The role of Aboriginal leadership in community health programmes

Victoria Stroud,Naomi Sprigg Dos Santos,Doreen Champion,Trulie Pinnegar,Ruth Monck,Anne Mahony,Geraldine Hogarth,Josie Adams,Charles Watson

doi:10.1017/s1463423621000414

Abstract

Abstract This is an account of the crucial role played by a strong local Aboriginal workforce in health care delivery. We report on the personal experience of dedicated Aboriginal health professionals across Western Australia. Their understanding of what has worked in the provision of primary health care in their communities emphasises the importance of strong, local collaboration in the development of effective prevention programmes at a community level.

Highlights

There remains a glaring disparity between the health of an Australian Aboriginal child when compared with that of a non-Aboriginal Australian child (Fogarty et al, 2018a; Fogarty et al, 2018b)
This paper argues that culturally appropriate Primary Health Care (PHC) can improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Australian Aboriginal people (Davy et al, 2016)
Four of our authors are Australian Aboriginal health care professionals who have engaged in health care delivery in regional Western Australia for over two decades

Summary

Introduction

There remains a glaring disparity between the health of an Australian Aboriginal child when compared with that of a non-Aboriginal Australian child (Fogarty et al, 2018a; Fogarty et al, 2018b). Our own work has found that effective prevention programmes require a collaborative approach and Aboriginal leadership that enables community ownership to ensure that cultural values and practices are embedded in the delivery of PHC. Stories from Aboriginal health professionals throughout Western Australia shed light on ways to improve health outcomes for Australian Aboriginal families They emphasise the importance of strong, local collaboration in the development of effective PHC programmes that can be adapted to suit the local community. The Strategy is focused on Aboriginal children aged 0–5 years It recognises that for the prevention and treatment of ear disease to improve, agencies and service providers need to avoid duplication, and to adopt a consistent evidence-based approach to service provision (WA Child Ear Health Steering Committee, 2017). The first and last authors drafted the paper based on this collection of material which was collaboratively reviewed by the authors

Discussion

Conclusion