Stay Strong: Aboriginal leaders deliver COVID‐19 health messages

Kerrigan, Vicki; Lee, Anne Marie; Ralph, Anna P.; Lawton, Paul

doi:10.1002/hpja.364

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…ACWs became recognized in the community as ‘go-to’ people, in addition to clinic staff, to provide knowledge and support about ARF. From 2020 (Year Three of the Activity Phase), the ACWs pivoted to additionally providing COVID education (which shares prevention messages with ARF in relation to hand hygiene, cough etiquette and physical distancing) including participation in developing video resources in local languages [ 36 ]. ACWs also became RHD ‘Champions4Change’, an avenue for further knowledge gain and advocacy relating to ARF and RHD [ 37 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a Community-Led Program for Primordial and Primary Prevention of Rheumatic Fever in Remote Northern Australia

Ralph

Kelly

Lee

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Environmental factors including household crowding and inadequate washing facilities underpin recurrent streptococcal infections in childhood that cause acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and subsequent rheumatic heart disease (RHD). No community-based ‘primordial’-level interventions to reduce streptococcal infection and ARF rates have been reported from Australia previously. We conducted a study at three Australian Aboriginal communities aiming to reduce infections including skin sores and sore throats, usually caused by Group A Streptococci, and ARF. Data were collected for primary care diagnoses consistent with likely or potential streptococcal infection, relating to ARF or RHD or related to environmental living conditions. Rates of these diagnoses during a one-year Baseline Phase were compared with a three-year Activity Phase. Participants were children or adults receiving penicillin prophylaxis for ARF. Aboriginal community members were trained and employed to share knowledge about ARF prevention, support reporting and repairs of faulty health-hardware including showers and provide healthcare navigation for families focusing on skin sores, sore throat and ARF. We hypothesized that infection-related diagnoses would increase through greater recognition, then decrease. We enrolled 29 participants and their families. Overall infection-related diagnosis rates increased from Baseline (mean rate per-person-year 1.69 [95% CI 1.10–2.28]) to Year One (2.12 [95% CI 1.17–3.07]) then decreased (Year Three: 0.72 [95% CI 0.29–1.15]) but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.064). Annual numbers of first-known ARF decreased, but numbers were small: there were six cases of first-known ARF during Baseline, then five, 1, 0 over the next three years respectively. There was a relationship between household occupancy and numbers (p = 0.018), but not rates (p = 0.447) of infections. This first Australian ARF primordial prevention study provides a feasible model with encouraging findings.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a Community-Led Program for Primordial and Primary Prevention of Rheumatic Fever in Remote Northern Australia

Ralph

Kelly

Lee

et al. 2022

IJERPH

Self Cite

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“…The health promotion community has been influential during the COVID-19 response in many ways. For example, practitioners assisted in establishing consumer governance and advisory structures reflecting the authentic voices of people with lived experience of specific health concerns or with unique social and cultural needs; 5,6,11,16 developed health information in local languages for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 7 and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; 17 and supported an increase in telehealth service availability and accessibility for people considered geographically isolated. 13 These examples highlight the importance of ensuring the Australian CDC has mechanisms to rapidly and effectively engage consumers from marginalised and vulnerable backgrounds, and privilege their voices in decision-making.…”

Section: Prioritising Health and Social Equitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Health promotion is central to the establishment of an Australian Centre for Disease Control

Smith

Canuto

et al. 2023

Health Prom J of Aust

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Health promotion is central to the establishment of an Australian Centre for Disease Control Following a newly installed federal government and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health and Aged Care commenced planning for the establishment of an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) with the release of a consultation paper about its role and functions, in tandem with a national roadshow. 1 The Minister for Health and Aged Care and Chief Medical Officer invited public health experts to contribute thoughts and ideas about the establishment of an Australian CDC based on 28 guiding questions outlined in the consultation paper. 1 Broadly, these encompassed the scope, functioning and monitoring of the proposed institution. TheAustralian Health Promotion Association (AHPA ® ) submitted a comprehensive response, 2 as did multiple universities, peak bodies, health services and nongovernment organisations across Australia. A consistent theme of many submissions was a call for health promotion to be a prominent feature of the role and functions of the Australian CDC.

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“…The vaccination program was further supported by health promotion activities from NT land councils, Aboriginal controlled health organisations, and arts and language centres. 30 The Menzies School of Health Research partnered with Aboriginal leaders to produce short-videos about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines in local languages, which were shared widely with government departments, clinicians, Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations, and on social medial platforms. 30 The Menzies School of Health Research also partnered with the Telethon Kids Institute to host a COVID-19 vaccine workshop -Sharing Success Stories & Smashing Myths -which provided an opportunity for health services in northern and central Australia to share success stories when promoting vaccine uptake.…”

Section: Covid-19 Vaccinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…30 The Menzies School of Health Research partnered with Aboriginal leaders to produce short-videos about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines in local languages, which were shared widely with government departments, clinicians, Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations, and on social medial platforms. 30 The Menzies School of Health Research also partnered with the Telethon Kids Institute to host a COVID-19 vaccine workshop -Sharing Success Stories & Smashing Myths -which provided an opportunity for health services in northern and central Australia to share success stories when promoting vaccine uptake. Despite these collaborative efforts, by June 2022, two-dose COVID-19 vaccination coverage remains as low as 60% in the Barkly region and in some Central Australian communities (vaccine eligible population aged >5 years).…”

Section: Covid-19 Vaccinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vaccine success and challenges in northern Australia

2022

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote Australia have lower vaccine coverage rates and experience higher rates of notification and hospitalisations for vaccine preventable diseases than non-Aboriginal people. This paper explores important public health and research activities being undertaken in the Northern Territory to reduce this disparity in vaccine program performance, with a particular focus on rotavirus, meningococcal, human papilloma virus and COVID-19 vaccines.

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Stay Strong: Aboriginal leaders deliver COVID‐19 health messages

Cited by 17 publications

References 7 publications

Evaluation of a Community-Led Program for Primordial and Primary Prevention of Rheumatic Fever in Remote Northern Australia

Evaluation of a Community-Led Program for Primordial and Primary Prevention of Rheumatic Fever in Remote Northern Australia

Health promotion is central to the establishment of an Australian Centre for Disease Control

Vaccine success and challenges in northern Australia

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