Australian Medical Association

The Productivity Commission is conducting an inquiry into Caring for Older Australians.

The AMA submission to the inquiry is based on existing AMA policy and general themes discussed at a consultation convened by the AMA between the Productivity Commission and AMA member geriatricians, old age psychiatrists, general practitioners, and rehabilitation and palliative care specialists on 2 July 2010.

The Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee of peak Indigenous and non-Indigenous health organisations has produced a Shadow Report that provides the perspective of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous health sector on the Government's progress in closing the gap. The AMA is a key member of that Steering Committee.

To encourage and assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people intending to complete a medical degree at an Australian university.

Applicants for this scholarship must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.  For the purposes of this scholarship, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is someone who is of Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, or who identifies as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives or has lived.  Applicants will be asked to provide a letter from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community organisation supporting their claim.

To be awarded a scholarship, applicants must be currently enrolled full time at an Australian Medical School, and have successfully completed at least their first year of medicine. However, students who are currently in their first year of medicine are eligible to apply.  Applicants must also be eligible for ABSTUDY.  A scholarship will not be awarded to an applicant who already holds another scholarship.

Applications close Friday 29 January 2010.

The AMA Indigenous Health Report Card 2009 collates the tragic facts of the health of Indigenous males.

The Report Card details AMA proposals to improve the health of Indigenous males through primary health care services and workforce, quality care in all Australian health services, local community capacity building, health promotion and chronic disease prevention, strategies to keep Indigenous males out of prison, a focus on social and emotional wellbeing, and promotion of economic engagement and entrepreneurial opportunities.

As a result of the Close the Gap Campaign, and the advocacy of the AMA, there have been some significant first steps taken by Australian governments to address Indigenous health inequalities. To further promote community awareness of the Close the Gap Campaign, and strengthen community involvement, a "Community Guide' brochure has been produced to indicate ways in which members of the public can participate and contribute to reduce these inequalites.

This Report Card brings together the most recent available data and information about the health of Indigenous Australian children. The AMA recommends that access to Indigenous specific child and maternal services needs to be significantly improved, along with improvements to living environment conditions and enhanced capacity-building in Indigenous communities.

This Report Card includes a number of Good News Stories about relevant projects or initiatives that are having a significant impact on Indigenous people’s health. 

To encourage and assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people intending to complete a medical degree at an Australian university.

Applications close Friday 30 January 2009.

This Report Card addresses gaps in life expectancy and health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The AMA recommends a range of improvements in access to primary care for Indigenous people.

This Report Card includes a number of Good News Stories about relevant projects or initiatives that are having a significant impact on Indigenous people’s health. 

This Report Card investigates the relationship between the imprisonment and poor health status of Indigenous people. The AMA recommends that health services for Indigenous prisoners be imporved, and that imprisonment be the action of last resort for Indigenous people with mental health or substance abuse problems.

This Report Card includes a number of Good News Stories about relevant projects or initiatives impacting significantly on Indigenous people’s health. 

This position statement outlines a framework and set of principles within which the AMA develops specific policy initiatives and assesses government action and inaction in relation to the health of Indigenous people.

This Report Card focusses on the most important intervention to improve the long-term health of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population: giving every baby a healthy start in life. The AMA recommends improvements in primary health care servcies targeted to culturally apporpriate antenatal and post natal care, and care of Indigenous mothers and young children.

This Report Card includes a number of Good News Stories about relevant projects or initiatives that are having a significant impact on Indigenous people’s health.  

This Report Card focuses on Indigenous health workforce requirements to provide necessary services to Indigenous people, and also in terms of the shortfall in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as health professionals. The AMA recommends increases in funding for primary care infrastructure, and also measures to increase training places for health professionals to work in Indigenous health.

This Report Card includes a number of Good News Stories about relevant projects or initiatives that are having a significant impact on Indigenous people’s health. 

This Report Card presents data about the rates of morbidity and mortality among Indigenous peoples. It provides updated estimates of the funding needed to ensure all Indigenous people have appropriate access to essential health care.

This position statement focuses on the effects of poor health on the educational attainment of Indigenous people, and the reciprocal impacts of poor education on health. A number of recommendations are made to address this relationship.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Report Cards

This is the first AMA Report Card on Indigenous health, and focuses on the inequalities in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and compares these with the situation in some other nations with comparable Indigenous populations. The AMA recommends improvements to primary care services and to living conditions and facilities, such as sanitation, clean water and electricity for all communities.

This position statement focuses on the need to adopt a strategic approach to prevention of chronic diseases among Indigenous people, with a particular emphasis on the social context of chronic disease.