Since its inception in 2021, the Health Equity Program team has developed and delivered a range of programs and activities to improve equity in cancer treatment and outcomes in priority populations. This includes:
- Equity Advisory Group
- Provision of cancer systems by cancer services for culturally and linguistically diverse patients
- World Indigenous Cancer Conference 2024
- Regional programs
Improving cancer care and outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse patients
The VCCC Alliance is leading innovative projects to improve cancer care and outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. These initiatives aim to address systemic barriers, enhance data collection, and create culturally safe healthcare environments.
Project 1: The VCCC Alliance collated a data dictionary on the ABS data standards and brought together a wide range of stakeholders interested in improving collection of health service data about CALD people in a roundtable discussion.3,4 This led to a mixed methods approach to a service improvement project within Cancer Services at Austin Health to understand how CALD patients are identified. An audit of patient data systems assessed the collection of ABS recommended data variables to identify CALD patients, with insights from a staff survey and community focus groups.
Project 2: The National Lung Cancer Screening Program will commence from July 2025, available to a specific group of people who meet eligibility criteria. To augment its implementation, healthcare professionals, bicultural workers, peer workers and interpreters working in primary and community organisations providing care and support to CALD communities were interviewed (n=38) to assess needs and tailored solutions.
Project 3: This multi-site qualitative program aims to identify barriers and facilitators experienced by CALD cancer patients and carers when accessing symptom support services. Using experience-based co-design methodology in partnership with patients, carers, health care professionals and community representatives, this study aims to design, implement, and evaluate interventions for equitable and culturally safe symptom support services.
View our 2024 COSA conference poster on this topic.
World Indigenous Cancer Conference
The third World Indigenous Cancer Conference (17-20 April 2024) was the largest global gathering of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cancer researchers, clinicians and community members, focused on improving cancer outcomes for Indigenous peoples.
Sponsored by the Victorian Government and hosted by the VCCC Alliance in partnership with the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, the conference attracted 622 delegates globally. A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths, VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, co-convened the event with conference founder and WICC foundational convenor, Prof Gail Garvey AM.
A stirring Welcome to Country was performed by Uncle Tony Garvey. Victorian Minister of Health, the Hon Mary Anne-Thomas MP gave an opening address, while other VIP guests included Aunty Pat Anderson AO, Uncle Tom Calma AO, and US Ambassador to Australia Ms Caroline Kennedy.
An Elder and Youth Forum identified priorities for the conference to address, including support for families and carers, Indigenous leadership, prevention and screening, cultural safety, cancer pathway navigation, personalised care, and the role of traditional medicine.
Conference presentations covered aspects of the cancer journey from screening and early detection, to access to quality and safe palliative care on ancestral lands. There was a focus on lung cancer screening, and the opportunity to develop a screening program that works for all. Tackling racism within colonial health structures was discussed, showcasing innovative work across the globe.
https://www.wicc2024.com/_
