FIRST NATIONS (symposium session): From community engagement to implementation: co-designed models for obstructive sleep apnoea care in First Nations communities
Tracks
Track 2
| Friday, November 13, 2026 |
| 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
Details
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated in many First Nations communities. The underlying challenge lies in service models that are largely specialist-driven and metropolitan-based, which do not readily translate to regional and remote contexts. Addressing these gaps requires genuine partnership among community members, health services, and researchers to design locally relevant and sustainable approaches.
This symposium presents a community-led implementation model to improve OSA care. The session will cover community roadshows that build awareness, explain the diagnostic process, and establish referral pathways. It will also outline culturally responsive workforce training and a Community Champion model that engages people with lived experience of OSA and their carers to provide peer education and support treatment navigation. Home-based diagnostic testing and local care pathways, delivered in partnership with First Nations services, will be discussed. Early implementation findings will be shared to offer practical guidance for strengthening OSA service delivery.
Speaker
Shannon Edmed
Chair and Introduction
10:30 AM - 10:35 AMBiography
Lacoata Major
Community roadshows to improve OSA awareness and service engagement
10:35 AM - 10:50 AMBiography
Markesh Fanti
Community roadshows to improve OSA awareness and service engagement
10:35 AM - 10:50 AMBiography
Dr Bushra Nasir
Senior Research Fellow
The University Of Queensland
Workforce support for culturally responsive OSA care
10:50 AM - 11:05 AMBiography
Dr. Bushra Nasir is an epidemiologist health researcher. She has made significant contributions to health policy and priority population research. Her impact is reflected in high-quality publications, policy influence, media recognition, and extensive peer-review and collaborative activities. A recognised research leader and mentor, she has strengthened research capacity, supported diverse healthcare stakeholders, and held key leadership roles, advancing research excellence through national and international partnerships.
Roslyn von Senden
Workforce support for culturally responsive OSA care
10:50 AM - 11:05 AMBiography
Professor Yaqoot Fatima
Professor Of Sleep Health
University of the Sunshine Coast
Training First Nations peoples with lived experience as OSA champions
11:05 AM - 11:20 AMBiography
Professor Fatima is a pharmacist, epidemiologist, sleep scientist, and the director of the Let’s Yarn About Sleep program. With a strong focus on reducing the societal burden of poor sleep and its associated health outcomes, Fatima's work exemplifies integrating multidisciplinary, translational research with culturally responsive, co-designed programs and service models.
Danielle Wilson
Home-based diagnosis and local management of OSA in First Nations communities
11:20 AM - 11:35 AMBiography
