International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the AMA called for a whole-of-Government approach to close the health inequalities that exist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was dedicated to supporting the right to education.
AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, said this week that we need genuine collaborative action to improve health and education outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“There are clear links between education and health. We know closing the gap and improving the health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also means closing the gap in education and literacy,” Dr Gannon said.
“Now is the time to develop a whole-of-Government approach to improve access to education and provide health services in culturally appropriate ways to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“We still have much work to do as a nation to close the gap in life expectancy and the overall health of Indigenous Australians compared with the rest of the community. The AMA remains committed to improving the health outcomes for Indigenous people by working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups to advocate for greater Government investment and cohesive coordinated strategies.”
