State and Federal governments keep purse shut on Indigenous COVID vaccination campaigns

State and Federal government campaigns to address low vaccination rates in the South West Aboriginal community have failed to provide new funding to the region’s already stretched Indigenous medical sector, according to the region’s only Aboriginal medical service. On Friday the State Government announced a new five-week community vaccination drive aimed at boosting critically low COVID vaccination rates among WA’s Indigenous population, which is as low as 10 per cent in some towns. Premier Mark McGowan’s Keeping Culture Safe and Strong campaign was revealed just days after the Federal Government announced a $200,000 plan to boost COVID vaccination numbers in WA’s north, fronted by TV and film star Ernie Dingo. Yet despite the South West’s vaccination rates being as low as parts of the North West, Federal funds will not flow to the South West, and the State Government has not allocated funding to the new campaign, leaving local providers drawing on already “extremely stretched” resources. “We are glad to have a much-needed spotlight on the critically low COVID-19 vaccination rates in the Aboriginal population across the whole State,” South West Aboriginal Medical Service chief executive Lesley Nelson said. “We have not been given the extra funds or extra staff to push this so we must pull from our already extremely stretched resources.” Ms Nelson said WA’s Aboriginal population was in crisis as the date for borders opening loomed, so staff were creating strategies to spread all available resources out over the five-week campaign. “Aboriginal people do not only live in remote community locations,” she said. “We have very high rates of chronic conditions and other health conditions ... this alone means we are more susceptible.” Ms Nelson also warned of the increased risk of visitors bringing COVID into the region when border restrictions were eased. “The South West is the gateway to some of the State’s top tourism destinations which may put us at an even higher risk once the borders open,” she said. A Department of Health spokesperson said WA Health had been working closely with Aboriginal-led organisations throughout WA for the duration of the rollout, which would be targeting both metropolitan and regional areas.