Pilbara Healing Journey
from the Desert to the Sea
PAHA acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners of this land and pays respect to Elders past, present and future emerging leaders. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised this website may contain images, voices and names of people who have passed.
PAHA Prospectus
Make an Impact with Us
The Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance (PAHA) works tirelessly alongside its member medical services to open up access to vital healthcare for Aboriginal people in the Pilbara. PAHA and its three Aboriginal medical service members impact people, families and community every day, connecting them with whole-of-life health services that support their physical, social, emotional and cultural wellbeing in new and effective ways.
Together, we represent a powerful alliance – a unified voice that stands for health equity, solutions and strong cultural leadership.
We invite you to explore our vision, our work, and the difference we make.
We strengthen systems, promote health, and make lasting system change
OUR WORK
We help Aboriginal Medical Services thrive
We expand the reach and impact of Pilbara Aboriginal Medical Services by building their skills and capabilities, acting as their unified voice in crucial forums, and providing key support services – so they can get on with changing lives.
We bring healthcare to the hardest-to-reach places
We support our member services to bring healthcare to remote communities, and where the need is greatest. We also work upstream, co-designing programs with communities that promote health and prevent disease.
We solve old problems in new ways
We advocate for ownership of the data collected about Aboriginal people, and combine it with ancient ways of knowing, being and doing to build community-led solutions to challenging health problems.
We change the system for the better
We advocate for change that genuinely makes lives better. We bring attention to the issues Pilbara communities face, we support co-ordinated health service planning, and we engage with communities to truly understand their needs.
About PAHA
Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance
The Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance (PAHA) is a partnership between the three Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHO’s) based in the Pilbara region of WA, namely, Mawarnkarra Health Service; Wirraka Maya Health Service; and Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (Member ACCHO’s ). The priority for PAHA and its Member ACCHO’s is to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People; Families; and Communities, in the Pilbara region. PAHA is the Gateway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in East and West Pilbara. PAHA is a registered Public Benevolent Institution, Not for Profit Charity organisation.
What PAHA Stands For
OBJECTIVES
The greatest concerns to PAHA are the life expectancy of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in the Pilbara; the chronic diseases impacting our families; providing access to holistic health services; the impact of grief and loss on families; and increasing the level of health services and programs available to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community.
maintain a Public Benevolent Institution which will be a not for profit entity organised for the direct relief of suffering among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities which the Company serves and that, as a not-for-profit entity, all its funds and revenue are directed at achieving the Objectives of the Company and undertaking pursuits that may be considered desirable for the promotion of, or deemed necessary or convenient for the purpose of and with a view to carrying out and furthering the Objectives of the Company;
Advocate and represent on the priorities and interests of Pilbara Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health at a regional level;
coordinate Pilbara regional forums; conferences; committees; working groups; and research relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health;
hold and evaluate the collective health data of our Members within a culturally secure environment;
build and maintain strong Partnerships that will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in the Pilbara region;
advocates for further funding for East and West Pilbara and to apply for grants and other funds on behalf of our Members and to auspice those funds received to our Members
promote and practice respect for cultural rules, processes, and protocols relating to Pilbara Aboriginal cultures;
be an accountable and transparent representative body;
to strengthen our Member organisations through training; support; and capacity building.
PAHA is the heart and voice
of health in the Pilbara
With a strong representation from the three Member ACCHO’s, we can enable cultural respect across the Pilbara in decision making.
PAHA Members
Member ACCHO’s
This Alliance began in June 2019 with the three CEO’s and their Directors coming together with the goal of forming a representative body for the Pilbara Aboriginal Health Services.
Mawarnkarra provides the families of Roebourne and surrounding communities with a fully functional and accredited Clinic. We provide a team of health practitioners – including 3 full time doctors plus visiting specialist practitioners. Mawarnkarra also offers the allied health services such as physiotherapy. Mawarnkarra provides outreach programs to remote communities; and health focused education and community events. Mawarnkarra runs a number of social health programs and services such as Tackling Indigenous Smoking, SEWB, Environmental Health, Alcohol and Nutrition and Women’s Safehouse. Mawarnkarra is also a NDIS provider.
Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS) is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service located in the East Pilbara region and delivers services in communities located in the Great Sandy, Little Sandy and Gibson Deserts. PAMS provides comprehensive health services supported by visiting clinicians and allied health practitioners to the Martu Nyiyaparli people in the four communities of Newman Jigalong, Parnngurr, Punmu and Kunawarritji. The Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS) aims to provide the highest standard of patient care whilst incorporating a holistic approach toward diagnosis and management of illness.
Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service designed to ensure that clients journey through the health system meets their medical, health, social and cultural needs. WMHSAC offers a comprehensive counselling service and provides a full array of mental health and life determining services to the local and surrounding communities. WMHSAC is also a registered NDIS provider and a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that delivers Certificate IV in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care for students from across the Pilbara region.
Vision
OUR VISION IS TO STRENGTHEN OUR MEMBER SERVICES
Mission
OUR MISSION IS THAT PAHA IS RECOGNISED AND RESPECTED AS THE STRONG, UNITED ADVOCATE FOR ACHIEVING BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES IN THE PILBARA BY:
- ROBUST OPERATIONS – Building systems and processes that build on opportunities for growth
- CAPACITY BUILDING – Supporting member organisations enhance service delivery
- STRONG PARTNERSHIPS & ADVOCACY – Partnerships that serve our members & stakeholders
- HEALTH PROMOTION – Effective health promotion programs that improve health outcomes
- RESEARCH & DATA FOCUS – Effective use of data to optimise service delivery
Our Values
- CULTURE- We adhere to our cultural responsibilities, norms, protocols and are led by the traditional owners in the areas we operate
- ACCOUNTABILITY- We will uphold our objectives, and do what we say we will do to our funders, our community and do our best with the resources at our disposal
- INTEGRITY- We are trustworthy and honest in our representation and conduct
- RESPECT- We value our relationships with each other, our community and stakeholders
- TRANSPARENCY- We uphold our constitution and governance processes
