UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health

The UQ Poche Centre is proud to support the Lorikeets, who are the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team to play in the Bingham Cup, held in Brisbane this weekend.

The First Nations Lorikeets RUFC was founded in 2025 as Australia's first inclusive, culturally safe rugby club and community movement specifically for LGBTQIA+ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The Bingham Cup is a celebration of courage, community, and the unifying power of sport. First held in San Francisco in 2002, the Bingham Cup brings together inclusive rugby teams from all over the world to honour the legacy of Mark Bingham, a passionate rugby player for the San Francisco Fog and co-founder of the New York Gotham Knights. Mark was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001, and helped to thwart the hijackers’ plans.

Mark’s legacy of strength, leadership, and inclusivity inspires the Bingham Cup and the important message that everyone deserves a place on the pitch.

To see how you can get down to Wavell Heights and support the teams, click the link in the comments.

The UQ Poche Centre was excited to join the Child Health Research Centre's First10KDays Student Information Night.

Associate Professor Federica Barzi spoke to students about UQ Poche's leadership in Indigenous health research and how the Centre is supporting the next generation of researchers.

The event was not just an opportunity to meet passionate students considering a career in research but provided an insight into the incredible paediatric health and wellbeing initiatives happening in the wider UQ Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences Faculty.

The UQ Poche Centre was honoured to participate in the inaugural Pacific HIV Symposium, held on Denarau Island (Nadi), Fiji this week.

Fiji and Papua New Guinea are both facing serious HIV epidemics. In Fiji, one baby is diagnosed with HIV every week, and Papua New Guinea is recording an estimated 30 new infections every day.

The Symposium was established as a response to this escalating situation, and was an opportunity to convene regional health leaders, clinicians, nurses, policymakers and community organisations from across the region.

UQ Poche Centre's Director, Professor James Ward joined a plenary panel session advocating for culturally centred responses in addressing epidemics. Professor Ward drew on the positive outcomes from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with culturally centred responses.

More information via the link in the comments 👇🏽

The UQ Poche Centre's Director, Professor James Ward spoke to Think Global Health about the diphtheria outbreak in the Northern Territory and Western Australia and how a slow response allowed the infection to spread.

This outbreak, Australia's worst in 70 years, has seen more than 95% of cases reported in remote Indigenous communities.

Diphtheria is a bacterial disease that presents as a throat infection or ulcerlike skin wounds and is potentially fatal if left untreated.

The spread of diphtheria and other diseases, like tuberculosis and syphilis, through Indigenous communities is a symptom of the health inequities and funding gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

Read more via the link in the comments.

To commemorate Wear It Purple Day, on Tuesday, 25 August, the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and the 2Spirits Health Promotion and Community Program are holding a seminar on Rainbow Mob health and wellbeing.

The seminar will include a presentation, followed by a panel discussion with deadly Rainbow Mob community members who will share their stories of growing up, advocacy, and what needs to be done to create a safer world for young people.

Our researchers, Zamira Tyson and Dr James Fowler will present on the Blak and Proud Project, and the work that 2Spirits does within communities.

Zamira Tyson is a proud Nunukul and Nughi woman and Senior Research Technician for the Blak and Proud Project at the UQ Poche Centre. With over 20 years of experience in Indigenous community development and human services, she brings extensive expertise in community engagement across health, education, justice, and child protection.

Dr James Fowler is a researcher at the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health whose work focuses on improving health outcomes for LGBTQIASB+ communities through community-based and mixed-methods research.

The panel discussion will include leaders in Queensland's LGBTQIASB+ community, who will share their expertise and experience in a heartfelt and frank discussion. The panel will discuss the challenges facing Queensland's LGBTQIASB+ young people, what allies can do to support young people to thrive and anecdotes from the panel members' own experiences growing up as Rainbow Mob.

Register to attend in person here: https://bit.ly/45rs3j9
Or
Online via Teams: https://bit.ly/4gBBAdy

Guests are invited to join us for a light lunch following the seminar.

Purple attire is encouraged but not required!

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities still see higher rates of s*xually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood borne viruses than the wider Australian population.

The UQ Poche Centre's RISE Team is working to reduce s*xually transmitted infections in Indigenous communities in North and Central Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Last week, the team was in Rockhampton with the Bidgerdii Community Health Service, filming health promotion videos that will target communities in Central and North Queensland. This initiative will promote safe s*x, getting tested and getting treatment.

Getting tested has never been easier. Using the Point-of-Care Testing machine, the team at the Central Queensland Hospital are able to analyse and return a patient's sample within 60 to 90 minutes, meaning the patient can be tested and receive a diagnosis and treatment options on the same visit.

The Torres Strait Regional Authority highlights climate change as an existential threat to Torres Strait communities, culture, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

Last month, Dr Carl Francia and Professor Abdullah Mamun travelled to Saibai Island to strengthen the UQ Poche Centre's partnership with Climate Collective Zenadth Kes (CCZK), an Elder-guided, community-led Torres Strait climate organisation.

The visit coincided with the historic 100th anniversary of the Holy Trinity Church, bringing together Saibai families from across the Torres Strait and Australia.

The UQ Poche Centre's Director, Professor James Ward joined The University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry and colleagues on a two-day visit to Cherbourg to strengthen relationships with the community and explore opportunities to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Hosted by Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council, a highlight of the visit was a sit down with Cherbourg's Elders and community leaders inside the historic Boys Dormitory. Our hosts shared their knowledge and lived experience as well as their perspectives on education and higher learning. Discussions highlighted the importance of building trust, creating opportunities and ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices help shape the pathways into higher education.

It was an illuminating yarn.

The team also visited Cherbourg State School, delivering interactive science activities that captured students' imaginations and sparked curiosity. The enthusiastic response from students was a reminder that inspiring young people early can play an important role in helping them see higher education as a pathway that is both achievable and welcoming.

We at Poche are excited to continue working alongside the Cherbourg community and University colleagues to strengthen relationships and create opportunities that support Indigenous students to thrive.

The results from a new study led by University indicate that the meningococcal B vaccine could also provide protection against gonorrhoea.

Researchers, led by Adelaide University Professor Helen Siobhan Marshall AM and assisted by NT Health, analysed the immunisation data from 30,650 adolescents and young people across the Northern Territory and Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Western Australia.

The study found that two doses of the vaccine were associated with a 38% lower risk of gonorrhoea in young people aged 14 to 22 years.

Professor James Ward, Director of the UQ Poche Centre, was a co-investigator on the study and said “The rollout of the vaccine should now be another tool in the toolbox to reduce unacceptably high rates of both invasive meningococcal disease and gonorrhoea.”

Gonorrhoea is a s*xually transmitted infection and the number of cases in Australia has doubled over the past 10 years.

Following this study, a funded MenB vaccination program for infants as well as Year 9 students was introduced in the Northern Territory last year.

Read more via link in the comments.

Who can remember sitting at the feet of an Elder and listening to their stories? Could be at home, could be a friend’s place, or even at school, it’s a core memory for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (and many non-Indigenous Australians).

The theme for this year’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is truth-telling, knowledge-sharing across generations and the importance of stories.

It’s also a celebration of the strength of Indigenous children.

The UQ Poche Centre is working hand in hand with community groups and health organisations to give the next generation of Indigenous children the best start in life possible.

🙌🏾 Did you know the UQ Poche Centre is currently working with The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families to understand how adverse childhood experiences affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

🙌🏾 how about the partnership the UQ Poche Centre has built with urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in Brisbane and Darwin to combat non-communicable diseases in urban communities?

🙌🏾 Or that the UQ Poche Centre’s community-led Deadly Fit Mums program offers exercise and nutrition education to Indigenous mums living in Brisbane?

For more information about National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day, click the link in the comments.