A collaborative approach towards prevention of otitis media in Aboriginal children

ABSTRACT

Otitis media is very common in Aboriginal children in Western Australia and chronic ear disease causes major problems in speech and language development and education. Up until recently, most programmes dealing with the problem of OM have focused on clinical interventions rather than prevention. The Enhanced Prevention Working Group was established as part of the WA Child Ear Health Strategy (2017–2021). The Group has worked collaboratively to develop a set of recommendations for prevention of OM in Aboriginal children. These recommendations were informed by WA-based health promotion interventions initiated by Aboriginal Health Practitioners at a community level. This paper provides a historical perspective of the current situation and discusses each of the recommendations from Aboriginal Health Practitioners working within their community.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous health
• Primary prevention
• Health promotion
• Aboriginal communities
• Otitis media
• Collaboration
• Community engagement

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the contribution from team members of the working group: Charles Watson (Curtin University) (chair), Josie Adams (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Yvonne Axford (community member, Perth), Michelle Brown (WA Department of Education), Doreen Champion (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Suzie Clews (Child and Adolescent Health Service, WA Department of Health), Rick Firns (WA Department of Education), Joanna Hamilton (East Metropolitan Health Service), Geraldine Hogarth (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Anne Mahony (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Ruth Monck (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Irene Nannup (community member, Perth, deceased), Dee Parker (Earbus Foundation), Liesl Pensio (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Trulie Pinnegar (WA Country Health Service, Department of Health), Joanne Rogers (Child and Adolescent Health Service, WA Department of Health), Victoria Stroud (Telethon Kids Institute), Sharon Weeks (Telethon Kids Institute).

The authors also acknowledge members of the Steering Committee: Peter Richmond (chair) (University of Western Australia; Telethon Kids Institute; Perth Children’s Hospital; Child and Adolescent Health Service), Marianne Wood (Aboriginal Health Service WA), Deborah Lehmann (Telethon Kids Institute; University of Western Australia), Melissa Vernon (WA, Department of Health), Belinda Bailey (Rural Health West), Vivienne Duggin (Rural Health West), Deborah Gayton (Government of WA, Department of Health), Margaret Abernathy (Government of WA, Department of Health), Lucy Patel (WA Primary Health Alliance), Linda Kohler (WA Primary Health Alliance), Terri-Lee Bartlett (Government of WA, Department of Health), Karine Miller (Government of WA, Department of Health), Chris Brennan-Jones (Telethon Kids Institute; University of Western Australia), Caitlin Bradley (Rural Health West).

Finally, the authors acknowledge Associate Professor Deborah Lehmann and Distinguished Professor Michael Alpers for their commitment and mentorship to working with community. Special acknowledgement is made to the memory of a co-author whose commitment, dedication, quiet and gentle presence informed practitioners and demonstrating the critical need to empower community members to drive the prevention of disease within their community.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Victoria Stroud is a speech pathologist working with the Wesfarmers Centres’ Ear Health Program at the Telethon Kids Institute. She is currently a PhD candidate through the University of Western Australia.

Josie Adams is a proud Wongi woman who was born in Kalgoorlie and has lived in Coolgardie WA most of her life. She loves her Aboriginal heritage and practises her culture daily with her family and friends. She is an Aboriginal health worker and is currently working for the WA Country Health Service, Pina Karnbi Project. She hopes to improve ear health in the younger generation Aboriginal children before they enter school.

Doreen Champion is a proud Whadjuk woman from Perth, now living in Kalgoorlie WA. She is an Aboriginal health worker and is currently working for the WA Country Health Service, working closely with Ruth Monck, Josie Adams and the community child health nurses with the Pina Karnbi project. She believes healthy ears are happy kids.

Geraldine Hogarth (AM) is a Kuwarra Pini Tjalkadjara Elder and Senior Aboriginal health worker who has lived and worked around the northern Goldfields town of Leonora WA, her whole life. Geraldine is an Aboriginal health worker for the WA Country Health Service and has provided Ear Health care and education for her community since 1983. In 2016, Geraldine was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her significant contribution to improving Ear Health and language preservation for her community.

Anne Mahony was until recently the Director of Population Health in the Kimberley and Goldfields Regions. She is currently working in the Wheatbelt Aboriginal Health Service (WACHS Wheatbelt) reviewing Aboriginal Health programmes.

Ruth Monck has lived in Kalgoorlie-Boulder region, for 25 years. She works as a Clinical Nurse on a project focused on early detection and prompt treatment for Otitis Media for Aboriginal children in the 0–4-year-old age group.

Trulie Pinnegar is the Coordinator of Nursing-Community Health in the Goldfields Region. She previously managed community child health nurse ear health programmes in metropolitan Perth.

Sharon Weeks is an audiologist with more than 40 years’ experience in Aboriginal ear health programmes. Since the early 2000s Sharon has provided audiological support and training for ear health research projects undertaken at the Telethon Kids Institute.

Charles Watson is a doctor with qualifications in neuroscience and public health physician. He was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2004, and received the Distinguished Achievement Award of the Australasian Society for Neuroscience in 2018.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Health and Medical Research Council [grant number 1078557].