User talk:Dr Joseph Masika OAM

Introduction Dr Joseph Masika OAM (born 1 May 1950s) is Tanzanian Medical Doctor. Dr Masika was the 2015 South Australia Local Hero Nominee for Australian of the Year Awards. He has served as Councillor in the City of Marion and has previously contested for a parliamentary seat in South Australia.

Dr Joseph Masika OAM was an adviser to several government bodies and is a former member of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Commonwealth Ministerial Consultative Committee on Africa.

Education Dr Masika studied at the University of Adelaide, University of Dar-es-salaam and Australian National University. He boasts of MD (Doctor of Medicine), MPH, Post Graduate Australian Migration Law & Practice, Public Health and General Preventive Medicine Residency Program.

National Awards Dr Masika was Awarded Order of Australia in 2013, Honorary Member – Golden Key International Honour Society University of Adelaide Chapter,

Board Membership Associate Board Member of Australian Migrant Resource Centre since 2001 to date, Dr Joseph Masika has always worked with AMRC management to advocate for the community development to supports new arrivals from Africa, Middle East, Burma and Bhutan to develop as community and to contribute effectively to South Australia’s society, culture, economy and environment. As Associate Board Member of AMRC Dr Masika has worked with many migrants and refugees groups, helping them to adjust to their new homeland, to become self reliant, and to develop linkages with the broader community and their local ethnic communities.

Multicultural Aged Care Inc (MAC) since 2007

Dr Joseph Masika as Board member has Supported and assisted service providers to give older people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds the services of their choice. Dr Masika was instrumental to the Future Aged Care needs Scoping Study for the African people in South Australia.

African people have different understanding of Aged care services and practices in Australia. In Africa, family members have responsibility towards ageing parents and young people with disability. Dr Masika has conducted aged care forums to in African community to raise awareness of the Home and Community Care services in South Australia.

'''Health Consumers Alliance since 2010 to 2012 ''' In 2011 HCA conference in South Australia Dr Joseph Masika chaired the vital workshop of the concept of Patient-Centred Care in Mental Health. He shared his experience with other participants that Patient-centred care is an innovative approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among health care providers, patients, and families. He advocated strongly on patients and other health services consumers that Health services decisions should respect patients’ wants, needs and preferences.

V'''ice Chairperson and the Founder of Australian-Tanzanian Services Foundation 2010 ''' Dr Joseph Masika established Australian-Tanzanian Services Foundation in 2010 to assist the underprivileged communities in Tanzania East Africa. The aim and objectives of the foundation is to undertake a direct charitable role. All funds donated to the Foundation are directly channeled to its social development programs in Tanzania and not in any way personally benefited Foundation members. Dr Masika has initiated several projects in Tanzania and he would not mind to assist any community in world.

Council Member of Forbes Primary School Council, South Plympton in South Australia from 2006 to 2008

Dr Joseph Masika being on Council was one way of being involved in the partnership held between parents and the school for their child's education. Dr Masika through the Governing Council gave advice to the Principal and specifically makes decisions to do with: school policies; finance; fundraising; grounds and buildings; hire of facilities; sports; uniforms and dress codes; OSHC; and the general safety and educational welfare of the students. Dr Joseph Masika with other Council Members were instrumental on making sure the Forbes’s Children's Centre for Early Childhood Development and Parenting is built by 2010. This is the only one approved so far in the Marion City Council area. Our Children's Centre has included a brand new Pre-School (taking place of Harcourt Gardens), babies and toddlers Child Care facilities, a new Out of School Hours Care centre and Community Health facilities. It was big achievement in our community.

Member of Federation of Ethnic Communities Council’s Policy Advisory Committee for New and Emerging communities in Australia since 2008 to 2011

Federation of Ethnic Communities Council’s New and Emerging Communities Policy Committee provide advisory role to FECCA executives and Supporting New and Emerging Communities to Participate in and Contribute to Australian Society. Dr Joseph Masika has constantly and persistently represented issues affecting New and Emerging Communities in Australia such as:

M'''ember of Multicultural Think Tank Advisory Committee of National ''' Prescribing Services to provide strategic advice for safe use of medicines to health professionals and Culturally and Linguistically Diversity communities in Australia 2009.

Dr Joseph Masika joined the Think Tank of The Multicultural Community Quality Use of Medicines in 2009. Dr Masika contributed towards the best-practice health promotion and community participation processes to promote the quality use of medicines to Australia’s multicultural communities.

Dr Masika represents New and Emerging communities in Australia which research has revealed a range of factors that pose QUM challenges for some culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians. Language barriers, low levels of cultural competency of health systems and the experience of navigating an unfamiliar medicines system contribute to an overrepresentation of CALD Australians in figures for those presenting to hospitals with medicines-related problems. In 2004 and 2005 Dr Joseph Masika conducted 10 workshops to the African Humanitarian New Arrivals in South Australia on quality use of medication. Dr Joseph Masika OAM (talk) 03:03, 17 January 2020 (UTC)