At the 32nd Annual Dietitians Association of Australia National Conference to be held in Perth this week (13-16th May), two members of Apunipima Cape York Health Council’s nutrition team will be presenting abstracts, and at workshops, showcasing our innovative approaches towards nutrition and dietetics in Cape York. 

Brooke Searle, Community Dietitian, is presenting at a strategic workshop: ‘Menu planning and review for aged care facilities’ which is aimed at Dietitians who are new to aged care or need upskilling in menu planning.  Brooke will be sharing her experiences of the challenges of menu planning in remote Cape York communities with her presentation ‘A journey into remote residential aged care foodservice’.

In her presentation “An innovative approach to build nutrition capacity and empower Aboriginal Health Workers across Cape York” Kirby Murtha, Community Nutritionist, will also be sharing insights from the nutrition training she has been delivering to our Maternal and Child Health Workers. 

This training aims to build skills and capacity in nutrition, which is essential for a healthy pregnancy and early life.  Health workers are now taking the lead in the delivery of accurate and consistent nutrition education to families through the Baby One Program, which is an award winning health worker led health promotion initiative in maternal and child health care.

Melinda Hammond, Apunipima’s Nutrition Team Leader said: “It is fantastic that Apunipima and its work in the nutrition field is being recognised in this way. We have a great deal of experience working in some of the most remote communities in Queensland and some really successful initiatives. To be able to share our learnings on the national stage is a testament to the outcomes we achieve.”