Dr Sandi Mitchell and Robert Palm: IMPACT STI – Engaging Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland

Seminar Overview

For well over two decades, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been endemic and stubbornly persistent in many remote and regional communities in Australia. No population in Australia is at greater risk of STI acquisition than young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in these areas. High rates of STIs in remote Australia may be driven by multiple factors including social and cultural determinants of health (education, health care access, diagnosis and management); epidemiological factors (population demographics, symptom recognition, sexual networks, mobility and community prevalence); risk behaviours (alcohol and drug use, condom use, partner change and early age of sexual debut) and pathogen factors (transmissibility; virulence, asymptomatic nature). 

Our team is developing ideas for actions that are guided by a community coalition. The community coalition will oversee and provide direction to the entire research project. Underpinning the community coalition is the concept of community ownership of the project to ensure it is truly an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander informed and led initiative. The coalition will guide the research with explicit knowledge of culture and community to ensure acceptability of proposed intervention approaches. We have recruited a representative group of around 15 members who reside in Cairns and Hinterland region. 

Speakers

Dr Sandi Mitchell is a Research Fellow in the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland. She has over 25-years of clinical and research experience working throughout Australia and Canada in diverse settings focusing on public health, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and other BBVs. She completed her Doctor of Philosophy in 2017 at the University of Sydney titled What do we Know about Women’s Experiences of Living with Hepatitis C? An Analysis of Canadian Women’s Journey with Hepatitis C Care. 

Prior to joining the UQ Poche Centre, Sandi worked as a Sexual Health Research Officer at Apunipima Cape York Health Council leading the project which explored the Awareness, Prevention and Testing of Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples living in Cape York Communities. She has also been involved with the Per-SVR study at the BC Centre for Excellence, which is a prospective longitudinal cohort of patients who have successfully completed DAA treatment seeks to characterise rates of HCV reinfection and examine the threshold of risk behavior that protects against HCV reinfection. 

Sandi is committed to addressing inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly young people, in relation to sexual health, BBVs and access to care.

Robbie Palm is a proud Wakka Wakka man from Cherbourg with connections to Kamilaroi and Bindal country. Robbie acquired a Certificate IV in Youth Work in 2018. This, mixed with the privilege of growing up on Country but also experiencing other communities across NT, QLD & NSW while growing up has allowed Robbie to effectively navigate the health, youth, legal, SEWB and family sector(s) over the past 6 years. This was specifically in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs in multiple urban, rural and remote settings. This includes work in his own community, as well as Cape York communities, Cairns and surround communities and Brisbane.

Robbie has a particular interest in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Men’s and Youth wellbeing, which has led him into commencing as a Senior Research Assistance at the Poche Centre in 2023 supporting the IMPACT STI’s & ENDING STI’s research projects.

Robbie is now undertaking a Cert IV in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Theory & Practices to build on and solidify previous knowledges and experiences with plans to continue study into a Master’s degree (HDR) afterwards.