News

• NAIDOC Video Released

  We have released our NAIDOC Video, click below to watch!

  View Video

• NAIDOC Photos

  View our photo gallery from our NAIDOC event at Mackay Base Hospital on 4 July here.

  NAIDOC photo gallery

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Unit at the Mackay Hospital Family Fun Day

  The team spent the day at the MHF Family Fun Day at BB Print Stadium. We had a range of resources including our new early readers which were a hit!

  MHF Family Fun Day

• Better Medication Access Program launched – 26 August 2024

  The Better Medication Access Program provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with access to free medication at the Mackay Base Hospital Pharmacy following discharge from the Emergency Department, inpatient unit or following an outpatient appointment with a hospital prescription.

  Better Medication Access Program

FAQs

What is equality vs equity?

Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.

Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances, so their needs are different. Each person is treated differently to achieve an equal outcome for all.

What is the Health Equity Strategy trying to achieve?

Access to health care is a fundamental human right. Improving First Nations health and wellbeing outcomes is central to ensuring this human right. When everyone can achieve equal health outcomes we have achieved true health equity.
Our key priorities driving health equity are:
• Active elimination of racial discrimination and institutional racism within the service
• Increasing access to healthcare services
• Influencing the social, cultural, and economic determinants of health
• Delivering sustainable, culturally safe, and responsive healthcare services
• Working with First Nations peoples, communities, and organisations to design, deliver, monitor and review.

Who is involved?

Everyone! The work to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is everyone’s responsibility. We are working with our co-signatories and Health Equity Advisory Group to ensure that we meet implementation goals and drive change.

Why is a Health Equity Strategy needed?

On average, First Nation peoples have a lower life expectancy and higher burden of disease compared to the rest of the population. According to the Chief Health Officer Report (First Nations Australians burden of disease | Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland), the total burden of disease for First Nations people is 2.1 times that of the rest of the population. To meet the specific needs of First Nations people including the significantly younger age profile, the Mackay Health Equity Strategy must be locally informed, and data driven to ensure appropriate local service responses can be planned and delivered.

What does the current data show us?

As at 2020, approximately 10,589 people identified as First Nations people in Mackay equivalent to 6.17% of the total population. The Statistical Area with the highest proportion of the total population identifying as First Nations was Bowen Basin North (7.41%).

There is currently a large life expectancy gap that we need to close. First Nations males are living to 71.9 years which is 8.8 years less than their non-Indigenous counterparts. For females, First Nations women are living to 75.6 years which is 8.1 years less than non-Indigenous females.

How do I contact the Health Equity Team for further information?

Contact the Health Equity Team by phoning (07) 4885 6025 or emailing MHHS-HealthEquity@health.qld.gov.au.

Our webpage will be updated regularly with news, events, information and progress updates and we implement our Strategy.

Who are the Traditional Owner groups within Mackay Hospital and Health Service?

Yuwi People – Mackay, Sarina
The boundaries of the Yuwi country lay between Midge Point to the north of Mackay, to Cape Palmerston in the South, west to the top of the Connors and Clarke Ranges and the east encompassing the waters off the mainland between the north and south boundaries.

Barada Barna People – Moranbah, Dysart, Middlemount
The traditional lands of the Barada Barna People cover approximately 3229 square kilometres and are bound between the Connors Range in the east, Middlemount in the south, Peak Ranges in the West and Lake Elphinstone in the North.

Wangan Jagalingou People – Clermont
The Wangan and Jagalingou country cover a vast area of unceded land in the Galilee Basin in central-western Queensland.

Wiri/Widi People – Glenden
The Wiri’s tribal lands spread over some 5,200 square kilometres from the Coast Range west of the coastal area around Mackay and running inland as far north of Lake Elphinstone to Glenden and takes in the headwaters of Bowen and Suttor rivers. These lands also take in both the Connors and Denham ranges.

Gia People – Proserpine
The Gia lands extend over some 4,100 square kilometres of land from Bowen to Midge Point and Mount Dalrymple. Inland they reach the Clarke Range. They were present at Proserpine, Gloucester Island and Repulse Bay.

Ngaro People – Cannonvale
The Ngaro people have lived in what we now know as the Whitsundays for over 8,000 years. They originally occupied about 520 square kilometres, including some of the islands and part of the mainland.

Juru People – Bowen
The Juru people lands cover over 17,600 hectares of land in an area between Bowen and Ayr. Their southwestern limits ran to the Bogie Range and south to Mount Pleasant and Mount Abbot.

Birriah People – Collinsville
The Birriah People lands extend between the north of Glenden to west of Ayr and east of Charters Towers. This includes the townships of Ravenswood, Collinsville, Scottville and part of Glenden.

Where can I get more information?

There is a wealth of information on the need for health equity for First Nations people. Here are some good resources to get you started:

• The health of Queenslanders – Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Division
• Closing the Gap Information Repository – Productivity Commission
• Australian Indigenous Health Infonet