Professor Tom Calma
Professor Calma shared his thoughts on the critical importance of co-design with Indigenous communities, health care institutions and providers. He spoke of his role in influencing policy and practice, including responding to the current findings of the Royal Commissions into Ageing and Disability as they impact Indigenous communities.
Professor Calma also outlined some of the complexities for First Nations people when it comes to home care for disabled and elderly First Nations people, impacted as they are by inadequate, badly maintained and overcrowded housing. As a key proponent of the Voice to Parliament, Professor Calma is committed to helping to fix some of these issues.
In its transition to a University of Sydney Flagship Research Centre, the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health will fully focus on delivering world class research to address similar significant, long-term health challenges. This recent boost to the Centre’s status by the University recognises that the Poche Centre, in genuine partnership with empowered First Nations communities, is best placed to deliver research to effect transformational change in health care practice and policy.
The showcase of current research at the recent workshop demonstrated the value of partnering with First Nations communities in developing research capability between the university and the communities.
It also showed that attracting and developing the best and brightest academics to work on the most critical health issues and long-term challenges facing First Nations people will enable the Centre’s aspiration to become the centrepiece for First Nations research at the University of Sydney.
The workshop also heard that there was an all-time high of First Nations students enrolled in FMH courses last year. In addition, there are close to 260 FMH academics engaged in First Nations research.
See more on some current First Nations research in the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health here.
