John Howard, Australia’s Prime Minister, has a weak record on indigenous health. This record fatally compromises his legitimacy to govern the country, according to an Editorial in The Lancet, this week’s issue.
Eleven years ago John Howard’s government vowed to improve the health and social wellbeing of its aboriginal population. According to the AMA’s (Australian Medical Association) Key Health Issues for the 2007 Federal Election, the Howard government’s top failure has been its accomplishments on indigenous health.
The 11-year-old pledge has not been met, says the Editorial. Aboriginal Australians have a greater burden of ill health, compared to the rest of the country’s population. Not only do they have poorer access to health services, they also suffer from more disability, and a shorter life expectancy.
According to the Editorial, things will probably go from bad to worse. Last month the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 was passed by the Senate. The Bill was hurried through parliament, say the authors. This legislation, in effect, allows the government to take over control of 73 Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Welfare payments will be limited. The police and army presence can be boosted; bans on alcohol and pornography can be enforced. The legislation also lifts the restrictions on access to Aboriginal land by non-Aboriginal people.
“But few of the aggressive measures in the Bill address child abuse; most are only likely to exacerbate the problem. The proposed interventions also do not tally with the report recommendations and contradict the approach called for by the authors, who emphasized the “critical importance” of consulting with Aboriginal people when designing initiatives for Aboriginal communities,” says the Editorial.
“Indigenous health is a national emergency that requires investment in health services and the social determinants of health – education, housing, economic development – which underlie the appalling inequalities that Aboriginal people face. The Howard administration’s latest approach to Indigenous health will not fulfill its decade-old election promise. John Howard’s legitimacy to govern seems fatally compromised based on this critical health failure,” it concludes.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist