Centre of Excellence for
Aboriginal Digital in Health
CEADH

Empowering Aboriginal Health through Digital Innovation

About CEADH

The Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Digital in Health (CEADH) is dedicated to ensuring digital health technologies are culturally informed, meet consistent quality standards, and primarily benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Under the auspices of VACCHO in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies nationwide, CEADH champions Aboriginal-led recommendations for digital in health technologies, respecting the diversity of 250+ languages, Nations, clans, and communities across Australia.

Our Purpose

We aim to transform health service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by advocacating and developing culturally informed digital health solutions.

Here’s why this work matters:

• Workforce turnover and burnout in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCOs) lead to frequent knowledge loss.
• Existing digital systems often fail to prevent knowledge loss, complicating service delivery.
• Discrepancies in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations persist, underscoring the need for more effective integration of digital health solutions.

Our Focus

Empowerment through self-determination: Evidence confirms the effectiveness of self-determining strategies in addressing health outcome gaps. Culturally appropriate digital health strategies including prevention, early intervention incorporating SEWB, and capacity-building programs, are essential for sustainable impact.

National Digital Health Strategy alignment: CEADH advocates for a national digital health strategy that truly aligns with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities’ needs, emphasising culturally safe service delivery.

Innovation and collaboration: CEADH supports the CSIRO Sparked Community Initiative, aiming to foster digital innovations in healthcare. However, a gap exists in specialised Aboriginal-led dialogue, which CEADH aims to fill.

Customisation to Community needs: Recognising the unique cultural, linguistic, and regional diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, CEADH pursues a flexible, decentralised approach to technology integration in health care, ensuring that solutions are locally adaptable yet centrally informed.

The future of CEADH

CEADH is at a critical point to leverage its position as a central voice for Aboriginal-led peak bodies, ensuring digital health technologies are designed and implemented to genuinely meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our main goals moving forward inlcude:

• Cultivating partnerships and strategies that reduce morbidity rates through enhanced digital health infrastructures.
• Addressing the technological and operational gaps experienced by ACCOs due to insufficient investment and support.
• Fostering a standardised, culturally informed model for digital in health that resonates with and represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples accurately.

With concerted effort and unwavering commitment to its core purposes, CEADH is poised to effect meaningful, sustainable change in the healthcare landscape for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through digital health technology.

CEADH Members

These organisations value placing Aboriginal digital health in Aboriginal hands

• Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA)
• Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA)
• Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (AH&MRC)
• Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT)
• Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC)
• Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Inc. (TACINC)
• Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
• Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Service (WINNUNGA)

Contact Us

If you’d like more information or get involved, contact us using the form below.