Stronger communities, healthier futures

First Nations team joins Red Dust in Minjilang to raise awareness on RHD 

Strong partnerships create real impact. Our First Nations heart health team recently joined forces with Red Dust to support their rheumatic heart disease (RHD) awareness project in Minjilang, a remote First Nations community on Croker Island, 250km northeast of Darwin.

Red Dust’s mission is to inspire positive change in remote First Nations communities in the Northern Territory through their ‘community-as-family’ approach to health and well-being. By co-designing programs with communities, they empower young people to make healthier lifestyle choices through mentorship and positive role models

Jacinta Hegarty, the First Nations Heart Health Lead, joined the Red Dust crew on a visit to Minjilang to support the facilitation of RHD education sessions to young people in community alongside Red Dust. A major highlight of the project was the co-design of an RHD awareness video - created with young people from Minjilang. This video uses plain language to explain acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and RHD, while highlighting preventative actions that can help protect heart health in community.

The video launched on Friday, 21 March 2025, and is now available to view – check it out here:

^{Red Dust RHD Program – Minjilang}

This project demonstrates the power of collaborative, community-led initiatives to drive meaningful health education and prevention. By working together, we can increase health education, support empowerment of communities, and drive positive health outcomes for the future generations.

Interested in partnering with us to create positive change? Let’s connect!