Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) focusing on health equity

Characterised by its growth corridors and very high birth numbers, WPHU is home to many families with young children, from diverse cultural backgrounds. To support our population, WPHU has taken the evidence based INFANT program and in collaboration with Deakin University we are adapting it to support a healthier start for our kids.

WPHU will be pioneering the cultural adaptation of low literacy INFANT resources and supporting the implementation of INFANT to ensure that this adaptable, high quality, evidence-based program better meets the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children and families in our catchment. Starting with the adaption of the six most needed languages of Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese, combined with approaches including bi- cultural workers and input from local families as “real-life stars”, we hope to reach high need families in a way that is accessible and practical.

To support future prevention efforts, WPHU also aims to capture the economic value of this primary prevention work and quantify the chronic diseases avoided over the long term (such as type 2 diabetes). To achieve this, WPHU is collaborating with the Deakin University Health Economics team to use the ACE Economic Tool. In addition, WPHU, will contribute new inputs to inform potential future adaption of this tool to account for the cultural adaption of INFANT. This approach aims to further support an accurate and reliable estimate of the economic value of prevention programs.

Finally, WPHU will innovate by embedding “wrap around” health promotion elements, INFANT resources and community support mechanisms into traditional public health interventions such as the maternal and perinatal Hepatitis B initiative, which aims to eliminate mother to child transmission.

WPHU will continue to build on strengths of our eight LGAs and work to connect with local partners and community to deliver tailored, place-based approaches to create healthier everyday environments. If you would like further details from the team at WPHU, please contact veronica.graham@wh.org.au.