Brisbane Broncos winger and Deadly Ears ambassador Jharal Yow Yeh will visit remote indigenous communities to promote children’s ear health this week.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Brisbane Broncos winger and Deadly Ears ambassador Jharal Yow Yeh will visit remote indigenous communities to promote children’s ear health this week.
The Deadly Ears program works with Queensland’s urban, rural and remote communities to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
Acting Premier and Minister for Health said Jharal would travel to Doomadgee, Bamaga and Woorabinda to promote ear health amongst Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders.
“We are absolutely delighted to have Jharal’s support,” Mr Lucas said.
“During his trip, Jharal will sign Deadly Ears resources and host a football clinic for kids in Woori.
“He is a very positive role model for people in these communities and his involvement will reinforce preventive ear health messages to the whole community.”
Mr Lucas said the Deadly Ears program was a community engagement and healthcare initiative that worked in partnership with local providers and non-government organisations in an effort to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Queenslanders.
“Deadly Ears is the only program of its kind in Australia and one the Bligh Government is very proud to support,” he said
“The State Government has provided $4.4 million in funding over three years for this vital initiative.”
Mr Lucas said some Indigenous communities in Queensland had rates of chronic middle ear infections that well exceeded rates acknowledged by the World Health Organisation as an indicator of a major public health problem.
“With the help of supporters like Jharal, the Deadly Ears team hopes to reverse this trend,” he said.
“Chronic ear disease has a profound effect on children and can result in delays in childhood development, lack of participation in schools and poorer educational outcomes.”
Mr Lucas said the Deadly Ears program was evidence of the unique innovation and advances being made in Queensland to improve health outcomes in furthering the Q2 goal of making Queenslanders Australia’s healthiest people.
“The Deadly Ears program continues to make significant inroads in addressing middle ear disease in Indigenous Queensland children,” he said.
“The program has helped to repair damage and restore hearing to over 1,200 children and undertake ear, audiological and communication screening of more than 3,000 children statewide.
“The State Government remains committed to reducing the health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders, and programs such as this are ensuring we are getting on with the job of reducing this gap,” he said.
The Deadly Ears program recently won the Director General’s Award for Best Demonstration of Queensland Health Values and also the Closing the Gap category for improving indigenous outcomes.
Jharal Yow Yeh will be in Doomadgee today ( Monday 4 October ), in Bamaga on Tuesday 5 October and in Woorabinda on Thursday 7 October.
ENDS.
Media contact: 3225 2680
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