Aboriginal health

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, good health is more than the absence of disease or illness; it is a holistic concept that includes physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual wellbeing, for both the individual and the community. Indigenous death rates have been falling in most age groups over the past 10 years, with the median age at death increasing from 56.5 in 2010 to 61.0 in 2020 (ABS 2021b). In 2020, the leading causes of death among Indigenous Australians were coronary heart disease, diabetes, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cancers of the lung, bronchus and trachea, and intentional self-harm (ABS 2021a).(AIHW)

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Jedda Salmon

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I have set my goal to work in remote and rural Aboriginal communities in WA to help improve and implement health strategies. This includes primary health care and prevention of chronic health disease, by using education to empower and facilitate good health attitudes. One of the communities that I am keen to work in is Lombardina near Broome, which I have family connections. My motivation to complete the bachelor degree in nursing so that I can assist Aboriginal women to stay on country during the birth process and be there to support the women during this. Therefore helping them with their spiritual and cultural journey and keeping iwht their health belief model and their connection to country. As the first person in my family and extended family to go to university and the first Bindjareb women to enrol in the nursing degree I hope to inspire and motivate many other young Nyungar women to follow my lead so that they can excel and be stronger person within their communities and families.

Nicholas Leidig

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I am a Ramindjeri man who has spent most of my adult life living and working on Kaurna land (Adelaide). My interest in Aboriginal health and education came primarily out of the unanswered questions I had growing up. I say ‘unanswered’ because the mainstream schooling system and curriculum in the 70s and 80s was ill-equipped to answer the questions I had, let alone address the gamut of Aboriginal issues. Regardless, for an Aboriginal kid at the time, I am the first to admit that I had somewhat of a privileged education that was supported by my loving parents. My non-Aboriginal father was a dedicated high school teacher, and my Aboriginal mother had passionately devoted herself to working in Aboriginal early childhood education.

Aboriginal health