
Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation President, Rosalie Taggart, said the region would benefit from the additional support of Awabakal and its community to promote health awareness.
‘The Awabakal Deadly Choices program is an excellent model that really encourages people to think about their health and take proactive steps. This is an exciting partnership that we hope will encourage all levels of breast cancer support to work with Awabakal to improve local Aboriginal health,” she said.
The Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation provides grass root support for people undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Since January of this year the Foundation has provided more than 600 post-operative comfort cushions, 178 professional cleaning services and 69 lawn care services. Volunteer drivers have undertaken 338 trips travelling 26,683 kms taking patients to and from treatment appointments.
For information: Awabakal Chief Executive Officer, Don MacAskill, 0408 617 116
Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation President, Rosalie Taggart, 0423 222 059
Need help about breast cancer or the location of your nearest ACCHO on your SMARTPHONE or IPAD
MAKING GOOD CHOICES: Cats Steven Motlop and Mathew Stokes with Dylan Jones and Wathaurong CEO Tracey Currie at the Deadly Choices launch. Photo: PETER RISTEVSKI
The Geelong Football Club will run programs in Victoria to share anti-smoking, smoke-free and healthy lifestyle choice messages with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.
Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowdon said at a meeting with Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative today that the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) had received $150,000 in funding to deliver programs in partnership with the Cats, and to look at ways of rolling out the program across Victoria.
“Starting in the Barwon region, the Cats‟ players will explain what Deadly Choices they have personally made. They will encourage young people to say no to smokes and adopt healthy lifestyle choices, including connecting to culture, healthy eating and physical activity,” he said.
In some activities, kids are put through their paces with footy drills and get to share a barbeque lunch with their AFL heroes.
Mr Snowdon said the campaign is funded as part of the rollout of Regional Tackling Smoking and Healthy Lifestyle activities across Australia.
“This approach was first developed in Queensland by the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health, which engaged NRL stars including Sam Thaiday and Preston Campbell as sporting role models for the Deadly Choices strategy Queensland,” Mr Snowdon said.
The partnership will support the two Deadly Choices TV commercials that feature „healthy living‟ Geelong Cats, Allen Christensen and Matthew Stokes.
Smoking has been found to be responsible for 17 per cent of the life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and broader Australian population.
Tobacco smoking directly causes a third each of cancer and cardiovascular disease amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and accounts for one-fifth of deaths.
For more information, contact the minister’s office on 02 6277 7820
