RHDAUSTRALIA NEWS
JULY ISSUE
|
|
Welcome to the latest edition of Murmur. In this issue you will find news, stories and updates from across Australia regarding acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. As always we welcome feedback and contributions for future editions of Murmur.
If you would like to contribute or have any feedback please contact us at info@rhdaustralia.org.au
|
|
|
ABORIGINAL HEALTH IN ABORIGINAL HANDS
|
|
|
|
|
Terrence Guyula is an Aboriginal Health Practitioner who has worked in the remote Top End of the Northern Territory for over 32 years. In 2016, we highlighted Terrence’s experience with secondary prophylaxis delivery. We recently caught up with him again to talk about his unique style of breaking down complex health information for Aboriginal people with ARF and RHD, and translating the needs of the Aboriginal community for the wider health workforce.
|
|
|
CLINICAL UPDATE - PRIMARY PREVENTION OF ARF
|
|
|
|
The 2020 Australian guideline for prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (3rd edition) contains clinical information based on national and international best practice.
Through regular clinical updates, we will draw attention to some of the important recommendations in the 2020 guideline, starting with prevention.
There are several opportunities for intervention - prevention along the ARF-RHD disease pathway including primordial prevention of group A streptococcal (Strep A) infections, primary prevention of ARF, secondary prevention of ARF, and tertiary prevention of complications associated with RHD. In this edition of Murmur, we take a closer look at primary prevention.
|
|
|
SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF INDIGENOUS LEADERS
|
|
|
|
RHDAustralia is very fortunate to be able to offer traineeship positions through the Menzies School of Health Indigenous Capacity Building Unit. Through this scheme, we help to build workforce capacity among young Indigenous people. Indigenous trainees provide support to our projects while gaining skills to enhance their future training and career development.
This year, we’re lucky enough to have Naja Dyrting, a Garrawa (Borroloola, NT) and Djugun-Yawuru (Broome, WA) woman born and raised in Darwin. Naja is a descendant of the Stolen Generations, and has family connections to the Tiwi people.
|
|
|
CHAMPIONS4CHANGE: SELF-CARE AND ACADEMIC CREDENTIALING
|
|
|
|
|
RHDAustralia has been working on innovative ways to build the strength and capacity of our Champions4Change program. Our aim is for the program to become self-determining and self-sustaining; providing economic opportunities for Champions and their communities, and having an established position, alongside similar Aboriginal entities. Two current projects are development of a self-care booklet and academic credentialing.
|
|
|
PRIMORDIAL PREVENTION OF ARF IN NSW
|
|
|
|
|
The NSW RHD program maintains a register of people with ARF and RHD, and provides education, awareness raising and disease prevention activities, including those aimed at improving housing and environmental conditions for people at risk of ARF. Together with the NSW Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit, they have provided an overview of an environmental health initiative which is focusing on healthy housing to reduce the burden of ARF and RHD.
|
|
|
RHDAUSTRALIA STAFF UPDATE
|
|
|
|
RHDAustralia was established as Australia’s national ARF/RHD coordination unit in 2009. Over the last 10 years our role has changed, and while we are still committed to supporting national clinical best practice and workforce capacity, we have an emerging focus on supporting the needs of the community.
There have been several changes in the RHDAustralia team over the last few months, and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight who we are and what we are focusing on in 2020.
|
|
|
GRADUATING ON COUNTRY: 'BOTH-WAY ACADEMIA'
|
|
|
|
|
In 2019, a group of adult Yolŋu students completed a Certificate II in Community Health Research through the Menzies School of Health Research. The graduation ceremony was held on traditional Baniyala Homeland in the east Arnhem region of the NT to highlight two systems of knowledge; both western knowledge and traditional knowledge.
|
|
|
