Northeast Arnhem Land regional ear health campaign

• Reach:

  NT

• Focus area:

  Indigenous

• Status:

  Current

• Evaluated:

  No

Overview

The Northeast Arnhem Land regional ear health campaign aims to increase the understanding of ear health for the Yolngu Aboriginal people of north-east Arnhem Land. The project concentrates on increasing understanding of foundational concepts related to ear health, including, the germ theory of disease, hearing and early childhood development, and the anatomy of internal structures of the ear.

The project's goals are achieved by:

• conducting face-to-face education sessions
• the use of a dynamic, dialogue based education, incorporating principles of adult education, cross cultural communication and applied linguistics
• conducting sessions in Yolngu Matha (the language of the people of north-east Arnhem Land)
• incorporating the germ theory of disease as the fundamental knowledge required to understand otitis media
• practical demonstrations (including looking at live germs in soil and saliva and white blood cells through microscopes)
• producing a series of short radio programs for broadcast on Yolngu Radio covering the topics of otitis media disease risk factors, signs and symptoms, consequences, treatment and prevention. Programs will be developed by identifying existing Yolngu knowledge and worldview, and ear health knowledge gaps and misunderstandings, then building new information onto the existing knowledge base.

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, the Northeast Arnhem Land regional ear health campaign will add nineteen radio programs in Yolngu Matha to the six existing radio programs produced from a similar project of education sessions. This earlier project was funded by the Laynhapuy Homelands Association and Anglicare's Communities for children program, and implemented by the Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS) over a twelve month period.

Abstract derived from the Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS)

Contacts

Dr Jamie Mapleson
Health Educator
Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS)
374 Stuart Highway
Box 36921
Winnellie NT 0821
Ph: (08) 8984 4174
Mobile: 0407 753 843
Fax: (08) 8984 4192
Email: jamie.mapleson@ards.com.au

Related publications

Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (2011)

Infectious diseases educational programs: ear infections series [radio].

: Aboriginal Resource and Development Services

This six-part educational series on ear infections is currently on air on the Yolngu Radio Service. The series covers topics including:

• hearing and the meaning of words in Yolŋu Matha related to the ear
• anatomy of the ear
• how sound travels through the ear and sends messages to the brain
• middle ear infections and bacteria
• medicines for ear infections.

The series are provided in MP3 audio format and can be played in Media Player or downloaded.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract

• Links
• View resource: Infectious diseases educational programs: ear infections series
• View information: Infectious diseases educational programs
• View website: Aboriginal Resource and Development Services

Links

• View website: Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS)