Our People to Live Stronger & Longer

Month: October 2020

What is Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Posted on by Pawas Gupta

To many Australians, Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is a foreign concept, a disease most will have never heard of. However, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, RHD continues to pose a very real and present threat. Recent data from NSW public hospitals report the largest burden of disease occurs in children under the age of 15, followed by those between 15 – 29-year age group. Aboriginal people contributing to around 40% of cases in children aged less than 15 years.

Despite having been eliminated as a risk in the non-Indigenous Australian population for decades, RHD continues to devastate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with some of the highest rates in the world.  Learn more.

What is Acute Rheumatic Fever and RHD?

Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) is an illness that can occur after a throat or skin infection with the group A streptococcus bacteria. Episodes of ARF can cause permanent damage to heart valves, known as Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease have been eliminated in most industrialised countries. However, in Australia ARF and RHD continue to affect specific high-risk groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from countries where ARF is common.

Primary Prevention

It is very important that if you or your family have a sore throat or any concerns about skin health, that you ask your doctor to give you a check-up. Treating group A streptococcal infections quickly can prevent ARF and RHD from developing afterwards.

Group A streptococcal infections can be prevented by improving environmental conditions known to increase the risk of infection, such as good hygiene practices and improving living conditions including avoiding over-crowding.

Secondary Prevention

ARF can be treated with a series of antibiotic injections to prevent the heart from being affected and RHD from developing.

Injections are never fun but are important as they can prevent the serious consequences of RHD. If you or someone you know has had ARF, please ask them to see their doctor to see whether treatment is needed.

Tertiary Prevention

Sometimes it is hard to find a good cardiologist or other specialists to see, but your local AMS can help you research and find the right care for you. The best care for people with ARF and RHD requires a range of health services, such as oral health, maternal health, and cardiology. Read more about Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart disease.

Current training courses for healthcare professionals

RHD Australia are conducting new and free e-learning courses designed for clinicians who care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with RHD. Learn more about RHD Australia’s Training courses here.

Educational courses on prevention, diagnosis and management of ARF and RHD include:

  • Introduction to Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease
  • RHD for community-based workers
  • Women and girls with RHD
Author

– Marina Wise, Public Health Officer

AH&MRC supplies hand sanitiser and reusable cloth face masks to NSW Aboriginal Communities

Posted on by Pawas Gupta

Hospital grade hand sanitiser and reusable, cloth face masks will be distributed to Aboriginal Communities in NSW by the Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) through their 47 Member Services.

“These protective measures remind Communities to remain vigilant as COVID-19 becomes the new normal, and testing rates drop in NSW.  It is especially important as some people can be infectious with COVID-19 but show no symptoms,” said Robert Skeen, AH&MRC CEO.

“Cloth face masks offer a sustainable option for Aboriginal people to protect their families and Communities. They also reduce the financial burden of buying disposable masks. Spreading the messages about avoiding crowded places, washing hands regularly and wearing the masks is also important to keep Aboriginal Communities safe.”

The three-layered cloth face masks were purchased from an Indigenous supplier, Kulbardi. The masks meet NSW Health recommendations and include a water-resistant layer on the outside to give the best protection. The AH&MRC is pleased to see 1% of sales will go to the Bibbulman Fund – a Kulbardi initiative that designs and delivers programs around entrepreneurship, education numeracy and literacy to Indigenous Communities across Australia.

“From the start of this pandemic, AH&MRC has worked hard to make sure Aboriginal Medical Services can access enough supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns and masks to continue their response,” said Robert Skeen. “We appreciate the support of NSW Health in helping us provide supplies to our Member Services. We will continue to advocate for more  sector funding to guarantee the best health outcomes for Aboriginal people.”

Along with keeping 1.5 metres apart, getting a COVID-19 test, wearing a mask is one of several precautionary measures Aboriginal Communities can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With COVID-19 testing rates low in NSW,  AH&MRC strongly encourages anyone with flu-like symptoms to immediately have a COVID-19 test.  Find the nearest NSW COVID-19 testing clinic here.

For more information visit the NSW Health website or download AH&MRC’s brochure: Frequently Asked Questions on Cloth Face Masks.

Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council is not for profit organisation working to support Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to deliver better health outcomes for Aboriginal people in NSW.

Keeping the Aboriginal community COVID-safe

Posted on by Pawas Gupta

Thanks to the fast work of the Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation (TAC) team, the Aboriginal community of Campbelltown in south-western Sydney, have remained COVID-safe. More than 11,200 Aboriginal people live in South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) and 3,405 Aboriginal people attend Tharawal for their primary health care. Caring for the Aboriginal community is what the TAC team do, but at no time has this care been more important, than during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in south western Sydney, the team established a drive-through and walk-in testing service for the Aboriginal and wider community at Airds, for a four-week period. These actions were in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the area and the need for broader testing to detect additional cases. The team managed to pull together all elements required and the clinic was fully operational within two working days. The agility and timeliness of the response is an example of the strong partnership Tharawal has with SWSLHD.

Additional staff from SWSLHD provided their support at the clinic. With support from Histopath, the clinic has now tested more than 1500 people. Tharawal’s Chief Executive, Darryl Wright and his team, worked tirelessly adapting to meet the community’s needs in what was already a very challenging time for health service delivery.

‘This is a deadly virus, but we are more deadly,’ Mr Wright said.

Tharawal GP Dr Bemand said this is no time to relax. ‘The community needs to maintain vigilance in practising COVID-safe behavior,’ said Dr Bemand. Recognising the ongoing threat of COVID-19, Tharawal will continue to offer testing to the community through their regular GP Clinic to ensure the community remains COVID-safe.

Author –

NSW Health

AH&MRC road trip highlights the great work of our Member Services in the wake of COVID-19

Posted on by Pawas Gupta

After months working as socially distanced desk-jockeys, the AH&MRC’s Public Health Team hit the road once more to visit Members Services including Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service (IAMS), South Coast Medical Services Aboriginal Corporation (SCMSAC) and Waminda – South Coast Women’s Health & Welfare Aboriginal Corporation. The crew included Kezia Blackledge, Marina Wise, Victoria Kennedy, and Nina Betts. They were joined by Nathan Taylor from Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach (PEPA). The team wanted to check in and see how Services had been travelling over the last few months, and have a yarn about their Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) programs, palliative care, sexual health and Your Health, Your Future initiatives.

NRT helps clients quit their own way

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Services are using creative ways to stay on top of their NRT distribution.

At the South Coast AMS, the Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) team have started a numbered voucher system, with participating chemists in Nowra, Jerringa and Wreck Bay. Once clients are screened by the TIS team, they can visit their local chemist and present the voucher – with different vouchers for different types of NRT. If vouchers are missing the team will follow up with their clients. This helps the TIS team identify any barriers that could prevent clients going to their local pharmacy, and resolve any issues they may be facing, such as lack of transport.

At Waminda, having NRT stock on hand allows staff to provide immediate treatment. Once a client has been screened, providing NRT on the spot helps keep Community members engaged and motivated to quit smoking. Other strategies at Waminda include delivering the NRT, staff capacity building and actively following up with clients to see how they are going.

At IAMS, NRT is well embedded into clients’ quit journeys, which has enabled them to keep service provisions strong despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The IAMS team also surprised us with some deadly face masks designed by a local artist.

Understanding what is needed for palliative care support

The trip provided an opportunity to share AH&MRC’s latest palliative care project ‘Journey to Dreaming.’ This project aims to develop two resources; a Toolkit and Diary for Member Services, their clients, and families to find culturally appropriate support in these sensitive and sad times.

Our Member Services want to support their community as much as they can and shared their ideas to develop culturally appropriate and meaningful Journey to Dreaming resources. Some of these ideas included; offering smoking rooms, large gatherings of mob during and outside usual visiting hours, wills, funerals, Advance Care planning, family support, a space to write down important phone numbers, appointment times, an activity section, your feelings for the day, messages to your family, the types of treatment you might be receiving, and a reflection page. We look forward to working with our Members to develop the right resources and programs for the Journey to Dreaming project.

Working together on sexual health

AH&MRC staff, Keiza and Marina, had a yarn with Member Services about AH&MRC’s upcoming sexual health project. Members had the opportunity to suggest key topics they would like to include as part of the new program. The team at IAMS shared how this project can blend sexual health information with a strong cultural perspective. Waminda was interested to collaborate and develop sexual health resources for the benefit of all Member Services. The Public Health Team valued the opportunity to listen and work alongside our Members Services.

“We left the meeting in high spirits knowing we are addressing our Members’ needs and can work together from the beginning of a new project. This is the best way to truly collaborate and deliver meaningful, culturally appropriate sexual health resources for their Communities.” –  AH&MRC’s Public Health Team

Strengthening the Your Health, Your Future campaign

The team delivered Your Health, Your Future merchandise including tote bags, skipping ropes, frisbees and balls to Member Services for their Communities. Kids can have fun while staying active. It helps raise awareness for the Your Health Your Future campaign that encourages people to make the right decisions about their health, for their future. Members shared feedback on 715 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Assessments during COVID-19. Despite the outbreak, Members have encouraged Community members to visit their Services for a health assessment as the first step to looking after their health today, and tomorrow.

“We were able to get Members’ deadly feedback on ways to improve the Your Health, Your Future program. We will work to get a stronger message out to Community on the benefits of having a health assessment at their local AMS.” – AH&MRC’s Public Health Team

Authors – AH&MRC Public Health Team

An Epic Journey: Cycling from Sydney to Broken Hill for Indigenous Health

Posted on by Pawas Gupta

About the author: Reuben Morrison-Greet is a 21 year old paramedic student who is passionate about Indigenous health. Rueben raised $1,330 for the AH&MRC by setting up a fundraiser for his cycling trip from Sydney to Broken Hill. No small feat, the cycling trip is over 1000 km away and took 8 days. The AH&MRC and our Member Services are grateful to Reuben and his contribution to Aboriginal health in NSW.

Day 1.

I remember standing in my kitchen, staring outside at the dark, pouring rain. “It’s an awfully long way,” my mum said, standing next to me. It was 6 am on a Sunday morning and, that day, I was going to embark on an 1000km cycling trip from Sydney to Broken Hill.  I was on a tight schedule as I planned to catch a train back from Broken Hill to Sydney in 8 days time.

But first I had to get there.

My Trip from Sydney to Broken Hill

After resisting the urge to crawl back into bed, I rolled my bike out of the garden and started off towards the city. I pedalled through the morning traffic, over the ANZAC bridge, then Parramatta road. With a sleeping bag, mat, stove and everything else I needed for my weeklong journey strapped to my bike, I set my course for Lithgow.

A fully loaded bicycle, a home away from home!

My growing curiosity on the topic of Indigenous health developed when I initially started my degree in health science, where I would find myself continually getting side-tracked during assignments. After reading articles about how Australia has one of the highest performing healthcare systems in the world, my eyes were often drawn to the little asterisk that always footnoted the too often undiscussed reality; “*For non-indigenous Australians”. It was only after I started down the trail of scientific articles, government reports, historical recounts, or coroners’ findings, that I would begin to grasp the scale and historical depth of these continued injustices that are still reflected today.

After some hair raising moments riding up and over the Blue Mountains, I crawled into a cheap pub room, ate a greasy dinner, and ended up shorting-out the entire upper floor of the pub in an attempt to dry my soaking wet gear with an electric heater.

Day 2.

The weather was marginally better; consistent rain accompanied by narrow highway shoulders and heavy trucks made for a stressful ride to Orange. A puncture in my tyre and a friendly chat with a bike shop owner helped break the monotony.

Day 3.

I decided to take a break from the bike to manage an ongoing injury and instead caught a bus to Condobolin. I struck up a conversation with a man in a pub and mentioned where I planned on stopping the following day; Murrin Bridge, an Indigenous community. I could write a whole separate blog on this conversation alone, but I’ll just say that it left a very bitter impression after realising that particular discriminatory attitudes towards Indigenous Australians were very much alive.

I set out after dinner and rode into the night, setting up my sleeping gear and sleeping bag cover by the side of the road.

Day 4.

As highways turned into single-lane roads, I suffered another punctured tyre coming into Euabalong. After asking around the town for some sealant, within 5 minutes I found myself explaining the unique design differences between Presta and Schrader bicycle tube valves to the entire council road works team at their Euabalong depot.

Hillston to Ivanhoe. Can you spot the car?
Euabablong West.

After kindly declining a “short trip” up to Cobar, I continued to Murrin Bridge. I called ahead in the days prior to make sure the community centre knew I was stopping by, but it was still a surprise to be ushered inside and served a hot lunch within seconds of arriving. I was then introduced to a resident who gave me brief history and tour of what it was like growing up in Murrin Bridge.

Murrin Bridge Community. Ex-Mission
What’s more impressive? A bucket full of emu eggs or 4 days’ worth of helmet hair?
Myself and a proud Murrin Bridge Resident, born and bred.
Murrin Bridge Community Centre

The brief mention of “dogs might chase you” after my walk around was enough to have me promptly on my way to Lake Cargelligo. After a brief stop at the scenic Lake Cargelligo, a glowing red sunset turned into night riding as I pulled into Hillston at about 8pm.

Day 5.

Hillston to Ivanhoe. Empty but difficult dirt roads. 360-degree horizon views. Turns out a name on a map isn’t always a town (looking at you, Mossgiel). If anyone finds a pair of black rain pants on this stretch of road, let me know.

Hillston to Ivanhoe. Can you spot the car?
Nothingness. You can see a car approaching from about 5 mins away.

Day 6.

I had a planned a half- rest day at Ivanhoe due to bad weather, turns out; there was a rugby match on that had attracted about 1000 people that night. Safe to say, as a mixed-race city kid wearing Lycra on a bicycle, I stuck out like the sorest of sore thumbs. Minus the matching Hi-Vis.

1/2 of food options available in Ivanhoe. This place was crammed with patrons the previous night.
Enough food and 3L of water to last 200km

Day 7.

Ivanhoe to Menindee. 160km dirt road. Isolated and vast, but clear skies. Sand and clay definitely test your patience.

My sleeping setup. About 40kms out of Ivanhoe
Day 8.

Menindee to Broken Hill. Homestretch! Ran out of water with 40kms to go. Oops. Low tyre pressures from the day before + misplaced handpump = picking your bike up and walking it over cattle grids – how embarrassing.

70kms! Not long now..

Broken Hill! I should have taken this somewhere more iconic, lucky the Harvey Norman Truck has Broken Hill written on it…

The early train back to Sydney. But first some deodorant…

Author

Reuben Morrison-Greet