• Skip to main content
  • Skip to navigation
  • Accessibility
  • Contact Us
Government of Western Australia Crest
Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia Crest

Additional Menu

  • Accessibility
  • Contact us
Go to WA Government search
  • About us
    • Contact us
      • Compliments, complaints and suggestions
      • Misconduct
      • Care Opinion
      • Thanks to our staff
    • Provide feedback
    • Health Service Board
    • Executive
    • Vision and Values
    • Past adoption practices
    • Strategic Planning
    • Annual Reports
    • Freedom of Information
    • Governance
  • Hospitals and Services
    • Hospitals
      • Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
      • Osborne Park Hospital
      • King Edward Memorial Hospital
      • Graylands Hospital
      • Joondalup Health Campus
    • Mental Health
      • Community Adult Mental Health
      • Inpatient Adult Mental Health
      • Mental Health Specialties
      • State Forensic Mental Health Services
      • Community Advisory Council
    • Public Health
      • Aboriginal Health
      • DonateLife
      • Health Promotion
      • Humanitarian Entrant Health Service
      • Infection Prevention and Control
      • Boorloo Public Health Unit
      • State Head Injury Unit
      • WA Tuberculosis Control Program
    • Dental Health Services
    • Services
      • Cancer Network WA
      • Elective surgery
      • Emergency Departments
      • Maternity Services
      • Residential Care Line
      • Interpreters and Language Services
      • Video Consultation
    • Voluntary Assisted Dying
  • Patient Care
    • Safety and Quality
      • Patient safety
      • Quality of care
      • Maintaining high standards of healthcare
      • Engaging with our consumers
    • Aishwarya’s CARE Call
    • Manage My Care
    • Patient rights and responsibilities
    • Partnering with Consumers
      • Community Advisory Councils
      • Engagement
      • NMHS statement on family and domestic violence
      • Partnership Model
      • Volunteering
    • Choose Wisely
    • Disability Access and Inclusion Plan
    • Patient resources
  • Health Professionals
    • Referring Patients
    • Boorloo Public Health Unit
      • Syphilis outbreak
      • Notifying diseases
      • Immunisation support
      • Perth Public Health Officer Training Program
      • Reports, publications and resources
      • Forms
    • GP Liaison
    • Library and Information Service
    • Staff Exposures and Absences Form
    • CADD Standards
  • Research
    • About our research
    • Research ethics and governance
    • NMHS Research Strategy
    • Research news
    • Why undertake research
    • Current research
    • Research partners
  • Work with us
    • Employee benefits
    • About us
    • Staff stories
    • International and interstate recruitment
    • Nursing and Midwifery
    • Forensic Mental Health
    • Mental Health
      • Mental Health Transition to Practice Program
    • Medical
      • Interns
      • Overseas trained doctors
    • Aboriginal employment and recruitment
    • Dental
    • Graduates
      • Mental Health Transition to Practice Program
      • GradConnect
    • Vacancies
    • Career opportunities
    • Pathways to working with us
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • Volunteering
  • Latest News
  1. Home
  2. News
  3. 2022
  4. 11
  5. 15
  6. Protecting our Koorlongka

Protecting our Koorlongka

Protecting our Koorlongka

Annette Koolmatrie
15/11/2022

The provision of culturally safe immunisation education to mothers of Aboriginal infants has taken a positive step forward thanks to the Metropolitan Communicable Disease Control (MCDC) team and the Innovative Future (IF) Program.

After a successful IF application and Shark Tank pitch, Naomi Nelson, Aboriginal Health Coordinator at MCDC has led a public health team in an innovative project designed to reduce the risk of Aboriginal children (Koorlongka) acquiring vaccine preventable illnesses.

With IF Program support and funding, the MCDC team, in partnership with social workers, Aboriginal health liaison officers and midwives at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) have piloted an early engagement program based on a South Australian initiative.

The one-year pilot commenced in May this year and provides mothers with immunisation education and a baby pack which were developed in collaboration with Aboriginal mothers, aunties and grandmothers. With a logo which says, ‘LOVE them, CARE for them, IMMUNISE them’, the pack and its contents are printed with artwork by a local Aboriginal artist which has embedded educational messaging to encourage conversations around immunisation.

The packs are designed to be practical as well as educational, and include culturally safe immunisation health promotion information, two baby-grow suits, sized to act as reminders of immunisation due dates at 2 and 4 months of age, and other useful items for mothers such as a water bottle, lip balm, and hand sanitiser.

Naomi says ‘This collaboration with KEMH gives us a unique opportunity to provide culturally safe immunisation education from birth. The team is enjoying working closely with mothers to support their baby’s immunisation uptake in a way which is empowering and culturally appropriate,’.

The team hopes the project will support families to understand the importance of commencing their baby’s vaccinations on time. Interim evaluations are looking positive with the team starting to see the benefits of early engagement and positive messaging around immunisation.

MCDC are now engaging with other maternity hospitals to roll out the initiative more broadly and continuing to collaborate with KEMH on other initiatives to support the immunisation of Aboriginal infants.

 

Nicole Pell, Annette Koolmatrie and Naomi Nelson

Protecting our Koorlongka baby pack

Previous Next
Last Updated: 18/11/2022
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer menu

  • wa.gov.au
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Brought to you by the Department of Health, Western Australia

© Government of Western Australia 2018 to