Evaluating the effectiveness of the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programs (AACAPs) from a military participant perspective provides the objective of this research. The study will identify areas of concern and provide guidance on current military policy, doctrine and protocol.

Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Programs (AACAPs) represent a co-operative initiative between the Australian Army and Australian Government, that delivers complex support for Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Assistance (HA/DR) to improve the health and well-being of indigenous communities. Since 1997, the Army has conducted a number of AACAPs in remote Indigenous communities within continental Australia. No previous evaluations of these programs exist.

A ‘Quality Improvement’ study underpins this evaluation. Shewhart’s “Plan, Do, Study, Act” Model provides the guiding framework for the study. Allen’s Logic Model exemplifies the most appropriate framework to articulate the program needs and objectives, and to delineate the processes inherent in the program for this evaluation. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) evaluation model for public health programs, provides the evaluation standards to examine the delivery of health care to the deployed force in an austere environment. Part 1 of the study will be a desktop examination of current military policy, doctrine and protocol relating to AACAP. Part 2 will overlay personal experience from military participants in the AACAPs through a semi-structured interview, to enable deployed health personnel the opportunity to comment on their experiences. Analysis will comprise quantitative and qualitative method, specifically descriptive statistics and thematic analysis respectively. Army has approved all required governance, and ethics approval will be sought from Monash University.

This is a proposed study, no results are available.

The benefit of this research will be gaining new knowledge with context of a humanitarian focused military task, through the lens of quality improvement to build capacity and enhance capability.

A 10-year descriptive analysis of morbidity and mortality associated with water-related activities in the Top End, Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

An outdoor, water-orientated lifestyle characterises the Top End due to its tropical climate, lengthy coastline, many inland-waterways, and common domestic-pool ownership. However, the water holds many dangers: from drowning to the prospect of crocodile attacks.

Data were retrospectively collected from two sources: the Trauma Registry (TR), Royal Darwin Hospital, NT and the National Coronial Information System. Inclusion criteria: all mortality or injury with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥9 from water-related activity in the Top End. Exclusion criteria: envenomation. Data included: demographics, geographical location, time/mechanism of injury, injury narrative/outcome, alcohol consumption, ISS, and Indigenous race.

Ninety-five deaths occurred from 1/1/2005–12/31/2014; 87 prehospital (92%). The leading three mechanisms of injury for the 138 TR admissions were drowning (40%), falling/diving (35%), and watercraft events (14%). Median age 27 (0-90); 78% males. There were 74 children (<16 years) including 20 deaths. Indigenous Australians represent 30% of the NT population, but had 43% of deaths and 12% of admissions. Deaths from crocodile attacks are increasing with 14 deaths from 2005-2014, compared to 10 deaths from 1971-2004 (Caldicutt). Alcohol was recorded in 31% of admissions and 52% of deaths in those age >16. The Top End’s crude rate of drowning averaged over 10 years was 4.36/100,000/annum, compared to 1.31/100,000/annum in Australia.

Alcohol plays a major role in the Top End’s water-related harm, associated with all mechanisms and over one-half of adult deaths. Also striking is increasing crocodile fatalities, possibly caused by population recovery from endangered to plentiful, since hunting ceased in 1971. Local authorities/advocates push water-safety and crocodile-awareness programs. However, the lure of tropical waters combined with alcohol remains a risk to life and limb. Further public health campaigns focusing on these issues are called for.