What mainstream federal government health programs have been implemented

to address Aboriginal health issues, including culturally appropriate programs

and strategies? Choose at least two.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are susceptible to a significantly
higher incidence of hearing loss and ear disease in comparison to other
Australians, especially within children and young adults. Subsequently, the
federal government initiated the first national campaign to directly address ear
health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Care for Kids
Ears campaign being launched in 2011.
Part of the Care for Kids Ears campaign is the distribution of resource materials
for early childhood community groups, teachers and parents, and Otitis Media
guidelines for general practitioners and other doctors. The increased awareness
of health problems relating to ears, especially in Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander families with children under age five, has resulted in 74% of the
campaigns participants being able to identify preventative actions, and almost
50% being able to identify regular ear checks as an important preventative
strategy; these figures increased from 51% and 26% respectively according to an
evaluative report by the Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre Australia.
This 2011 report found: A large amount of culturally appropriate, relevant and
local radio broadcast material and video content, consistent with the overall
campaign communication objectives, was developed and delivered, and appears
to have been well accepted by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community
members. Similarly, storybooks, information brochures and childrens games
were rated as highly informative by the campaigns respondents (90%).
Moreover, the Indigenous Australians Health Programme aims to address
Aboriginal Health issues by recognising racism as a social determinant of health,
taking measures to significantly improve the cultural and language competency
of health services and health care providers. This federal plan has promoted
treatment of trachoma, which works in conjunction with the separate Multilateral
Trachoma Project Agreement which has introduced screening for bacterial eye
infections in remote and very remote Indigenous communities nationwide.

What mainstream local and state government health programs and strategies
have been implemented to address Aboriginal health issues, including culturally
appropriate programs and strategies? Choose at least two.
There are various local and state government health programs which have been
implemented to address Aboriginal health issues including the Northern
Territorys Stronger Futures initiative, the NSW Aboriginal Ear Health Program
and the Healthy Ears, Happy Kids campaign.
The NSW Aboriginal Ear Health Program, implemented by the NSW state
government, has identified one of their main objectives as being to: Reduce the
number of young Aboriginal children being adversely affected by otitis media by
reducing lifestyle risk factors amongst parents, carers and their extended
families.
Through endorsement from the Healthy Ears, Happy Kids campaign, the NSW
Aboriginal Ear Health Program has been able to focus on developing the skills of
Aboriginal Health Workers, and enhancing prevention initiatives; precisely those
that address modifiable risk factors like exposure to tobacco smoke, breast
feeding and nutrition for infants, and environmental factors like inclusion of
health information in schools and Aboriginal social networks rather than the
health system which has limited contact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
groups.
In addition, the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory campaign ensures the
continued funding to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations
which enable audiology assessments and ear, nose and throat services to be
provided to over 4,700 Indigenous children in the NT; this also includes
specialists working with primary health staff so the geographic location of rural
Aboriginal communities in the NT does not exacerbate barriers to accessing
essential health services. Local communities will have a say in which services
they want delivered to meet the needs of local families, and local Aboriginal
organisations will be partners in delivering these services. Furthermore the
Stronger Futures endorses community based health through the local School
Nutrition Program provides high nutrition meals for on roughly 5,000 Aboriginal
students in schools in Northern Territory communities.