COAG Must make 'Closing the Gap' a National Priority
AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that it would be a disgrace if the long-term health needs of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders were not discussed at this Friday’s Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Canberra.
Dr Hambleton said it would be irresponsible if Australia’s political leaders came away from the meeting without an agreement to continue long-term funding for the COAG National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes.
“Closing the gap and achieving health equality between Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians must be a priority for all our governments,” Dr Hambleton said.
“It is a worthy goal that requires long-term funding and genuine political commitment.
“It requires action, not just words.
“Five years ago, our governments signed up in good faith to the National Partnership Agreement, and it has delivered some positive health outcomes.
“Now is not the time to be complacent – we must build on these good results.
“The current Agreement expires in a matter of months.
“We are calling on COAG leaders to this Friday agree to the long-term continuation of the National Partnership Agreement with at least the same level of funding for another five years initially.
“This would send a very strong message to the community that our governments are serious about closing the gap,” Dr Hambleton said.
Since 2008, the Agreement has achieved a number of successes in improving Indigenous health and wellbeing, including:
- being on track to halve the mortality rates for children under five;
- significantly increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' access to health services for chronic disease - which underlies much of the gap in health outcomes;
- having work underway in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to develop a long term health plan; and
- meeting the target for early childhood education access in remote communities.
17 April 2013
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