West Gippsland Healthcare Group (WGHG) recently held its second annual Aboriginal Health Expo at the Drouin Football club.

This event brought together local health and community organisations with the aim of providing a welcoming, safe and fun-filled atmosphere for the Aboriginal community to discuss health concerns.

The night included prizes, bingo, craft, a barbecue, and outdoor sports activities, alongside information stalls run by our staff and visiting services.

WGHG stalls covered topics such as diabetes, podiatry, counselling, vaccination awareness, continence and First Call. Visiting services included Anglicare, Victoria Police, Gippsport and Myli Library.

Organised by WGHG’s Health Promotion team, the expo is an extension of the organisation’s monthly Health Yarns. In its second year, the expo had strong community participation with an estimated 50 adults and children attending. Participants were invited to provide feedback and suggest health topics they would like to learn more about at future events.

Health Promotion Officer, Rebecca Creed says: “The Aboriginal Health Expo is an important opportunity to connect with the community in a culturally safe and welcoming environment.

“It also strengthened existing partnerships and created meaningful opportunities for community members to connect directly with WGHG staff, helping to build ongoing trust, awareness, and understanding around health and wellbeing in the community.

“The expo was a great success with strong attendance and plenty of engagement throughout the night. It was fantastic to see community members connecting directly with WGHG health staff, asking questions and signing up for more information.”