Newsletter date: 17 July 2013
Contents:
* Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
* Ruth Armstrong, MJA: A time and a place
* Tammy M Kimpton, MJA: Partnership and leadership: key to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
* Sandra J Eades and Fiona J Stanley, MJA: Improving the health of First Nations children in Australia
* Melissa A Sweet, MJA: Social media: new links for Indigenous health
* Sarah L Blunden and Danny Camfferman, MJA: Can sleep contribute to "closing the gap" for Indigenous children?
* Kerry Arabena, MJA: Future initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
* The Wire interview featuring Lynn Brodie: Revived Lowitja institute back from the brink [Indigenous Health Research]
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Culture should not be denied; change needs unfolding, not impost
* NACCHO eye health news: Indigenous eye health put on Coalition's agenda
* Alexia Atwood, The Conversation: High stress linked to poor health among Indigenous kids
* Sunanda Creagh and Zoe Ferguson, The Conversation: Indigenous child health improves when fruit and veg are cheap: study
* Tracker: Fruit improves health of indigenous kids
* MEDICAL JOURNAL OF AUSTRALIA (MJA): VOLUME 199, ISSUE 1 - 8 JULY, 2013
- Journal Index
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1
"As the MJA’s first issue for July has a focus on Indigenous health, it will be published on 8 July to coincide with NAIDOC Week (7-14 July). The second issue will be published on 22 July."
* RUTH ARMSTRONG, MJA: A TIME AND A PLACE
- News
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): A time and a place
Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
MJA: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1/time-and-place
NACCHO: http://nacchocommunique.com/2013/07/15/naccho-mja-heath-news-naidoc-week...
8 Jul 13: "This issue of the MJA, timed to coincide with NAIDOC Week, is devoted to exploring the health status of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - particularly our children and young people. Children aged 0–14 years make up 35% of the Australian Indigenous population, write Eades and Stanley. Data on their health and development are patchy but indicate a growing divide between Indigenous and other Australian children for several risk factors and conditions. Azzopardi and colleagues add a systematic review of the evidence for young people aged 10-24 years into the mix, ... " Ruth Armstrong, Senior Deputy Editor, Medical Journal of Australia
* TAMMY M KIMPTON, MJA: PARTNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP: KEY TO IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER AUSTRALIANS
- Analysis / Opinion
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Partnership and leadership: key to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1/partnership-and-leadership-key...
8 Jul 13: "The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association urges all medical professionals to support and participate in the values it hopes will be embedded in future health policy. This year, we will see the development of a new National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan to guide governments in improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.1 Development of the Health Plan will be led by the Minister for Indigenous Health, with the support of a stakeholder advisory group to bring together the government and organisations with expertise in Indigenous health.2" Tammy M Kimpton
* SANDRA J EADES AND FIONA J STANLEY, MJA: IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF FIRST NATIONS CHILDREN IN AUSTRALIA
- Analysis / Opinion
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Improving the health of First Nations children in Australia
Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1/improving-health-first-nations...
8 Jul 13: "Regular monitoring and supportive federal and state public policy are critical to closing the gap in child health. Health and wellbeing of children and young people are the keys to human capability of future generations. Human capability includes the capacity to participate in economic, social and civil activities and be a valued contributor to society;1 it means that not only can you usefully live, work and vote, but you can be a good parent to your children. Thus there is no better investment that the state can make than to influence factors that will enhance the health and wellbeing of children and youth." Sandra J Eades and Fiona J Stanley
* MELISSA A SWEET, MJA: SOCIAL MEDIA: NEW LINKS FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH
- Analysis / Opinion
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Social media: new links for Indigenous health
Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1/social-media-new-links-indigen...
8 Jul 13: "Public health journalist Melissa Sweet highlights successes that have resulted from innovative use of social media ... In Australia, the Indigenous health sector has been at the forefront of innovative use of social media for advocacy, public health promotion and community development. Two striking examples are the Lowitja Institute’s nuanced explanation of knowledge exchange from Indigenous perspectives4 and the Healing Foundation’s engaging explanation of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous health.5" Melissa A Sweet
* SARAH L BLUNDEN AND DANNY CAMFFERMAN, MJA: CAN SLEEP CONTRIBUTE TO "CLOSING THE GAP" FOR INDIGENOUS CHILDREN?
- Analysis / Opinion
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Can sleep contribute to "closing the gap" for Indigenous children?
Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1/can-sleep-contribute-closing-g...
8 Jul 13: "Relatively simple interventions could make a significant difference. The wellbeing of Australian Indigenous children has long been an issue of concern and the subject of numerous national partnerships, action plans and government policies. ... We propose that poor sleep health may be a significant and, to date, poorly addressed factor that should be considered within the discourse around closing the gap in the health and wellbeing of Indigenous children and young people." Sarah L Blunden and Danny Camfferman
* KERRY ARABENA, MJA: FUTURE INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES
- Analysis / Opinion
Medical Journal of Australia (MJA): Future initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Volume 199, Issue 1 - 8 July, 2013
MJA: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2013/199/1/future-initiatives-improve-hea...
NACCHO: http://nacchocommunique.com/2013/07/16/naccho-mja-health-news-future-ini...
8 Jul 13: "Continuing to close the health gap will require innovation; long-term, systematic approaches that improve the quality and integrity of data; collaborations and partnerships that reflect an ecological approach to health, and recognition of the proper place and contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australian society. At long last there are signs that the gaps between the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people are closing - but systematic, long-term action needs to continue both within and outside the health system ... " Kerry Arabena
* THE WIRE INTERVIEW FEATURING LYNN BRODIE: REVIVED LOWITJA INSTITUTE BACK FROM THE BRINK [INDIGENOUS HEALTH RESEARCH]
- Audio Interview
The Wire: Revived Lowitja institute back from the brink
Produced by Joline Samawi
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=10582
16 Jul 13: "Australia’s only Aboriginal and Torres strait islander health research institute, the Lowitja institute are successful in securing funding to take them through to 2019. They will now be receiving $25 million every year commencing July 2014 to help facilitate research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
Featured in story: Lynn Brodie, CEO of The Lowitja institute"
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: CULTURE SHOULD NOT BE DENIED; CHANGE NEEDS UNFOLDING, NOT IMPOST
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Culture should not be denied; change needs unfolding, not impost
http://thestringer.com.au/culture-should-not-be-denied-change-needs-unfo...
15 Jul 13: "The widespread dependence on technology has created a greater divide among the haves and have-nots, and has particularly taken a toll on impoverished Aboriginal peoples. When there is no capacity to keep up, the downtrodden feel the sense of despair even more so. The fast-changing technological world is taking a toll on the well-being of many Aboriginal peoples, especially in the remote, and it affects their health, physical and mental. Western Australian anthropologist Jan Turner sees remote Aboriginal communities already devoid of services and facilities further isolated by the rapid advances in technology." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
* NACCHO EYE HEALTH NEWS: INDIGENOUS EYE HEALTH PUT ON COALITION'S AGENDA
- News
NACCHO eye health news: Indigenous eye health put on Coalition's agenda
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2013/07/15/naccho-eye-health-news-indigenous...
15 Jul 13: "CEOs from some of Australia’s leading eye health organisations urged the Coalition to close the gap for vision in Indigenous people at a Vision Summit in Brisbane which coincides with NAIDOC Week. More than 40 leading eye health agencies attended the Vision Summit yesterday to meet with key members of the Coalition including Peter Dutton Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing and Andrew Laming Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health."
* ALEXIA ATWOOD, THE CONVERSATION: HIGH STRESS LINKED TO POOR HEALTH AMONG INDIGENOUS KIDS
- News
The Conversation: High stress linked to poor health among Indigenous kids
http://theconversation.com/high-stress-linked-to-poor-health-among-indig...
15 Jul 13: "High stress among Indigenous children in urban areas is linked to poorer physical health and more parental concern about behavioural issues, a new study has found. Of 344 participating children, 51% had experienced at least one stressful event, according to the new research published in the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia. The authors analysed the results of annual child health checks given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who presented to an urban Indigenous primary health service in Brisbane between March 2007 to March 2010." Alexia Atwood, Editor, The Conversation
* SUNANDA CREAGH AND ZOE FERGUSON, THE CONVERSATION: INDIGENOUS CHILD HEALTH IMPROVES WHEN FRUIT AND VEG ARE CHEAP: STUDY
- News
The Conversation: Indigenous child health improves when fruit and veg are cheap: study
http://theconversation.com/indigenous-child-health-improves-when-fruit-a...
9 Jul 13: "Providing subsidised fruit and vegetable scheme to low-income Indigenous families in northern New South Wales improves children’s health and significantly reduces antibiotic use, a new study has found. The new findings, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, showed that eating fruit and vegetables improved the children’s levels of haemoglobin, reduced emergency department attendances and hospital visits for illness." Sunanda Creagh and Zoe Ferguson, Editors, The Conversation
* TRACKER: FRUIT IMPROVES HEALTH OF INDIGENOUS KIDS
- News
newsTracker: Fruit improves health of indigenous kids
http://tracker.org.au/2013/07/fruit-improves-health-of-indigenous-kids/
9 Jul 13: "HEALTH: The health of indigenous children from low-income families improved significantly after a weekly subsidised fruit and vegetable program, new research shows. The children required less antibiotics and there was a small, but significant increase in their haemoglobin levels, according to the research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Study author Dr Andrew Black said a broader trial was needed to investigate whether it was feasible to have subsidised healthy food programs in Australia."
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