Australian Governments are urged to prioritise the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by committing to the delivery of measures to meet Close the Gap targets as part of Oxfam Australia’s 7th National Close the Gap Day.
As a member of the Close the Gap steering committee, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is hosting a number of Close the Gap Day events today, demonstrating its commitment to achieving health equality for all Australians by 2030 and the ongoing Close the Gap campaign.
Associate Professor Brad Murphy, Chair of the RACGP’s National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health said the general practice profession is in an optimum position to Close the Gap in health disparities affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“Regardless of location, all GPs have a role to play in closing the gap by addressing the barriers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders patients face in accessing quality healthcare through cultural awareness and consultation with the Indigenous community.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the same right as non-Indigenous Australians to enjoy a high quality of health.
"This is not limited to only the physical wellbeing of the individual, but also the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the entire community,” 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.
“Achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality is an ambitious yet achievable task.
“The recent release of both the Prime Minister’s Closing the Gap report and the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Progress and priorities report 2014 indicate positive signs of change in meeting Close the Gap health targets, however if real progress is to be made, the Government must not become complacent,” said A/Prof Murphy.
The RACGP has developed a number of resources designed to assist general practices meet the unique healthcare needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, available on the RACGP’s website.
The RACGP is proud to join almost 200,000 Australians committed to ending the health equality gap by 2030 and the daily work of many of its members to improve health outcomes for their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.