Indigenous Health Needs Significant National Solutions, Australia

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 15 Nov 2007 - 4:00 PDT

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AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said that the health of Indigenous Australians has been forgotten in this election campaign.

Dr Capolingua said that the health challenges facing Indigenous Australians require national solutions with significant funding commitments.

"Our national goal must be to close the 17-year gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders and the rest of the Australian population," Dr Capolingua said.

"This can only be achieved when Indigenous Australians are able to access the same high quality health services as other Australians.

"The AMA has estimated that a minimum of $1.84 billion over four years in new funding for primary care services alone is needed to start to make a real difference."

The Government has made a significant move with its program to conduct child health checks and follow-up care for Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, and has made a commitment to improve Indigenous housing.

As part of its New Directions policy, Labor has promised $112 million over four years for maternal and child health initiatives, and has made a commitment to close the life expectancy gap, but has not yet provided the detail or the funding necessary to achieve this.

Dr Capolingua said there is bipartisan and AMA support for the Government's Northern Territory initiative, but neither the Coalition nor Labor has outlined a broad national strategy to bring the state of Indigenous health up to 21st century standards.

"The AMA supports the intent of the Northern Territory initiative, but we want to see well-funded practical policies that will improve the health of Indigenous Australians in all the States and Territories, and in the cities as well as the remote communities.

"Only 66,600 of Australia's Indigenous resident population of 517,200 live in the Northern Territory.

"Far more live in our big cities than in the remote communities, but no matter where they live the majority of Indigenous Australians have one thing in common - poorer health and lower life expectancy than other Australians.

"In this election campaign, there has been competition between the major parties to outbid each other with generous promises to many groups in the Australian community.

"A promise of quality health services for Indigenous Australians is long overdue."

The AMA wants to see Indigenous health policies that deliver:

- An additional $460 million a year in targeted resources, particularly for primary care,

- A minimum $20 million a year plus some initial set up costs to provide all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pregnant women with Mothers and Babies services based on the successful Townsville Mums and Bubs clinic (addressed by Labor in New Directions),

- Commitment to a target of 2.4 per cent of all health professionals being from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds by 2012,

- Mainstream services to focus current resources to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,

- Investment in the other social determinants of health - in particular education, housing, physical infrastructure, and economic development, and

- Commitment from Government to the long-term sustainability of the NT Indigenous initiative.

Background

Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders will not achieve equal health outcomes with non-Indigenous Australians until all governments properly fund and resource accessible health services and programs, and their economic, educational and social disadvantages have been eliminated.

Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders have the poorest health of any group living in this country.

Indigenous standardised mortality ratios are more than three times the expected rate, and death rates between 25-54 years of age are 5-8 times that seen in non-Indigenous Australians.

Indigenous infant mortality rates are three times higher than for non-Indigenous infants.

The 17-year gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and the rest of the Australian population must be closed. It is not acceptable in 2007 for any Australian to have a 1920s' life expectancy. The gap in life expectancy must be closed within 25 years.

Indigenous Australians deserve access to quality medical services, whether they live in our cities, towns or remote communities.

We need to see improved measurable health outcomes in the management of diabetes, eradication of rheumatic heart disease, a decrease in the number of low birthweight babies, and fewer sexually transmitted infections.

All governments must treat the totality of Indigenous health as a 'national emergency'.

Australian Medical Association