Shared Responsibility Agreements

Shared Responsibility Agreement

The Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku (WDNWPT) Aboriginal Corporation represents people living within a large cross-border region west of Alice Springs.

The Yanangu people in this remote area suffer the highest rates of chronic kidney disease in Australia. They have had to go to Alice Springs to get life-saving dialysis treatment, causing anguish and stress for patients and their families.

Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaki Tjutaku—meaning ‘making all our families well’ in Pintupi/Luritja—wants to bring home-based dialysis to communities. But patients need to be trained to manage full self-care, and remote non-English speaking Aboriginal people need intensive support at the outset.

WDNWPT operates a ‘Dialysis House’ in Alice Springs that is both a dialysis training centre and a support centre helping patients keep up their connection to family and country.

Under the SRA, the Australian Government will help to buy the building that WDNWPT currently rents, and provide a vehicle to help patients and support workers get around Alice Springs.

The Northern Territory Government is funding two health-worker positions to support patients and educate them and their families about ways of managing kidney disease.

The WDNWPT will maintain the building and meet the cost of services, and patients and their families using the services will attend scheduled treatments and take part in training and education on kidney disease, so they can eventually manage community-based dialysis.

WDNWPT is committed to making the service a success, so that Yanangu can go on looking after their own health in their own communities.

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Key Facts

Western desert region of NT and WA, covering locations up to 1000 km W of Alice Springs.

Population:

More than 1000

Focus of the SRA:

Care for renal patients

What the SRA provides:

Building; vehicle; health workers; training

ICC:

Alice Springs

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