South Australian Health

We are taking a whole-of-system approach, focusing on prevention, culturally safe healthcare, community-led solutions and addressing the social determinants of health.

Both the Northern Territory and South Australian health departments say they're also working to boost access to primary health care and strengthen services in remote communities.

A spokesperson for South Australia Health has told SBS it's working to improve healthy living environments through oversight of drinking water, wastewater and food safety, as well as partnerships with Aboriginal communities and organisations.

But Dr Sarah-Jane Springer says more can be done.

She says genuine whole system change needs to be driven by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and informed by their ways of knowing, being and doing.

A bit of concern in the community at the moment about measles.

Yes, so what we are hearing, of course, is that there's been these cases of measles that have been occurring in the community and we've certainly had some updates from SA Health regarding what that is and what it means.

And, I mean, I had a bit of a flashback moment, Graeme, looking through the exposure sites, particularly, you know, reflecting on our COVID days where we would list a number of sites of potential exposure.

But what we really are talking about here now is that we've had, you know, nine cases now reported.

It's very easy to have done.

Have a chat with your GP.

And of course, we also have the SA Health catch up program now available so that people can get a vaccine for free if they are eligible and have not had the two doses.

So if you're an adult and you sort of think, I don't know if I ever had the vaccine, you've got no one to ask.

We are taking a whole-of-system approach, focusing on prevention, culturally safe healthcare, community-led solutions and addressing the social determinants of health.

Both the Northern Territory and South Australian health departments say they're also working to boost access to primary health care and strengthen services in remote communities.

A spokesperson for South Australia Health has told SBS it's working to improve healthy living environments through oversight of drinking water, wastewater and food safety, as well as partnerships with Aboriginal communities and organisations.

But Dr Sarah-Jane Springer says more can be done.

She says genuine whole-system change needs to be driven by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and informed by their ways of knowing, being and doing.

Absolutely, and measles is one of those, unfortunately, that's so contagious.

Um, it's spread really easily in an environment, which is why we give, uh, contact tracing locations for that, and often sent out as an SA Health alert.

I see gonorrhea and syphilis have risen by more than fifty percent in Australia, with concerning rise among women.

Yeah, so I think we need to be, you know, really, I guess, aware in the community of what's come out recently in the last couple of days out from the Kirby Institute, is that we have seen an increase in, in both syphilis and gonorrhea cases in women.