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Abstract:
Hope For Health (HFH) is an Indigenous led nutrition project located on Elcho Island, East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory and is focused on preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Sixty five years ago the Yolngu (aboriginal people of Elcho Island) were vital, healthy people. They now face an epidemic of NCDs such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular heart disease and a life expectancy ten to fifteen years less than other non-indigenous Australians. A major contributing factor to this situation is poor nutrition. Due to complex cultural and political influences, the Yolngu diet has dramatically changed. No longer comprising purely of nutrient-rich, local food sources, today the Yolgnu diet is predominantly based upon refined and processed western food choices. These changes are contributing to nutritional deficiencies, multiple NCDs and high morbidity rates. The burden of these health consequences are not only felt by the health sector but also resulting in the loss of important cultural knowledge and disruptions to social order. The situation is further exacerbated by a lack of tangible, consultative, cross-cultural nutritional education. To overcome these challenges HFH has utilised their 40 years of cross cultural work in Arnhem Land to create a pioneering blend of methodologies towards community wide nutritional and lifestyle education. This includes experiential learning with short-term health retreats focused on acutely improving individuals with nutrient dense food, daily exercise and nutritional education. Participants are then supported back in community with regular, ongoing practical and theoretical nutritional workshops. HFH also focuses on removing challenges of continuity and on facilitating the sharing of their health education to families and community. The Yolngu culture has thrived for thousands of years. HFH’s unique methodology also empowers the local people to draw from their cultural wisdom. Essentials for the program’s successful integration into the community include a Yolngu steering committee; nutritional education workshops, exercise classes and resources all delivered in the local language, and program frameworks derived from traditional culture, diet and bush medicine. Using an integrated medical approach the programs efficacy is evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative data including pathology testing, measurable clinical examinations and naturopathic consultations. HFH is compiling data pre and post retreat. Results thus far that are demonstrating positive outcomes include participants, under medical supervision, reducing or eliminating pharmaceutical prescriptions.
