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Indigenous Environmental Health: Report of the Second National Workshop

This second Indigenous Environmental Health publication brings together the issues identified by the conference and workshop participants and provides advice on progress and recommendations from the second workshop. The key topics identified by the conference participants were: training; career path; support; representation; working in partnership.

PDF printable version of Indigenous Environmental Health: Report of the Second National Workshop (PDF 607 KB)

Published by enHealth Council for Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care 2000

The causes of poor health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are complex and include social, medical and environmental factors. The physical and spiritual symptoms of these causes have been well documented, especially the disproportionately high death rates, which are particularly marked in rural and remote areas. Environmental health in Indigenous Communities is a priority for the enHealth Council and was highlighted as a priority by the then National Environmental Health Forum (NEHF) in 1997.

This second Indigenous Environmental Health publication brings together the issues identified by the conference and workshop participants and provides advice on progress and recommendations from the second workshop.

The Conference consisted of Indigenous representatives working in the area of environmental health from State and Territory jurisdictions, facilitated by an Indigenous Australian. This report looks at the development needs of Indigenous Environmental Health Workers, impediments to how they work and ways of moving forward and the issues identified at the Cairns workshop.

The key topics identified by the conference participants were:

• Training
• Career path
• Support
• Representation
• Working in partnership

The outcomes of the IEHW conference provided the focus for the workshop and this report. Ten recommendations were supported by the workshop participants five focussing on the conference outcomes and the remaining five reflecting the work of the State and Territory Indigenous environmental health programs. The report highlights the inter-sectoral relationships that are critical to the management and implementation of environmental health in Indigenous communities. The initiatives discussed in this report include the National Colilert Trial, Indigenous Housing, Community Stores initiative and community initiatives that look at the communities involvement in improving environmental health.

Contact Details:

NIEHF Secretariat
Telephone: +61 02 6289 7904
Facsimile: +61 02 6289 4215
Email: enHealth@health.wa.gov.au

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