Media Releases

The Aboriginal Health Council of WA has called for greater focus on local, culturally appropriate suicide prevention programs for West Australian youth, as new statistics reveal indigenous Australians are twice as likely to take their own lives.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Causes of Death 2016 report, released yesterday, showed 2866 people died as a result of suicide last year. Of those, 162 were Aboriginal and Torres...

Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia youth workers will travel to Geraldton this week as part of a national first project exploring the most significant health issues facing young Aboriginal people in regional WA.

AHCWA staff will host a series of age appropriate workshops with young indigenous people and health workers across the state, including in the Mid-West, Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and South-West before...

Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia youth workers will travel to the Kimberley this week as part of a national first project exploring the most significant health issues facing young Aboriginal people in regional WA.

AHCWA staff will host a series of age appropriate workshops with young indigenous people and health workers across the state, including in the Kimberley, Mid-West, Pilbara, Goldfields and South-West be...

Around 200 delegates have wrapped up a three-day conference in Perth which highlighted some of the major issues in Aboriginal health.

The annual state sector conference, hosted by the Aboriginal Health Council of WA, was held at the International on the Water Hotel in Ascot from April 4-6.

The conference was attended by representatives of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services from around WA, as well as state and feder...

The Aboriginal Health Council of WA and Youth Affairs Council of WA have called on the State Government to accept and immediately begin work on implementing the recommendations from an inquiry into Aboriginal youth suicide in remote areas. 

AHCWA and YACWA made a joint submission to the Education and Health Standing Committee inquiry, which was launched following the tragic suicide of a 10-year-old girl in the Kimberley.

The Co...

The Aboriginal Health Council and Youth Affairs Council of WA have given a joint submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Aboriginal Youth Suicides, telling the inquiry there is a disturbing lack of consultation, funding and coordination of services.

The Education and Health Standing Committee is conducting the inquiry following the suicide of a 10 year old girl in the Kimberley.

AHCWA Chairperson Michelle Nelson-Cox told t...

The Aboriginal Health Council of WA has welcomed a State Government commitment to fund suicide prevention training in the Kimberley as a step in the right direction.

The government today announced $145,000 would be provided to organisations in the Kimberley to conduct suicide prevention training, with $93,000 of this allocated to train Aboriginal people.

AHCWA Chairperson Michelle Nelson-Cox said the funding was a good first st...

The Aboriginal Health Council of WA said the lack of specific Aboriginal youth mental health and suicide prevention programs was contributing to the high suicide rate among young Aboriginal people in WA.

A survey of AHCWA’s member services around the state found the vast majority said they were concerned by the absence of programs in their community tailored specifically to Aboriginal young people.

This was despite ABS statisti...

Over 150 delegates from around the state attended a conference in Perth this week to address issues in the Aboriginal health sector.

The conference, hosted by the Aboriginal Health Council of WA, attracted delegates from AHCWA’s 22 member services, relevant government departments and other health focused non-government organisations.

The conference held small group workshops on topics affecting the health and wellbeing of Abori...