This guide has been designed for anaesthetists and specialist pain physicians interested in Indigenous health to locate relevant resources on this topic, including those available through the ANZCA library.
Material and resources regarding First Nations peoples and cultures has historically been created and recorded by non-Indigenous people and may not have had the input of First Nations peoples themselves. As a result, this material may contain cultural inaccuracies and misinterpretations, or words and descriptions which could be considered insensitive, outdated and/or offensive in today's context.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that the resources within this guide may contain images, voices, or names of deceased persons.
The ABC Indigenous portal brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories from around the ABC and around Australia.
Access the latest Indigenous stories and features from ABC Radio, News and Current Affairs, TV and iView.
The Australian Medical Association website provides policy documents, submissions and position statements relating to its advocacy work on Indigenous health.
AIDA is a not-for-profit professional association supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students and doctors. Much of AIDA’s work is aimed at promoting culturally safe learning environments for Indigenous students, doctors and service delivery to patients. AIDA runs an accredited cultural safety training program to assist medical practitioners to integrate cultural safety into their practices.
AIDA position statement: Cultural safety
Project report:Growing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical specialists
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet is an innovative Internet resource that aims to inform practice and policy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health by making research and other knowledge readily accessible.
See also the Cultural Safety for Health Professionals portal.
The Cultural Safety for Health Professionals portal aims to support teaching health professionals to critically reflect on the concept of cultural safety and to deliver safe, accessible and responsive healthcare that is free from racism. Links are provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and cultural safety resources, relating to the five capabilities of a refreshed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework.
Croakey Health Media was incorporated in 2018 as a not-for-profit public interest journalism organisation. Its membership comes from people involved in the Croakey Health Media social journalism team. Croakey has an extensive collection of Indigenous health articles.
CCCA is a majority Indigenous-owned consulting and cultural training organisation with an outcomes-based approach that delivers real and lasting change at a personal and professional level. CCCA is the provider of Australia's only online competence-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence Course.
Learning and education modules on understanding bias in health care, developed for Wiki Haumaru Tūroro | Patient Safety Week 2019.
The Australian Government: Australian Institute of Health and Welfarehas an overview page of their website with reports and statistics about Indigenous Australians, and the many aspects of the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians where significant improvements are continuing or emerging.
The significant gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians remain. This disadvantage, or the 'gap' between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, starts from birth and continues throughout life. More reports and statistics on Indigenous Australians can be found under The health & welfare of Australia's Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people and Indigenous health & welfare services.
A 2016 resource available on the Parliament of Australia website, by Jade Koekoe and James Haughton from the Social Policy Section, which provides links to:
The Koori Mail is a fortnightly national newspaper reporting on the issues that matter to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The LIME Network is a dynamic network dedicated to ensuring the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning of Indigenous health in medical education, as well as best practice in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous medical students and trainees.
The online Foundation Course in Cultural Competency was developed specifically for the registered New Zealand health workforce and provides a basic understanding of cultural competency & health literacy in the New Zealand Health context
Cultural competence standards set out what the Council expects of doctors when it comes to treating patients in a culturally diverse population such as that of New Zealand.
NACCHO is the national leadership body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. It provides advice and guidance to the government on policy and budget matters while advocating for community-developed health solutions that contribute to the quality of life and improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) is the peak body for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners in Australia. It was established in 2009, following the Australian Government’s announcement of funding to strengthen the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce as part of its ‘Closing the Gap’ initiative.
National Indigenous Television (NITV) is an Australian free-to-air television channel that broadcasts programming produced largely by Indigenous Australians.
The Pain Management Network website contains information for pain sufferers to enable them to develop skills and knowledge in the self-management of their pain in partnership with their healthcare providers.
The website includes resources developed specifically for different groups includingHealth Professionals, Our Mob: Resources for Aboriginal People, Spinal Cord Injury Pain and For Everyone (with a general introduction to pain and pain relief strategies).
Reconciliation Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that promotes and facilitates reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Its vision is for a just, equitable and reconciled Australia. Its purpose is to inspire and enable all Australians to contribute to the reconciliation of the nation.
RIG Network is a national, cross-sectoral networking, research and outreach initiative. It links people, projects and resources to support better practice and undertake projects to help build better local food production initiatives that can deliver social, health and economic benefits to remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Te Rau Ora is a Ministry of Health part funded organisation that focuses on Maori mental health and wellbeing, research and workforce matters. Te Rau Ora produces resources and hosts events regularly.
Suggest a website
If you would like to submit a website that you find useful for professional development (or simply interesting), and related to the area of Indigenous health, please use this form:
ANZCA acknowledges the traditional custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises their unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present, and emerging.
ANZCA acknowledges and respects Māori as the Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa and is committed to upholding the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, fostering the college’s relationship with Māori, supporting Māori fellows and trainees, and striving to improve the health of Māori.
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AIDA's cultural safety training