Environmental health practitioners play an important role in supporting healthy homes, healthy environments and improved wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal communities. Effective communication of environmental health information is essential; however, many existing resources were developed more than a decade ago and may not reflect contemporary environmental health practice, community expectations or preferred communication methods.
Recognising these challenges, the Western Australian Department of Health commenced a project to redevelop environmental health resources through a culturally informed co-design process involving Aboriginal Environmental Health Practitioners and key stakeholders from across the environmental health sector.
The project uses a co-design methodology to explore how environmental health information can be communicated in ways that are culturally relevant, practical and accessible. Through workshops and stakeholder engagement, Aboriginal Environmental Health Practitioners have helped identify priorities for resource design, language, imagery and delivery methods.
The project focuses on strengthening communication of Healthy Living Practices and supporting practitioners to engage effectively with community members about environmental health issues that influence housing, health and wellbeing.
The project will deliver a suite of contemporary environmental health resources including practitioner and householder information sheets, culturally informed illustrations, and a digital resource toolkit. These resources are being designed to support use across metropolitan, regional and remote settings.
Importantly, the project is generating broader insights into how environmental health information can be translated into practical messages that resonate with communities while supporting consistent environmental health practice nationally.
This presentation will share lessons from the co-design process, including what practitioners identified as important for effective environmental health communication and the opportunities and challenges of developing culturally relevant resources for contemporary practice.
The presentation will explore how environmental health resources can support stronger connections between environmental health practitioners, communities and Healthy Living Practices, ultimately contributing to healthier homes and improved wellbeing outcomes.
By placing Aboriginal Environmental Health Practitioners at the centre of resource development, this project demonstrates how co-design can strengthen environmental health communication, support workforce capability and contribute to healthier environments, healthier homes and healthier communities.