MALPA is a charity organisation that seeks to address the inequality in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and empower First Nations communities to take charge of their health and wellbeing.
One of the organisation’s primary initiatives is the Young Doctors program, which employs respected community members to teach traditional and contemporary methods of creating healthy communities to younger generations.
Over 15 weeks, grade four Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal school students participate in the program, which equips them with knowledge about a wide range of health topics, including nutrition, hygiene, health literacy, environmental health, well-being and identity. Importantly, the Young Doctors program is designed to empower young people to become health leaders among their peers and in their local communities.
The idea of children being ‘doctors’ is deeply embedded in Indigenous culture and life and this program brings an innovative, community centric approach to closing the gap in health and contributes toward reconciliation.
Since 2014, EBOS has been supporting the MALPA Young Doctors program by providing health packs, which are presented to students during the project graduation ceremonies. The packs include a range of essential healthcare items and empower these Young Doctors to take their learnings forward for the benefit of their local communities.
