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The rapid response to the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia has highlighted the vulnerabilities of remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in terms of the high prevalence of complex chronic disease and socio‐economic factors such as limited housing availability and overcrowding. The response has also illustrated the capability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Sector, working with the government, to rapidly and effectively mitigate the threat of transmission into these vulnerable remote communities. The pandemic has exposed persistent workforce challenges faced by primary health care services in remote Australia. Specifically, remote health services have a heavy reliance on short‐term or fly‐in, fly‐out/drive‐in, drive‐out staff, particularly remote area nurses. The easing of travel restrictions across the country brings the increased risk of transmission into remote areas and underscores the need to adequately plan and fund remote primary health care services and ensure the availability of an adequate, appropriately trained local workforce in all remote communities.

Child protection practitioners view Aboriginal communities as victim, adversary, participant, partner, and protector of children. These representations of communities are derived from interview data with 19 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal child protection social workers in British Columbia, Canada. The representations of the community are informed by the practitioner’s geographic relationship to the community and the length of community residency (including whether it’s the practitioner’s community of origin). Practitioners view communities as a victim or adversary when no relationship of trust exists with the community. Practitioners view communities having a participative or partnership role in child protection when trust has developed. When communities take full responsibility for children’s welfare, practitioners view the community as the protector of children. No clear association was found between the different representations of the community and the practitioner’s culture or organizational auspices. The practitioner’s own vision of practice is believed to significantly influence the relationship that develops with the community.

In this article, the authors attempt to illustrate how two Aboriginal community-based projects were conceptualized and developed through the collaborative efforts of four individuals who believed in the merits of a project aimed at survivors and intergenerational survivors of the residential school system as well as Aboriginal people in trouble with the law. Drawing upon a small body of literature on university/community collaboration, the authors illustrate the importance of meaningful collaboration between universities and communities in order to enhance a mutually beneficial relationship conducive to community-engaged scholarship. Through an examination of the case study of the Healing of The Seven Generations Project and the Four Directions Aboriginal Restorative Justice Project, the authors hope to illustrate to fellow Aboriginal colleagues in Canada the merits, strengths and challenges of university/ community collaboration. Ultimately, what the authors hope to share through this article is an example of how university/community collaboration can create spaces whereby Aboriginal people have become agents of their own healing.

There is a need for emergency management systems in Australia to shift to a more collaborative model that involves working with communities rather than simply delivering to communities. This research paper argues that in order to address this, emergency services organisations in Australia need to continue to shift from a service delivery approach to a more localised, participatory and consultative model that acknowledges and harnesses local leadership, knowledge, skills and experience creating opportunities for community driven and fit-for-purpose emergency management. The paper makes the case for why localised approaches are important in places with diverse populations such as the Northern Territory (NT). The NT Aboriginal community of Nauiyu’s experience of evacuations due to flooding in 2015 and 2018 will be used as a case study to offer an example of locally led approaches to disaster resilience.

This study explored the process and early outcomes of work undertaken by a program to increase Aboriginal people’s awareness of, and access to, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This ‘Access Program’ was implemented through the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia. Access Program staff were interviewed to explore the strengths, challenges, and future directions of the program. The demographics, primary disability types, and NDIS access outcomes for clients who engaged with the program in the first 12 months of its implementation have been described. The Access Program engaged with 373 clients during the study period and assisted 118 of these to achieve access to the NDIS. The program was reported as successful by staff in its aim of connecting eligible people with the NDIS. Vital to this success was program implementation by the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector. Staff in these organisations held community trust, provided culturally appropriate services, and utilised strengths-based approaches to overcome barriers that have historically hindered Aboriginal people’s engagement with disability services. Our results demonstrate the Access Program is a successful start in increasing awareness of, and access to, the NDIS for Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region. Much work remains to assist the large number of Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region believed to be eligible for NDIS support who are yet to achieve access.

Self-regulation and executive functioning impairments are common in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Given the high rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder identified amongst children living in the remote Fitzroy Valley region of Western Australia, the Alert Program® was identified as a culturally safe intervention for use in local primary schools. Researchers collaborated with Aboriginal Elders, community members, and staff from a Fitzroy Valley primary school to trial the Alert Program®. Teachers were trained to deliver eight Alert Program® lessons to children in class. Self-regulation and executive functioning were measured using teacher and parent/caregiver questionnaires three times. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Teacher-led delivery of the Alert Program® was feasible in a region with high fetal alcohol spectrum disorder rates. As measured by teacher and parent/caregiver ratings, this curriculum may improve the self-regulation and executive functioning of children for some outcomes and provide sustained effects for some children. This community partnered pilot research, evaluated a school-based program to reduce the behavioral impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and informed design of a larger trial across eight Aboriginal community schools.

Purpose This paper aims to examine the nature and level of disclosures on engagement with Aboriginal communities by Australian mining companies. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis of annual and sustainability reports of Australian Stock Exchange listed companies was undertaken to address the central research aim of this paper. An Aboriginal engagement framework was developed based on the five dimensions suggested by Reconciliation Australia. Findings The findings of the study report an overall low level of disclosures on Aboriginal engagement by mining companies and reveal that corporate disclosures largely focus on Land and Native title agreements, Aboriginal employment and corporate investment in Aboriginal socio-economic development. The least reported issues include Aboriginal immersion experience, Aboriginal inclusion in leadership roles and commitment to the reconciliation process. The findings of the study suggest that although corporate engagement practices have started to recognise and incorporate marginalised stakeholder rights and issues, only a few companies have created necessary avenues to empower Aboriginal communities. Regarding the reconciliation process, the findings reveal that the companies are mostly reporting on only three out of the five dimensions of the framework. Practical implications This study provides a better understanding of the current state of Aboriginal engagement practices in the mining sector, in particular the issues and gaps in reporting Aboriginal engagement to align it with the national reconciliation process, which will be useful for policymakers and, possibly, standard setters to develop future Aboriginal engagement and disclosure policies. Originality/value In spite of the rapid development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure, disclosure of corporate impacts on Aboriginal people and reconciliation with Aboriginal communities has been given little attention in business CSR practice and previous CSR disclosure literature. This research fills this gap and investigates the increasing uptake of Aboriginal engagement disclosures by business corporations.

IntroductionAboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) routinely collect sexually transmissible infection (STI) and blood-borne virus (BBV) clinical data from individuals through electronic medical records (EMRs). At a population level these data are an underutilised resource and can be used to help drive clinical and public health interventions. Accordingly, we have established a national STI and BBV sentinel surveillance network for ACCHSs —the ATLAS network. Objectives and ApproachIn establishing the ATLAS network, we standardised and automated extraction of deidentified clinical data from multiple EMRs using The University of Melbourne’s GRHANITE™ software. Regular reports are provided to each ACCHS, addressing 12 clinical indicators considered best practice in STI and BBV control and management. Data are used to drive Continuous Quality Improvement strategies, can be aggregated at regional and national levels, and have the ability to link to other surveillance networks also using GRHANITE™. ResultsThe ATLAS network currently includes more than 30 ACCHSs, including urban, regional and remote areas. To date, data have been analysed for >50,000 individuals aged ≥15 years attending medical consultations at ACCHS between January 2016 and December 2018. For clients in the key age-range for STI testing of 15–29 years, the mean annual rate of chlamydia/gonorrhoea testing was 25% (range: 1–59%). The mean annual rate of chlamydia positivity for clients 15–29 years was 3% (range: 0–19%) and the mean annual rate of gonorrhoea positivity was 2% (range: 0–18%). Conclusion / ImplicationsAn integrated network of STI and BBV testing and management data has been successfully established amongst ACCHSs nationally. The ATLAS network can be readily expanded and has the potential to link to other datasets using the GRHANITE™ tool. ATLAS provides a unique data infrastructure with capacity to support novel research programs as well as underpin quality improvement activities within participating sites.

Objectives: To identify and describe chronic disease prevention programs offered by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods: ACCHSs were identified through the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW website. Chronic disease programs were identified from the Facebook page and website of each ACCHS. Characteristics, including regions, target population, condition, health behaviour, modality and program frequency were extracted and summarised. Results: We identified 128 chronic disease programs across 32 ACCHSs. Of these, 87 (68%) programs were broad in their scope, 20 (16%) targeted youth, three (2%) targeted Elders, 16 (12%) were for females only and five (4%) were for males only. Interventions included physical activity (77, 60%), diet and nutrition (74, 58%), smoking (70, 55%), and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Check (44, 34%), with 93 programs (73%) of ongoing duration. Conclusions: Chronic disease prevention programs address chronic conditions by promoting physical activity, diet and nutrition, smoking cessation and health screening. Most target the general Aboriginal community, a few target specific groups based on gender and age, and more than one‐quarter are time‐limited. Implications for public health: Chronic disease programs that are co‐produced with specific groups, based on age and gender, may be needed.

Since late March 2020, Australia has established 141 GP-led respiratory clinics with more than half situated in rural areas and 16 based in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.1 With the clear remit to augment the response of primary care by providing a pathway for the in-person assessment of acute respiratory illness, the respiratory clinics have broadly been successful in managing the escalating demand for respiratory assessment in a safe manner for health practitioners and …

Simple Summary Many remote Australian Aboriginal communities face barriers in accessing animal health care for their pets. A community that faces these barriers implemented a community-driven program with the objective of improving animal health and population management. The program was evaluated by comparing the percentage of animals desexed, the body and hair condition of dogs, and the presentations at the health clinic for dog bites before versus after 12 months of program implementation. Results show improved animal health measures and no measurable change in human presentations for dog bites. This program, with One Health considerations, could be suitable for other communities facing similar animal health care barriers. Abstract This study evaluated a community-driven animal health and management program in the remote community of Wadeye, Northern Territory. This evaluation used a pre-post design to assess changes in animal and human health outcomes over a 12-month period of program implementation, from June 2018 to June 2019. The evaluation assessed the program by comparing animal health outcomes before versus one year after program implementation and comparing human health outcomes before versus during the first 12 months of the program. Outcome measures included the desexing status of dogs and cats, body condition and hair score of dogs, and rates of people presenting to the health clinic for a dog bite. Animal health outcomes significantly improved after program implementation. From pre to post program, there was a 77% increase in the prevalence of good body condition score among dogs and a 9% increase in the prevalence of good hair score among dogs, and the prevalence of desexed dogs and cats more than doubled. There was no significant change in the number of people presenting to the health clinic for a dog bite. Consideration on how to further incorporate human and environmental health aspects into the program could be useful for future One Health programs.

BackgroundThere is strong evidence from many settings that tobacco tax rises which increase prices reduce tobacco consumption, but only limited evidence from Indigenous settings.MethodsWe analysed 3 years (2016–2018) of weekly sales data from 32 stores in remote Aboriginal communities. We used interrupted time series analysis to estimate the immediate impact of the price rice following annual 12.5% tobacco tax rises on sales on (A) stick equivalents of tobacco and (B) fruit and vegetables (kg) per $A1000 of grocery sales, and on the trend in sales between price rises.ResultsWe detected 5.8% and 8.2% immediate declines in tobacco sales following the price rises associated with annual 12.5% tax rises in 2016 and 2018, and a non-significant decline (1.6%) following the 2017 tax rise. Decreased sales were mainly driven by declines in mainstream and premium factory-made cigarettes. Fruit and vegetable sales did not change at the time of tobacco price rises.ConclusionFor the first time, we demonstrated evidence of price-sensitivity and the immediate impact of price rises from tobacco tax rises on tobacco sales in remote Aboriginal communities. We acknowledge that Australia already has very high tobacco taxation and prices, but recommend further increases to the taxation of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco to prevent smokers and industry using cheaper RYO cigarettes to undermine this impact of high tobacco taxes and prices.

A 19-year-old Australian Indigenous woman presented after suffering a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest whilst swimming, leading to near drowning, in a remote Aboriginal community of South Au...

Microscopy-based technique has been widely used in the detection of Blastocystis sp. This study was conducted to compare the techniques used for screening of Blastocystis sp., namely in vitro cultivation of stool specimens in Jones’ medium (IVC) followed by Wheatley Trichrome staining and direct examination of stool samples preserved with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) followed by Wheatley Trichrome staining with single-round polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as the reference technique. The study was performed on 466 stool samples obtained from the aboriginal community in Pahang, Malaysia. IVC showed higher detection rate of Blastocystis sp. (35.6%) than PVA (20.0%). Single-round PCR detected Blastocystis sp. in 41.0% of the stool specimens. The sensitivity and specificity of PVA and IVC in comparison to the reference technique were 75.3% (95% CI: 65.2-83.6) and 68.5% (CI: 63.7-73.3) and 88.6% (CI: 82.7-93.0) and 86.3% (CI: 81.9-90.0), respectively. The agreement between the reference technique and PVA showed statistically significant fair agreement by Cohen Kappa statistics of (K=0.318, p

The reach and impact of the LiveLighter and Aboriginal sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) advertisements among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.The Aboriginal SSB advertisement launched online in January 2015 and aired on NITV in October/November 2015 as part of the Government-funded LiveLighter campaign. The advertisement was developed in Victoria and featured members of the Victorian Aboriginal community. Another LiveLighter advertisement targeting the general population was broadcast over the same period. Online surveys were completed by 150 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults in November/December 2015.Around half of respondents reported seeing either the Aboriginal (47%) or the LiveLighter (56%) SSB advertisement, and the proportion was significantly greater in Victoria (Aboriginal: 60%, LiveLighter: 66%) than other states/territories (Aboriginal: 29%, LiveLighter: 43%). Compared to the LiveLighter advertisement, the Aboriginal campaign was seen to be more believable, to be more relevant and to have an important message for the Aboriginal community (P 0.001). Participants from Victoria were significantly more likely to identify the sugar content of regular soft drink, compared with those from other states/territories (68% vs 40%, P 0.001). Sixty per cent of participants who had seen the Aboriginal SSB advertisement reported they drank less SSBs compared with 48% of those not exposed, though the difference was not statistically significant (P 0.05).Results suggest the Aboriginal advertisement resonated with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and impacted knowledge about the sugar content of SSBs, particularly in Victoria where the campaign originated. SO WHAT?: This study highlights the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led health promotion campaigns and tailoring health messages to the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

Objective: To examine the associations between housing and gastrointestinal infection in Aboriginal children in urban New South Wales. Methods: A total of 1,398 Aboriginal children were recruited through four Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. Multilevel regression modelling of survey data estimated associations between housing conditions and recurrent gastrointestinal infection, adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors. Results: Of the sample, 157 children (11%) had recurrent gastrointestinal infection ever and 37 (2.7%) required treatment for recurrent gastrointestinal infection in the past month. Children in homes with 3+ housing problems were 2.51 (95% CrI 1.10, 2.49) times as likely to have recurrent gastrointestinal infection ever and 6.79 (95% CrI 2.11, 30.17) times as likely to have received recent treatment for it (versus 0–2 problems). For every additional housing problem, the prevalence of recurrent gastrointestinal infection ever increased by a factor of 1.28 (95% CrI 1.14, 1.47) and the prevalence of receiving treatment for gastrointestinal infection in the past month increased by a factor of 1.64 (95% CrI 1.20, 2.48). Conclusions: Housing problems were independently associated with recurrent gastrointestinal infection in a dose‐dependent manner. Implications for public health: The role of housing as a potential determinant of health in urban Aboriginal children merits further attention in research and policy settings.

Inculcating awareness in preserving the environment among citizens is important. Thus Environmental Education (EE) was introduced as a compulsory subject for all Malaysian students including Aboriginal community. However, many researchers have reported that indigenous knowledge (IK) with regards to environment education received less attention by researchers although many researchers have suggested that IK greatly influenced the understanding, as well as the behaviour of the Aboriginal people in preserving and conserving the environment. This study aims to investigate the effect of gender, education level and tribes on environmental literacy among Aboriginal community in Pahang, Malaysia. This study adopted a survey research design where data werecollected using two research instruments which are knowledge test and questionnaire to examine their knowledge and behaviour towards protecting the environment. Findings indicate that the level of environmental knowledge among Malaysian Aboriginal people is at a moderate level while their behaviours towards environmental care are at low moderate level most probably because the formal EE curriculum at school does not relate well with their IK. Therefore, it is suggested that Malaysian EE curriculum should be revised to creatively acknowledge and integrate IK to ensure its relevancy to Aboriginal communities.

This article considers what successful working relationships between fly-in professionals and Aboriginal community workers involve. Interviews with six Aboriginal workers and the experience of the jointly delivered Let’s Start parent–child programme in remote north Australian Indigenous communities confirm the importance of developing positive relationships within a both-ways learning approach, drawing on each other’s strengths, and the significance of reflection on practice. Working cooperatively enables effective programme implementation, supports incorporation of new learning into practice, and benefits local Aboriginal community members through employment and development opportunities. This model has relevance for health and community programmes delivered in remote Aboriginal communities.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) have a strong track record of delivering comprehensive primary health care in Australia, but the sector also suffers from governance challenges. This article argues that a combination of settler-state dominance of governance arrangements and inadequate conceptualisation of governance in the sector have led to the risk of ‘controlled communities’ – either quasi-government control of organisations or the control of individual ACCHSs by a small cohort of members. In response, we deploy a political rather than technical approach to governance to consider the contested and intercultural nature of ACCHSs governance alongside recent governance initiatives in Southeast Queensland that signal the value of disaggregating and delineating different forms of governance in the sector. Key conceptual steps and a matrix for recalibrating intercultural governance are presented to support further research, to clarify lines of jurisdiction, and inform governan...

There are estimated to be 1,333,700 aboriginal people in Canada, as of 1997. Health and social indicators illustrate a significant gap between aboriginal people and the general Canadian population. Health Canada provides funding to communities in order that they may hire Community Health Representatives (CHRs). The CHR is to collect water samples, and then ship them to laboratories for microbiological analysis. In the majority of communities, CHRs are extremely overburdened with numerous responsibilities. In order to ensure the safety of drinking water in aboriginal communities, Health Canada, in partnership with the Split Lake Cree First Nation aboriginal community, developed a bacteriological water quality monitoring training program. First Nation communities have various challenges to overcome in regard to ensuring a safe water supply for residents. Even communities with good water treatment systems in place experience problems. For example, a poorly trained operator may add too much chlorine to the system, resulting in an unacceptable taste.

Conventional financial literacy education (FLE) practices promote individual choice and responsibility for financial circumstances. The untruth connected to conventional FLE is that achieving financial well-being is possible after acquiring financial skills and knowledge and choosing to make effective financial decisions. In this article, I share an exploration of FLE practices with an Aboriginal community that unfolded after a conventional train-the-trainer financial literacy workshop failed to gain traction. Nineteen semi-structured interviews took place with community members to understand their experiences, interest and perceived relevance of FLE. The importance of site-specific FLE was revealed as the tension between individual wealth accumulation practices promoted in conventional FLE collided with Indigenous ways of being, knowing and doing. Identified are critical moments for reflection that may enable praxis in FLE. By enabling praxis an educator moves away from conventional one-size-fits-all approaches to FLE, where participants&rsquo, needs are assumed, and towards more tailored approaches.

As a social researcher, it is highly likely that you will need to accept your vulnerability when throwing yourself, often personally as well as professionally, into the deep end of a difficult problem for which there is no easy solution in sight. Problems such as this chapter describes, the use of sex to promote alcohol sales in an Aboriginal community and the consequent interpersonal violence, can seem insurmountable. Working on these types of problems, wicked problems, means having the understanding that one researcher, no matter how wonderful their ideas, will not have all the answers. Researchers are more effective if they take a collaborative learn-by-doing approach, thereby building confidence that research partners and researchers are in it together. Each individual, organisation, group and researcher brings specific expertise to a project, and through collaborative approaches, problems can be worked around as they appear.

This paper presents the Gudaga Research Program as a case study describing the practice principles used to implement a successful research partnership with an urban Aboriginal community in south-western Sydney. This is one of few papers that address research issues unique to working with urban Aboriginal communities, in which the Aboriginal culture of the community is not homogenous. The authors argue that the relationships between the researchers and key community members and research participants underpin the research success. Throughout, the authors show that ongoing processes to nurture and reaffirm these relationships are important and require ongoing investment. A proposed practice framework demonstrates the relationship between knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal history and culture, the underpinning values including trust, respect, and reciprocity, and shared skills and communication. Examples of how these were built into the research are provided. These are important skills that hav...

This article explores the 2011 emergency evacuation experiences of members of the Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation in northern Saskatchewan, Canada due to a rapidly encroaching forest fire. The mandatory evacuation exposed a standard protocol of risk triage to determine who was “at risk” that emphasized the immediate threat of smoke and fire and focused primarily on individuals with health and disability issues. However, the backbone of Dene social organization and stability, the extended family, was fragmented when individual family members were sent to different communities, which inhibited a more resilient response. Individuals considered initially to be at low risk, primarily younger adults, encountered a host of unanticipated difficulties during the evacuation. We argue that a more diachronic and emergent understanding of risk, one that is culturally and socially “safe”, is essential in order to ensure that evacuations utilize, rather than challenge, the existing social and cultural strengths of northern Aboriginal people.

[Extract] This chapter considers community development within a framework of rights and justice. It also discusses what development approaches do and do not work for Aboriginal communities. It is frequently argued that community development approaches are the best method for working with Aboriginal people and communities. However, it is not often considered how community development is carried out, under whose agenda and what impact it will actually have upon Aboriginal people and communities. This chapter examines how community development is often used to fix the ‘Aboriginal problem’. It considers the underlying assumptions of community development – that it is about equity and the need to shift the focus onto one of rights and justice. The chapter also looks at many of the challenges and possibilities that arise out of basing community development within the framework of rights and justice and what these might look like for community development practices with Aboriginal people and communities. We explore what is considered good practice in community development with Aboriginal people and also discuss approaches that work. The chapter finishes with a conversation about the possible ways forward for Aboriginal community development.

The study of Indigenous peoples and their cultures has in the past raised serious ethical questions within the academic sphere as well as in the Aboriginal community. This paper examines culturally appropriate and sensitive research ethics within urban Aboriginal communities in Canada, through the lens of the research guideline of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession, and the more recent Utility, Self-Voicing, Access and Inter-relationality framework created by the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. Ethically sound research by and for Aboriginal peoples continues to advance, and this paper's findings underscore the ability of urban Indigenous communities to create, gather and interpret their own data using frameworks that recognize their skill and autonomy.

BACKGROUND Xpert MTB/RIF testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampin resistance is being used extensively in countries with a high burden of TB. However, recent evidence suggests that it may not have the same accuracy or impact in high-income, low-burden TB countries. METHODS A prospective, pragmatic study was done between March 2012 and March 2014 to determine the feasibility, accuracy, and impact on TB disease management provided by the Xpert test in a remote, medically underserved, predominantly Inuit population in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. RESULTS A total of 453 Xpert tests were run on sputum samples from 344 patients with suspected TB. Twenty-seven patients were identified as having active TB disease by culture. There were no cases of drug-resistant TB. Using culture as the gold standard, one Xpert test compared with one, two, or three sputum samples cultured per patient had a sensitivity of 85% (95% CI, 66%-95%) and a specificity of 99% (95% CI, 97%-100%) for detection of M tuberculosis. The indeterminate rate was 4.4% of all samples run. Treatment initiation was significantly shortened using Xpert vs the national standard of three smears (1.8 days vs 7.7 days, P ≤ .007) and particularly shorter in smear-negative, culture-positive cases (1.8 days vs 37.1 days, P≤ .008). CONCLUSIONS In a predominantly Inuit population in a remote region of Canada where the burden of TB is high and no TB testing facilities are available, onsite Xpert testing was feasible and accurate and shortened the time to TB treatment initiation.

This study explored the Walhallow Aboriginal community’s experiences with drinking water to gain a shared understanding about community concerns and to develop ways to address these concerns together. There is a strong connection between people and water, as well as a need to appreciate the social factors associated with the unique cultural and socioeconomic factors that the provision of drinking water has for Aboriginal communities. We used a mixed method design within a community-based participatory action Research (PAR) framework. Water hardness and parental influence were the key factors associated with participants’ decisions to drink rainwater. This study provides important insights for water supply authorities when assessing health risks and when choosing appropriate mitigation measures for water quality improvement programs in Aboriginal communities.

Objective: Including and prioritising community voice in policy development means policy is more likely to reflect community values and priorities. This project trialled and evaluated a storyboard approach in a deliberative community forum to engage Australian Aboriginal people in health policy priority setting. Methods: The forum was co‐constructed with two Aboriginal community‐controlled organisations. A circle storyboard was used to centre Aboriginal community knowledge and values and encourage the group to engage with broader perspectives and evidence. The forum asked a diverse (descriptively representative) group of Aboriginal people in a rural town what governments should do to support the wellbeing of children and youth, particularly to encourage them to eat well and be active. Results: The storyboard provided a tactile device to allow shared stories and identification of community issues. The group identified policies they believed governments should prioritise, including strategies to combat racism and provide local supports and outlets for young people. Conclusions: An informed deliberative storyboard approach offers a novel way of engaging with Aboriginal communities in a culturally appropriate and inclusive manner. Implications for public health: The identification of racism as a major issue of concern in preventing children from living healthy lifestyles highlights the need for policy responses in this area.

Non-formal education (NFE) refers to a program that is designed for personal and social education for learners to improve the level of skills and competencies outside formal educational curriculum. Issues related to geography and environment of different Aboriginal communities with other communities play an important role in determining the types and methods that should be made available to the minority community groups. Thus, this concept paper is intended to cater for educational environment through the design and development of learning modules based on non-formal education to the learning of Aboriginal community. Methods and techniques in the design and construction of the modules is based on the Design and Development Research (DDR) that was based on instructional design model of Morrison, Kemp and Ross which is more flexible and prioritizes the needs and characteristics of learners who were involved in the learning modules of the future. The discussion is related to the module development which is s...

The provision of therapeutic residential care offers opportunities for traumatised children and young people to build relationships through establishing a safe and nurturing environment that can facilitate healthy recovery. For the Aboriginal child and young person demonstrating symptoms of trauma, cultural connections have been severed, relationships broken and there can be an overwhelming sense of abandonment. Aboriginal children's experiences of trauma go beyond the individualistic or familial and incorporate pervasive intergenerational trauma. This means that healing for Aboriginal children requires a therapeutic response embedded within an Aboriginal cultural framework. This paper presents the approach undertaken by an Aboriginal community organisation in developing a therapeutic residential care programme for Aboriginal children in their care. The model developed has implications for all therapeutic care programmes.

This paper outlines issues arising from engagement with the remote Aboriginal community of Papunya. Researching the relationship between the community's football club and the organization of competitive fixtures in the Central Australian Football League (CAFL), we found that contrary to popular discourse the well-being of men in Papunya may be damaged by their participation in ‘town football’. We outline the nature of the current relationship between Papunya and the CAFL and the efforts of Elders to reshape the organizational interface via the establishment of an ‘on-country’ football league. We highlight that organizational rhetoric about reconciliation and cross-cultural awareness is not enough to warrant effective working relationships with Papunya people. We argue that there is a need to move beyond recognition of difference that is embodied in such agendas to develop strategies of interface inclusive of Aboriginal understandings of football

This paper attempts to relate lifelong learning with the understanding of an aboriginal community in Malaysia with specific focus on building a dictionary of one aboriginal language. Obviously, a combination of field research and knowledge of compiling a dictionary provide a method toward useful insights into an aboriginal people's language. In addition to the language of the aboriginal people, we are exposed to their intellectual, economic, social, and personal contexts from which their language and values arise. Therefore, this compilation is a two-way learning: on the one hand, new information is disclosed in the process of fieldwork gathering; and on the other, new insights about aboriginal world views are revealed.

Aim The study aims to understand sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) risk and preventive practices in an urban Aboriginal community, through exploration of mothers' knowledge and practices and examination of coroner case records. Methods Data were collected from the mothers of Aboriginal infants participating in the Gudaga Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study. At 2–3 weeks post-natal, mothers were asked about SIDS risk-reduction practices, infant sleeping position and smoking practices within the home. Questions were repeated when study infants were 6 months of age. During the first 18 months of the study, three infants within the cohort died. All deaths were identified as SIDS related. The Coroner reports for these infants were reviewed. Results At the 2–3 weeks data collection point, approximately 66.2% (n = 98) of mothers correctly identified two or more SIDS risk-reduction strategies. At this same data point, approximately 82% (n = 122) of mothers were putting their infants to sleep on their backs (supine). Higher maternal education was significantly associated (P < 0.01), with identification of two or more correct SIDS risk-reduction strategies and supine sleeping position at 2–3 weeks. The Coroner considered two infants who had been sleeping in an unsafe sleeping environment. Conclusion Rates of SIDS deaths within the study community were much higher than the national average. Most mothers were putting their infant to sleep correctly even though they may be unaware that their practice was in accordance with recommended guidelines. Best practice safe sleeping environments are difficult to achieve for some families living in low socio-economic settings.

For many protected areas, sharing benefits with local indigenous communities is an important management requirement. This paper explores indigenous involvement in and benefits from tourism, using a study of Australia's World Heritage–listed Purnululu National Park and the nearby Warmun Aboriginal Community. Interactions between the Community, the Park and tourism were explored using semi-structured interviews. The results illuminate an ongoing cultural connection to the Park providing indigenous people with intrinsic, non-financial benefits. Significant financial benefits are possible through art sales to tourists but are currently limited. Physical difficulties in visiting the Park, issues related to skills, resources and motivation, and problems with joint management all contribute to this limited benefit accrual, as well as fostering a sense of separation from the Park. The findings have broader relevance to efforts elsewhere to engage indigenous people in meaningful ways in the benefits accruable from...

BACKGROUND:Helicobacter pyloriinfection occurs more frequently in Arctic Aboriginal settings than elsewhere in North America and Europe. Research aimed at reducing health risks fromH pyloriinfection has been conducted in the Aboriginal community of Aklavik, Northwest Territories.OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of the Canadian standard therapy with an alternative therapy for eliminatingH pyloriinfection in Aklavik.METHODS: Treatment-naiveH pylori-positive individuals were randomly assigned to a 10-day regimen (oral twice-daily doses) with rabeprazole (20 mg): standard triple therapy (proton pump inhibitor, added clarithromycin [500 mg] and amoxicillin [1 g] [PPI-CA]); sequential therapy (ST) added amoxicillin (1 g) on days 1 to 5, and metronidazole (500 mg) and clarithromycin (500 mg) on days 6 to 10. Participants with clarithromycin-resistantH pyloriwere randomly assigned to ST or quadruple therapy. Treatment effectiveness was estimated as per cent (95% CI) with a negative urea breath test at least 10 weeks after treatment.RESULTS: Of 104 (53 PPI-CA, 51 ST) randomized participants, 89 (49 PPI-CA, 40 ST) had post-treatment results. Per-protocol treatment effectiveness was 59% (95% CI 45% to 73%) for PPI-CA and 73% (95% CI 58% to 87%) for ST. Based on intention to treat, effectiveness was 55% (95% CI 41% to 69%) for PPI-CA and 57% (95% CI 43% to 71%) for ST. Of 77 participants (43 PPI-CA, 34 ST) with 100% adherence, effectiveness was 63% (95% CI 43% to 82%) for PPI-CA and 81% (95% CI 63% to 99%) for ST.CONCLUSIONS: While additional evidence is needed to confirm that ST is more effective for Arctic Aboriginal communities than the Canadian standardH pyloritreatment, these results show standard PPI-CA treatment to be inadequate for communities such as Aklavik.

Until recently, Aboriginal people have been subjected to mainly top-down development, which has proven damaging to communities. Mia Mia Aboriginal Community Development offers an alternative to such approaches, promoting cultural security in order to empower Aboriginal people to strengthen their own communities. The authors take a multidisciplinary approach to the topics of Aboriginal community development, Aboriginal history, cultural security and community studies. This book includes chapters examining historical and contemporary Aboriginal conceptions of community development, and the effects of post-structuralism, post-modernism, globalisation and digital technology. As well as comprehensive analysis of community development in Aboriginal communities, it presents practical strategies and tools for improvement. Each chapter includes practical case studies and review exercises, encouraging active learning and reflection. A valuable resource for tertiary education students, this book features contributions from some of Australia's most eminent Aboriginal scholars, Elders and Aboriginal community members alongside contributions from community development practitioners.

Indigenous children and young people are overrepresented in the Australian out-of-home care (OOHC) system. To date, specific research has not been undertaken on workers' perspectives regarding the Indigenous-specific and non-Indigenous supports and services available to Indigenous young people exiting the system. This exploratory research involved focus group consultations with workers from seven child and family welfare agencies to examine the current support services available to Indigenous young people who are in or will be leaving out-of-home care in the State of Victoria. Findings suggest that Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) play a positive role in working with non-Indigenous agencies to assist Indigenous care leavers. Participants identified some key strategies to improve outcomes, such as facilitating stronger relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous services, and improving the resourcing of ACCOs.

Many Aboriginal languages are becoming extinct due to lack of fluent speakers. Computer games offer a way to help teach these languages in a fun and engaging way. However, computer games like all technology objects are based in the culture of their creators. In this paper we describe a project where we co-designed a language application for mobile phone with the Gugu Badhun, an Aboriginal community from north Queensland Australia. The participatory action research process allowed our Aboriginal partners to embed their own culture in the games, leading to a product that supported their goals and aspirations for language renewal. This collaboration has not only provided a way to sustain their language, but also added capacity to their community in ICT development.

This chapter examines the challenging realities of socially responsible outsourcing within a developed country. The research team was curious as to why clients are reluctant to outsource to a socially responsible Impact Sourcing provider within the borders of their own country. In exploring this, a deeper issue became clear, which now motivates this research. Impact Sourcing rests on the assumption that everyone wants to help marginalized populations when the reality is more complex, especially when there are deep-seated racist influences. The question our research addresses is this: how does a nascent Impact Sourcing enterprise balance inherent tensions to achieve both social and for-profit business goals?

Many Aboriginal languages are becoming extinct due to lack of fluent speakers. Computer games offer a way to help teach these languages in a fun and engaging way. However, computer games like all technology objects are based in the culture of their creators. In this paper we describe a project where we co-designed a language application for mobile phones with the Gugu Badhun, an Aboriginal community from north Queensland Australia. The participatory action research process allowed our Aboriginal partners to embed their own culture in the games, leading to a product that supported their goals and aspirations for language renewal. This collaboration has not only provided a way to sustain their language, but also added capacity to their community in ICT development. This paper contributes to HCI literature by delineating a respectful approach to collaborating with Aboriginal participants.

Aim To investigate the acceptability and satisfaction with the Aboriginal Community Antenatal Program by staff in the program and partner agencies. Design A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats framework guided the research and data collection methods. Mixed methodology was used, accessing qualitative and quantitative information from data bases, program and supporting agency staff. Quantitative data were analysed through a social sciences statistical package. Qualitative data were identified through questionnaires and analysed using thematic analysis. Setting Remote Aboriginal communities in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. Participant sources Twenty two participants including program and supporting agency staff. Main outcome measures This study measures acceptability and satisfaction of program antenatal and pre-conception activities by program staff and partner agencies. Results Qualitative results indicate acceptability and satisfaction with the program, identifying a range of organisational, staffing, cultural and interagency issues relating to a model of service provision. Quantitative data suggested positive program outputs from service delivery. Conclusion Findings suggest the Aboriginal Community Antenatal Program and partner agencies are increasing provision of community based pre-conception and antenatal health services and enhancing collaboration between a range of health provider agencies, with partnerships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal program staff contributing to an emerging model of community antenatal care.

The Let`s Start Parent-Child Program is a manualised parent-child program which aims to improve educational, social and emotional outcomes for Aboriginal parents and their four- to seven-year-old children. It has been implemented in the Northern Territory, Australia on the Tiwi Islands and in Darwin since 2005. This paper outlines the adaptation of the program to include narrative approaches, the sharing of stories and the use of expressive arts as a way to build understanding between program leaders and participating families. An example from a recent program is used to illustrate how the sharing of stories and expressive use of art engages and binds group participants together. It supports parents to tell their own stories, to speak about their lived experience, to reconsider aspects of their own and their children's experiences and to achieve an increased awareness of their personal resources and a sense of self-empowerment. The program is designed and delivered with sensitivity to individual parents, children and families, where cultural and interpersonal differences and different developmental and family situations can be taken into account.

Objective: To determine whether food scarcity or economic constraint is more strongly associated with purchasing patterns in a rural Aboriginal community. Design: Store receipts were collected to determine money spent in the community shop across a four-month period from January to April 2006. Variability in expenditures is then studied using measures of food scarcity (days since shop loading) and economic constraint (days since payday). Setting: Parnngurr Outstation in the Western Desert of Australia. Main outcome measures: Daily gross and per-household gross expenditures at the community shop. Results: There is a significant association between food scarcity and money spent in the shop (−42.89, confidence interval −62.62 to −23.18, P