Health-promoting radio in the Pilbara

CUCRH has been fostering the use of radio to promote health and community development in Port Hedland for several years. Port Hedland is an ideal base because of a large Indigenous population, an extensive health network and high incidence of preventable and life style illnesses. Even more importantly, a local Aboriginal controlled radio station, Mulba Radio, was keen to participate, as were the Wirraka Maya Health Service and the Pilbara and Gascoyne Population Health Unit.

Following consultations, the real work started in February 2004 when Ross James spent 10 days on capacity-building activities with Mulba Radio, and then facilitated a 6-day training course for 12 participants from Mulba Radio and a number of agencies.

Following the initial 6-day program, Ross conducted follow-up visits throughout 2004 to provide mentoring to the original participants and to provide further training to other people who had expressed interest in the project.

An independent evaluator found that by the end of 2004 the project had made a big difference. Networks and collaborations have been instigated or strengthened between health service providers, health service providers and Mulba Radio, Mulba Radio and the broader community and health service providers with the broader community. In particular, the health service providers, via regular weekly radio time slots, are now inviting members and groups from the community to participate. Health service providers noted that since the training they go directly to Mulba radio whenever they need a health message disseminated.

The table illustrates post-training increases in the numbers of health related programs and programming hours, participants who were appearing on radio, and an increase in communication support with Mulba Radio broadcasting live from more locations related to health.

CUCRH Port Hedland staff Elaine Kite and Ross James are continuing to be actively involved with Wirraka Maya Health Service, Youth Involvement Council, Mulba Radio, Wangka Maya Language Centre, Pundulmurra Campus of TAFE and other agencies to utilise the potential of community radio to achieve health and social development goals.

This project started as a response to an assessment of the capacity of rural public health agencies to perform core functions. The assessment found that rural public health practitioners needed more training in community development, effective use of the media and working with local Aboriginal groups. Financial support for the project has been provided by a Special Initiatives Grant of the Public Health Education and

Research Program, Department of Health and Ageing. Additional support is from the Office of Aboriginal Health, Department of Health Western Australia and School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology.

Student placement and project opportunities are available in this project. Contact Ross James for more information.