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Abstract:
On 29 October 2002, key representatives from all Australian states and territories who work in Aboriginal health promotion, general health promotion or population health met in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW). Their objective was to further develop a shared vision and understanding of the potential national elements of a Collaborative Centre for Aboriginal Health Promotion, being established in NSW. The workshop was hosted by the NSW Department of Health and supported and attended by representatives of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing and the NSW Aboriginal Health Partnership. These representatives included: • the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) – Department of Health and Ageing, NSW and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) • National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (NACCHO) • States and Territories Departments of Health and/or Human Services [NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory (NT), and Western Australia (WA)] • Macquarie and Far West Area Health Services, NSW • Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC), NSW • Danila Dilba Health Service, NT • Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet – Edith Cowan University, WA • Dental Health Services, Victoria. The purpose of the workshop, using an interactive group process, was for participants to reach: • a greater understanding of the structure and purpose of the Collaborative Centre for Aboriginal Health Promotion • consensus on best practice principles for Aboriginal health promotion • a commitment to contribute to the collection of best practice case studies that is time bound and geographically representative • agreement towards the establishment of quality assurance measures that will match case study material with best practice principles • agreement on a set of recommendations on the mechanisms required at state and territory level that will ensure the sustainability of case study contributions to the Collaborative Centre for Aboriginal Health Promotion. The workshop outcomes were intended to build on, and be consistent with, the work of: • the National Public Health Partnership: Guidelines for the development, implementation and evaluation of National Public Health Strategies in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples • the NSW Aboriginal Health Promotion Program: Directions Paper – NSW Aboriginal Health Promotion • the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet. This document sets out the Sydney Consensus Statement on Principles for Better Practice in Aboriginal Health Promotion,4 as agreed by the workshop participants. Following the workshop the Principles for Better Practice were prepared by the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Advancement and endorsed by the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council (AHMAC) in February 2003.
