We need a stronger focus on the social determinants of health
A comprehensive national plan of action that is properly resourced and that has the goal of closing the health and life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation. This is vital to ensure that governments work towards Indigenous health equality in a coordinated fashion (including the many reform processes currently underway), and that none of the determinants of Indigenous health inequality are missed.
A partnership for Indigenous health equality between government and Indigenous peoples and their representatives.
Within the national plan, a targeted approach to achieving Indigenous health equality, focusing on a wide range of health conditions and health determinants. The campaign partners have developed a comprehensive set of Close the Gap National Indigenous Health Equality Targets (http://www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/health/targets) to guide this target-setting process. These were presented to the Australian Government in July 2008.
Support for Aboriginal community-controlled health services.
The good news is that Australian governments have already committed to this approach through:
Bipartisan support for the Close the Gap Statement of Intent, signed by the Prime Minister in March 2008 (see: http://humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/health/statement_intent.html) — this alone represents a historic turning point in the approach to Indigenous affairs in this country; and
Commitments by the Council of Australian Governments, where Australian governments have committed to closing the life expectancy gap within a generation, halving the mortality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous children under 5 years of age, and the provision of record levels of new funding to support this.
- Tom Calma
- Australian Human Rights Commission, Sydney, NSW