Newmont has provided much-needed assistance to the South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) as part of the company’s COVID-19 Global Community Support Fund.
SWAMS is an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation that delivers holistic primary health care services to Aboriginal people and is the only Aboriginal Medical Service in the South-West region of Western Australia.
SWAMS provides several different services in health and wellness that are tailored for Aboriginal people and has seen first-hand the impacts of COVID-19 on their community. These services are especially important for Aboriginal people in regions that are more isolated and are not as well served as the metropolitan centres.
Newmont’s support of SWAMS, through the Company’s COVID-19 Global Community Support Fund, includes a donation of more than $30,000 and 300 flu immunisations for use in the community.
Newmont Group Executive Legal and Sustainability and External Relations Andrew Kennedy said the Company is joining with local communities and organisations around the globe to prevent and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are proud to partner with SWAMS to provide flu vaccinations to local families across the south west via the SWAMS Clinic on Wheels,” Mr Kennedy said.
“This year reducing the spread of strains of cold and flu is more important than ever, and through our support of the SWAMS Clinic on Wheels, more people will have access to services that will assist them to stay healthy,” he added.
With Newmont’s support, this project delivered flu awareness and immunisation clinics for Aboriginal people throughout winter. Clinics were provided across the South-West to assist the local Gnaala Karla Booja people in Collie, Bunbury, Harvey, Brunswick Junction, Narrogin and Australind, as well as other areas of the region as required.
SWAMS CEO Lesley Nelson said the flu can be a very serious illness and unfortunately, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at a higher risk of developing complications to the common cold and flu.
“The flu paired with the additional complications of the COVID-19 outbreak could be catastrophic for our community. For this reason, we urge the community vaccinated. We would like to thank Newmont for their generous assistance and contribution to these efforts this year,” Ms Nelson said.
The aim of SWAMS’ is to reduce the health, social and economic impact of COVID-19 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is being achieved through delivering flu immunisation clinics, completing wellness checks and delivering essential supplies to vulnerable and high-risk Aboriginal people.
Aboriginal people are among some of the most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19, being at greater risk of both transmission and severity, due to reasons such as mobility, remoteness and barriers to accessing culturally appropriate services, overcrowding and having a higher incidence burden of disease.
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