Introduction of water conservation education packages: the opportunites and constraints afftecting their success

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 135-140
Author(s):  
J. Ryan ◽  
K. Mathew ◽  
M. Anda ◽  
E. Yuen
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Delivery Style

The Remote Area Developments Group in the Institute for Environmental Science at Murdoch University developed a video and booklet education package on water conservation. The package was developed after research, review of current efforts in water conservation, and consultation with communities showed that there was a need in this area. The package was distributed to all communities within Western Australia. Several different workshops were conducted with Indigenous Environmental Health Workers from around Western Australia in remote areas and in the Perth Metropolitan communities using the package. This paper will briefly describe the opportunities and constraints that exist for water conservation in remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia as well as give an evaluation of the education package based on workshops, trials and survey instrument. This paper will explain the conclusions that have been drawn from the study: that a broad delivery style is the most advantageous style for remote communities, allowing the facilitator to assess the best style of delivery.

scholarly journals Western Australia’s Remote Indigenous Communities: A Case Against Closures and a Call For New Governance

AJIL Unbound ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 109 ◽  
pp. 209-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asta Hill
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Indigenous Australians ◽  
New Governance ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
The Government

In the late 1970s thousands of Indigenous Australians initiated a movement back to the ancestral lands they had been removed from during the assimilationist era. Less than 50 years since their return to country, Aboriginal people living in Western Australia’s (WA) remote communities are again grappling with their impending redispossession. Wa Premier Colin Barnett’s announcement late last year was panic inducing: It is a problem that I do not want and the government does not want, but it is a reality. There are something like 274 Aboriginal communities in Western Australia—I think 150 or so of those are in the Kimberley itself—and they are not viable. They are not viable and they are not sustainable . . . I am foreshadowing that a number of communities are inevitably going to close.

scholarly journals “Does this dental mob do eyes too?”: perceptions and attitudes toward dental services among Aboriginal Australian adults living in remote Kimberley communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jilen Patel ◽  
Angela Durey ◽  
Steven Naoum ◽  
Estie Kruger ◽  
Linda Slack-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Dental Services ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Perceptions And Attitudes ◽  
Primary Health Services ◽  
Oral Health Services

Abstract Background Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience significant disparities in oral health and there remains an urgent need to improve services to rural and remote communities. Quantitative research has typically been used to highlight the disease burden and severity experienced by those living in remote communities, but this data does little to explore the lived reality and psychosocial nuances that impact on care. The Kimberley region of Western Australia is home to over 150 Aboriginal communities spread out across 400,000 square kilometres. The success and sustainability of oral health services to these remote communities relies on respect and reciprocity achieved through shared knowledge, decision making and involvement of Aboriginal people in discussions around oral health services and their delivery. This, study aimed to investigate the perceptions and attitudes toward dental services among Aboriginal Australian families living in remote Kimberley communities. Methods Semi-structured interviews and yarning circles were carried out following purposive sampling of Aboriginal adults living in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed guided by a constructivist grounded theory approach. Results In total, 80 community members participated in the yarning process. Enablers to care included: promotion of existing services, integration with primary health services, using mobile dental services and volunteers to extend care. Barriers to care included transportation, cost of treatment, the complexity of appointment systems and shame associated with health-seeking behaviours. Conclusions Reassessing the prevailing operative model of dental care to remote Aboriginal communities is warranted to better address the overwhelming structural barriers that impact on oral health. Integration with existing primary health services and schools, the use of mobile units to extend care and increasing community engagement through clinical yarning are recommended in improving the current state of dental services to communities in the Kimberley.

scholarly journals Epidemiology and microbiology of diarrhoea in young Aboriginal children in the Kimberley region of Western Australia

1992 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gunzburg ◽  
M. Gracey ◽  
V. Burke ◽  
B. Chang
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Failure To Thrive ◽  
Diarrhoeal Disease ◽  
Australian Aborigines ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Infectious Diarrhoea ◽  
Health Standards ◽  
Aboriginal Children

Infectious diarrhoea is common in young Australian Aborigines [1–3] and is one of the main causes for their unsatisfactory health standards with consequent widespread failure to thrive and undernutrition [4–5]. Most published reports relate to patients in hospital or to hospital admission statistics and give little indication of the extent or severity of diarrhoeal disease in children in Aboriginal communities.The present investigation involved more than 100 Aboriginal children up to 5 years of age living in remote communities in the tropical north of Western Australia who were studied prospectively over a 12–month period.

scholarly journals The Well-Being of Carers of Older Aboriginal People Living in the Kimberley Region of Remote Western Australia: Empowerment, Depression, and Carer Burden

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346481989866
Author(s):  
Dina LoGiudice ◽  
Cathryn M. Josif ◽  
Roslyn Malay ◽  
Zoë Hyde ◽  
Melissa Haswell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Australians ◽  
Carer Burden ◽  
The Mean

Objective: To describe demographic features and well-being of carers of Aboriginal Australians aged ≥45 years in remote Western Australia. Method: Carer burden, empowerment, and depression were assessed in 124 Aboriginal carers in four remote Aboriginal communities. Results: Carers were aged 38.8 ± 15.0 years, 73.4% were female, and 75.8% were children or grandchildren of the person cared for. The mean Zarit-6 score was 3.7 ± 3.6. Attending high school (odds ratio [OR] = 0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.1, 0.7]) and feeling empowered (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.8]) were inversely associated with carer burden; female carers were less likely to feel empowered (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = [0.2, 0.9]); and empowerment was inversely associated with depression (OR = 0.3; 95% CI = [0.1, 0.7]). Discussion: Aboriginal carers in remote communities are relatively young and most are children or grandchildren. Carer burden was lower than anticipated. However, existing tools may not adequately measure Aboriginal perspectives. Education and empowerment are key factors which support programs must consider.

A great inspiration for today's vaccination efforts: Biographical sketch of Francisco Xavier Balmis (1753–1819)

2021 ◽  
pp. 096777202110347
Author(s):  
Gabriel E Andrade
Keyword(s):  
History Of Medicine ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Biographical Sketch ◽  
Spanish Colonial ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 19Th Century

The management of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic will require huge worldwide vaccination efforts. In this endeavour, healthcare workers face the twofold challenge of reaching remote areas, and persuading people to take the vaccine shots. As it happens, this is nothing new in the history of medicine. Health workers can take inspiration from Francisco Xavier Balmis, a Spanish physician of the 19th century who realised the importance of Jenner's vaccine against smallpox, and led a big successful expedition to administer the vaccines in the Spanish colonial possessions of the Western hemisphere and Asia. This article presents a biographical sketch of Balmis, focusing on his expedition.

Design and Implementation of a Research-Informed Water Conservation Education Program

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruthanne “Rudi” Thompson ◽  
Alice Coe ◽  
Irene Klaver ◽  
Kenneth Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Education Program ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Design And Implementation

scholarly journals Characterisation of a G2P[4] Rotavirus Outbreak in Western Australia, Predominantly Impacting Aboriginal Children

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 350
Author(s):  
Celeste Donato ◽  
Nevada Pingault ◽  
Elena Demosthenous ◽  
Susie Roczo-Farkas ◽  
Julie Bines
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Full Genome Sequencing ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Rotavirus Vaccination ◽  
Rotavirus Gastroenteritis ◽  
Aboriginal Children ◽  
Representative Samples ◽  
Dominant Genotype

In May 2017, an outbreak of rotavirus gastroenteritis was reported that predominantly impacted Aboriginal children ≤4 years of age in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. G2P[4] was identified as the dominant genotype circulating during this period and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the majority of samples exhibited a conserved electropherotype. Full genome sequencing was performed on representative samples that exhibited the archetypal DS-1-like genome constellation: G2-P[4]-I2-R2-C2-M2-A2-N2-T2-E2-H2 and phylogenetic analysis revealed all genes of the outbreak samples were closely related to contemporary Japanese G2P[4] samples. The outbreak samples consistently fell within conserved sub-clades comprised of Hungarian and Australian G2P[4] samples from 2010. The 2017 outbreak variant was not closely related to G2P[4] variants associated with prior outbreaks in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. When compared to the G2 component of the RotaTeq vaccine, the outbreak variant exhibited mutations in known antigenic regions; however, these mutations are frequently observed in contemporary G2P[4] strains. Despite the level of vaccine coverage achieved in Australia, outbreaks continue to occur in vaccinated populations, which pose challenges to regional areas and remote communities. Continued surveillance and characterisation of emerging variants are imperative to ensure the ongoing success of the rotavirus vaccination program in Australia.

Empowerment is the Basis for Improving Education and Employment Outcomes for Aboriginal People in Remote Australia

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-161
Author(s):  
Byron Wilson ◽  
Tammy Abbott ◽  
Stephen J. Quinn ◽  
John Guenther ◽  
Eva McRae-Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Shared Space ◽  
English Literacy ◽  
Education And Employment

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people score poorly on national mainstream indicators of wellbeing, with the lowest outcomes recorded in remote communities. As part of a ‘shared space’ collaboration between remote Aboriginal communities, government and scientists, the holistic Interplay Wellbeing Framework and accompanying survey were designed bringing together Aboriginal priorities of culture, empowerment and community with government priorities of education, employment and health. Quantitative survey data were collected from a cohort of 841 Aboriginal people aged 15–34 years, from four different Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal community researchers designed and administered the survey. Structural equation modelling was used to identify the strongest interrelating pathways within the framework. Optimal pathways from education to employment were explored with the concept of empowerment playing a key role. Here, education was defined by self-reported English literacy and numeracy and empowerment was defined as identity, self-efficacy and resilience. Empowerment had a strong positive impact on education (β = 0.38, p < .001) and strong correlation with employment (β = 0.19, p < .001). Education has a strong direct effect on employment (β = 0.40, p < .001). This suggests that education and employment strategies that foster and build on a sense of empowerment are mostly likely to succeed, providing guidance for policy and programs.

Barriers and facilitators of sexually transmissible infection testing in remote Australian Aboriginal communities: results from the Sexually Transmitted Infections in Remote Communities, Improved and Enhanced Primary Health Care (STRIVE) Study

Sexual Health ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Hengel ◽  
Rebecca Guy ◽  
Linda Garton ◽  
James Ward ◽  
Alice Rumbold ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Improvement Program ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
Sti Testing ◽  
Primary Health

Background Remote Australian Aboriginal communities experience high rates of bacterial sexually transmissible infections (STI). A key strategy to reduce STIs is to increase testing in primary health care centres. The current study aimed to explore barriers to offering and conducting STI testing in this setting. Methods: A qualitative study was undertaken as part of the STI in Remote communities, Improved and Enhanced Primary Health Care (STRIVE) project; a large cluster randomised controlled trial of a sexual health quality improvement program. We conducted 36 in-depth interviews in 22 participating health centres across four regions in northern and central Australia. Results: Participants identified barriers including Aboriginal cultural norms that require the separation of genders and traditional kinship systems that prevent some staff and patients from interacting, both of which were exacerbated by a lack of male staff. Other common barriers were concerns about client confidentiality (lack of private consulting space and living in small communities), staff capacity to offer testing impacted by the competing demands for staff time, and high staff turnover resulting in poor understanding of clinic systems. Many participants also expressed concerns about managing positive test results. To address some of these barriers, participants revealed informal strategies, such as team work, testing outside the clinic and using adult health checks. Conclusions: Results identify cultural, structural and health system issues as barriers to offering STI testing in remote communities, some of which were overcome through the creativity and enthusiasm of individuals rather than formal systems. Many of these barriers can be readily addressed through strengthening existing systems of cultural and clinical orientation and educating staff to view STI in a population health framework. However others, particularly issues in relation to culture, kinship ties and living in small communities, may require testing modalities that do not rely on direct contact with health staff or the clinic environment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document