Skip to content

Search

Responsive service design and workforce strengthening: Recommendations to improve aged care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

This study aimed to develop innovative and practical strategies and recommendations for aged care policy and practice that support the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Racism in maternity care as a determinant of First Nations women's health: a qualitative study with First Nations women and families in the Australian Capital Territory

First Nations women in Australia continue to experience disproportionately adverse maternal and infant outcomes. The ongoing legacy of colonisation and systemic racism shapes these outcomes. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), maternity services remain dominated by Western biomedical approaches that fail to deliver culturally safe and anti-racist care despite national standards that mandate such practices. 

Longitudinal surveillance of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western Australian school children informs acute rheumatic fever prevention

The prevalence of impetigo and pharyngitis - which are both superficial group A streptococcus (GAS) infections that precede acute rheumatic fever - is poorly defined. Guidelines recommend the early diagnosis of both infections to prevent ARF; however, screening to enable the concurrent detection of these infections in high-risk populations has rarely been performed. 

Spatial distribution of and socio-ecological risk factors for strongyloidiasis in Australia

Strongyloidiasis, caused by the soil-transmitted helminth Strongyloides stercoralis, remains a neglected public health issue in Australia, particularly among remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This study aimed to map the spatial distribution of strongyloidiasis and investigate associated socioecological factors to identify high-risk areas and guide targeted interventions in Australia.

First Nations families’ maternity care experiences in the Australian Capital Territory: Kapati Time Yarning, intergenerational trauma and the case for Birthing with Country

First Nations women often experience harmful, inequitable maternity care, shaped by intergenerational trauma and culturally unsafe care. Historical forced removal of First Nations children has created enduring trauma that influences pregnancy and birthing experiences. In the Australian Capital Territory, maternity care is provided through Western biomedical systems, where increasing child protection interventions and fear of surveillance affect women's engagement with care.

The inequitable burden of infectious diseases among remote-living Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: a product of history

Although Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) is the sixth-most common infectious disease globally, its transmission within the household remains an understudied driver of infection. We undertook a systematic review to better understand the transmission of Strep A among people within the home, while highlighting opportunities for prevention.

Skin health of urban-living Aboriginal children attending a primary care Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation clinic

Despite increasing urbanisation, little is known about skin health for urban-living Aboriginal children and young people (CYP, aged <18 years). This study aimed to investigate the primary care burden and clinical characteristics of skin conditions in this cohort. 

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia: addressing disparities and barriers to optimising patient care

The first inhabitants of Australia and the traditional owners of Australian lands are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are two to four times more likely to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than the general Australian population.

Skin health of Aboriginal children living in urban communities

Skin concerns are frequent among urban-living Aboriginal children, yet specialist dermatology consultations are limited with studies highlighting the need for improved cultural security. Through newly established paediatric dermatology clinics at two urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), we aimed to describe clinic and patient data, including disease frequencies and associations, to inform dermatology service provision and advocacy. 

“Our kids are our future”: Barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal children younger than five years in Boorloo (Perth), Western Australia

Rates of several vaccine preventable diseases, and associated hospitalisation, are higher among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children than non-Indigenous children. Western Australia has among the lowest childhood vaccine coverage in Australia, particularly among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. Delayed vaccination is also more common in this population. This project aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to vaccine uptake and timeliness among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children aged under five years in Boorloo (Perth).