BETTER HEALTH
Good health is fundamental to a fulfilling life. Health
and well being of women requires a specific focus.
The National Women's Health Programme focuses on improving
services to women who are at a disadvantage - whether
economically or because of geographical isolation -
or for whom culturally appropriate services need to
be delivered.
The Alternative Birthing Services Programme promotes
greater choice for women in the public health system
and encourages services delivered primarily by midwives.
The next phase of the programme will build on models
already successfully trialled and evaluated.
Funding is available for this programme for a further
two years.
Pilot
Study of Alternative Funding for Rural Obstetric Services
Key stakeholders will be involved in developing a pilot
study of alternative funding to improve obstetric services
in rural areas. A total of $5 million will be available
for the project. This funding will be provided by savings
from Medicare benefits which will not be available
for obstetric services provided in these identified
areas for the period of the study.
Immunisation
Women instinctively want to protect their children.
In a major push to boost childhood immunisation rates
the Government launched a package of measures in February
1997. Immunise Australia: A Seven Point Plan includes:
- increasing maternity Allowance to $950 per eligible
child from 1 July 1998; paying the first $750 following
the birth of the child and $200 at 18 months on proof
of age appropriate immunisation;
- linking Childcare Assistance and Childcare Rebate from
1 January 1998 to a child's immunisation status;
- Immunisation Days to increase coverage;
- monitoring and evaluation of immunisation targets through
the collection of data and incentive systems;
- a feasibility study for a national measles eradication
programme;
- financial incentives to medical practitioners to achieve
high immunisation levels; and
- in conjunction with the States and Territories, the
introduction of firm school entry requirements linking
entry to provisions of information on a child's immunisation
status.
Building on this, the Budget establishes a new funding
mechanism for the purchase of essential vaccines and
provides in excess of $14 million over four years for
Hepatitis B, the first vaccine to be funded under this
mechanism.
In addition this year's Budget provides $1.6 million
over four years for a school-based programme of Hepatitis
B vaccination to protect children before risks related
to life-style begin to become a factor.
The measure will involve the Commonwealth working with
the States and Territories, the Commonwealth covering
the cost of vaccines and contributing up to half the
additional cost of delivering Hepatitis B vaccination
in schools. States and Territories will be responsible
for the delivery of the programme as well as the provision
of their half of the additional funding.
Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Health
Breastfeeding Strategy
The Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Health Services is developing and implementing the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' component
of the National Breast Feeding Strategy as part of
the Health Throughout Life Maternal Health Policy.
The Office has developed a plan to encourage prolonged
breastfeeding and the appropriate introduction of additional
foods for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants.
One strategy is to improve training for Aboriginal
Health Workers and other health professionals in promoting
and supporting breastfeeding and appropriate infant
feeding; the second is to support community controlled
health services in developing appropriate care protocols
based on identified 'best practice'.
Implementing the first part of the plan, the Office
has commissioned an audit of current training in breastfeeding
support and infant nutrition for Aboriginal Health
Workers and other health professionals providing health
care to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander women.
Depending on the outcomes of this audit, if there is
a need, the Office will develop core elements for training
modules for Aboriginal Health Workers and advise on
appropriate information to be included in training
for other health professionals in the promotion and
support of breastfeeding and early infant nutrition
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
A second project which is currently underway is a review
of current interventions and identification of best
practice currently used by community based Aboriginal
Health Service providers in promoting and supporting
breastfeeding and appropriate infant nutrition. The
information gathered from this review, and recommendations
on successful interventions to encourage breastfeeding
and good infant nutrition, will be offered to health
services providing care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander women and infants. Funding of $0.4 million
is also scheduled to be available in 1997-98 to support
the development, trial and evaluation of support and
care guidelines.
Sexual Health
The Indigenous Australians' Sexual Health Strategy
was launched by the Minister for Health and Family
Services, the Hon Michael Wooldridge MP, on 26 March
1997. The Strategy, developed by the Australian National
Council on AIDS and Related Diseases Working Party
on Indigenous Australians' Sexual Health, is aimed
at promoting and maintaining the sexual health of all
indigenous Australians. The relationship between reproductive
health and sexual health is well recognised, especially
in relation to the effects that sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), including HIV, have on the ability
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to have
children. Thus, any strategy aimed at improving sexual
health will also result in improved health outcomes
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in
relation to their reproductive and maternal health.
The Strategy provides for funding in the order of $12
million over the years 1997-98 and 1998-99.
The Strategy strongly emphasises that one of the crucial
factors required for the effective control of STDs
and, hence prevention of HIV transmission, is access
to high quality primary health care. The Office is
progressing a range of initiatives in response to the
Sexual Health Strategy that are aimed at strengthening
the capacity of the primary health care sector to improve
both access to, and the quality of, sexual health services
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
These initiatives, such as facilitating the development
of clinical care guidelines and the implementation
of computerised patient information and recall systems
within Aboriginal Health Services, are population health
approaches and will have a positive impact on Indigenous
health generally.
