Australian Indigenous

Conference abstracts and papers

12th National Health Promotion Conference: Inequalities in health - reflecting back, stepping forward.
29 October - 1 November 2000, Hotel Sofitel, Melbourne, Victoria.

Shelley Bowen and Ian Raymond
'Participation - Process -Partnerships -Progression' - moving Aboriginal health promotion forward in NSW.

Introduction: Many of the illnesses and diseases resulting in high levels of morbidity and premature mortality amongst Aboriginal people can be prevented. Historically, Aboriginal health promotion has often relied on single strategy initiatives such as health: promoting pamphlets, posters and resources for one-off events. Single strategy initiatives such as these are rarely sustainable and unlikely to effect change at either the individual or the community levels.

Purpose: This paper will illustrate how the Aboriginal Health and Health Promotion Branches of the NSW Health Department and the NSW Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council have collaboratively developed strategic directions and strategies for increasing the effectiveness of Aboriginal health promotion. The NSW Aboriginal Health Partnership at the State level recognises health promotion as a viable investment in progressing Aboriginal health in NSW.

Outline: The first step in this collaborative enterprise has been the NSW Aboriginal Health Partnership agreement to the proposed restructuring of the Aboriginal Health Promotion Program and guidelines for Aboriginal health promotion funding in NSW. An Aboriginal Health Promotion Working Party in NSW has emerged from the Partnership. This Working Party developed a directions paper for Aboriginal health promotion in New South Wales that established program principles and set criteria to guide investment decisions. These principles form the basis for better practice guidelines for Aboriginal health promotion. The approach to Aboriginal health promotion taken in New South Wales is building the capacity of the health system to promote and improve Aboriginal health. Key areas to building Aboriginal health promotion in NSW include:

• the collection, management and dissemination of information on better practice in Aboriginal health promotion eg.clearinghouse development for health promotion;
• an Indigenous health promotion workforce development/capacity building strategy; strengthening strategic partnerships and collaborative arrangements with other key organisations; and
• funding criteria linked to better practice initiatives.

This paper will summarise the work so far and future directions for Aboriginal health promotion in NSW.

Last updated: 5 October, 2001