NSW Public Health Bulletin最新文献

We undertook a study of enteric fever, caused by Salmonella enterica enterica subtypes Typhi and Paratyphi A, presenting in residents of the Western Sydney Local Health District for the period January-June 2011. Twelve cases of S. Typhi and eight of S. Paratyphi A were notified. Patients were predominantly young adults (median age 26 years, 70% female) who had been visiting friends and relatives in India, Samoa, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka. No cases were associated with travel for less than 3 weeks; 17 (85%) required hospitalisation. None received pre-travel vaccination; reasons cited for this included pregnancy, expense, being too busy, or considering the disease too mild to warrant vaccination. Three S. Typhi isolates acquired at large social gatherings in Samoa had the same phage [corrected] type and susceptibility profiles; these results were communicated to Samoan public health personnel. There are opportunities to strengthen enteric fever prevention, including pre-travel health advice and S. Typhi vaccination for people visiting endemic areas for 3 or more weeks, especially those in the vulnerable 'visiting friends and relative' category.

Partnership is a process that must be recognised as a fundamental part of any strategy for improving health outcomes for Aboriginal people. Addressing the inequities in health outcomes between Aboriginal people and other Australians will require a sustained, coordinated and well-informed approach that works to a set of goals and targets developed with input from the Aboriginal community. Partnerships provide the most effective mechanism for obtaining this essential input from Aboriginal communities and their representative organisations, enabling Aboriginal people to have an influence at all stages of the health-care process. Within the health sector, effective partnerships harness the efforts of governments and the expertise of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, which offer the most effective means of delivering comprehensive primary health care to Aboriginal people.

In partnership with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC), the NSW Ministry of Health is developing a 10-year Aboriginal Health Plan for NSW. Recent reports have highlighted the need for significant systemic and structural change, coupled with genuine engagement with Aboriginal people. A whole health-system approach has been adopted and is examining all the interdependent and influencing elements that impede or facilitate effective health outcomes for Aboriginal people. The collaboration will develop a new strategic framework that will provide clear direction concerning how we address Aboriginal health in NSW. We have done this by seeking genuine engagement and partnership with Aboriginal people, organisations and communities. A phased approach has been used to develop the Plan. This paper describes the first phase of a two-phased approach. A discussion paper was released on National Close the Gap Day, 22 March 2012.

Aboriginal people living in NSW continue to experience greater health risks, poorer health and shorter life expectancies than non-Aboriginal Australians. The NSW Health-funded program, Chronic Care for Aboriginal People, was established from existing initiatives to rethink the way chronic care services were delivered to Aboriginal people in NSW. Refocusing and building on existing projects led to NSW Health providing an evidence base of what was working in Aboriginal communities. A model of care for Aboriginal people with chronic disease has been developed. Recommendations from two evaluations have allowed further improvement for the delivery of chronic care services for Aboriginal people. The Local Health District Service Agreements include relevant indicators and strategic priorities relating to the chronic care program.