Slides supporting Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder TableTop Session.

1. “Our health counts, and best in our
hands” – Yesterday we thought about
it, today we are acting on it, for
tomorrow the future of our community”
On Track Watch
Acknowledge END CRE RHD
NACCHO Conference 2017
Vicki Wade
Cultural Lead
RHD Australia

2. The burden of disease
Globally
– 32 million with RHD, 275,000 of those dying annually.
– 55% have severe disease
– 80% live in developing countries
Australia
– > 6000 on RHD Control program registers
• 94% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are;
• 8 times more likely to be hospitalised for ARF/RHD
• 20 times more likely to die
• Less likely to access treatment or care

3. Yilpara was established in 1974. It is one of 30 linked
communities in the Laynhapuy Homelands region. It is
very remote with about 100 population.

4. There are 15 trainees doing a
Certificate II in community health
research
Training started in March 2017

5. Number of people with ARF / RHD in Yilpara
• 6 children have ARF and have monthly injections
• 6 adults who have RHD
• 3 adults had ARF
and finished 10 years
of injections

6. Why are we doing this research?
• We don’t want our kids to have heart surgery
• To keep the kids healthy, community healthy, look
after our land
• All of the On Track Watch group have been
through having the injections or have children who
are on the injection or already had the operation

7. The goals of OTW are to:
• Empower local community in ‘community-
based participatory action research’
methods by providing research training
(Certificate II in Community Health
Research)
• Foster ARF/RHD literacy; and
• Encourage the community to seek and
implement practical ways to prevent
ARF/RHD.

8. Both ways learning
• Learning about balanda systems and structures
• Teaching balanda about Yolngu philosophy, for example using
metaphor
• Balance – fitting Yolngu rom into balanda rom – making them
equal – like the two moieties - Dhuwa and Yirritja
• Can be uncomfortable – for example learning to swab –
everyone was uncomfortable
– Mouth is personal
– Photos to teach with were a mistake
– Relationship boundaries
– Gender

9. The Future
• We would like to do any other research in the
community (not just health)
• Teaching young ones to do the training with
CDU, or do some research
• Yolngu from other Homelands to join us, and to
start their own projects
• We want more training – train the trainer
• Meeting other Aboriginal researchers
• One day working for CDU
• Present at conferences