FED:Story of health for indigenous communities

AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2011
FED:Story of health for indigenous communities

Eds: Reissuing to correct the spelling of Snowdon



By Vincent Morello

SYDNEY, April 11 AAP - Storytelling has been an integral part of Aboriginal culture
for hundreds of years, and now the federal government hopes it will improve their health.

The nationwide Live Longer program has four main messages: quit smoking, eat healthy
foods, get regular exercise, and have regular medical check-ups.

Federal Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon on Monday launched the four-year,
$21.3 million campaign at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Sydney's inner
city suburb of Redfern.

"It's been built on solid research, which tells us we've got to get people who are
storytellers in our communities talking about the importance of good health and how to
achieve it," he told reporters.

Recent research into remote communities found mainstream health messages focusing on
"warnings and consequences" had little affect.

"It was the common belief within many communities that chronic disease, such as cancer
and diabetes, were an inevitable consequence for indigenous Australians," he said.

Indigenous smoking rates are 50 per cent higher than the national average, and smoking
causes 20 per cent of indigenous deaths.

"If we want to close the life-expectancy gap in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
populations across the broader community, then we need to take action around the big things,"

Mr Snowdon said.

"Aboriginal people need to be the drivers - the storytellers, in fact - of health messages
for their own communities."

Based on this, the Live Longer campaign will feature more than 60 healthy community
days held in urban, regional, and rural and remote areas during the next 14 months.

"In some places, where there are large populations of young people, you might want
to be talking to parents about how to make sure they're fed before they go to school,"

Mr Snowdon said.

NSW Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale, South Sydney Rabbitohs halfback Chris Sandow and
Australian Women's Rugby League indigenous all-stars Eunice Grime and Chloe Caldwell attended
the launch.

Mr Sandow was raised in Cherbourg, Queensland, about three hours northwest of Brisbane.

"I grew up in an Aboriginal community that's been affected pretty much by alcohol,
drugs and cigarettes," he told reporters.

"They grew up with seeing their mum and dad or their uncles and cousins doing it. It's
pretty tough."

Mr Sandow said professional athletes involved in the campaign will help make a difference.

"They see us on TV every week and they're probably sitting at home saying `I want to
be like him'," he said.

Mr Snowdon said the program will depend on local leaders of indigenous communities
to push the program's healthy lifestyle message.

AAP vpm/tr/sn

KEYWORD: INDIGENOUS (REISSUING) (PIX, VIDEO AVAILABLE)

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