- Kidney doctor to highlight Cape York at national leadership conference | Cape York Weekly
- Business award finalist recognition for Orange Aboriginal Medical Service
- Buway Giz – Connection Before Correction: A Torres Strait restorative justice solution
- Dr Kelvin Kong is on a mission to make a difference in the lives (and ears) of children in rural communities
- Closing the genomics data gap in First Nations Australians: UNSW project nets ARC funding
- Landmarks turn red to raise awareness of hidden disability that affects up to one million Australians
- Sector Jobs
The NACCHO Sector News is a platform we use to showcase the important work being done in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, focusing on the work of NACCHO, NACCHO members and NACCHO affiliates.
We also share a curated selection of news stories that are of likely interest to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, broadly.
Kidney doctor to highlight Cape York at national leadership conference | Cape York Weekly
A Cape York doctor working to improve kidney health in First Nations communities has been selected to represent the region at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Emerging Leaders Conference.
Dr Natalie Pink was just one of 23 rural generalists from across the country to be invited to the inaugural event, which will be held in Western Australia from 19-21 October.
Her selection was based on her leadership of the Cape York Kidney Care program, which has shown promising results in slowing kidney disease progression and reducing the commencement of dialysis, thanks to the flexible, community-based model, and use of clinical yarning.
Dr Natalie Pink’s dedication to improving health outcomes in her community has earned her a spot at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine Emerging Leaders Conference. Photo: Facebook (Indigenous General Practice Trainee Network).
Business award finalist recognition for Orange Aboriginal Medical Service
An esteemed finalist award recognition highlights 20 years of achievements and dedicated work for the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service (OAMS).
As an Outstanding Community Organisation, OAMS is committed to delivering culturally safe, holistic health and wellbeing services for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Central West.
From starting out with a team of five in 2005, OAMS now employs more than 140 professionals across general practice, allied health, dental care, mental health, suicide prevention, family services, NDIS, AOD and social and emotional wellbeing programs.
Their holistic approach ensures that health care is not just about treating illness, but about addressing the whole person, family and community context.
OAMIES Meg, dietitian, Ashley, allied health assistant trainee, Debbie, healthy aging manager, and Tara, community connector – healthy ageing.
Buway Giz – Connection Before Correction: A Torres Strait restorative justice solution
For more than a decade I have worked in prisons, courts, and communities across Queensland. I have seen firsthand the cycle of incarceration that grips our people. I have sat with men behind bars who want to return to their families, with women who feel unsafe in their homes, and with young people who believe there is no future beyond the justice system.
Through all of this experience, one truth has become clear: the answers will not come from more prisons, more punishment, or more reports. The answers lie within our communities, our culture, and in approaches that restore relationships and responsibilities rather than simply punishing individuals.
Ed Mosby, Senior Psychologist – Wakai Waian Healing
Dr Kelvin Kong is on a mission to make a difference in the lives (and ears) of children in rural communities
Dr Kelvin Kong is on a mission to make a difference in the lives (and ears) of children in rural communities. A middle ear infection is a rite of passage for most Aussie kids and is typically easily treated. However, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, persistent infections can be life-altering. Thanks to telehealth, Kelvin is connecting remote health workers with specialists in Newcastle, getting treatments to children in just weeks.
Closing the genomics data gap in First Nations Australians: UNSW project nets ARC funding
It’s hoped the project will help make blood transfusions safer and more effective for First Nations Australians.
UNSW Sydney Professor Maree Toombs has been awarded $1.59 million from the Australian Research Council (ARC) to address a 60-year research gap in blood group genetics among First Nations Australians.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who need blood transfusions currently face a higher risk of immune reactions, as for years they have been underrepresented in genomics data.
Prof. Toombs’ project aims to create the first large-scale map of blood group variation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by utilising advanced DNA technology to map blood group genes and compile a detailed catalogue of genetic differences.
“This type of research is crucial because it fills a long-standing gap in understanding the blood group diversity of Australia’s First Peoples,” Prof. Toombs said.
“It could improve transfusion safety, lead to better medical treatments and create fairer blood typing methods.”
Prof. Toombs says the underrepresentation of First Nations Australians in genomics research has led to several serious challenges including blood transfusion complications. Photo: UNSW
Landmarks turn red to raise awareness of hidden disability that affects up to one million Australians
Key Facts:
- More than 70 Australian landmarks will light up red for Red Shoes Rock campaign, raising awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
- Up to one million Australians (3.64% of population) may have FASD, according to a new University of Sydney study that is the first ever to estimate prevalence in the general population of Australia
- Alcohol consumed at any stage of pregnancy passes directly to the baby and can damage their developing brain, body and organs. This can lead to FASD, a lifelong disability
- Campaign encourages wearing red shoes or socks in September to spark conversations about FASD and support alcohol-free pregnancies
More than 70 landmarks across Australia will light up in red today as part of Red Shoes Rock, a campaign to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a hidden and under-diagnosed disability that affects up to one million Australians.
The Red Shoes Rock campaign encourages people to wear red shoes or socks throughout September to spark conversations about FASD, and to create supportive communities for alcohol-free pregnancies.
Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Ayla Chorley said alcohol consumed at any stage of pregnancy passes directly to the baby and can damage their developing brain, body, and organs, and this can lead to the lifelong disability called FASD.
“With the right supports and understanding from health professionals and communities, people who live with FASD can be given every opportunity to thrive. That’s why it’s so important to have conversations about FASD, and invest in prevention, early screening and informed supports,” she said.
Sector Jobs – you can see sector job listings on the NACCHO website here.
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