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NADOC Week 2003 - A Celebration for All Australians

AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today acknowledges the importance of celebrating NAIDOC Week. This year's theme is 'Our Children our Future'.

"NAIDOC Week provides the opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities," Dr Glasson said.

"One example is the Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program in the Northern Territory, which has been running since the early 1990s.

"This program has helped improve the health and nutritional status of pregnant Indigenous women. This, in turn, has led to an increase in birth weight of Indigenous babies.

"Babies born to Indigenous mothers are twice as likely to be low birth weight (under 2.5grams) compared to other Australian children. Low birth weight leads to poor general health, and cardiovascular and kidney disease in young adulthood," Dr Glasson said.

The first Strong Women, Strong Babies, Strong Culture program was coordinated by Lorna Fejo. Lorna is an Aboriginal woman who has won many awards for her work including a Centennial Medal, an Australian Achiever of the Year Award, a NT Women's Achievement Award, and an AMA Indigenous Health Award.

Strong Women workers with specialised cultural knowledge were selected by their local Aboriginal communities to work with nutritionists, community based health workers, local schools, and other women in the community.

The program led to an increase in infant birth weight in the pilot communities and is now used in many communities nationally.

"The AMA is strongly committed to improving the health of Indigenous Australians," Dr Glasson said.

This year's AMA Public Report Card of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Time for Action, highlights the poor state of Indigenous health.

"The AMA works with Indigenous communities and all governments to achieve better health outcomes for all Australians," Dr Glasson said.

10 July 2003

CONTACT: John Flannery (02) 6270 5477 / (0419) 494 761

Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306

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