Newsletter of the Public Health Association of Australia Inc.
Wrap Up: 15th National Immunisation Conference 2016
Vol 37, No 15 July 2016
Inside this issue… Wrap Up: 15th National Immunisation Conference
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PHAA Election Priorities
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PHAA welcomes comprehensive Labor prevention policy 4 Greens committed to tackling obesity by taxing sugary drinks 5 The Global Nutrition Report 2016: From Promise to Impact, Ending Malnutrition by 2030 6 Flying Doctor calls for targeted action so accidents WON’T happen 7 The Adolescent Project: Understanding teenagers and their oral health 9 Lessons from the #QuitForFertility campaign 10 Supporting contraceptive choice 12
The 15th National Immunisation Conference 2016 was a huge success with over 530 delegates attending the event in Brisbane, QLD. The feedback was excellent with some saying, “Best one yet!”, “Best conference I have been to (first in 2010). Excellent speakers, topical research, good speakers,” and “Best scientific content to date”.
The four GSK Immunisation Grant recipients:
The Conference hashtag was tweeted 1505 times by 306 participants resulting in over three million impressions. Media picked up the excited Conference with articles in the Medical Observer, Australian Doctor, Courier Mail and the Brisbane Times. Some of our keynotes spoke to 612 ABC Brisbane live on the Dengue Fever and vaccine hesitant parents.
• SmartVax
PHAA were proud to present the PHAA National Immunisation Achievement Award to Anne Foyer, based in the Wheatbelt region in WA. Lucia Romani received the Aileen Plant Memorial Prize.
• Apunipima Cape York Health Council • Informing Community Horn of Africa HPV Resource Project • Pika Wiya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation
My Health Record goes live in north Queensland 13 Closing the Gap in external causes of death 14 Office Bearers
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New PHAA Members
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The Poster Award winners were Thais Miles and Surendra Karki. PHAA would like to thank all major sponsors: Austalian Government Department of Health GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur and Seqirus. The 16th National Immunisation Conference will be held in June 2018. Keep an eye out on the PHAA website for the location and dates of the Conference. The hashtag will be #NIC2018. We look forward to seeing you all again.
The Public Health Association of Australia is the major organisation advocating for the public’s health in Australia with more than 40 health related disciplines represented in its membership. The Association makes a major contribution to health policy in Australia and has branches in every state and territory. Any person who supports the objectives of the Association is invited to join.
www.phaa.net.au
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PHAA Election
Priorities The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) calls on all parties to ensure Australians have the opportunity for a longer, healthier life. We have set out some of the key priorities below with the crucial point being that they are underpinned by a commitment to a comprehensive public health program, funding and strategies that will benefit the vulnerable in our communities. In particular, PHAA would like to see a commitment and prioritising of health initiatives that focus on Prevention, Protection and Promotion as set out in the Global Charter for the Public’s Health: • Prevention: Primary: vaccination; Secondary: screening; Tertiary: Evidence and community based, integrated person-centred quality health care; healthcare management and planning. • Protection: Regulation and coordination; Health In All Policies; communicable disease control; emergency preparedness; occupational health; environmental health; climate change and ecological sustainability. • Promotion: Social, economic and ecological determinants of health; inequality, healthy settings, health literacy. Our top three asks for all political parties are: 1. To increase the level of Federal funding for prevention from 1.7%[iv] to 5% of the health budget. Investing in prevention, along with promotion and protection of the public’s health keeps people well and out of hospital, significantly decreasing long term pressure on the health system. 2. Address the harms associated with alcohol and sugar through appropriate consumption tax arrangements – hypothecation (ensuring savings are reinvested into health promotion and protection initiatives not only with regard to unhealthy consumption but across health). 3. Focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s health needs, including chronic diseases; tobacco; diabetes; mental health; youth suicide and closing the gap on life expectancy. Additional public health priorities for the 2016 Federal Election can be accessed here: www.phaa.net.au/documents/item/1497
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PHAA welcomes comprehensive Labor prevention policy Sophie Brown - PHAA Communications and Engagement Officer
The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) welcomes Labor’s prevention policy announced on Saturday 18 June 2016 focussing on preventing chronic disease by targeting poor nutrition, physical inactivity, tobacco and harmful alcohol use said PHAA President Professor Heather Yeatman.
“We especially welcome Labor’s ‘Healthy Communities’ plan to target communities who need most support to achieve the health opportunities that others take for granted” said Professor Yeatman. “PHAA also welcomes the $20 million investment to revive the successful National Tobacco Campaign together with additional action to target vulnerable groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with poor mental health and people living in rural and remote areas. These investments are a vital step to closing the life expectancy gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” said Professor Yeatman.
“This policy will have a major impact in reducing chronic diseases which are the leading cause of illness, disability and death in Australia. Labor has listened and is implementing a policy which shows a real understanding that prevention must be a top priority for our health system,” said Professor Yeatman. The Healthy Communities and Chronic Disease Prevention plan has a five-point plan to prevent chronic disease, with a special focus on communities.
The policy will also introduce a National Alcohol Strategy targeting alcohol advertising to children and reducing alcohol related harms. A recent survey conducted by the Foundation of Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) showed 70% of Australians believe alcohol advertising should be banned on television before 8:30pm.
“This commitment from Labor is a significant step in improving the overall health of Australians and preventing chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes,” said Professor Yeatman.
“PHAA looks forward to a similar commitment from other parties. Senator Nick Xenophon commented to the Sydney Morning Herald his list of demands with his fourth demand to change the emphasis on health care towards more preventative measures,” said Professor Yeatman.
“Investing significant funds and resources into nutrition, physical activity, tobacco and alcohol will have a major impact on reducing chronic disease in the community. Labor is demonstrating national leadership and committment this is required to secure Australia’s future health,” said Professor Yeatman.
“Prevention is key to improving the lives of all Australians and policies such as these will bring enormous benefits to Australia’s health,” concluded Professor Yeatman.
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS National Primary Health Care Conference
Primary health care: building a strong preventive foundation for a healthy Australia
Abstracts close Sunday 31 July 2016 23 - 25 November 2016 Pullman Albert Park Melbourne VIC To submit and for more information: events@phaa.net.au http://www.phaa.net.au/events/event/NPHCC-2016
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Greens committed to tackling obesity by taxing sugary drinks Sophie Brown - PHAA Communications and Engagement Officer
A 20% price increase for sugary drinks is a great step forward by the Greens to tackling Australia’s obesity problem especially for children, says Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) President Professor Heather Yeatman.
“Nutritionists, public health advocates and dietitians have been calling for a National Nutrition Policy for years to set a clear comprehensive vision to improve nutrition for all Australians. Preventative health measures like a sugar tax on soft drinks and Labor’s Nutrition Framework are key to lowering Australia’s obesity rate and maintaining a healthy population,” said PHAA CEO and President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) Michael Moore.
“PHAA has long supported taxing of unhealthy commodities as part of multipronged and comprehensive approaches to improving the public’s health. The UK announced their tax in March 2016 and PHAA have been advocating for a similar commitment from Australian political parties,” said Professor Yeatman
“Not only will a sugar tax tackle obesity, the income generated from the levy could be invested in public health initiatives including preventive programs and initiatives to ensure nutritionally desirable foods are affordable and available for disadvantaged groups,” said PHAA CEO Michael Moore.
Earlier today, the Greens released their plans to implement a price increase of 20% on sugar sweetened drinks, which they predicted would result in a 12% drop in consumption. The tax would be paid by producers or importers not retailers.
“We all know eating too much sugar, salt and fat is bad for you. However, our food supply does not reflect healthy choices being the easy choices. The Greens and Labor are committed to making a stand on obesity and improving public health. Yet bipartisan support is needed to make real change to the health of our population and target the overall public health for the country,” concluded Mr Moore.
“Bipartisan support is needed for this tax to make an impact on the obesity problem in Australia. Other major parties have a chance to use the Green’s policy as a springboard and implement a sugar tax as part of their comprehensive nutrition prevention policies,” said Professor Yeatman. Earlier this week Labor announced they will commit $10million to introduce a National Nutrition Framework which will expand the Health Star Rating to help Australians make healthier food choices.
Earlybird Registrations Now Open PHAA 44th Annual Conference & 20th Chronic Disease Network Conference Protection, Prevention, Promotion Healthy Futures: Chronic Conditions and Public Health
Earlybird closes Sunday 17 July 2016 18 - 21 September 2016 Alice Springs Convention Centre, NT To register and for more information: events@phaa.net.au http://www.phaa.net.au/events/event/2016-phaa-and-cdn-joint-conference
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The Global Nutrition Report 2016: From Promise to Impact, Ending Malnutrition by 2030 Julie Woods, Co-convenor of the Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group PHAA
Current commitments do not match the need The amount of current spending on overcoming all forms of malnutrition is too low.
The independent and comprehensive 3rd annual Global Nutrition Report was recently released. The report highlights that 1 in every 3 people are affected by malnutrition – which comes in many forms (see infographic).
SMART commitments and targets matter Not surprisingly, the report finds that when nutrition is prioritised in government policy documents more is spent on nutrition. However, few countries have explicit goals and targets for nutrition and only 30% of countries have targets for NCD prevention.
Based on the data collected, the authors state, “malnutrition and diet are the biggest risk factors for the global burden of disease”. The report documents the state of nutrition or nutrition related indicators in many different countries, measures progress towards agreed goals and makes recommendations to enhance progress towards the goals.
We must move beyond talk to action The report calls for a dramatic strengthening in the implementation of policies and programs. Few countries have developed comprehensive multi strategic and multi sectoral plans nor funded these to be implemented.
There were a number of key findings: Malnutrition creates a cascade of individual and societal challenges—and opportunities New data is presented on the cost of malnutrition. For example, in the United States, there are additional costs to household expenditure on health care of 8% of household annual income when one person in a household is obese. Another example comes from China, where a diagnosis of diabetes results in an annual 16.3 percent loss of income. The authors conclude that the burden of malnutrition falls heavily not only on individuals but on the whole society.
Today’s data and knowledge are not sufficient to maximize investments The report also highlights the lack of data to support nutrition action and evaluation of nutrition programs. The reports then calls for the following actions to address the findings: • Make the political choice to end all forms of malnutrition; • Invest more, and allocate better;
The world is off track to reach global targets— but there is hope Global nutrition and NCD targets adopted by the World Health Assembly will not be reached if current practice continues. Interestingly many countries are making good progress on childhood stunting, wasting and overweight, as well as exclusive breastfeeding. Most however are not progressing successfully on adult overweight, obesity and diabetes nor on anaemia in women. Obesity and overweight are rising in every region and in almost every country.
• Collect the right data to maximize investments; • Invest in carrying out proven and evidence-informed solutions—and in identifying new ones; and • Tackle malnutrition in all its forms Much of the findings come as no surprise to those of us in the field of Public Health Nutrition in Australia and many of our policy statements are directed at the actions called for. Indeed, our new “Towards and National Nutrition Policy” statement addresses many of these issues and calls for the sorts of actions recommended in the Global Nutrition Report.
Nutrition is central to the Sustainable Development Goals The report notes that “at least 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals contain indicators that are highly relevant for nutrition, reflecting nutrition’s central role in sustainable development”. Progress in health, education, employment, female empowerment, and poverty and inequality reduction is highly relevant to improved nutrition. Women’s power and status are particularly important drivers of malnutrition.
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Flying Doctor calls for targeted action so accidents WON’T happen Lana Mitchell, Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
No bride plans to spend her wedding night in hospital. But that is where Jo Rasche landed after her wedding ceremony, fearing she may never walk again.
Luckily, Mrs Rasche managed to walk again. “The doctors said I was a miracle,” she said. “When I came out of hospital we were joking that when we finally got married, John tried to kill me.”
On New Year’s Eve 2012, in a post-ceremony cool down on the 43C day, new husband John Rasche was towing her and a friend in a tube behind a boat on the River Murray at Waikerie in South Australia.
Recent Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) research has looked closely into accidents and injuries that occur in rural and remote Australia.
“All I wanted to do was get married and not draw attention to myself,” she said.
The research paper entitled Responding to Injuries in Rural and Remote Australia, was prepared by the RFDS Research and Policy Unit using data and evidence from multiple sources and has been reviewed by academic experts, accident and injury experts, as well as RFDS staff.
But before the couple had even cut the cake, Mrs Rasche was flung from the tube while travelling at about 95km/h and knocked unconscious. She was rushed to the local hospital with serious neck injuries before a flight to Adelaide with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Mrs Rasche’s ligaments were torn, dislodging spinal discs in her neck, with seven minor discs bulging from the neck to the lower spine. A vertebra in her neck and the discs above and below the vertebra had to be removed.
The research has found that across every measure, rates of injury and associated death are higher in country Australia than in major cities. One in five aeromedical evacuations the RFDS undertakes every year, are in response to accidents and injury, but accidents can be prevented.
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PHAA 44th Annual Conference & 20th Chronic Diseases Network Conference 2016
18-21 September 2016 | Alice Springs Convention Centre | #PHAACDN2016
‘Protection, Prevention, Promotion’ Healthy futures: Chronic conditions and public health
SPONSORSHIP & EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES PHAA and CDN, on this rare opportunity, welcome you to be part of the joint PHAA 44th Annual Conference and the 20th Chronic Disease Network Conference. Sponsorship of the Conference offers a strategic opportunity to demonstrate the support your organisation gives to the public health and chronic disease sectors and to associate your brand with leadership, sector networking and partnership development. The selection of sponsorship and exhibition packages featured in this prospectus varies in commitment levels, providing marketing solutions for organisations of any size. In addition to the set packages outlined sponsorship packages can be customised to meet your organisation’s objectives. The Conference hosts work closely with all sponsors and exhibitors to ensure you are satisfied with your involvement and return on investment. The PHAA team will provide assistance to sponsors by: • understanding and agreeing from the outset your organisation’s expectations of the sponsorship or exhibition arrangement; • liaising with you on additional value-add opportunities; • sourcing electronic copies of your organisation’s logo for reproduction in official conference material; • advising you on company literature you may be eligible to incorporate in the conference satchels and on the quantities required; • assisting you with registration processes; • advising you on accommodation options and assisting in booking. Our aim is to provide support to sponsors and exhibitors to allow you to generate the best possible outcomes from the conference.
Email events@phaa.net.au for the Sponsorship & Exhibition Brochure
Vist www.phaa.net.au/events for more information 8
The Adolescent Project: Understanding teenagers and their oral health Melissa Cartledge, Barwon Health
The behaviours of teenage dental patients are being examined through a new program being undertaken by Barwon Health’s Oral Health service.
‘Identifying students at need of dental treatment has potential to decrease service burden and prevent the need for extensive treatment.’
Students in years 7 to 10 from schools across Apollo Bay, Colac, Lavers Hill and Lorne have been invited to participate in the Adolescent Project in a bid to understand the reasons behind poor attendance rates and increased dental caries in teenagers.
Head of Barwon Health and Colac Area Health’s Department of Oral Health Services, Dr. Michael Smith, is pleased with the progress of the project to date. ‘We appreciate the support we have received from the secondary schools,’ Dr. Smith said.
The project aims to identify barriers that teenagers from the Colac-Otway region are facing when accessing dental services. Through the use of a series of surveys and dental screenings, researchers are endeavouring to understand risky behaviours undertaken by teenagers, which may impact on their oral health. Such behaviours include dietary habits, hygiene practices, lifestyle choices (including facial/oral piercings) and their mental health status.
‘Understanding the behaviour of teenagers and the attitude toward dental treatment will allow for improved health promotion programs to be developed and integrated into dental practice.’ Ms. Mayze will be returning to the schools again at the commencement of term one to complete the interview phase. The conclusion of the project will see an analysis of the current service design and model of care, with future service redesign plans being considered to improve access for the teenage population in the region.
Barwon Health Oral Health Therapist, Lara Mayze, is heading the research project. Ms. Mayze has been applying dental anxiety surveys and conducting baseline dental screenings with students in order to obtain data that will be used to understand current oral health knowledge and practices, as well as understanding underlying dental anxieties. ‘The experience of working with the students is rewarding, and the research findings are fundamental in order to understand changes required to improve oral health outcomes,’ Ms. Mayze said.
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Lessons from the #QuitForFertility campaign Louise Johnson, CEO, Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority
Additionally, social and multi-media platforms continued to be used successfully to promote key messages. Two gifs – animated images – were commissioned for use on social media and a number of relevant expert videos were produced. All generated significant engagement.
It is well known that smoking is linked to cancer, heart disease and emphysema. What is less widely understood is that smoking affects fertility and a person’s chances of having a healthy baby. To promote understanding of this important message, Your Fertility launched its #Quitforfertility campaign on 23 May in collaboration with Quit Victoria.
For Your Fertility, the campaign provided a useful insight into the positive results that the combination of traditional and innovative campaigning approaches can produce.
Since its launch in 2011, Your Fertility has had a track record of running impactful public health campaigns which have culminated in around three million visits to the Your Fertility website in the past year. For previous campaigns, however, the majority of the Your Fertility audience outreach has been achieved via social media, with traditional media showing less interest in its messages.
Your Fertility is a national public education program funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and the Victorian Government Department of Health. The program is run by the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (lead agency), the Robinson Research Institute, Andrology Australia, and Jean Hailes for Women’s Health. For more information visit www.yourfertility.org.au
This year was different. The #Quitforfertility campaign was launched with the release of an interactive smoking and fertility online tool, developed in partnership with Quit Victoria. Launched at Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, on 23 May, the campaign attracted extensive television, radio and print news coverage. The #Quitforfertility launch was not ground-breaking in its approach, but it managed to bring together a number of important campaign ingredients, including: • A key message that was fresh and a little different. In this case it was - we know that smoking can impact on our health, but what is less known is that it can also reduce our fertility and chances of having a healthy baby • Working with an enthusiastic and supportive partner organisation which has a significant public profile and established audience • Having an innovative and picture-friendly news hook for the launch: the interactive online tool • Having experts available for interview – from Your Fertility and Quit Victoria • Having a case study available for interview at the launch – a woman who had quit smoking when she found out she was pregnant and her two young, photogenic sons • Choosing the launch date carefully: a week before World No Tobacco Day In addition to traditional news media coverage, Your Fertility also provided articles on the topic to a range of health and health professional publications in the lead-up to and following the launch.
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15th World Congress on Public Health 3-7 April 2017 Melbourne Australia
call for abstracts Abstract submissions for the 15th World Congress on Public Health 2017 open Monday 11 April 2016 The Scientific Committee for the World Congress on Public Health 2017 invites authors to submit abstracts for presentation at WCPH2017. Submissions are sought for: • Orals
• Panel Discussions
• Posters
• Storytelling
• Workshops
Dates and Deadlines Call for Abstracts opens
11 April 2016
Call for Abstracts closes
26 August 2016
Authors notified of results
October 2016
Presenter registration deadline
7 December 2016
To submit an abstract and for full details, visit the Congress website at www.wcph2017.com www.wcph2017.com
voices vision action 11
Supporting contraceptive choice Kylie Woolcock, Policy Manager Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Associations (AHHA)
A recent report has called for an overhaul of medical services offered to women seeking contraception1, as researchers reveal that half of all pregnancies are unplanned and half of all unplanned pregnancies are terminated2.
“However, in lower socio-economic areas the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives by women following termination is less than that in more affluent areas, suggesting cost barriers to reliable contraception may also contribute to this lower uptake.”5
The report by the AHHA, which was funded by MSD in Australia, states that inadequate Medicare rebates are a key reason women are not offered more effective and less user-dependent methods of contraception1.
The report also calls for1: • Greater education of Australian women on contraception choice, including materials adapted for those with low literacy, or addressed to specific population groups.
The A Health System that Supports Contraception Choice report calls for increased Medicare funding for contraception services, including the extension of Medicare items to include nurses working in GP clinics who insert and remove long-acting reversible contraceptive implants and devices1.
• A single ‘gold standard’ guideline across all health professions and practice environments to support use of appropriate contraception methods. • Increased training and involvement of nurses in the provision of contraception services, including the insertion and removal of long-acting reversible contraceptive devices.
“The current Medicare Benefits Schedule review process is an opportunity to address this, ensuring that MBS items reflect best contemporary practice,” said Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association Chief Executive Alison Verhoeven.
• An increased role for pharmacists in providing counselling on contraceptive options, most notably when dispensing emergency contraception (i.e. the morning-after pill).
Family Planning NSW Medical Director Dr Deborah Bateson said in countries like Sweden, one-in-four women use a long-acting contraceptive3, compared to one-in-ten in Australia4.
References: 1. Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, ‘A health system that supports contraceptive choice’. 2016
“There appear to be several reasons for this difference, including a lack of awareness, as well as misinformation about these effective methods of contraception which can be used by most women with a low chance of sideeffects and high rates of satisfaction and continuation,” she said.
2. Children by Choice. Facts and Figures, ‘How many abortions take place in Australia’ http://www. childrenbychoice.org.au/info-a-resources/facts-andfigures/faq-for-students-and-researchers#f1 Accessed 11 May 2016.
Dr Philip Goldstone, Medical Director for Marie Stopes International, Australia’s largest provider of pregnancy termination services, says long-acting reversible contraceptive methods could significantly reduce unintended pregnancy compared with the more commonly used contraceptive pills5.
3. Kopp Kallner, H et al. ‘Use of Contraception and Attitudes towards Contraceptive Use in Swedish Women - A Nationwide Survey’. 2015. PLoS ONE 10(5): e0125990. 4. Family Planning Alliance Australia, ‘Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC): Position Statement’ http://www. fpv.org.au/assets/FPAA-LARC-Position-Statement-FINALOctober-2014.pdf Accessed 11 May 2016.
“Despite this, our experience is that currently only a quarter of women chose a long-acting contraceptive after a termination5. A lack of awareness and education is a major barrier to changing contraceptive methods,” he said.
5. Goldstone, P et al. ‘Factors predicting uptake of longacting reversible methods of contraception among women presenting for abortion’ Medical Journal of Australia 2014; 201 (7): 412-416
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My Health Record goes live in north Queensland Sarah Flenley, My Health Record Communications Coordinator Northern Queensland Primary Health Network
In November last year, Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) was selected as one of only two PHNs in Australia to trial the Federal Government’s new “opt-out” My Health Record for around one million Australians, as part of the planned future of health.
For the individual, it means not having to repeat their health story every time they see a new provider and they can keep track of all of their health information all in one place. People can now add their personal information, customise privacy settings and nominate friends or family members to help them in managing their information.
My Health Record is the new name for the Australian Government’s national digital health record system and is a secure online summary of a person’s important health information.
NQPHN’s footprint, which covers from just south of Mackay to the tip of the Torres Strait, is an ideal trial site as it covers four hospital and health services, has large populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and covers people living in both cities and in rural and remote areas.
It can be viewed and contributed to by authorised clinicians including GPs, allied health professionals, pharmacists, aged care, specialists, hospitals and by the record holder themselves. Almost a million people living across the two trial sites are now able to access their newly created My Health Records.
And given the remote nature of the region, it reinforces the need for a functional electronic health system. The NQPHN My Health Record team have been busy working with community and health care professionals to ensure people are ready to use the My Health Record system.
And from 15 July, authorised healthcare providers will be able to be access these newly-created records once registered to use the system. This is good news for health care providers, as the more people that are using the digital health system, the more information is available to them about their patients.
In order for healthcare providers to be ready for 15 July, training resources are available on the My Health Record website - https://myhealthrecord.gov.au/internet/mhr/ publishing.nsf/Content/healthcare-providers - or if you are in the NQPHN region, you contact the My Health Record team on myhealthrecord@primaryhealth.com. auAustralia 2014; 201 (7): 412-416
My Health Record supports health care professions to better coordinate clinical care by having access to information such as allergies, immunisations and health care summaries, which means providers can offer people the best care possible to reduce adverse events, especially during a medical emergency.
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Closing the Gap in external causes of death Carrington Shepherd, Jenny Fairthorne and Roz Walker
A recent Intouch article (June 2016) provided an encouraging insight into mortality rate trends among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, highlighting recent improvements in infant mortality rates and estimates of life expectancy.
While the study does not untangle the complex pathways that lead to a fatal accident, suicide or homicide, it highlights Aboriginal mothers as a particularly at-risk group that require high levels of support. Policies, interventions and health promotion that support healthy mental health, prevent and manage substance abuse, reduce domestic violence, and the stresses associated with the persistent marginalisation of Aboriginal peoples’ in society, are all likely to protect mothers and their children from these preventable events.
However, there continues to be vast disparities in preventable deaths for key population groups and by cause. Deaths from external causes are an important case in point, because they occur far too often in Aboriginal society and have a deep-rooted impact on families and communities. Recent data indicate that land transport accidents and suicide are leading causes of death for Aboriginal people and occur at twice the rate recorded among non-Aboriginal populations.
1. Fairthorne J, Walker R, de Klerk N, Shepherd C. Early mortality from external causes in Aboriginal mothers: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Public Health 2016;16(1): 1-11.
Most of these deaths occur in young adulthood and the broader period of child-rearing and, consequently, can have a particularly traumatic impact on children and their development—including prolonged periods of grief, depression, stress, anxiety, problems with identity development, and the onward risks of substance abuse and suicide. Part of the impact (and public health significance) of early loss on Aboriginal children is likely to be centered on the demographic consequences of historically lower overall life expectancy: put simply, there are generally fewer older and experienced people available for the care, protection, teaching and cultural guidance of children exposed to the trauma of parental loss. We recently took a closer look at deaths from external cause events in Western Australia, including accidents, suicides and homicides—and we focused specifically on the added risks to Aboriginal mothers, given their central role in the cultural, social and spiritual health of children.1 Our analysis of four linked datasets found that Aboriginal mothers were 6½ times more likely to die from external causes (accidents, suicides and homicides) than other mothers from 1983-2010. About half of this excess risk is explained by poorer socioeconomic circumstances and residential location—because Aboriginal people are more likely to live in poorer areas and remote locations, where external cause deaths are more likely to occur. Importantly, children born to Aboriginal mothers suffer a loss at an earlier age and often in the formative years of development (5 years of age, on average).
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Office Bearers The Board
SIG Convenors
President Heather Yeatman: hyeatman@uow.edu.au Vice President - (Policy) Marion Carey: mariongc@bigpond.com Vice President - (Development) David Templeman: davidtempleman1@live.com Vice President - (Finance) Richard Franklin: richard.franklin@jcu.edu.au Vice President - (Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health) Carmen Parter: carmen.parter@sydney.edu.au SIG Convenors’ representatives Yvonne Luxford: yvonne.luxford@gmail.com Peter Tait: aspetert@bigpond.com Branch Presidents’ representatives Gillian Mangan: gillian.mangan@heartfoundation.org.au Paul Gardiner: p.gardiner@sph.ug.edu.au
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Co-convenors Summer Finlay: summermayfinlay@gmail.com Yvonne Luxford: yvonne.luxford@gmail.com Alcohol Mike Daube: M.Daube@curtin.edu.au Julia Stafford: J.Stafford@curtin.edu.au Child Health Co-convenors Colin Macdougall: colin.macdougall@flinders.edu.au Ecology and Environment Peter Tait: aspetert@bigpond.com Evidence, Research & Policy in Complementary Medicine Jon Adams: jon.adams@uts.edu.au Food & Nutrition Co-convenors Julie Woods: j.woods@deakin.edu.au Helen Vidgen: h.vidgen@qut.edu.au Health Promotion Carmel Williams: Carmel.Williams@health.sa.gov.au Immunisation Co-convenors Angela Newbound: Angela.Newbound@yahoo.com Michelle Wills: michjwills@gmail.com Injury Prevention Co-convenors Richard Franklin: richard.franklin@jcu.edu.au Lyndal Bugeja: lyndal.c.bugeja@coronerscourt.vic.gov.au International Health Jaya Earnest: j.earnest@curtin.edu.au Brahm Marjadi: B.Marjadi@uws.edu.au Justice Health Co-convenors Tony Butler: tbutler@nchecr.unsw.edu.au Stuart Kinner: s.kinner@unimelb.edu.au Mental Health Co-convenors Michael Smith: mikejohnsmith@hotmail.com Kristy Sanderson: Kristy.Sanderson@utas.edu.au One Health (Zoonoses) Simon Reid: simon.reid@uq.edu.au Oral Health Bruce Simmons: simmonsbruce@hotmail.com Political Economy of Health Deborah Gleeson: d.gleeson@latrobe.edu.au Primary Health Care Co-convenors Jacqui Allen: jacqui.allen@deakin.edu.au Gwyn Jolley: gwyn.jolley@flinders.edu.au Women’s Health Co-convenors Catherine Mackenzie: catherine.mackenzie@flinders.edu.au Tinashe Dune: T.Dune@uws.edu.au
ANZJPH Editors Editor in Chief John Lowe: jlowe@usc.edu.au Editors Priscilla Robinson: priscilla.robinson@latrobe.edu.au Anna Ziersch: anna.ziersch@flinders.edu.au Melissa Stoneham: M.Stoneham@curtin.edu.au Bridget Kool:b.kool@auckland.ac.nz Roxanne Bainbridge: roxanne.bainbridge@jcu.edu.au Luke Wolfenden: Luke.Wolfenden@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au Branch Presidents ACT Russell McGowan: lazaruss@bigpond.com NSW Jude Page: judepage1@gmail.com NT Michael Fonda: michaelfonda@yahoo.com.au QLD Paul Gardiner: p.gardiner@sph.uq.edu.au SA (Acting) Rebecca Tooher: rebecca.tooher@adelaide. edu.au TAS Gillian Mangan: gillian.mangan@heartfoundation.org.au VIC Brian Vandenberg: Brian.Vandenberg@monash.edu WA (Acting) Jillian Abraham: Jillian.Abraham@health.wa.gov.au Chief Executive Officer Michael Moore: ph (02) 6285 2373 mmoore@phaa.net.au
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PHAA Welcomes New Members Individuals
Ahmad Altaher VIC Linn Barelli SA Georgia Bath ACT Rose Bell VIC Edward Brown NSW Monica Cations SA Anita Chauvin VIC Alison Chew NT Pasqualina Coffey NT Denae Cotter NSW Angela Curtis VIC Stephen Fisher VIC Maev Fitzpatrick Laura Ford ACT Agustina Gancia SA Chantelle Giles QLD Hargun Gill SA Ellie Gresham QLD Kathryn Harvey SA Natalie Holowko Stockholm Megan Humphreys NSW Rosana Ibarra ACT Andrew Ingleton NSW Prachi Kaistha WA John Kaldor NSW Kirsten Kennington SA Asad Khan NSW Shahrukh Khan TAS
Advertising Rates Catherine King NSW Josephine Kiuk VIC Jozica Kutin VIC Adina Lang VIC Christopher Lim WA Xinyi Lim QLD Helen Mahar VIC Pragya Malla NSW Emina McLean VIC Rob Menzies NSW Lea Merone QLD Kirsten Morley NSW Magdalena Moshi SA Subrat Nargundkar NSW Kenechukwu Ifeabuchukwu Obi SA Angela Rintoul VIC Margaret Robin QLD Peter Schofield NSW Swati Shourie QLD Gillian Singleton VIC Emma Thomas VIC Dina Vassilevska NSW Melanie Voevodin VIC Saisai Wang others Erin Wedgwood NSW Christina Whap SA Jordan Willcock VIC Larissa Wilson QLD
Articles appearing in intouch do not necessarily reflect the views of the PHAA but are intended to inform and stimulate thought, discussion and comment. Contributions are welcome and should be sent to: Sophie Brown, intouch, PHAA email: communications@phaa.net.au
1/4 page $100 1/2 page $150 Full page $200 PDF format preferred but PHAA staff can prepare your advertisement (rate of $20 p/h)
Conference listing (5cm column)
up to 5 lines $35 up to 10 lines $58 If further information is required please contact PHAA via email: communications@phaa.net.au Email and Webpage adverts email phaa@phaa.net.au For more information click here
How to join PHAA ONLINE MEMBERSHIP is available at: www.phaa.net.au or enquiries to: Public Health Association of Australia
PO Box 319, Curtin ACT 2605 Tel 02 6285 2373 Fax 02 6282 5438 email: phaa@phaa.net.au twitter: @_PHAA_