Notes

Acknowledgements

This report was prepared by Jo Baker, Heather Crawford, Emory Ingles, Audrey Kalindi, Gareth Thomas and Richard Tuttle with assistance from Andrew Fitzpatrick and Hayden Stevens. Fadwa Al-Yaman provided advice and guidance on the production of the report.

The AIHW gratefully acknowledges the members of the AIHW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ear and Hearing Health Data and Reporting Advisory Group, chaired by Professor Kelvin Kong, who provided valuable advice and contributions during the drafting of the report. Thank you to Dr Lana Leslie and Mr Mark Fitzpatrick who contributed to the Advisory Group during 2024 before moving on to new roles. Members represented or were affiliated with the following:

  • Professor Kelvin Kong, Hunter ENT/Newcastle University
  • Dr Fadwa Al-Yaman, AIHW
  • Associate Professor Amarjit Anand, NT Health – Northern Territory Government
  • Ms Anne-Marie Banfield, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
  • Dr Chris Brennan-Jones, Telethon Kids Institute and Associate Professor, Curtin University
  • Ms Claire Clack, Department of Health and Aged Care
  • Ms Michele Clapin, Hearing Australia
  • Mr Dennis Conlon (Moppy), Deadly Ears Queensland
  • Professor Hasantha Gunasekera, NSW Health – New South Wales Government and University of Sydney
  • Clinical Associate Professor Jafri Kuthubutheen, WA Health – Western Australian Government
  • Ms Rose Lougheed, Justice Health NSW
  • Professor Catherine McMahon, Macquarie University
  • Mr Jamie Newman, Orange Aboriginal Medical Service
  • Professor Stephen O’Leary, University of Melbourne
  • Mr Tim Saunders, National Indigenous Australians Agency
  • Associate Professor Jacqueline Stephens, Flinders University
  • Associate Professor Valerie Sung, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
  • Ms Valerie Swift, Telethon Kids Institute

The AIHW would like to thank the following data providers:

  • Australian and state and territory health departments
  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Hearing Australia
  • National Disability Insurance Agency
  • Newborn Hearing Screening Program coordinators and directors in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
  • The Department of Health and Aged Care provided funding for this report, and members of its First Nations Health Division are gratefully acknowledged for their comments.

Amendments:

3 March 2025

A correction has been made to Data tables: Ear and hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people - Intervention and treatment, found on Data. In Table 3.3.1d, the age-standardised rates for First Nations people and Non-Indigenous Australians for “NSW/ACT” have been amended.