Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation was set up in the Katherine East Health Zone, Sunrise Health Services have been monitoring Aboriginal health in the region since 2005. The service emerged out of the Association representing the traditional Jawoyn landowners who continue to fight to “roll back history”.

Jawoyn involvement in health began without government assistance.  Mortality rates and the associated costs involved with funeral expenses meant a vested interest in health was required to make changes.  Jawoyn began a self-funded Aged Care project that included:

• Formalising of the Council of Elders Structure meetings;
• Food voucher distribution;
• Bush trips/ceremony;
• Transport assistance;
• Support for dialysis; and
• Advocating for the right to die on country.

This initiative, combined with the disaster of the Katherine floods in 1998, found Jawoyn Association increasingly at the coal-face of dealing with Primary Health Care (PHC) issues, including chronic disease, the impact of acute hospitalisation and youth suicides in the region.

So in 2000, Jawoyn began discussions with The Fred Hollows Foundation to explore ways to improve health in the region.  The Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy and Research was enlisted and a scoping study was conducted.  Community nutrition was identified as a high priority area, and as a result a comprehensive community nutrition program commenced tackling underlying issues and barriers along with the education of community members.

Sunrise Health Service became a fully fledged service in mid-2005, and now successfully provides quality Primary Health Care services from nine health centres located in Barunga, Wugularr, Manyallaluk, Bulman, Mataranka, Jilkminggan, Minyerri, Ngukurr and Urapunga.  The outstations associated with these communities also have access to the services.

Since 2005, Sunrise has grown to employ more than 100 staff – of whom more than 60 per cent are Indigenous. Sunrise takes direction from the Board which is made up of representatives from all of the Sunrise communities. Community Health Committees operate in all communities and identify issues at the ‘grassroots’ level to help ensure that programs are delivered in a culturally appropriate way and that they encourage local ownership.