Trailblazing First Nations health practitioner leads the way in diabetes care

A James Cook University (JCU) graduate has become Australia’s first male to take the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait IslanderHealth Practitioner (A&TSIHP) pathway to become a Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE), a significant achievement for the Indigenous health workforce.

Josiah Little completed the Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Education at JCU last year (2025), followed by the national credentialling pathway with the Australian Diabetes Educators Association.

Diabetes rates remain disproportionately high in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and Mr Little said his qualification will help strengthen culturally informed care.

“When I learnt there were so few Aboriginal Health Practitioner CDEs in the country –  only one in Queensland at the time – that really motivated me to go down that pathway,” Mr Little said.

“Being the first male to achieve this title in the country is something I’m really proud of. We need more of our people who understand how to culturally get through to our mob.”

Mr Little said he hopes his achievement will encourage other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals to pursue advanced diabetes education.

“I am hoping to influence and encourage other Aboriginal men, women and young people to get involved in the diabetes space because there’s such a high prevalence,” he said.

Through the JCU program, Mr Little said he strengthened his clinical knowledge and applied it directly in community settings.

“We had a lot of men living with diabetes who weren’t attending specialist appointments,” he said.

“Being able to use what I’d learnt to encourage them to look after their health made a real difference.

“If the prevalence of diabetes is growing rapidly among Indigenous people, then the workforce must grow just as quickly to help bring those rates down and prevent further complications.”

JCU’s flexible online delivery enabled Mr Little to complete the postgraduate qualification remotely while continuing to work. He also completed another graduate diploma at the same time.

“The course was excellent. Being online meant I could study from Brisbane without flying back and forth, and the content was really strong,” he said.

“The teachers were supportive, and the Indigenous support team at JCU were very, very supportive as well.”

JCU’s Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education course coordinator Elaine Cornford said it was an exciting achievement for Josiah and she hoped to see others complete the course and follow in his footsteps.

“I was thrilled and proud to hear that Josiah has become Australia’s first male Aboriginal Health Practitioner CDE,” she said.

“Completing the credentialing pathway takes dedication and commitment – qualities Josiah has demonstrated, along with his passion for improving healthcare.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience disproportionately high rates of diabetes and related complications, so expanding the diabetes educator workforce to deliver person-centred, culturally safe care is vital

“Josiah’s achievement will help support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with diabetes, improve health outcomes, reduce the health equity gap, and strengthen the diabetes workforce.”