Apunipima Cape York Health Council

Apunipima is one of the largest Aboriginal Community Controlled health care organisations in Queensland, delivering a best practice evidence based, comprehensive primary health care service to 11 Cape York communities in Far North Queensland. Apunipima adheres to a family centred model of comprehensive primary health care which sees clients as people embedded in families and communities. As a community controlled organisation Apunipima is committed to empowering Aboriginal people in Cape York with 54% of its current workforce identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. As part of this commitment to building capacity and capability in Cape York people, Apunipima proactively works with its staff to support them on career paths as diverse as management, information systems and data, health practitioner, registered nurse, midwife, podiatrist, nutritionist and even into medical officer roles. Apunipima delivers services in 11 of the Cape York communities providing GP medical services, family health services, allied health services, healthy lifestyles advice, prevention and promotion programs and social emotional well being support. Delivering services in some of the most remote communities in Australia brings its own challenges with Cape York being a large remote peninsula of 140,000 sqkm located at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia. Only 80 miles south of Australia’s nearest neighbouring country Papua New Guinea the land is traditionally owned and home to the people of the 17 Aboriginal communities of Aurukun, Bamaga, Coen, Hopevale, Horn Island, Injinoo, Kowanyama, Laura, Lockhart River, Mapoon, Mossman Gorge, Napranum, New Mapoon, Pormpuraaw, Seisia, Umagico and Wujal Wujal. The climate is tropical and monsoonal, with a heavy monsoon season from November to April and a dry season from May to October. Many of the roads on Cape York become impassable with the only transport options available being to fly or by barge.