First Steps in Closing the Gap
Health
The Australian Government is committed to improving the access of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to comprehensive primary health care services. The aim is to provide coordinated clinical care, population health and health promotion activities to facilitate illness prevention, early intervention and effective disease management.
Evidence from Australia and overseas shows that improved access to comprehensive primary health care can make a real and sustainable difference to overall health in the longer term.
This strategy is firmly based on the principle of working in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector.
The Government has committed $19 million over three years in strengthening the Indigenous health workforce, to encourage more Indigenous people to take up careers as health professionals. We know that a strong Indigenous health workforce will be critical to improving Indigenous health services in the long term.
In February, the Government provided a $21.5 million boost over five years to improve remote area health services in the Northern Territory:
- $10 million to upgrade and expand health-care facilities;
- $5.4 million to establish satellite renal dialysis facilities; and
- $6.1 million to provide the intensive and sustained counselling and support needed to help victims of sexual abuse and their families.
These are in addition to extra funds provided in February and in this Budget to follow up the child health checks conducted as part of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (see ‘Northern Territory Emergency Response’).
Addressing alcohol and substance abuse will make communities safer and healthier.
In February, the Government allocated $49.3 million over four years as part of its COAG commitment to support substance and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment services across Australia, particularly in remote areas. This commitment builds on COAG’s investment of $49.3 million over four years announced in July 2006 to address drug and alcohol use in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Rudd Government is committed to addressing the drivers of chronic disease in the Indigenous population. Over the next four years the Rudd Government will invest $14.5 million in tackling high rates of smoking in Indigenous communities. Tobacco smoking is the number one risk factor for chronic conditions and diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer, which are the cause of so many premature deaths in Indigenous communities.
The Australian Government is determined to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation. Much needs to be done, but we are taking the first steps.