Victorian Refugee Health Network E-bulletin June 2009

The Victorian Refugee Health Network brings together health, settlement and community services to be more accessible and responsive to the needs of refugees and asylum seekers.
The E- bulletin provides a regular forum to share news and information to support practitioners and services in providing health care to people of a refugee background.

News and Events

1. Although National Refugee Week (June 14-20) was celebrated last week across Australia, some of the celebrations and events are continuing. As part of  Refugee Week, the Somali Community in Heidelberg West are holding a 'Celebration for Newly Arrived Communities' on Thursday, 25 June at 3-5.30pm. It will be held at the Children’s Protection Society, 70 Altona St, Heidelberg West. It will showcase traditional African performances and Somalian refreshments. For the flyer click here.

2. Translated Information on H1N1 (Human Swine Flu) is available on the DHS Swine Flu website in the following languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Greek, Italian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese. The website provides regular updates and general information.

3. Adult refugee catch-up immunisation: DHS Public Health Branch has recently confirmed that it will continue to fund adults who are asylum seekers or from a refugee background in Victoria to receive catch-up vaccines. A new revised refugee vaccine order form and free vaccine list are now on the DHS website All children from a refugee or asylum seeker background can continue to receive free childhood vaccines as a catch-up as per all Victorian children. Vaccines such as hepatitis B, meningococcal C and chickenpox will continue to have eligibility restrictions, so are currently not fully available as a catch-up for adult refugees.

4. Nurses for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (NRAS) ANF Special Interest Group will next meet on Tuesday, 21 July, 6-8.30pm. Julian Burnside QC will speak on 'Human rights and Access to Services for Refugees and Asylum Seekers'. Three newly arrived migrants will also share their personal experiences in accessing health services. It will be held at ANF House, 540 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Cost: Members free & Non-Members $5. RSVP by 10 July to Vanessa Standfield on (03) 9275 9333 or email: vanessa@anfvic.asn.au  or click here for Flyer. The NRAS provides a forum for nurses who are interested in, and/or work with, refugees and asylum seekers in a variety of clinical settings. For the membership brochure click here. 

5. Inquiry into the Health Requirement: The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans has announced the terms of reference for an inquiry relating to the health requirement in the Migration Act. The Joint Standing Committee on Migration will investigate the assessment of the health and community costs associated with a disability as part of the health test undertaken for visa processing. To read the media release announcing the inquiry click here.

6. The National Health & Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) released their interim report: A Healthier Future For All Australians in December, 2008. Responses to this report, including that by the Victorian Refugee Health Network,   are now available on the NHHRC website. Click here.

Resources

7. A new DHS Report titled: Understanding the client experience: Refugees accessing and utilising the health system in Australia has been produced by the Social & Community Strategy Unit of the Department of Human Services Southern Metropolitan Region. The report provides a literature overview, and documents  the experiences of refugees, GPs and agencies providing services to refugee clients. The report aims to inform the planning of health services to ensure more accessible and responsive services to refugee clients. To read the report click here.

8. The Good Food for New Arrivals program has developed a new training website for use by service providers to improve staff knowledge of food and nutrition issues for refugees, better utilise available resources and promote cultural competency skills. It builds on the nutrition awareness program developed by the Perth-based ASETTS (Assisting Torture and Trauma Survivors) which aims to improve access to food and nutrition information available to newly arrived humanitarian and refugee families with young children. All materials are free to download at: www.asetts.org.au/nutritiontraining.

9. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), through the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National, provides free 24 hour interpreting services to private medical practitioners providing Medicare-rebateable services including their reception staff to arrange appointments and provide test results. It also provides this service to pharmacies for the purpose of dispensing Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medications. Registration forms for free interpreting for doctors and pharmacists are available on the DIAC website.

Professional Development 

10. The Foundation House Training and Professional Development calendar for semester two is now available. It includes training modules and sessions for a range of professionals including health, education and welfare workers which cover a wide range of topics, reflecting the emerging professional development needs and concerns of workers. Training is provided from Brunswick and Dandenong locations. To access the calendar, click here.

11. Healthy living for immigrant and refugee women is a seminar organised by the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health  which will focus on healthy living and illness across a range of cultures. The guest speaker is Dr Regina Quiazon,
Diabetes Education Project Officer and Research Associate for the Institute for Community Engagement and Policy Alternatives at Victoria University. It will be held on Thursday 27 August, 9am – 2pm at the Carringbush Building, 134 Cambridge St, Collingwood. Cost: $65 (includes lunch). For more information or to register, visit the website or email: reception@mcwh.com.au or phone (03) 9418 0999.


Subscriptions and contributions to The Victorian Refugee Health Network E-Bulletin are welcome.
If you would like to subscribe or send news or information relevant to refugee health please go to the Contact Us page on the Refugee Health Network website at www.refugeehealthnetwork.org.au or email: refugeehealth@foundationhouse.org.au

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