Priority Communities

Priority Population Groups

These groups across the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit region with disproportionately high rates of chronic disease and poorer overall health are designated ‘priority populations’.
These priority population groups include:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Culturally and linguistically diverse people
• refugees and people seeking asylum
• People experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness
• People in low cost and high-risk accommodation settings
• People with a disability
• LGBTIQ+ people

Engagement with priority population groups needs extra attention early; dedicated resources to support engagement should be factored into program design:

• Consider easy English and health literacy needs
• Look at the priority populations key contacts for contact information
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations key contacts
• Disability; Culturally & linguistically diverse; LGBTIQ+; Homelessness/Housing key contacts
• Work with the LMPHU Priority Communities Lead to ensure principles of cultural safety and health equity are embedded in public health actions
• Work with the LMPHU Aboriginal Health Lead to ensure activities are culturally responsive, safe and accessible, taking a self-determination and health equity approach
• Some health services employ Disability Liaison Officers – refer to health service contacts on stakeholder contact pages
• Learnings from the COVID-19 High-Risk Accommodation Response program demonstrated that Community Health Service providers are a key stakeholder in engaging with vulnerable community groups who have difficulty accessing information and services. More than 30 Community Health Services were HRAR Lead Providers, delivering place-based outreach health and social care to people living in settings associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission.