Sharing Our Stories and Building on Our Strengths

From football to fatherhood, from justice to culture, from healthy hearts to healthy minds, a group of Indigenous presenters from urban and remote communities shared their good health and wellbeing stories at From Margins to Mainstream: 5th World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and the Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, 10–12 September 2008 in Melbourne.

This report is an evaluation by participants of Onemda’s pre-conference training program for the development and strengthening of communication skills for Indigenous speakers at the conference. It is also a record of how Onemda developed and undertook this innovative capacitybuilding program.

Indigenous Children's Health Report: Health Assessment in Action

This report documents what we know about the health of Indigenous children (from birth to age twelve) and evaluates the quality of Indigenous child health data collection in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 1M]

Feasibility Study for a Nationally Accessible Master of Public Health Program Specialising
in Indigenous Health, november 2008

Project Reference Group of the PHERP Indigenous Public Health Capacity Development Project

This Feasibility Study is a component of the Indigenous Public Health Capacity Development Project of the Public Health Education and Research Program (PHERP) within the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

We can like Research..In Koori hands, September 2008

This report builds on our ground-breaking 1999 report We Don't like Research. But in Koori Hands It Could Make A Difference, helping to further Onemda's core research, teaching and community development agenda of 'by Koori people, for Koori people'.

The latest report presents findings from a series of community workshops about Koori health research run with key Koori Elders, researchers and community representatives around Victoria . It argues that research into Aboriginal health will be improved and made more relevant to both Koori communities and health practitioners if Aboriginal people control the research agenda.

The new report offers 'a momentum for positive change' for the future, as long as Koori people have the resources, research capacity and leadership roles in driving the health research agenda.

The Knowledge Economy and Aboriginal Health Development by Ian Anderson
(Dean's Lecture), Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, 13 May 2008

In his lecture, Ian Anderson argues that if universities are to contribute to the production of knowledge that will support Prime Minister Rudd's pledge to close the Indigenous health gap by 2030, they need to change their approach to the development of the health workforce, research and health information systems, and capacity exchange with Indigenous communities.

Ian Anderson argues that universities must train more Indigenous health professionals and ensure that all health sciences students have a solid grounding in Indigenous health needs. The ways in which Indigenous students are recruited and supported must be improved, and universities must construct community relationships that create real opportunities for Indigenous students. Research processes must generate knowledge and analyse problems in a way that is appropriate and relevant to those working in Aboriginal health. Also, Indigenous communities are sources of innovation and, as such, play a critical in the production of knowledge, and universities can and should facilitate knowledge exchange.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 1M]

This Framework is a guide for university public health teaching programs to achieve the effective integration of Indigenous health within required subjects or units of Master of Public Health (MPH) programs. The Framework guides the incorporation of six core Indigenous public health competencies integral to the Competency Standards for Public Health Practice that describe requisite graduate outcomes from Australian universities offering generalist MPH programs.

This publication also outlines some characteristics specific to Indigenous health, as well as the underlying principles of current national policy in Indigenous health. It offers pedagogical strategies for Indigenous public health, suggests a supportive context for Indigenous public health curriculum and strategies for Indigenous student recruitment and retention. Specialist competencies and career opportunities in Indigenous public health are listed.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 8k]

A National Indigenous Public Health Curriculum Framework (Briefing Paper), September 2007

This briefing paper outlines the rationale, policy context and a proposed structure for a National Indigenous Public Health Curriculum Framework used as a guide for the delivery of Indigenous health components in the national Master of Public Health (MPH) program.

It provided some key questions and a basis for discussion by participants in the Indigenous stream of the Australian Network of Academic Public Health Institutions (ANAPHI) Teaching and Learning Forum that took place in Alice Springs on 26 September 2007.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 8k]

Koori Kids' Ears and Health, July 2006

This report has been written to make available the results of PhD research for community members and others. The aim of the survey was to develop and evaluate interventions or programs to reduce risk factors for ear infections in Koori children.

The research involved a survey of parents and carers with Koori children less than six years of age, which asked about risk factors for ear infections. Knowing more about these risk factors can help target programs aimed at reducing ear infections.

The results of the survey were workshopped with Aboriginal Community Controlled Services health staff, who then used the data to help inform programs that could be implemented to reduce risk factors for ear infections.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 7k]

Expenditure on Health Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Lodden Mallee Region of Victoria, 2004

The purpose of this project was to estimate expenditures on hospital, medical, pharmaceutical and community health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Department of Human Services (DHS) Lodden Mallee Region in 2004.

Victorian Aboriginal Ethics Project Report, November 2005

This report outlines how Aboriginal people can have more control of the ethics of research that is carried out in, or impacts on, Aboriginal Communities in Victoria. Six different models have been developed through Community consultations, individual interviews and focus groups with key people and a literature review. Each model is described by representation, resources, expertise, power and its potential strengths and weaknesses.

Economics and Indigenous Australian Health Workshop, June 2005

The workshop on which this report is based was specifically designed to solicit the views of the Community on the issues they consider critical and of priority in Aboriginal health.

CDAMS Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework, August 2004

The purpose of this curriculum framework is to provide medical schools with a set of guidelines for success in developing and delivering Indigenous health content in core medical education.
It is recognised that teaching Indigenous health in medicine is an emerging field and, as such,
medical schools are at differing stages of curriculum development. This document seeks to
enunciate the basic components of a functional curriculum for delivering Indigenous health
effectively.

The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Hospital Accreditation Project Community Report, June 2004

Summary of findings from hospital case studies and recommendations for accreditation.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 8k]

Teaching Koori Issues to Health Professionals and Health Students, January 2001

The workshop on which this report is based was specifically designed for Kooris interested in teaching Koori issues to medical students, trainee doctors and other health students.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 9k]

Research: Understanding Ethics, June 2000

This is a report of our second Community workshop which was called 'Research - Understanding Ethics', held in June 2000 at the Aborigines Advancement League, in Thornbury, Melbourne. About 30 people attended. A number of Kooris spoke about their experiences of research and ethical issues. We felt that many people in the Community would be interested in the talks that were given at the workshop, and the ideas that people shared. Workshop participants were also asked to think about the ethics of a gammin research proposal which was presented as a case study. This case study and the discussion around it have been included in the report.

Download a copy here: [pdf: 12k]

We Don't Like Research But in Koori Hands it Could Make a Difference, November 1999

This is a report of Onemda's first Community workshop, held in cooperation with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Department of Rural Health, University of Melbourne and the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative, Shepparton in November 1999.

This was a day for Koori researchers to present and discuss their work and/or involvement in research activities and for others to voice their concerns about research itself. About 40 people attended the workshop and both Community Elders and young Community members spoke of their experiences and offered opinions.