AugSep 2002.pub

A u g / S ep t 2 0 0 2
C i r cu l a t i o n 5 4 5
Volume 6, Issue 2
Galiwinku Healthy Lifestyle Festival July, 2002
Michelle Dowden Health Educator
“Teaching our children, our
way”.
This was a quote from a Yolgnu man
introducing his young performers at
the Healthy Lifestyle Festival.
The Galiwinku Community Council
supported by Ngalkanbuy Health Service and other council departments
has just completed for the second consecutive year the Galiwinku Healthy
Lifestyle Festival, held over a two
week period in the long term break.
The timing for this year’s festival coincided with the beginning of the intervention phase of the Menzies
School of Health Research ‘Diabetes
Healthy Lifestyle Project’ (see page 5
for further details). The intervention
phase focuses on lifestyle changes.
The theme concerts met objectives
outlined in The National Child Nutrition Grant, operational at Galiwinku
since January 2002. The Healthy Lifestyle Festival encompassed the philosophy of the 1986 Ottawa Charter
for Health Promotion, which defined
Health Promotion as “the process of
enabling people to increase control
over and to improve their health” The
National Aboriginal Health Strategy
1989 (NAHS) supports and encourages this philosophy.
Quite simply this festival was a truly
inspirational health promotion event
run by Indigenous people for Indigenous people. It has been successful in
achieving positive outcomes through
the strengthening of local capacity and
ownership by the Indigenous community. It has also been successful in that
participants from other communities
have become very interested in transferring the concept to be undertaken in
their own communities.
Target Group
Families, young men and young
women at Galiwinku, including homelands families.
Numbers of people attended: 1800
Aims:
• To provide activities for young peo-
“Quite simply this festival was a truly
inspirational event run by Indigenous
people for Indigenous people”.
ple in the July school holiday 2002.
• To increase the awareness of healthy
lifestyle choices in the community of
Galiwinku.
• To provide information on anger
management through clan based
structures.
• To explore safe expressions of anger
through clan and family structures.
• To provide healthy lifestyle theme
concerts for the whole community.
• To promote positive role models of
young people through performance
and activities.
• To provide information and explore
behaviours around substance abuse
through clan and family structures.
Highlights
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
• The Yalu Program organised one
week of activities for school-aged
children that included spear making,
basket weaving and sport on the
beach.
• Three Healthy Food Markets were
organised by individuals for sale of
food at the theme concerts.
• Video nights were organised and enjoyed by families.
• A community walk to a nearby
homeland and then Healthy Damper
Making Competition on the beach
reinforced exercise and healthy lifestyle messages.
• Overnight camp for young people to
Bible Camp, lifestyle education by
Health Workers.
• Music workshops were held at the
basketball court for young children,
there was completion of a healthy
message song against the sniffing of
petrol. This CD was played in breaks
at Healthy Lifestyle theme concerts
over four nights.
• Donation of Healthy Lifestyle Food
vouchers from Takarrina Takeaway
for performers specifically not for
fried, fatty food or cigarettes.
• Eleven Indigenous bands participated in the four-day theme concert.
• The venue for the theme concerts
was smokefree.
Outcomes
The Healthy Lifestyle Festival has
once again raised awareness within
the community about healthy lifestyle
choices. The strategies of using recreation activities and music concerts
(Continued on page 3)
1
Chronic Diseases
Events Calendar
2002
10-13 September Missionaries, Mercenaries and Misfits:
Indigenous Health Initiatives across Northern Australia. Rydges Plaza Darwin NT. Australian Medical Association NT Inc. Telephone 1800027676.
12-13 September Alice Springs. Richard Trudgeon - Capacity Building in Indigenous Communities. 0830-1630.
Cost $400. Venue: Centre for Remote Health. For more information contact Alice at ARDS on 8987 3910.
12-14 September Section of Social & Cultural Psychiatry
of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Triennial Conference Cairns, FNQ. Theme:
Setting Strategic Directions in Mental Health Policy &
Practice. The Conference Organisers PO Box 214 Brunswick East, Australia 3057. Tel: 03 9380 1429 Email:
[email protected].
THE CHRONICLE
EDITOR: Justine Glover -Chronic Diseases & Injury Prevention
Project Officer
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES
PO BOX 40596
CASUARINA NT 0811
PHONE: (08) 89228280
FAX: (08) 89228310
E-MAIL: [email protected]
Contributions appearing in The Chronicle do not necessarily reflect
the views of the editor or DHCS.
Contributions are consistent with the aims of the Chronic Diseases
Network and are intended to :
•
Inform and stimulate thought and action;
•
encourage discussion and comment;
•
promote communication, co-ordination and collaboration.
Ali Nur - back in the NT
13 – 14 September Rydges Plaza Darwin Skill Sharing in
Primary Mental Health Care. A joint initiative of the
General Practice divisions Northern Territory & the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’. For further information contact Conference Organisers Ph: 1800 027 676 PO
Box 41046, Casuarina NT 0811.
Ali Nur has returned to the NT
after 2 years
working
overseas. Ali has recentl y
commenced working
with the General
Practice Division
of the NT (SBO).
21 September (Saturday) Darwin. 1330-1700. Chronic Renal Insufficiency Workshop. TEDGP. CME Points. For
more information ring the TEDGP on 8982 1033.
25-29 September Australasian Society for the Study of
Obesity Annual Scientific Meeting (see p 19 for details).
29 Sept – 2 Oct 34th Public Health Association of Australia
Annual Conference Mobilising Public Health. Adelaide
Festival Centre. [email protected], PHAA, PO Box
319 Curtin ACT 2605.
02 October Cardiac Support Group Inc. MONTHLY FORUM – Topic: Medication. 7pm-9pm Casuarina Plaza
Community Room. Contact Darryl Buttler to register –
8981 2166.
12-14 November Gove. Richard Trudgeon - Capacity
Building in Indigenous Communities. One day workshop - $187. Three day workshop - $550. For more information contact Alice at ARDS on 8987 3910.
20-21 Nov The Master Education Centre presents the inaugural National ‘Leadership in Health” conference Leadership Challenges & Choices. Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane.
Call 07 3840 8544.
15-16 May 2003 7th Annual Chronic Diseases Network
Workshop. Darwin. Topic: Chronic Disease & Mental
Health.
2
Ali’s position at
the Division is
the Immunization/Chronic Disease CoordinaPhoto of Ali taken by the
tor.
Stringer and Capper family
The key responsibilities of the Immunization/
Chronic Disease Coordinator are to provide
leadership and direction for national immunization, asthma, diabetes and home medicine
review initiatives in the NT.
Ali can be contacted at:
The General Practice Division NT
PO Box 2589
Darwin NT 0801.
Phone 08 8942 1999
Fax: 08 9841 4888
Email: [email protected]
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
Galiwinku Healthy Lifestyle Festival
July, 2002 Con’t
(Continued from page 1)
as a vehicle for healthy messages is
seen as fun and culturally appropriate to community members. Traditional ways of learning through
song and dance are the core of Indigenous society .The four day
healthy lifestyle theme concerts incorporate traditional dance, songs
and modern Indigenous music.
Dancing competitions to “Wipeout”
were very popular.
The Masters of Ceremonies for the
concerts were prominent Indigenous musicians who encouraged the
audience with Healthy Lifestyle
messages between bands. An Indigenous comedian also assisted
with this task.
Some of these messages included:
• Eat less fried and fatty food
• Drink lots of water not coke and
sugar drinks, keep your kidneys
healthy.
• Exercise more and eat more fruit
and vegetables
• Remember the old ways of our
grandfather and grandmothers:
more hunting and good food.
• No smoking in basketball court.
During the month of July a proposed No Smoking Policy was prepared by the Health Educator for all
council areas and school grounds to
be smokefree.
There was enormous support for
this policy and it is soon to be
adopted by council.
Policys related to Healthy Lifestyle
are paramount for community councils to consider to support potential
behaviour change within individuals.
No break-ins or at risk behavior
were reported to police over the
time of the four day theme concerts.
One band had trophies made “Best
Dancer Galiwinku Healthy Lifestyle Festival”; the cost of this wonderful initiative has since been reimbursed.
3 Bands to start earlier in the afternoon to enable more daytime activities for community.
4 Budget increased to cover extra
sound engineer support, charters
and performer fees.
5 That this concept of Healthy Lifestyle Festival be explored for
other communities, for the improvement of Indigenous Health.
6 That activities are ongoing
throughout the year to encourage
healthy lifestyle change and decrease at risk behaviors by young
people.
7 That culturally appropriate and
clan based structures continue to
be supported for substance abuse
education and anger management
issues.
8 That Indigenous models for organisation of major events and
ceremony are given precedence
over European constructs of numbers of peoples and timing.
Evaluations
Sponsors and Funding Sources
The evaluations conducted with
secondary school students and other
focus groups have demonstrated
that main messages have been
heard.
This major Health Promotion event
would not have occurred without
the generous support from these organisations and individuals.
• Mathakal Homelands Health Service
• Ngalkanbuy Health Service
• Family and Children's Services
• Health and Ageing Child Nutrition Grant
• Airnorth
• MAF
• Perkins
• Nado Dean
• Council Departments
Unexpected Outcomes
Many visitors from surrounding
communities attended the four day
theme concert and reported that
they enjoyed the event and also
benefited from Healthy Messages.
One woman said she had walked
everyday since visiting and the
dancing every night made her feel
healthy!
Bands from other communities appreciated the opportunity to perform and share healthy lifestyle
messages. They are taking back stories to there own communities and
are looking at the prospect of holding Healthy Lifestyle Festivals in
their own communities next year.
The school principal has reported
that school children are making
more healthy choices for bottled
cold water at the school canteen.
Individuals reported that there was
an increase in the number of people
smoking outside the basketball
court during the concert time.
Recommendations
1 That more support for Market
Days is mobilised through council
departments to increase the
amount of healthy food available
at this event.
2 That there are more recreational
activities offered by council departments to support lifestyle
changes during daytime.
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
3
ARDS Inc – facilitating true capacity
building for Aboriginal people
Darwin to assist health workers in
providing the most culturally appropriate care for patients. Alice Mitchell
is the new face around town, she has
ARDS Inc Strategy
recently joined the ARDS team of Ros
2002 has been a busy year for AboMarshall, Stuart McMillan and Howriginal Resource and Development
ard Amery in providing these serServices Inc. (ARDS Inc.) and its staff
vices. All the team speak Yol\u
with the current programs and serMatha, the language of the people,
vices working to provide a holistic apand practice the ARDS educational
proach to facilitate true capacity
methodology, which is successful in
building for Aboriginal people.
delivering high levels of medical compliance with recommended health care
The different services offered by
regimes. Combining the people’s lanARDS Inc. are part of the overall
guage and their world-view enables
strategy to support community develthe ARDS team to explain even the
opment through culturally appropriate
most complex illnesses, ensuring alinformation on health, education, ecomost any disease can be understood
nomics and legal issues. ARDS Inc.
by the patient. ARDS also has Yol\u
believes that one of its important
Matha language resources available
Richard Trudgen
functions is to support government
from the ARDS Darwin office for
and other organisations that provide
anyone wanting to learn the language.
services to Aboriginal people and their communities by
Call
8982
3444
for
more information.
working together to ensure that programs provided are
delivered in the most culturally appropriate way. The
Community Development Radio Service
Capacity Building in Indigenous Communities WorkAnother exciting initiative of ARDS is the establishshops are one part of this strategy.
ment of the Community Development Radio Service. It
will be the first service of its type to broadcast entirely
Capacity Building in Indigenous Communities
in Yol\u Matha, right across northeast Arnhem Land
Workshops
and the Darwin region. The service will enable large
Formerly known as Community Development Workamounts of information and education to be broadcast to
shops, ARDS Inc. feels the new name Capacity Buildthe people, where they live, using Yol\u-friendly teching in Indigenous Communities Workshops better renology in a time and cost effective method. Yol\u have
flects the range of topics covered through the course.
many questions they want answers to around health and
other issues. Currently, due to the lack of information
Richard Trudgen, author of the book “Why Warriors
available to them in their own language, they are often
Lie Down and Die”, facilitates these workshops. Richunable to get answers to these questions. The Commuard has worked with people in Indigenous communities
nity Development Radio Service will change this situafor almost 30 years and his wealth of experience enables
tion for all Yol\u, leading to true capacity building in
him to provide a unique insight into the many problems
communities. ARDS are confident of having a baseline
currently facing Aboriginal communities. Drawing on
service running by early 2003. However, currently there
these experiences and the relationships developed with
is still a shortfall in capital funding.
Aboriginal people, Richard is able to offer some practi-
ARDS Inc Update
cal solutions to assist all those working with Aboriginal
people to be more effective in their work. The final
workshop for 2002 is to be held in Gove on 12 - 14 November. For more information on workshops contact
Alice on 8987 3910.
ARDS health educators
ARDS maintains a constant presence in Darwin through
the ARDS health educators. Four health educators now
work with Royal Darwin Hospital and other centres in
4
If you are interested in supporting this vitally important
service, more details on the Community Development
Radio Service can be found on the ARDS website:
www.ards.com.au or contact Dale Chesson on 8987
3910.
Alice Nurthen ARDS
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
“Changing Lifestyle for LIFE”.
Update on Community-based interventions to reduce the risk of
diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Indigenous Australians.
T
he NT arm of the NHMRC project “Communitybased interventions to reduce the risk of diabetes
and cardiovascular disease in Indigenous Australians”, Healthy Living Diabetes Project, commenced at
Galiw’inku in July 2001 and has been well supported by
the whole community. The focus of the Menzies School
of Health Research project is lifestyle, not disease processes, as evident in the project motto: “Changing Lifestyle for LIFE”.
“A major factor contributing to the success of the project
has been the strong support by the Yalu organisation,
Ngalkanbuy Health and the Community Council” project
officer Julie Brimblecombe said. “Their support was vital to the project team from Menzies School of Health
Research (MSHR) gaining community acceptance”.
MSHR project workers have been supporting a team of
community-based researchers to gather data enabling an
improved understanding of nutritional and biochemical
determinants of diabetes and cardiovascular disease
(CVD) risk in the community.
To date Julie reported the project team had made contact
with over 90% of the target population (resident’s >15
years age), secured written informed consent and
screened approximately 50% of the identified population.
Screening involved a base line risk assessment of CVD
and diabetes. Fasting bloods for glucose, insulin, HbA1c,
lipids, carotenoids and homocystiene were collected as
well as anthropometric measurements and resting blood
pressure. Julie said the screening took the team about 6
weeks in total to complete and achieved a good representation from the different age groups and sexs.
“it was important to have community based researchers
that could work with the 26 clan groups to explain the
process and to encourage people to participate in the
project.” Julie said.
Once the screening was completed the results were given
back to the individuals. The team produced over 450
booklets that contained the person’s test results and gave
an explanation of the tests.
of community discussion and started people thinking
about what they could do to reduce their family’s risk
factors.”
The results were also given to the community as a whole.
Initially a workshop was held in Darwin with the project
team and key community representatives to discuss how
this process should be done. The recommendation was to
hold a community meeting initially with council members, elders and the store and take-away owners. Next an
open meeting was held on the church lawn where everyone in the community was invited to come. This meeting
attracted about 30 people who responded to the results
by talking about how lifestyles had changed over their
own lifetime. These meetings started people talking
about what types of action should be taken to reduce risk
factors.
To date the project has been very successful in stimulating a lot of community awareness and discussion about
modifiable risk factors for CVD & diabetes and is now at
the action stage.
“The community researchers are now actively engaged
in gathering ideas on what the community would like to
see happen next. Already community directed programs
are starting to develop. In July the community organised
a Healthy Lifestyle week over the school holidays that
was supported by bands from across the region. Discussions have also started in the community to look at ways
family groups can be supported to grow their own fruit
and vegetable gardens. The Galiwin’ku Health Centre
(Ngalkanbuy Health) has also set up a weekly diabetes
clinic”, said Julie Brimblecombe.
It is early stages yet but the Healthy Lifestyle Diabetes
Project is already producing many positive outcomes
and the Chronicle will endeavour to keep its readers informed of the projects progress.
Congratulations to the Yalu organisation, Ngalkanbuy
Health, the Galiwinku community and MSHR for the
success so far in the project.
Justine Glover
Julie said “this was a great way to promote healthy lifestyle messages and advise those that needed to be reviewed at the health centre. This process generated a lot
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
5
NORTHERN TERRITORY HEALTHCONNECT
TRIAL
HealthConnect is the proposed national health information network to facilitate the safe collection, storage and
exchange of consumer health information between
authorised health care providers. The Commonwealth,
States and Territories are currently undertaking a twoyear research and development program to test the value
and feasibility of HealthConnect.
The Northern Territory trial will test the concept of
HealthConnect within a rural and remote region of Australia.
Location and context of the trial
The trial will be conducted within the Katherine region
of the Northern Territory where there are a number of
public and private health service providers delivering
health care to over 3000 people living within the region
covered by the trial.
The population has a very high representation of Indigenous Australians and health care providers in the region
recognise the importance of delivering culturally appropriate health care in close consultation with local communities. The population is also very mobile, meaning
that individuals often seek health care from different
providers in the region.
How will the trial work?
Currently all health service providers involved in the
trial use computer-based clinical information systems to
facilitate individual health care delivery and planning. It
is proposed that with an individual’s consent, health
care events recorded on these existing systems will also
result in creation of an event summary. These event
summaries will then be forwarded to an electronic repository to be securely housed in the Wurli Wurlinjang
Aboriginal community controlled health service.
During subsequent health care consultations, other participating service providers can then electronically access available event summaries from the repository,
with the individual’s permission. This would allow retrieval of relevant health information that may assist in
that individual’s care.
Protection of individual privacy is of paramount importance within the operation of trial. No event summary
information will be stored or retrieved during the trial
without the express consent of the individual concerned.
Electronic data transmission and storage will also be
protected by robust encryption and security protocols.
6
What does the trial aim to do?
The trial aims to help the mobile population of the
Katherine region gain a better continuity of care across
different service providers through the electronic exchange of health event summaries.
Health care providers will also gain a better understanding of a new client’s health status and their recent care
history. Event summaries will alert health care providers
to important information such as allergies and current
medications (where the client has agreed to disclose this
information).
Of equal importance is to determine health care consumers’ perceptions of the trial approach. For the approach to gain wide acceptability, consumers must feel
comfortable with the process required to transfer event
summaries – as well as being confident that the privacy
and confidentiality of their health information has been
adequately safe-guarded.
The trial is also expected to demonstrate whether this
approach results in improved efficiencies in health care
delivery through reducing unnecessary duplication of
assessment and diagnostic tests.
Who is involved in the trial?
Any health consumer who seeks health care from a participating service provider may consent to be involved
in the trial and may also withdraw from the trial at any
time.
The health care providers involved in the trial are:
• Wurli Wurlinjang Aboriginal Health Service (in
Katherine)
• Katherine District Hospital
• Lajamanu clinic (a remote service west of Katherine)
• Yarralin clinic (a remote service west of Katherine)
• Barunga (a remote service east of Katherine)
How long will the trial run for?
From 30 September 2002 to 30 June 2003.
How can people get involved?
Before the Trial begins, Trial educators will be contacting communities in Katherine township and surrounding
regions to tell people about the Trial and to offer them
the opportunity to become a participant. People may
also choose to contact the Trial Office in Katherine to
make an appointment to register (see below).
(Continued on page 7)
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
(Continued from page 6)
Who is managing the trial at a local level?
A Governance Committee with representation by consumers, health care provider organisations and the Top End Division of General Practice will oversee all operations of the
trial. Local coordination will also be facilitated by a dedicated Trial Manager, supported by 3 educators who will
provide training and awareness-raising for both consumers
and health care workers.
How to find out more
For further information on the Northern Territory HealthConnect Trial, please contact the Trial Manager on 0413
014 178 or via e-mail at [email protected].
The Top End Division of
General Practice
invites you to attend a
Chronic Renal
Insufficiency Workshop
To be held on
Saturday September 21st, 2002
The Novotel Hotel
“The Brolga Room”
100 The Esplanade, Darwin
1.30pm – 5pm
Senior Territorians at
Asthma Risk – STAAR
Raylene Chandler from Asthma NT is very busy
finalising a fitness program for senior Territorians
with asthma.
Raylene said she noticed a number of Senior Territorians with asthma were presenting to the hospital with
acute episodes. Many of these patients she said were
also physically inactive, socially isolated, and had a
poor understanding of their condition.
To improve control of asthma in this group Asthma
NT successfully applied to the Commonwealth
Asthma Innovative Management fund to run a fitness
and education program for elderly Territorians with
Asthma.
A major component of this program will be hydroexercise. Paula Martin has agreed to be the fitness
leader and Katie Anjou the RDH Principal physiotherapist will join in on the steering committee to give
expert advice.
For more information on this program contact
Raylene Chandler on 8922 8827.
Asthma NT anticipate launching the program during
Asthma Week which begins on October 6th.
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
Programme
1.30pm – Registration and Light Lunch
Presentations
“The Benefits of Early Referral in
Chronic Renal Insufficiency”
Dr John Knight (Nephrologist – Medical Director,
Australian Kidney Foundation 1997-2001 – Associate Medical Director, Janssen-Cilag)
“Diabetic Nephropathy in the Indigenous
Population”
Dr Paul Snelling (Head of Department of Nephrology, Royal Darwin Hospital)
“The Role of the Anaemia Co-ordinator
in CRI”
Ms Melinda Flack (Anaemia Co-ordinator/CRI
Nurse, Royal Darwin Hospital)
“Diet and Chronic Renal Insufficiency”
Ms Bernadeen Trotter (Renal Dietician, Royal Darwin Hospital)
5.00p.m – Close
This workshop will be CME point accredited – number to be advised.
Places are limited, please RSVP to Caitlin Cochrane
on Email: [email protected]
Fax: 0889 81 5899
Phone: 0889 82 1033
This workshop is proudly sponsored by
Janssen-Cilag
7
Why Waist?
O
besity is an important independent risk
factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. As well as total adiposity, the pattern of body fat distribution influences the level of
health risk. Excess body fat deposited in the abdominal region, as opposed to the hips and thighs, is
termed an android or centralised pattern of fat distribution. This is the usual pattern of fat distribution
for men and many women after menopause. Android (abdominal) obesity is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease in
both men and women in all ethnic groups.
“Current evidence suggests waist circumference is the most user
friendly and accurate indicator of health risk in the general
population.“
Current evidence suggests waist circumference is
the most user friendly and accurate indicator of
health risk in the general population.
So where is the waist?
The place to measure is halfway between the lowest
rib and the top of the hip.
The waist to measure is not:
the belly button
always the natural waist
•
•
•
•
top of the pants or skirt
always easy to find
What if I can’t find ribs or
hips?
It is common practice to estimate
the waist by measuring the largest
part that seems to be between the lowest rib and top of the
hip. This still gives a useful indication of abdominal
obesity.
I feel uncomfortable hugging all my clients!
• It is always a client’s right to decline a measurement, however, in my experience I have never
found a client to mind. When people are seeing a
health professional for assessment and advice,
many expect that physical measurements will be
part of the process. Considering the various highly
invasive assessment procedures that occur in
medical assessment, a tape measure around a waist
doesn’t seem so bad, does it?
•
Just as when taking a weight, it is important
that there is adequate privacy so as not to embarrass the person.
Tell them why you are taking the measure•
ment (eg. because the fat around the tummy
tells us their health risk) and what their result
means (eg. that losing weight around their
waist is important for their health, or that they
can stay about the same).
•
Wrap the tape measure around light clothing,
halfway between bottom of ribs and top of
hips
•
If you can’t reach around, get the person to
wrap it around themself and you can adjust it
to the right position as you read it
Taking physical measurements of size, weight, and
proportions of the body and comparing them to accepted standards, is an important part of individual
health assessment. Anthropometric measurements
commonly used include Body Mass Index (BMI =
weight in kg per height in metres squared), Waist to
Hip ratio (WHR) and waist circumference.
Reproduced from DANT Diabetes News April
2002
8
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
CROC FESTIVAL GOVE 29TH JULY – 30TH JULY
Julie Roffmann Health Development Manager EAD
Background
The Croc Festival concept evolved
in 1996 at the suggestion of the former Queensland Minister for Health,
Mike Moran, who asked the producers of the highly successful Rock Eisteddfod Challenge to find a way of
involving more young Australians
from Cope York and the Torres
Strait Islands in the event. Since the
inaugural Croc Festival held in
Weipa in July 1998, the event has
captured the imagination of students,
teachers and communities across rural and remote Australia.
The Croc Festival aims to engage
young Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians in a exciting
environment which embraces health,
education, employment and performing arts in the spirit of reconciliation.
The Festival is part of a pro active
approach taken by health departments to tackle the drug and alcohol
education issues which concern rural
and remote communities in Australia. The festival also offers a forum
for promoting career options to
youth in remote areas, for helping
young people to develop confidence
and self-esteem and for giving students an additional reason to be excited about coming to school.
Festival Activities
Festival participants were engaged in
a great variety of activities over the
festival’s two-day period. The activities were designed to inspire, motivate and most of all deliver key education messages in a fun filled and
friendly environment. Activities included:• Health Expo
• Department of Employment Workplace Relations Careers Market and
Futures Expo
• Sport
• NAISDA Dance Workshop
• MIYN Web Page
• Yirrkala Cultural Activities
• Goal Setting Workshop
• Theatre Games Workshop
Health Expo
The program consisted of a day and
a half, with groups attending the
Expo for 45 minutes each group.
Groups consisted of anything from
12 students to 60 students at any one
time. We split the students into three
groups, then rotated them every 15
minutes.
The Display was comprised of three
(3) tents.
• Nutrition Tent – The hopscotch
game was used as an activity to assist the children to gain some understanding into the main food
groups. Two games were used, to
instil some competition into the activity with a reward of a banana
smoothie on completion. Great interest was placed on the ingredients
in the smoothies.
• Careers in Health Tent – Provided
insight and information into how to
get into the field of Health and all
the different areas of health you
can choose to work in. There was a
demonstration of the web pages to
visit and handout information leaflets were provided.
The Community Dentist was an after
thought, but they managed to put together a good display on healthy
teeth. They gained sponsorship from
the Rotary Club to purchase toothpaste and tooth brushes.
Conclusion
Overall approximately 600 students
and supervisors came through the
Health Expo display. Despite the
communication, infrastructure and
resource problems, the event was
considered somewhat as a success.
The potential is there for exposure to
a very large audience for Health
messages. I see this as a great avenue
for working collaboratively with the
Department of Education and breaking down some barriers.
• The Chill Out Tent – The Choose
Yourself concept helped children
to talk about their understanding of
Alcohol and Other Drugs and how
they thought they should deal with
it. In a very relaxed environment,
they were encouraged to talk about
their experiences and ideas whilst
gaining information about the effects of Alcohol and Other Drugs
on their bodies and minds.
There were handouts and bandannas with the Choose Yourself logo
on them. Teachers were encouraged to participate with the students. Many questions were forthcoming and hopefully many answered.
On a positive point, other activity organisers applauded the way in which
Health organised its activities and
displays. Not bad, considering we
had very little time, money and people to pull it of.
I would like to take this opportunity
to acknowledge the great assistance
and work done by the A&OD Team
Darwin Urban, Emma Cartwright
Public Relations Darwin and the
Health Development Team EAD.
Clip art reproduced on pages 1,3& 9 is from the Kimberly Clip art collection – thanks to Catholic Education Office.
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
9
Empty ashtray
competition update
HealthInsite
HealthInsite is a Commonwealth Government of
Australia initiative, funded by the Commonwealth
The Tobacco Action Project promoted the Quit Department of Health and Ageing. It aims to immessage during World No Tobacco Day (31st May) prove the health of Australians by providing easy
access to quality information about human health.
and Quit Week (31st May - 8th June). A major component of the Quit campaign for 2002 was the Mix
104.9 Empty Ashtray Challenge.
Mix 104.9 broadcast live from the event and announced the final contestants (Darren and Sharyn)
in its successful Empty Ashtray competition. Over
150 people registered for the competition, pledging
to quit smoking for a month to win a trip to Bali.
Have you wondered what happened to the two lucky
finalists "Shazza" and "Dazza" and the trip to Bali
for QUIT and World No Tobacco Day 2002? Here
is an update for you.
Both Dazza and Shazza have completed the month
without smoking. This was confirmed by results
from the SMOKERLYZER and testimonies from
friends/workmates etc, who were called randomly
and asked to report. Shazza and Dazza were both
called once a week to talk about how they were coping. Shazza expressed difficulty refraining during
times of boredom. Shazza used nicotine patches to
assist her and went to the gym. Both expressed the
intention of remaining non-smokers.
So we can happily report that the Mix 104.9 Empty
Ashtray Competition was a success and we encourage you to stay tuned to the Department of Health
and Community Services web site for events next
year!
Quitline on 131848
10000 steps Website
http://10000steps.cqu.edu.au/pafh.php
Go to www.healthinsite.gov.au
Australian and New Zealand
Management Guidelines and
Handbook - COPD
The final draft of this document (in pdf format) has just
been posted at http://www.lungnet.com.au/copd.html for
public comment.
The COPD Guidelines Steering Committee will meet on
August 28 to review any comments, and finalise the
document ready for publication.
Please forward any comments to:
The Australian Lung Foundation
PO Box 847
LUTWYCHE QLD 4030
Fax 07 3357 6988
Email [email protected]
Lara Thompson
Project Manager
The Australian Lung Foundation
When you can't breathe, nothing else matters.
The Australian Institute of
Health & Welfare have an
excellent website.
•
Reports
•
Statistics
•
Media releases
www.aihw.gov.au
10
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
Influenza on the rise - do you need a Flu
Shot?
T
he Department of Health and Community Services advises Territorians to be
aware that the annual influenza
“season” has arrived and that it is not too late to
be vaccinated.
The sudden appearance of influenza, which is not
unexpected at this time of year, has been detected
via the Tropical Influenza Surveillance Scheme
(TISS), where selected General Practitioners in
the Top End send in regular reports of the number
of cases of influenza-like illness that they see in
their surgeries each week. There has been a considerable rise in cases over the past month, from
six to 56 per 1000 doctor consultations. The Centre for Disease Control in Darwin coordinates the
scheme.
lians are vaccinated every year.
Annual influenza vaccination is recommended
for the following groups:
•
all adults aged 65 years and older and Aboriginal adults aged 50 years and older
(vaccine is free for this group);
adults and children (aged six months and
•
older) with diabetes or other chronic illness
affecting the heart, lungs, kidneys or liver;
people whose immune systems are sup•
pressed, and their carers;
•
staff and residents of nursing homes and
other chronic care facilities; and
health staff who have direct contact with
•
patients.
However, anyone who wishes to reduce his or her
chance of getting ill from influenza can receive
the vaccine. People who are interested in receiving the vaccine should see their
health-care provider.
Laboratory reports, which indicate confirmed influenza, have also increased with eight cases being reported over the past three
weeks, the first since May.
Influenza is a serious
These cases have originated
disease and annual
from the Centre as well as the
Top End.
vaccination is the best way
Influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract, but the effects
can be felt throughout the
body. The illness has a sudden onset and symptoms include fever and chills, cough, sore throat,
body aches and pains, and fatigue. It can cause severe disease, requiring hospitalisation or even
leading to death, especially in certain high risk
groups such as the elderly, and those with certain
chronic illnesses.
Influenza is a serious disease and annual vaccination is the best way to prevent it. Despite the ’flu
season being upon us already, it is not too late to
get vaccinated as good protection against the disease can be achieved after only two weeks. It has
been estimated that influenza vaccination could
prevent around 80 per cent of all influenza-related
deaths. The strains of circulating influenza virus
can change annually so it is important that Austra-
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
While prevention of influenza
with vaccination is the mainstay
of defence against the virus, if a
to prevent it. person does become ill, they
should see their doctor as there
are now medications available
that can reduce the severity and
the duration of influenza. These treatments need
to be given early in the illness course, within 48
hours, to be effective.
The Top End benefits from the GPs participating
in the TISS which alerts the public to increases in
influenza cases and the Centre for Disease Control Darwin would welcome the involvement of
new sentinel GPs to maintain the effectiveness of
the scheme. Interested GPs are invited to phone
8922 8089.
For more information contact the Centre for
Disease Control on 8922 8044
11
Innovations making a difference to treating
neuropathic foot ulcers.
An interview with Thomas Berhane, Prosthetic & Orthotic Department, RDH
T
reating a patient with a
Charcot foot is just one of
the many challenging cases
managed by Thomas Berhane, senior prosthetist and orthotist, in the
Royal Darwin Hospital Prosthetic
and Orthotics (P&O) department.
The role of the prosthetist and orthotist is a clinical one with responsibilities including caseload management, patient assessment, prescription and supply of prostheses
and orthoses, liaison with other
members of the multidisciplinary
health team and supervision of
manufacturing tasks related to prosthetic and orthotic fabrication.
A recent invention of Thomas’ is
the Darwin Charcot Walker (see
photo) that he designed to treat a
patient with a Charcot foot. The
Darwin Charcot Walker aims to
immobilise the foot and redistribute
the pressure (mechanical offloading) to facilitate healing of the
neuropathic ulcer and reduce pain.
This helps the patient regain a regular level of mobility and hopefully
return them to normal life.
Charcot foot is a debilitating deformity that appears in just a small
Case Study: Education and
counselling vital to successful
management.
Teddy B is an important man from
Dagaragu in Katherine West who
was referred to the High Risk Foot
Clinic early in 2001 with a dislocated ankle joint and multiple infected ulcers on the dorsal part of
his right foot following a life threatening injury. Teddy has a history of
type 2 diabetes.
The P&O department works closely
with the Diabetic High-Risk Foot
clinic and is well known for its innovations in the successful treatment of neuropathic ulcers.
“There are many similarities in the
management of chronic ulcers in
both Hansen and diabetic patients.
My experience working in developing countries with limited resources
has taught me to become innovative
and practical in designing prostheses and orthoses” Thomas said.
12
Currently the Top End prosthetics
and orthotics service is provided
from RDH, but Thomas said there
are plans to train regional specialists (physiotherapist and specialist
wound nurses) who would be able
to support a community based rehabilitation system.
Thomas emphasised that patient
education and counselling was an
important part of the management
to promote compliance and the effective treatment of neuropathic ulcers.
The prosthetist/orthotist combines
knowledge of anatomy, physiology,
biomechanics, pathology and materials with physical skills such as patient assessment, casting, measurement and alignment to provide
prosthetic and orthotic treatment
that is specific to each patient managed.
Thomas has been with the department for three years and brings with
him a wealth of experience working
with Hansen's (leprosy) patients in
Africa, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Due to peripheral neuropathy the
diabetic patient is often unaware of
the injury and continues to walk on
the damaged limb leading to ulcers
on the bottom of the feet.
Thomas with the Darwin
Charcot Walker
percentage of diabetic patients and
if untreated can lead to neuropathic
ulcers and limb amputation.
A Charcot foot is also known as
Rocker Bottom Foot because of the
type of deformity and is caused
when the bones in the foot actually
splinter and break causing the arch
to collapse. This can lead to the foot
actually becoming convex and taking on a rocker-bottom appearance.
The priority of the High Risk Foot
Clinic was to prevent complications, promote healing and rehabilitation to allow Teddy to regain his
normal level of mobility.
The initial treatment involved conservative surgical interventions, antibiotic therapy, hyperbaric oxygen
therapy and daily dressings and required Teddy to remain as an inpatient at RDH for over three months.
This was very difficult for Teddy
(Continued on page 13)
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
(Continued from page 12)
who was extremely homesick. To
deal with Teddy's homesickness the
Foot Clinic planned for extended
home leave and gave Teddy intensive counselling and education on
the importance of caring for his
splint and controlling his diabetes.
Teddy was discharged home with a
plaster cast for one month.
On return to the clinic Teddy’s foot
was clearly healing and he said he
was managing well at home. The
Clinic decided to fit Teddy with a
modified Darwin Charcot Walker
that was lightweight, hard wearing
and could be removed easily to allow cleansing and inspection of his
foot. The Darwin Charcot Walker
off-loaded pressure from the ulcers
and redirected the weight through
his patella whilst immobilising his
ankle. This gave Teddy greater mo-
bility and meant that he could remain at home for a longer period of
time.
It was not until August 2002 that
Teddy returned to the clinic for review and staff found that his ulcers
had completely healed and that his
ankle had not deteriorated.
proach.
Teddy has now returned to Dagaragu where he is able to walk
around freely and return to his normal daily life with the aid of his
Darwin Charcot Walker.
Teddy told the staff that he was
very happy with the Charcot walker
as it allowed him to move around
the community and get on with life.
Teddy said that he went to the
clinic regularly to pick up his medication and would get the nurses to
look at his foot at the same time.
Despite the initial poor prognosis,
Teddy and the High Risk Foot
Clinic have achieved a very successful outcome. The ongoing
counselling and education were vital to the success of this team ap-
Teddy Barry &
Thomas
ABORIGINAL ELDER'S EPIC BICYCLE JOURNEY AN
INSPIRATION TO ALL AUSTRALIANS
Source: Media Release ATSIC
25 August 2002
T
he 3000 kilometre bicycle trek began yesterday
by 67-year-old Aboriginal elder Alby Clarke is
an inspiration to all Australians and especially
his own people.
Like many Aboriginals, my uncle Alby, has been afflicted by diabetes but he has beaten the disease and is
now showing the world what can be achieved through
fitness, guts and determination.
Alby left Perth yesterday on an epic journey to his
home with the Gunditjmara community, near Warrnambool in western Victoria.
By word and by deed he will also be showing all of us
the benefits of keeping fit and staying away from drugs
including alcohol and tobacco.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
is proud to be a major sponsor of Alby's inspiring journey.
Alby, I wish you well on your journey on behalf of all
Australians and your people.
You are yet another living demonstration that given the
opportunity our people can achieve any goal and make
any dream come true.
Geoff Clark
ATSIC Chairman
If you're travelling by road across the Nullarbor during
the next few weeks you'll probably spot him - he'll be
the black fella with blue hair and a sequin top riding on
his bicycle.
His ride across Australia is expected to take 30 days
and along the way he plans to meet with many Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to promote reconciliation and the benefits of clean living.
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
13
FOCUSING ON CHILDREN
child health and early years snippets
Dr Barbara Paterson, Senior Policy Officer, Child health & Helen Crawford (FACS policy)
Child Health Council meets in Darwin
For the first time, the Northern Territory hosted the National Community Child Health Council (NCCHC)
meeting in Darwin, on May 30-31 2002.
The two-day meeting at the Mirambeena Resort commenced with an official welcome by Roxy Musk, Representative for the Larrakia Nation and the meeting was
officially opened by The Honourable Jane Aagaard
MLA, Minister for Health and Community Services.
The meeting was attended by policy staff, paediatrician
and others, with representation from all states, Territories and the Commonwealth (including the Darwin Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health) as
well as New Zealand and invited guests from Good Beginnings and the Tricillian Services.
Council meetings are a combination of business matters
with action and presentations to share new knowledge
and interesting work to foster cooperation, consistency
and innovation between jurisdictions. Issues discussed
included The National Investment For The Early Years
(NIFTEY) initiative, The National Research Partnership, the NHMRC Review of child health screening and
surveillance, universal neonatal hearing screening and
the national debate on paid maternity leave. The presentation section provided a great opportunity to share
some of the good work that is happening in the NT. Parenting programs from the Tiwi Islands - Ngaipirliga’ajirri and Queensland’s Triple P program for Indigenous
families as well as the Primary Care Access Program
(health zones) were presented and discussed. On the
second day, Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture, Growth Assessment and Action, new information
on diarrhoeal disease and a Menzies overview of the
birth cohort study and ear health were featured. These
were all very well received by Council members and
well attended by local staff.
The Darwin meeting was deemed a great success for the
quality and variety of work occurring in the NT, for
Darwin as a venue and for some a greater insight into
Aboriginal culture and health. The NCCHC secretariat
rotates, with each state and territory taking a turn to be
host and the next meeting will be held in Canberra.
For further information contact Dr Barbara Paterson,
Senior Policy Officer, Child health. 8922 8015
Spreading the Word about “The Early Years”
14
New knowledge
and new ways of working were the themes of an early
childhood forum held in Darwin on 29 May 2002. The
forums, sponsored by the Australian Early Childhood
Association, Early Childhood Intervention Australia and
the Department of Health and Community Services, attracted over 110 people drawn from a good crosssection of professional backgrounds and interests, including health promotion, education, child protection,
early childhood intervention, children’s care, child
health nurses, paediatrics and research.
Graham Vimpani (Professor, University of Newcastle
and Chairman of NIFTeY ) gave an excellent summary
of the recent developments in brain development research, and the progress made nationally over the last
ten years to focus attention on the early years. Much of
this progress could be attributed to people coming together to share information at conferences and workshops, a commitment to promoting the best possible opportunities for early childhood development, and to the
stimulus provided by increasing concern about paedophilia, crime and drugs.
Graham suggested that continuing challenges were:
• how to keep the interest and involvement of people
from many disciplines and perspectives
• how to ensure that programs are sustainable
• how to get industry “buy-ins” to address work and
family issues
• working together – how to accommodate different
styles of practice
• how to use existing services as a platform
June McLoughlin (Centre for Community Child
Health, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne) provided some very valuable insights into what the literature tells us about young children and their services, and
what promotes effective early childhood services and
interventions. Key conclusions were:
• intervene early in life
• address a range of risk factors, not a focus on single
level interventions
• seek to reduce risk, but use a strengths-based approach
• coordinate approaches
• make sure services and interventions are accessible
and acceptable
• don’t rely only on professional services – broader par(Continued on page 15)
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
(Continued from page 14)
ticipation is required
• work to ensure strong social networks among families
and children
• cultivate parental relationships and family-centred approaches
• build regular opportunities to access “family centres”
and universal services
Effective programs paid great attention to how services
are delivered. June drew on joint experience of the Centre for Community Child Health and the Good Beginnings program to identify some barriers to putting these
lessons into practice. She spoke of encountering factors
such as time, budget and personnel constraints; a lack of
policy to support practice; lack of local leaders; differing levels of understanding about partnerships; patch
control; rigidity in agencies and bureaucratic rules and
regulations.
Barbara Wellesley (National Director, Good Beginnings) outlined the evolution of the Good Beginnings
program from a narrow focus on home visiting to that of
a broader approach embedded in and formed by working with each community in which Good Beginnings
operates. This program is now running services such as
playgroups, home visiting, child and family groups, and
parenting for prisoners. Barbara’s messages were:
• flexibility is necessary,
• a partnership approach is the way to go, one that
shares power and builds trust among parents, professionals and governments in the interest of children
and families.
Mel Hazard is a lecturer in childcare and education at
NT University. Mel spoke about the way in which the
social and “hard sciences” can be seen as a merging of
discourse at the research level, allowing us to confirm
and deepen understandings about children’s development, and the need for rich, diverse and integrated services.
In summary, the early childhood forums provided a
timely opportunity to hear about new developments
elsewhere in Australia, to re-invigorate our commitment
to collaborative and community-level action, and to feel
part of a much broader wave of effort to support young
children and families. The challenge is to make sure that
this effort reaches all our children, wherever they may
be, and that what we do makes a difference!
For further information contact Helen Crawford (FACS
policy) or Barbara Paterson (child health policy).
NT involvement with the Longitudinal Study of
Australian Children (LSAC)
munity Services (DFaCS) has funded what will be the
first national longitudinal study of Australian children.
The study adopts a holistic approach to child development and will take a “developmental pathways” approach that seeks to identify the factors that determine
pathways through life to good and poor outcomes, and
factors that influence changes in these pathways. It will
particularly aim to learn more about crucial transition
points, such as entry into childcare or school settings.
By identifying early indicators that children are embarking on disadvantageous pathways, and the factors that
divert them away from these, interventions can be designed to help change children’s course through life.
The study can also assist in understanding the efficacy
of various interventions, and contribute to evaluation.
DHCS and the NT Department of Employment, Education and Training have been discussing aspects of the
design of the study with DFaCS and interstate counterparts, including how to ensure that the study adequately
and appropriately includes Indigenous children, and
children living in remote areas. The first collection is
scheduled for 2003, with 5000 children under 12
months, and 5000 aged between 4 and 5 years. Participants will be followed at least every two years until
2009, and data is expected to become available to users
in the second stage of the study.
For further information contact Helen Crawford (FACS
policy) or Barbara Paterson (child health policy) or
Mary-Anne Measey
New appointments at
DHCS
• Mr Paul Bartholomew, CEO left the department on
Friday 23 August 2002.
• Mr Graham Symons, Deputy Secretary will be acting
CEO until this position is filled.
• Mr Jeff Byrne commenced 26 August as Executive
Director, Alice Springs Hospital.
• Roger Weckert, who has been performing this role
for the last 12 months will be returning to Royal Darwin Hospital following the accreditation assessment
and a handover.
• Mr Rod Smith has been appointed Assistant Secretary, Business and Operational Support and will
commence in October.
• Joanne Schilling will continue to act in this position
in the mean time.
The Commonwealth Department of Family and Com-
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
15
What is pneumococcal disease?
Source: Centre for Disease Control Fact Sheet
P
neumococcal disease is an acute infection caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. It can cause a variety
of illnesses including pneumonia, meningitis
and blood infection; pneumonia being the most
common.
How is it spread?
The bacteria are found in respiratory secretions and can be spread by direct oral contact
eg kissing or direct contact with articles soiled
with infected mouth or nose secretions. Person
to person spread occurs but illness among
casual contacts is uncommon.
Many healthy people carry the bacteria in their
nose and throat.
What are the symptoms?
The time between getting the bacteria and becoming sick is uncertain but may be as short
as 1-3 days. The symptoms will vary depending on which part of the body is affected.
Who is at risk?
People at increased risk of contracting
pneumococcal disease are the very young, the
elderly, individuals with an impaired immune
response, people with chronic disease, people
with cerebrospinal fluid leaks and in the NT,
the Aboriginal population.
What is the treatment?
Pneumococcal disease is treated with antibiotics.
How can pneumococcal disease be
prevented?
A vaccine is available for both adults and infants. The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria
has over 90 serotypes. The adult vaccine protects against 23 of these serotypes. The childhood vaccine only protects against 7 of the serotypes, but these serotypes cause 60-80% of
serious disease in children. The vaccines are
recommended for those at highest risk of the
disease. People at highest risk of pneumococcal disease can receive free or subsidised vaccine. Individuals who are not in the high risk
16
group but still want the vaccine can request
and pay for it through General Practitioners.
How can pneumococcal disease be
controlled?
Preventive antibiotic treatment or vaccination
of individuals who have been in contact with
an infected person is not currently recommended
NT pneumococcal vaccination recommendations:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
All Central Australian Aboriginal children up
to 5 years old
All Central Australian non Aboriginal children up to 2 years old
All Top End Aboriginal children up to 2
years old
All NT Aboriginal people 15 years and older
All NT non Aboriginal 65 years and older
Adults and children aged over 2 years with
chronic disease
People without a functioning spleen
Immunocompromised individuals
People with cerebrospinal fluid leaks
For more information contact your nearest
Centre for Disease Control.
Darwin
8922 8044
Katherine
8973 9049
Nhulunbuy
8987 0359
Tennant Creek
8962 4259
Alice Springs
8951 7549
Or visit the CDC intranet site (contains a large selection of fact sheets and treatment protocols)
http://www.nt.gov.au/health/cdc/cdc.shtml
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
The Health Budget Highlights at a Glance
Source: Media Release NTG Internet
The Department’s budget breakdown is as follows:
Hospital Services $272 million
•
Community Health Services $110 million
•
•
Family and Children’s Services $32 million
•
Aged and Disability Services $48 million
•
Mental Health Services $14 million
•
Public Health Services $40 million
•
Health Research $3 million
Mrs Aagaard said Budget highlights include:
Funding for an additional 75 nurses over the term
•
of the Government - $2.36 million has been allocated for 20 extra nurses this year
$5.68 million for increased pay for nurses
•
$510,000 for additional specialist staff for the
•
Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department
$21.22 million for capital works at the Royal Dar•
win Hospital and the Alice Springs Hospital
$1.5 million for a new health centre at Milikapati
•
•
$820,000 for upgrading of the Yuendumu Health
Centre
•
$3 million for a new hospice at Royal Darwin Hospital
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
$505,000 for an eight-chair renal unit at the
Tennant Creek Hospital
$260,000 for additional ambulance services for
Darwin and Palmerston. Total funding for ambulance services is $6.25 million for 2002-03
$910,000 child care subsidy
$500,000 for eight new Family and Children’s Services staff including four Indigenous Community
Workers
$6 million increase in funding for NonGovernment Organisations. The NGO sector will
receive $64 million in 2002-03.
$2.2 million for 25 remote area health staff with
specialist skills
$300,000 for a transitional care unit in Katherine
Mrs Aagaard said of the $20 million increase, $7 million
will remain unallocated until the outcome of the review of
the Department of Health and Community Services which
is due to be completed in September.
Extra resources for Indigenous child health
Source: Media Release NTG Internet
Minister for Health and Community
Services, Jane Aagaard, says the allocation of $2.2 million in this years
Budget for the creation of Indigenous
Child Health Teams, will significantly
boost the ability of her Department to
combat childhood diseases in Indigenous children.
Mrs Aagaard said 25 health professionals will be employed this year,
over and above the additional 75
nurses to be recruited over the term of
the Government.
eases."
Mrs Aagaard told Parliament she had
recently visited the Aboriginal Community of Ramingining and was surprised and saddened to learn that
health centre staff had just completed
the first systematic screening of
school children in ten years.
‘ For far too long remote communities
health staff have lacked the resources
to undertake regular systematic
screening of children. For children to
complete their schooling without once
having been screened is appalling."
" The teams of childhood disease specialists will be located at centres Mrs Aagaard said Ramingining has
throughout the Territory including three highly skilled nurses who have
Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek, prioritised child health.
Alice Springs and Nhulunbuy."
" Of the 115 school children screened,
" They will have specialist skills in ar- 95 require follow up treatment. That’s
eas such as nutrition, hearing, skin in- 83 % of children with some form of
fections and other childhood dis- illness."
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
" Diseases detected by staff included
two cases of early renal disease, one
case of rheumatic heart disease, six
heart murmurs, several trachoma and
numerous skin infections and worms,
which in themselves can lead to serious diseases in adult life. 48% of the
children were anaemic."
" Early detection of childhood diseases is vital to improving health outcomes and our decision to commit additional resources to Indigenous child
health is crucial to achieving that
end."
17
Remote area health services
Media Release 20 August 2002 Source: Media Release NTG Internet
Minister for Health and Community
Services, Jane Aagaard, announced a
number of initiatives directly aimed
at remote area health services.
Mrs Aagaard said these follow on
from her Indigenous Health Strategy
statement in May.
There will also be increased spending for remote area children with the
establishment of specialist teams of
visiting health professionals based at
major centres throughout the Territory.
$2.2 million has been allocated for
hearing, nutrition and immunisation
programs as well as for the screening
of children aged 0-5.
Funds have also been allocated for
the construction of a new health
clinic for Milikapiti and a substantial
upgrade of the Yuendumu clinic.
Mrs Aagaard said the capital expenditure at Milikapiti and Yuendumu
will dramatically improve the delivery of health services in the two remote communities.
"This Budget is about building a better Territory for all Territorians," she
said.
"Indigenous communities have been
neglected for far too long and it’s
time for the Government to raise the
standard of indigenous health services.
"The Government will spend $1.5
million on a new Health Centre for
Milikapiti to replace the existing
centre, which was constructed in
1970.
"The original centre was designed as
a one nurse clinic and is clearly inadequate."
The new centre will include:
•
emergency treatment rooms
consultation rooms
•
dental surgery
•
public waiting areas
•
ancillary services for patients
•
and staff
"Services at Milikapiti include a
stand-alone dental clinic, visiting dieticians, occupational health and
safety, drugs and alcohol and mental
health.
Mrs Aagaard said $820,000 will be
spent on the Yuendumu clinic which
will be modified and upgraded.
The works will include:
a new patient and triaging area
•
consultation office
•
men’s and women’s areas
•
•
storage areas
•
general refurbishment
"The existing building is 25 years
old and the new works will enable
the centre to function as a zone
health centre providing services to
the surrounding community," Mrs
Aagaard said.
She said in addition to the major
works, minor works will be carried
out including renovations to the Umbakumba Dental Lab $56,000, modifications to the Raminging Health
Clinic $140,000 and renovations to
the Nhulunbuy Dental Clinic of
$25,000.
"The new clinic will cater for the increase in services and the marked increase in Aboriginal Health Workers."
NT Cardiac Support Group Inc
The NT Cardiac Support Group Inc is a group of people who have a heart condition or who are partners
of people with a heart condition. We are not a professional organisation. But we are consumers of services and we have formed an organisation that is meant to assist each other and to provide the mutual
support of peers.
Currently we are quite a small group who are working hard with limited resources to provide to others
the kind of support we know we need for ourselves.
If you would like more information on the NT Cardiac Support Group:
Write:
PO Box 43345, Casuarina NT 0811
Phone:
(08) 8981 2166
Fax:
(08) 8981 2188
Email:
[email protected]
18
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
Major Obesity Research Event in Melbourne
from 25-29th November, 2002
This year the Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity (ASSO) will be holding its Annual Scientific
Meeting as part of the first ever Australian Health and Medical Research Congress (AHMRC) in Melbourne from 25-29th November, 2002. This is an exciting new initiative in which 8 societies are bringing
their annual conferences within the Congress structure, including ASSO, the Australian Physiological and
Pharmacological Society (APPS), Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR), Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists &
Toxicologists (ASCEPT), Victorian Breast Cancer Research Consortium (VBCRC) and High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia (HBPRCA). Another 17 societies are involved in the organisation of
symposia that support the integrated program that covers a wide range of biological science disciplines.
Further information about the Congress can be found at the website: www.ahmrcongress2002.conf.au
Health education resources database
A great new resource available NOW on the DHCS Internet
The aim of the database is to provide a one-stop shop for information on existing resources that will assist with the prevention and management of a
number of health issues affecting the community. The resources listed here
have either been designed specifically for Aboriginal people, or could easily
be adapted to use with Aboriginal people.
Check it out
www.nt.gov.au/health/healthdev/health_promotion/publications/
resource_database.shtml
Articles of Interest
Chronic Disease guidelines and the Indigenous
Coordinated Care Trials
Andrew L Gilbert, Elizabeth E Roughead, Justin
Beilby, Kathy Mott and John D Barratt
MJA 2002 177 (4): 189-192
Bronchiectasis in Indigenous children in remote
Tarun Weeramanthri, Christine Connors, Shery O’Leary, Australian communities
Daisy Yamirr, Jo Wright and Andrew Bell
Anne B Chang, Keith Grimwood, E Kim MulholAustralian Health Review 2002 Vol 25 No 2: 1-6 (and ac- land, Paul J Torzillo, for the Working Group on Incompanyiing editorial).
digenous Paediatric Respiratory Health
MJA 2002 177 (4): 200-204
Otitis media in Aboriginal children: tackling a
major health problem
Harvey L Coates, Peter S Morris, Amanda J Leach Download all MJA articles free of charge
from www.mja.com.au
and Sophie Couzos
MJA 2002 177 (4): 177-178
Collaborative medication management services:
improving patient care
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002
19
Smoking highest in NT-national drug survey
Source: Media release AIWH www.aihw.gov.au
Daily smoking rates among Australians aged 14 popular drug in Australian society, with 80% conyears and over are as low as 18.1% in New South suming it in the past 12 months.
Wales, according to a new report released today by
The prevalence of daily drinking was around 8% in
the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
all States and Territories.
This is one of the lowest rates in the developed
One in three Australians aged over 14 had at least
world.
one risky or high risk drinking session in the past
Other States and Territories to go below the 20% year, ranging from 32% in New South Wales to 45%
mark were the ACT (18.4%) and Victoria (19.4%). in the Northern Territory.
The highest rate was in the Northern Territory at The pattern of illicit drug use varied considerably
27.9%.
across the country, with the general finding that use
is higher in the Northern Territory and Western AusSmoking rates for the remaining four States were tralia than in other parts of Australia.
Western Australia (20.1%), South Australia (20.4%),
Among Australians aged 14-24 years, around 28%
Tasmania (21.0%) and Queensland (21.1%).
have used cannabis in the past 12 months, ranging
Report co-author Mark Cooper-Stanbury says that from 22% in Tasmania to 37% in the Northern Territhe pattern for each age group was similar across all tory.
states, but small numbers of participants in the survey in smaller jurisdictions causes difficulty in inter- The National Drug Strategy Household Survey covpretation of the results. The 20-29 and 30-39 year ered 27,000 Australians living in residential houseage groups appear to have the highest smoking rates holds.
Canberra, 28 August 2002
across all States and Territories.
The AIHW report, 2001 National Drug Strategy
Household Survey: State and Territory Supplement,
also shows that alcohol continues to be the most
Grapefruit and grapefruit
juice alert
Source: DHCS Internet site
The NSW Health Department has recently issued an alert
about the possible danger of eating or drinking grapefruit
while on certain medications. Drugs associated with the
problem can include:
• those used to treat high blood pressure;
• those used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs;
• those used to treat high blood cholesterol;
• some medicines used to prevent epileptic seizures;
• medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS.
20
Substances in the grapefruit and its juice can increase the
availability of the drug to the body thus resulting in some
unwanted side-effects such as kidney function impairment, blood pressure changes and anaemia.
Although some drugs are affected by an interaction with
grapefruit juice, most are not. Individuals taking unaffected drugs may continue to take grapefruit juice with
no hazard or problem. For patients taking medication
known to interact with grapefruit juice there generally are
non-interacting alternative medications within each drug
class that should allow appropriate treatment to proceed
safely. Medications that interact with grapefruit juice can
be now be identified by a sticker. If you are still unsure,
contact your general practitioner or pharmacist and they
should be able to offer further advice.
The Chronicle Aug/Sep 2002