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Due to an advanced understanding of cancer biology and the rapid development of genomic technologies, cancer has shifted from 200 diseases based on pathology (i.e., what a tumor looks like under the microscope) to thousands of diseases based on molecular tumor profiles (i.e., what a tumor looks like when its altered genome is interrogated). Most cancers arise from alterations to the genome, including changes in the number or structure of chromosomes and variations in a single building block of the genetic code.
Australia does not have a national strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescent health and as a result, policy and programming actions are fragmented and may not be responsive to needs. Efforts to date have also rarely engaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in co-designing solutions. The Roadmap Project aims to work in partnership with young people to define priority areas of health and well-being need and establish the corresponding developmentally appropriate, evidence-based actions.
Type-2 diabetes is a systemic condition with rising global prevalence, disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities worldwide. Recent advances in epigenomics methods, particularly in DNA methylation detection, have enabled the discovery of associations between epigenetic changes and Type-2 diabetes. In this review, we summarise DNA methylation profiling methods, and discuss how these technologies can facilitate the discovery of epigenomic biomarkers for Type-2 diabetes.
To describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities' processes, positioning and experiences of health and medical research and their recommendations.
Hereditary pancreatitis causes severe early-onset pain and hospitalisation. In 15 Australian patients undergoing total pancreatectomy and islet auto transplantation (TPIAT), we observed a marked reduction in hospital admissions, inpatient days and emergency visits, complete analgesic cessation by 24 months and durable insulin independence in nearly half of the patients. These findings highlight TPIAT's potential to improve quality of life and reduce healthcare burden. Our programme aims to build evidence to support public funding and ensure equitable access to this procedure.
To describe the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and health care workers on genomics in cancer care to inform the National Framework for Genomics in Cancer Control (the Framework).
Globally, Indigenous people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, experience significantly poorer health outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts. In part, this can be attributed to the ongoing impacts of colonization, marginalization, and systemic discrimination. In the genomic healthcare era, Indigenous people remain underrepresented in public genetic health services, raising concerns about cultural competency and inclusivity within the genetic counseling profession.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are diverse, strong and faced with adverse social circumstances and unacceptable health and wellbeing outcomes wrought by colonisation. The need for strengths-based initiatives that tailor services according to local knowledges is well accepted, yet few studies have evaluated self-determined strategies to redress the social determinants of health.
Language development is critical for children's life chances. Promoting parent-child interactions is suggested as one mechanism to support language development in the early years. However, limited evidence exists for a causal effect of parent-child interactions on children's language development.
Access to adequate nutrition is a human right. In 2023, 23% of Australian households were severely food insecure, reducing food intake, skipping meals or days of eating. Food insecurity in early childhood is linked to poor health and development. Specifically, breakfast provides children with the necessary nutrients required for sustained attention, memory, and cognitive growth. Australian research has reported that one in three children aged 8–18 years regularly skip breakfast. However, there is little understanding of the prevalence of food insecurity among young children in Australia.