Aboriginal health research
Western Australia is home to impactful and culturally secure Aboriginal health research that is focused on enabling better health outcomes for Aboriginal people. This is achieved through:
- A strong ethical framework: The Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (WAAHEC) ensures that research is ethically sound and culturally appropriate. This committee is recognised by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and plays a crucial role in overseeing research involving Aboriginal people and communities.
- Focus on community engagement: Research in WA emphasises the importance of involving Aboriginal communities in the research process. This ensures that the research is relevant, respectful, and beneficial to the people and communities involved.
- Supportive policies and frameworks: The WA Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Framework 2015–2030 provides a strategic direction for improving Aboriginal health. This framework supports research that addresses health disparities and promotes culturally respectful healthcare. Aboriginal health is also a strategic focus area of the WA Health and Medical Research Strategy 2023–33.
- Collaboration and partnerships: There are numerous collaborative initiatives, such as the Pilbara Aboriginal Health Research Alliance (PAHRA) and the Kimberley Aboriginal Health Research Alliance (KAHRA), which bring together health services, researchers, and Aboriginal communities to drive evidence-based change.
WA Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Framework 2015 – 2030
The WA Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Framework 2015-2030 identifies a set of guiding principles, strategic directions and priority areas to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in Western Australia.
Research is identified as a key priority area in the framework, emphasising the importance of improving data and evidence to support effective health interventions and policies for Aboriginal people.
The framework’s strategic directions support research that addresses the social and cultural determinants of health, prevention and early intervention, and the development of a strong Aboriginal health workforce.
The framework highlights the importance of involving Aboriginal communities in the research process to ensure that it is relevant and beneficial to the communities it aims to serve. It also calls for research to be conducted in a culturally secure manner, ensuring that it respects and incorporates Aboriginal cultural values and perspectives.
Organisations
The Kimberley Aboriginal Health Research Alliance (KAHRA) is a collaborative initiative aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. KAHRA brings together Kimberley health services, Aboriginal communities, and health research organizations to drive evidence-based change.
KAHRA’s vision is to have Aboriginal people in control of Aboriginal research, ensuring that health initiatives are culturally appropriate and effective. The alliance focuses on several key research themes:
- Social and cultural determinants of health: Understanding and addressing the impacts of social and cultural factors on health.
- Social and emotional wellbeing: Focusing on mental health, trauma, and resilience, particularly among families and youth.
- Healthy lifestyles and chronic disease prevention: Addressing high rates of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
- Environmental health: Improving sanitation, water quality, food safety, and housing conditions.
- Health service improvements: Enhancing the effectiveness and quality of health services, incorporating cultural elements into healthcare.
KAHRA emphasizes community engagement and the integration of traditional knowledge with modern health research to create sustainable health solutions.
The Kurongkurl Katitjin Centre for Indigenous Education and Research (external site) leads a range of projects focusing on health, education and culture and actively contributes to a range of research projects across ECU and further afield.
The Ngangk Yira Institute for Change, based at Murdoch University, is dedicated to transformative and collaborative research that benefits Aboriginal people and communities. It emphasizes self-determination and aims to leave a lasting legacy.
The institute works closely with the Western Australian government, providing expertise to projects ensuring culturally safe maternity care for Aboriginal families. Its research is guided by partnerships between Elders, community stakeholders, and both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers, focusing on complex issues in Aboriginal health and social equity.
The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health (external site) at the University of Western Australia brings together the university’s expertise, programs and resources in a strong collaborative partnership focused on a central theme for Aboriginal people and communities - Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives.
The centre aims to drive a transformative intergenerational Aboriginal health research agenda, which delivers tangible, measurable health outcomes and services directly to Aboriginal people and communities.
The Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention (CBPATSISP) (external site) was established in 2017 to develop and share evidence about effective suicide prevention approaches for Indigenous people and communities.
Building on the foundation of the earlier Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP), the CBPATSISP influences Indigenous suicide prevention policy, practice, and research by promoting access to evidence and resources and through advocacy.
The Bettering Aboriginal Heart Health WA (BAHHWA) (external site) project goal is to develop a shared understanding and collaboration with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people (consumers, service providers, policymakers) to develop solutions to reduce the substantial disparities in cardiovascular outcomes experienced by Aboriginal people.
Current research topics within the BAHHWA project include patterns of multi-morbidity in Aboriginal cardiovascular patients, an ecological evaluation of the impact of ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative on heart disease burden, and an analysis of acute coronary syndrome.