27 April 2022 | NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health News [Video]

• Simple free bowel cancer test saves lives
• ‘I was whitewashed’ says Uncle Jack Charles
• Protect your mob – immunisation campaign
• Children need commitment in this election
• Jacci – no choice but to leave Katherine
• Universal access to oral health needed
• Fierce advocacy for mob will be remembered 
• New process for job advertising

Most bowel cancers (sometimes called colorectal, colon or rectal cancers) start as benign, non-cancerous growths called ‘polyps’ that form on the inner lining or the wall of the bowel. These polyps may become cancerous if they are not removed. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Although these cancers are experienced at lower rates than non-Indigenous Australians, the survival rates are lower and mortality rates are higher. This may be due to the lower participation in bowel screening programs, which is a particular risk for those in remote areas, where access to health services can be limited.

Initiatives such as the National Indigenous Bowel Screening Pilot Project have helped to …