Welcome to the website of the Western Australian Indigenous Health Promotion
Network (WAIHPN: the Network).
The Network, which includes Indigenous and non-Indigenous people involved
in Indigenous health promotion, aims to facilitate the sharing of relevant
information and knowledge with the ultimate goal of improving the health
of Indigenous Western Australians.
The Network website supports a yarning place that provides electronic services to encourage information sharing and collaboration among the range of people involved in addressing Indigenous health promotion in WA.
Background
The idea of establishing a formal network for people involved in Indigenous health promotion emerged from discussions at a workshop that preceded the Aboriginal Health, 2004 conference, held in Perth in July 2004.
Based on the value of informal networking that occurred at the workshop (and at similar events), participants decided that their efforts could be enhanced by the formation of a formal Indigenous Health Promotion Network. It was thought initially that the production and distribution of regular newsletters would be an effective way of sharing information and knowledge of relevance to Indigenous health promotion. After some consideration, it was decided that the development and maintenance of a small dedicated website would be a much more effective way of supporting the network.
How the website supports the yarning place
This small website has been created to support a yarning place for Network members. The yarning place (electronic network) has been developed
to enable people with an interest in Indigenous health promotion to share information, knowledge and experience – even when they live in different regions, come from different sectors (such as health, education and justice), and work for different organisations.
The website will facilitate e-yarning between members in two ways. First, members will be able to ‘broadcast' messages to other members through an e-message stick (an email list). Second, if they wish to engage in more in-depth exploration of specific issues, they can do so via an e-yarning board (an electronic board for discussion and debate about relevant issues). Information about WAIHPN members involved in Indigenous health promotion in Western Australia (including details of their position, role, contact details, etc.) are also made available with their permission on the e-mob list.
The website also enables the sharing of relevant information and knowledge with other members through provision of an online upload capacity.
Information about new materials of relevance to Indigenous health promotion
(such as journal articles, other publications, and health promotion resources)
are posted on the ‘Materials' section of the site as they become available.
(Details about new materials are also to be sent to members periodically
via the e-message stick).
The website also provides information about organisations, current news and events of relevance, and links to other relevant websites.
Operation of the website
The website is operated by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet,
the leading source of knowledge and information about the health of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Operation of the website has been enabled by special funds provided by
the Western Australian Department of Health's Office of Aboriginal Health,
for which the HealthInfoNet is most grateful.
