A YEAR IN REVIEW Throughout the last two years of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities have responded with comprehensive and effective public health measures to curb the spread of the virus and prevent potentially devastating outcomes. Early action on the part of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) ensured communities were vaccinated through targeted campaigns and community outreach such as house-to-house visits, vax-a-thon days, vaccine champions, vaccine vans, barbeques, concerts and football festivals. ACCHOs also developed comprehensive health messaging to combat misinformation and lies circulating on social media around the virus and vaccination.   These actions saw the prevention of COVID-19 within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities until the extensive outbreak of the Delta strain in New South Wales in mid-2021 and then the nationwide outbreak of the more contagious Omicron strain in late 2021. To adequately address differing strains of COVID-19, government and health services providers needed to frequently adapt their response to the rapidly changing environment. In order to do this effectively, access to timely and accurate data at a local level was essential. The lack of access to this information during recent outbreaks of COVID-19 highlighted the need for systemic reform to the way health data is collected on a national scale, and its importance in long term planning and resourcing for the primary health care systems. This also highlighted the critical role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce in crisis response, such as vaccine delivery and health messaging. Gender justice and equity International and national movements for gender equality have contributed to a growing focus on the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls. This came in Australia over the past 12 months amid a mainstream reckoning on sexism and gender inequalities that perpetuate harm against women and children. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls have been persistent in this current national discussion, and for decades past, on the need for specific strategies and approaches that take into account their unique experiences as a result of colonialism and racism. Justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls means justice across all aspects of life: in health, social and emotional wellbeing, land and Country, across legal and child protection systems, and in the delivery of services and housing. It also means the creation of laws and policies that meet the unique needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. The commitment from the Australian Government in the last 12 months to develop a dedicated plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s and children’s safety was welcomed. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership in the development and implementation of such a plan is essential. Climate emergency The climate emergency has also been a critical focus over the past year, with the release of the sixth assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2021), the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow, and a distinct lack of action and leadership in Australia from the Australian Government. Climate change is already having a disproportionate impact on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and exacerbating existing levels of health inequity. It is compounding historical injustices and disrupting cultural and spiritual connections to Country, a central determinate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing. While many adaptations to the climate crisis are known, for example, the provision of renewable energy and energy-smart housing, access is not equitably or equally available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There is an urgent need for greater action on climate change and a movement of climate justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that understands the need to learn from past mistakes and address existing inequities. Particularly, we need to urgently address living conditions through better designed houses and energy infrastructure, and develop comprehensive place-based climate adaption and mitigation plans built on the profound cultural knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.   Transforming Power: Voices for Generational Change 13