The Malpa Project

The Malpa Project is dedicated to supporting Aboriginal people to help themselves. In partnership with a range of senior elders in Central Australia we have developed the Child Doctors project. This is in response to a situation that is a cause for deep national concern. A few statistics help illustrate the problem. 91% of Aboriginal kids in the NT suffer from Otitis media leading to deafness. 25 % are affected by Trachoma putting them at risk of blindness.

Our response involves Indigenous and non-Indigenous health professionals working together to train kids [8-10 year olds] living in Aboriginal communities as "child doctors" so they can act as health ambassadors to their peers and younger children. The concept emerges from the highly successful World Health Organisation Little Doctor programs and most importantly builds on traditional Aboriginal approaches to health service delivery. This is Aboriginal people helping improve the lives of their children.