Author: Renae Bastholm

Inaugural Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet Advisory Board meeting

Issue: Vol 8 No 3, July 2008 - September 2008

The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet‘s Advisory Board convened for the first time on 18 September 2008. The purpose of the Advisory Board is to provide expert strategic advice to the Director and Executive Group of the HealthInfoNet to assist in optomising the HealthInfoNet‘s contributions to “closing the gap” between the health of Indigenous and other Australians.The Advisory Board’s inaugural meeting focused on the history, objectives, and funding directions of the HealthInfoNet.

The Advisory Board is constituted of the following members:

  • Mick Adams, Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
  • Ian Anderson, Director of Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit and the Centre for Health and Society, Deputy Head of the School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne, Research Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, and National Chairperson of teh National Indigenous Health Equality Council
  • Jenny Brands, Research and Development Manager of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH)
  • Jonathan Carapetis, Director of Menzies School of Health Research
  • Mick Gooda, CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH)
  • Sally Goold, current Chair and founder of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses (CATSIN)
  • Tamara Mackean, President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)
  • Kathy Malera Bandjalan, Editor of the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal (AIHWJ)
  • Ian Ring, Professor of Public Heath and Professorial Fellow-Academic Development, Centre for Health Services Development, University of Wollongong, NSW
  • Cindy Shannon, Director of the Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland
  • Ted Wilkes, Associate Professor, National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University of Technology, WA
  • Ken Wyatt, Director of Office of Aboriginal Health, Health Department of Western Australia
  • Representatives from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, Lynne Mitchell and Eve Cordeiro

The next meeting of the Board will occur in early 2009.

Indigenous Health Equality Council established

Issue: Vol 8 No 3, July 2008 - September 2008

The Commonwealth Health Minister, Nicola Roxon announced the composition of the Indigenous Health Equality Council in Adelaide on 10 July 2008.The Council will be chaired by Professor Ian Anderson, who has worked in Aboriginal health for more than twenty years. Professor Anderson is currently the Director of Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit and the Centre for Health and Society, as well as the Deputy Head of the School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne. He is also the Research Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health, and one of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet‘s honorary Consultants.

Dr Mick Adams, Chair of NACCHO (the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation), was appointed Deputy Chair.

Other Indigenous members are:

  • Paula Arnol, Chair of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory and CEO of Danila Dilba Health Service in Darwin
  • Sally Goold, current Chair and founder of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses
  • Dr Tamara Mackean, President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association
  • Dr Alex Brown, Head of the Centre for Indigenous Vascular Research at the Baker Heart Institute
  • Gregory Phillips, a medical anthropologist with extensive expertise in Indigenous health workforce and medical curriculum issues
  • Romlie Mokak, experienced Indigenous policy maker and current CEO of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association

Non-Indigenous experts on the Council are:

  • Associate Professor Paul Torzillo, a respiratory physician with particular expertise in child health, and Medical Director of Nganampa Health Council in the APY Lands
  • Professor Kerin O’Dea, a leading expert on nutrition and diabetes
  • Dr Ian Cameron, currently the CEO of the NSW Rural Doctors Network, who has extensive experience in rural and remote health

The Council will advise on the development and monitoring of health-related goals and targets to support the Government’s commitments to closing the 17 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and other Australians, and to address the high rates of child mortality in the Indigenous population.

Northern Territory Emergency Response: one year on

Issue: Vol 8 No 3, July 2008 - September 2008

The Howard Australian Government announced the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) on 21 June 2007 to protect ‘Aboriginal children from child abuse’ and to ‘stabilise and protect communities in the crisis area’. The NTER was its response to the report Little Children are Sacred from the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse.

In June 2008, the Response’s progress was outlined in two reports:

  • Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2008)
    Northern Territory Emergency Response: one year on.
    Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
    View abstract: HealthBulletin
    View report (HTML)
    View report (PDF – 2.92MB – large file warning!)
  • Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2008)
    Northern Territory Emergency Response Taskforce: final report to Government: June 2008.
    Canberra: Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
    View abstract: HealthBulletin
    View report (HTML)
    View report (PDF – 199KB)

On 27 June a brief operation update has also been made available.
View operation update

Australia 2020 Summit

Issue: Vol 8 No 2, April 2008 - June 2008

The Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd convened the Australia 2020 Summit at Parliament House on 19 and 20 April 2008 to help shape a long term strategy for the nation’s future. To do this, 1000 Australians were brought together to debate and develop long-term options for the nation, in relation to ten topics:

  1. The productivity agenda – education, skills, training, science and innovation;
    View background paper (PDF – 31KB)
  2. The future of the Australian economy;
    View background paper (PDF – 32KB)
  3. Population, sustainability, climate change and water;
    View background paper (PDF – 777KB)
  4. Future directions for rural industries and rural communities;
    View background paper (PDF – 630KB)
  5. A long-term national health strategy – including the challenges of preventative health, workforce planning and the ageing population;
    View background paper (PDF – 314KB)
  6. Strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion;
    View background paper (PDF – 305KB)
  7. Options for the future of Indigenous Australia;
    View background paper (PDF – 182KB)
  8. Towards a creative Australia: the future of the arts, film and design;
    View background paper (PDF – 194KB)
  9. The future of Australian governance: renewed democracy, a more open government (including the role of the media), the structure of the Federation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens; and
    View background paper (PDF – 260KB)
  10. Australia’s future security and prosperity in a rapidly changing region and world.
    View background paper (PDF – 650KB)

The stream ‘Options for the future of Indigenous Australia’ was co-chaired by dr Jackie Huggins AM and the Hon Jenny Macklin MP.
View information
A summary of the discussion and top ideas of this session are available in the Initial Report (pages 26-28.
The priority themes of this stream were:

  • Increased formal recognition of Australia’s Indigenous peoples;
  • New accountability structures for governments and service delivery arrangements in Indigenous affairs;
  • Renewed focus on Indigenous children and their families;
  • “Close the gap” in all areas;
  • Cultural identity and racism.

In the lead-up to the conference, a Youth Summit was held on 12 and 13 April 2008. The vision and key ideas developed here have been compiled in a youth communique, which was previded to all delegates of the 2020 Summit.
View Youth Communique (PDF – 122KB)

The Initial Report from the 2020 Summit was presented to the Prime Minister after the final session on Sunday 20 April, and sets out the key results of the Summit discussions.
View initial report (PDF – 1.0MB – large file warning!)
View initial report (Word Doc – 2.6MB – large file warning!)

A more complete record of the Summit will be available in May. This record will include:

  • A more formal and detailed record of all the discussion sessions, picking up on the range of ideas put forward;
  • Overviews of the preliminary Summit events, including the Youth Summit, local summits and schools summit;
  • A strategic overview of the ideas raised in the public submission.

The Prime Minister announced that he would like to continue the “national conversation” through the Australia 2020 website. A new website will be developed, to provide the option to submit ideas and submissions, which will replace the current 2020 Summit website and be available by 7 May 2008.