Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory

17/06/2026

AMSANT partnered with the Alan Walker Cancer Care Centre at Royal Darwin Hospital to deliver a 2-day workshop for the new NT ACCHO Cancer workforce. We are excited to start working with the newly appointed positions who will be involved with health promotion, cancer screening and providing additional support to patients along their cancer journeys.

Workshop sessions gave participants valuable insights into the cancer journeys for patients. Participants were also able to get practical exposure to specialist tertiary-level cancer services such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and palliative care by touring the units. Building networks between the ACCHO workforce and the Alan Walker workforce was the best part! All part of the journey to strengthen cancer care pathways for Aboriginal patients in the NT.

A big thank you to Ampilatwatja Health Centre Aboriginal Corporationa, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Danila Dilba Health Service, Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Red Lily Health, Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation and Wurli-Wurlinjang Aboriginal Health Service for attending the workshop and of course to Alan Walker staff for making it all possible.

10/06/2026

AMSANT CEO Donna Ah Chee gave the opening keynote address to the Aadant Conference 2026 last week, highlighting the importance of strong alcohol protections to keep communities safe.

The conference, with the theme On Country, In Community: The Way We Work, brought together people from across the NT to share knowledge and strengthen responses to alcohol and other drug issues.

In her keynote, Ms Ah Chee called for certainty on the future of Alcohol Protected Areas, with current measures set to expire in February 2027.

She warned the Territory cannot afford a repeat of what happened in 2022, when protections were removed and alcohol-related harm increased.

Evidence-based alcohol policy works. Ongoing, community-led approaches are critical to protect women, children and families across the Northern Territory.

Read the full media release here: https://amsant.org.au/amsant-calls-for-certainty-on-the-future-of-alcohol-protected-areas/

Image credit: Association of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies NT

04/06/2026

Congratulations to Red Lily Health Service on the official opening of the Jabiru Health Centre.

This modern, well-equipped clinic is a major milestone for the Jabiru community and the wider West Arnhem region. The clinic improves access to care, supports better health outcomes, and helps reduce pressure on hospitals in urban centres.

This achievement reflects the strong vision and advocacy of Red Lily Health Board.

It was wonderful to see the community come together to celebrate, with families, music, food and activities for all ages. A great day for the people of Kakadu and West Arnhem.

Congratulations again to Red Lily and everyone who made this possible.

02/06/2026

AMSANT’s CEO Donna Ah Chee was featured in The Guardian about the current diphtheria outbreak.

For many people across Australia, the return of diphtheria has come as a shock. But for those working in Aboriginal health, this situation is not unexpected.

When we talk about Closing the Gap, this is what it looks like in real life.

Read more here:

For those of us working in Aboriginal health, the outbreak doesn’t come as a surprise. We must invest in housing that keeps remote communities safe

27/05/2026

We are starting National Reconciliation Week at AMSANT with Day 2 of our Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Alcohol and Other Drugs (SEWB AOD) Forum.

The 2026 theme 'All In' calls on all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day. This really came through in the powerful speeches and shared experiences. There was a strong sense of connection, honesty and collective responsibility, with people speaking about the importance of culture, community and working together to create real change.

We also heard how strong mental health is closely connected to culture, identity and community. Supporting social and emotional wellbeing is essential to healing, resilience and creating safer, stronger futures for our people.

As we begin this week, we reflect on these conversations and recommit to walking alongside our communities, listening, learning and taking action. Reconciliation is not just a moment. It is something we all have a role in, every day.

25/05/2026

Today is National Sorry Day. This is a significant day of remembrance for the Stolen Generations and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families, communities, and cultures.

As changes to child protection laws are being considered in the Northern Territory, we must remember the lessons of the past. The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle exists because separating children from family, culture and Country causes lasting harm.

We all want children to be safe. But safety should never be used as a reason to weaken protections or reduce children’s rights.

This year’s theme From Sorry to Action reminds us to reflect and consider how we can all contribute to healing and reconciliation through meaningful change.

20/05/2026

Last week, AMSANT hosted the Central Australia and Barkly Child & Maternal Health CQI Forums in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. The forums brought together health professionals, ACCHSs, NT Health representatives, and regional stakeholders from across the Northern Territory.

The sessions focused on strengthening Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approaches to improve child and maternal health outcomes for Aboriginal communities. Presentations and discussions covered regional child and maternal health data, public health updates, immunisations, ear and hearing health, Medicare and child health checks, early childhood development, and practical CQI initiatives being implemented across services.
The events provided valuable opportunities for shared learning, collaboration, networking, and discussion around barriers, enablers, and innovative approaches to strengthening primary healthcare services across the NT.

AMSANT would like to thank the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, the Australian Early Development Census, the Centre for Disease Control, Tennant Creek Hospital, NT Health, and all presenters, participants, partner organisations, and staff who contributed to both forums. A special thank you to Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation for hosting the Tennant Creek event.

17/05/2026

👋🏿👋🏿👋🏿Hey ,

A quick reminder that applications for Su***de Prevention Community Grants will be closing on the 1st of June 2026.

If your service is planning to deliver community led projects, activities or events that support su***de prevention and help keep people safe in our communities across the NT, now is the time to apply.

These grants support initiatives that are culturally safe, locally driven, and focused on strengthening social and emotional wellbeing.

Find out more about the grants, eligibility, and how to apply here:
Su***de Prevention Community Grant | NT.GOV.AU

13/05/2026

AMSANT’s Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) Team is proud to partner with StandBy Support After Su***de on the Healing Together workshop to strengthen culturally responsive postvention support and Social and Emotional Wellbeing across Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. 🤝

Thank you to the StandBy and Youturn teams for having us and for the opportunity to strengthen shared understanding of what meaningful, community-led postvention can look like in practice. Together, we continue to centre culture, connection, lived experience, truth telling and collective healing. ❤️

Our StandBy Support After Su***de team are proud to be in partnership with Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory on the Healing Together workshop. Healing Together is a culturally responsive initiative that is focused on strengthening postvention support and social-emotional wellbeing (SEWB) in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

This work centres culture, connection, and lived experience. It creates safe spaces for truth-telling, reflection, and collective healing 🙌

We were also fortunate to host the pilot workshop with our StandBy team at the Youturn head office on the Sunshine Coast (pictured). The workshop strengthened our shared understanding of what meaningful, community-led postvention looks like.

“It’s about true partnership. It’s about trust.”
– 🗨️ Kellene Lambert, Regional Manager, StandBy Support NT

When communities lead, healing becomes stronger, safer, and sustainable.

Read the full article to learn more 👉 youturn.org.au/healing-together/

StandBy Support After Su***de is a program of Youturn.

07/05/2026

Last week AMSANT met with Commonwealth Ministers in Alice Springs to talk about priorities for Aboriginal health in the Northern Territory.

AMSANT CEO Donna Ah Chee, AMSANT Chair Rob McPhee, and Danila Dilba Health Service Chair Carol Stanislaus attended on behalf of our sector.

Better funding models for Aboriginal health services and the transition of remote NT Health clinics to Aboriginal community control were some of the key topics discussed.

It was a strong and respectful discussion focused on what matters most to our communities. We will keep working with governments and partners to support Aboriginal community-controlled health services (ACCHSs) to lead the solutions.

Thank you to the Hon Mark Butler MP, the Hon Rebecca White MP and Marion Scrymgour MP for taking the time to meet with us in Alice Springs.