Policy makers need to listen to communities about how to respond to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), according to a peak Aboriginal health body.
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) CEO Pat Turner made the comments after a gathering of Indigenous health and FASD experts at Parliament House yesterday.
“Our communities have led the way in responding to FASD for decades. We know what works,” she says.
“Culturally informed care, early diagnosis, and wrap-around support for families.”
FASD is a lifelong condition that affects children in a range of ways including communication, memory, learning and behaviour.
It is caused by mothers drinking alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding, affecting a high proportion of Indigenous children.
Ms Turner also called for the justice system to change how it deals with people with the lifelong neurodevelopmental disability.
“The justice system must see FASD as a health issue, not a criminal one, and work alongside us to ensure our people get the care they need,” she says.
NACCHO is calling for partnerships between the health and justice sectors and more consistent investment in FASD education and awareness.
NACCHO Board Chair Donnella Mills was part of a panel discussion at yesterday’s Parliament House meeting.
“When we give our young people the right support from the start, we are investing in their futures and in stronger, safer communities,” she says.
“This is more than awareness, it’s about action that ensures no family is left without the help they need, no matter where they live.”
