Role
NATSIHP provides holistic and culturally safe advice on health protection matters for First Nations peoples and communities. NATSIHP’s focus is on communicable and chronic diseases, environmental health, and disaster management in primary health settings, and health issues related to COVID-19.
Actions include:
- ensuring appropriate responses to current and emerging health protection issues for First Nations peoples
- reducing data gaps and improving data use, ensuring adherence to First Nations data sovereignty principles
- ensuring robust First Nations shared decision making and partnerships
- ensuring health protection responses include culturally safe and effective communication strategies
- establishing First Nations led strategic and collaborative governance arrangements
- providing nationally agreed policy health protection policy advice to the AHPC.
The Australian Government established the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 (Advisory Group) in March 2020. The Advisory Group provided clinical expertise to advise and inform decisions on COVID-19 related health issues for First Nations peoples and communities.
On 17 October 2022, the Advisory Group became the NATSIHP subcommittee of the AHPC. NATSIHP’s remit has expanded beyond COVID-19, to include First Nations health protection matters and relevant health outcomes of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Members
The NATSIHP co-chairs are the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Department of Health and Aged Care.
| MEMBER | ORGANISATION | POSITION | STATE/TERRITORY/NATIONAL | ||
| Dr Dawn Casey (co-chair) | National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) | Deputy CEO | National | ||
| Ms Melinda Turner (co-chair) | Department of Health and Aged Care | First Assistant Secretary - First Nations Health Division | National | ||
| Dr Ana Herceg | Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services | Public Health Medical Officer | Australian Capital Territory | ||
| Mr Yehuwdiy Dillon | Australian Capital Territory Government | Senior Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Partnerships | Australian Capital Territory | ||
| Dr Lorraine Anderson | Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services | Medical Director (CDNA representative) | Western Australia | ||
| Ms Francine Eades | Western Australia Government | Area Director Aboriginal Health East Metro Service | Western Australia | ||
| Dr RevleBangor-Jones | Western Australia Government | Deputy Incident Controller - Public Health | Western Australia | ||
| Dr Pippa May | Western Australia Government | Consultant Public Health Medicine | Western Austrtralia | ||
| Dr Caitlyn White | Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA) | Senior Medical Advisor - Public Health Medical Advisor | Western Australia | ||
| Dr Prashanti Manchikanti | Victorian Government | Principal, policy and strategy - Aboriginal Health | Victoria | ||
| Dr Louise Flood | South Australia Government /CDNA | Director Disease Prevention and Control, and Chief Human Biosecurity Officer for South Australia | SA | ||
| Mr Abe Ropitini | VACCHO - Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation | Executive Director - Population health | Victoria | ||
| Dr Liz Moore | Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) | Public Health Medical Officer | Northern Territory | ||
| Dr John Boffa | Central Australian Aboriginal Congress | Chief Medical Officer Public Health | Northern Territory | ||
| Dr Belinda Greenwood-Smith | Northern Territory Government | Co-ordinator of the Center for Disease Control Central Australia | Northern Territory | ||
| Ms Yolanda Adams | Northern Territory Government | Chief Aboriginal Health and Engagement Officer | Northern Territory | ||
| Ms Geraldine Wilson-Matenga | New South Wales Government | Executive Director, Centre for Aboriginal Health at the NSW Ministry of Health | New South Wales | ||
| Dr Tara Smith | New South Wales Government | Medical Advisor - Centre for Aboriginal Health | New South Wales | ||
| Ms Kristy Crooks | New South Wales Government | Aboriginal Program Manager, Hunter New England Health District | New South Wales | ||
| Dr Katie Panaretto | Queensland Health - Office of First Nations Health | Public Health Physician | Queensland | ||
| Dr Jessica Leonard | Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia | Public Health Medical Officer | South Australia | ||
| Mr Damien Shen | South Australia Government | Aboriginal Public Health Lead | South Australia | ||
| Dr Julie Graham | Tasmania Government | Deputy Public Health Director | Tasmania | ||
| Dr Jason Agostino | National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) | Medical Advisor | National | ||
| Ms Katrina Clark | National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) | National Indigenous Immunisation Co-ordinator | National | ||
| Ms Yvonne Uren | National Indigenous Australians Agence (NIAA) | Branch Manager - Health and Wellbeing Branch | National | ||
| Ms Melissa Connors | Aboriginal Hostels Limited | Director - Business Strategy | National | ||
| Dr Kath Keenan | Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) | Public Health Medical Officer | National | ||
| Dr Yuanee Wickramasinghe | Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) | Public Health Medical Officer | National | ||
| Ms Lauren Owen | Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) | Public Health Advisor | National | ||
| Prof. James Ward | The University of Queensland, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health | Director | National | ||
Meetings
The group meets fortnightly, with ad hoc meetings scheduled as required.
Communiques
Read communiques from NATSIHP.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19 – Communiques
Related committees or groups
Some NATSIHP members are also members on other AHPPC subcommittees:
- Australian Health Protection Committee (AHPC)
- Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA)
- Environmental Health Committee (enHealth)
- Blood Bourne Viruses & Sexually Transmissible Infections (BBVSC)
