The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) welcomes the release of the Prime Minister’s sixth Closing the Gap report highlighting positive progress made towards meeting the Close the Gap targets but urges the Government to not become complacent.
The report, launched at today’s Close the Gap Parliamentary event aims to provide insight into the key determinants of health, education, employment and community safety in meeting the Close the Gap objectives.
RACGP Chair of the National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Associate Professor Brad Murphy, said figures released in the report suggest positive progress has been made in some Close the Gap objectives including child mortality, however there is still considerable progress to be made in other areas such as improving life expectancy.
“The Federal Government’s leadership in the delivery of measures to meet the Close the Gap targets is essential if real progress is to be made.
“The empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities must occur alongside a coordinated strategic, policy driven response,” said A/Prof Murphy.
The RACGP believes general practice and primary healthcare is in the optimum position to improve life expectancy, identified within the report as a key objective in need of urgent progression.
“No outcome acts in isolation.
“We know the benefit general practice holds in the provision of preventive healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; however life expectancy is affected by a range of factors beyond addressing health risks including education and employment status.
“The health and social care sector employs 15% of the total Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce1, the highest rate of any sector.
“An investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, including to the Community Controlled sector, not only works towards curbing health disparities, but is also an investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment,” said A/Prof Murphy.
The RACGP is a member of the Close the Gap Steering Committee which today released its 2014 progress and priorities report providing both the Close the Gap campaign and Australian Governments with a blueprint for closing the health equality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by 2030.
“Achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality is an ambitious yet achievable task and these two reports reflect a shared commitment to the improvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ lives,” said A/Prof Murphy.
In its 2014–15 pre-budget submission, the RACGP called on the Government to commit to the funding and implementation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013–2023, developed by the Department of Health, as a vital step to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.
The RACGP is committed to supporting all Close the Gap efforts and is proud of the daily work of many of its members to improve health outcomes for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
1http://www.factsfightback.org.au/is-the-mining-industry-the-largest-indigenous-employer-check-the-facts/