Category Archives: AAA NACCHO Board:Chair Justin Mohamed

For further information contact
Colin Cowell
National Communications and Media Advisor

media@naccho.org.au
Tel 02 6246 9309
Mobile 0401 331 251

May 15 2013

NACCHO 2013 budget press release:Lack of detail leaves a question mark over Aboriginal health

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 The $777 million commitment to Close the Gap initiatives in the 2013 Federal Budget is welcome however the Aboriginal health Community Controlled sector remains concerned about the lack of detail on how and where the money will be spent.

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Chair, Justin Mohamed, said it was critical that adequate funding was dedicated to support and grow Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services where the biggest gains were being made in improving Aboriginal health.

Download the Aboriginal Health Budget here also see executive summary below

Download Federal Government Press release on Aboriginal spending here

“The lack of clarity in the Budget around how funding will flow to Aboriginal primary Community Controlled Health services is very concerning,” Mr Mohamed said.

“Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services need to be at the forefront of any comprehensive primary health care model.

“It is these services – run by Aboriginal people, for Aboriginal people – that are making the biggest improvements to the health of their communities.

“The Federal Government also needs to put greater effort into getting the states and territories to re-commit to the National Partnership Agreement – due to expire in just over a month.

“It is simply not OK to leave the fate of Aboriginal health hanging while everyone plays politics up to the 11th hour.”

Mr Mohamed said NACCHO was disappointed that the Budget did not spell out how the upcoming National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan would be funded.

“The Health Plan will not work unless it is properly resourced and after yesterday we are no clearer on how much of the $777 million will be directed to this critical initiative.

“It is also disappointing to again see the focus on Medicare Locals in the Budget. Medicare Locals are yet to prove their effectiveness in the Aboriginal health space where the community controlled model has made positive health gains.

“If we’re serious about closing the appalling gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians, then Aboriginal health needs to be given the attention it deserves and community controlled services better supported.”

Mr Mohamed said NACCHO would be consulting widely with the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector and providing further comment upon further analysis of the budget papers in the coming days.

Media contact: Colin Cowell 0401 331 251,

ABORIGINAL HEALTH BUDGET EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Through Outcome 8, the Australian Government aims to improve access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to effective health care services essential to improving health and life expectancy, and reducing child mortality.

The Australian Government, through the National Indigenous Reform Agreement, is committed to ‘closing the gap’ between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians in health, education and employment. This requires a concerted and coordinated effort from all Government agencies and two of the targets in the agreement relate directly to the Health and Ageing Portfolio: to close the gap in life expectancy within a generation; and to halve the gap in mortality rates for Indigenous children under five years of age within a decade.

In 2013-14, the Government will work with states and territories through a renewed National Partnership Agreement (NPA) to consolidate and embed the reforms implemented under the current NPA on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, including continuing implementation of the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package. This commitment will provide a continued framework for working collaboratively to close the gap in life expectancy within a generation.

The Australian Government is also developing a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan, which will build on the gains already being achieved through the Australian Government’s Closing the Gap initiatives. The Health Plan is being developed as a collaborative effort and after extensive consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their representatives and is being informed by advice from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Council. It will involve building links with current initiatives and strategies, identifying gaps for further action and expanding existing initiatives where appropriate.

The Australian Government recognises that closing the gap in life expectancy in the Northern Territory continues to present a significant challenge. The Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory – health initiative focusses on this challenge by providing ongoing funding to deliver a comprehensive health package for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory.

The Department is working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations, as well as in collaboration with state and territory government agencies to implement these programs.

The Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health leads the work for Outcome 8 by funding the delivery of primary health care services and other

Download the Aboriginal Health Budget here also see executive summary below

Download Federal Government Press release on Aboriginal spending here

May 14 2013

NACCHO 2013 budget alert: Aboriginal health spending: Where does the money go?

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NACCHO’s chairman Justin Mohamed is concerned state governments are waiting until tonights Budget announcement before making a call on Indigenous health funding.

“I would say at this stage, we haven’t had the confirmed numbers, and we do need every state and territory to come and recommit to closing the gap with their funding, to ensure the whole of Australia – every single Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person can have life expectancy similar to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

Source SBS

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With an election looming, the future of the government’s Closing the Gap policies remain uncertain. (AAP)

Building a clear picture of how the government spends money on Indigenous-specific programs is a problem so complex even seasoned economists struggle with it.
Part of the problem, as health researchers Dr Lesley Russell and Sebastian Rosenberg note in detail here, is the split in funding, delivery and administration between state and federal governments across more than 100 different initiatives.

There is also the question of funding announcements, which tend to dribble out throughout the year rather than forming a part of the federal budget.

Economist Jon Altman says he doesn’t expect to see “anything new” for Indigenous Australia in Wayne Swan’s budget announcement tomorrow.

“They’ve more or less fired all their fiscal bullets as far as  Indigenous Australia is concerned,” he says.
“They’ve made their forward  commitments to Stronger Futures, to Cape York, to Creative Australia to  Carbon Farming Initiative; it has all been sign-posted.”

Justin Mohamed, Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), agrees.

“On  previous budget nights and when the announcements are being made, you  know you sometimes walk out of there a little bit flat because  Aboriginal health or Aboriginal affairs probably doesn’t get the  concentrated attention it needs,” he says.

The federal government funds a number of Indigenous-specific programs under National Partnership Agreements (NPAs) in partnership with state and territory governments, based on six policy initiatives known as ‘Closing the Gap’.

These six measures were set down by Kevin Rudd in 2008 at the same time he gave a formal apology to the Stolen Generations. They cover the broad areas of health, education, infant mortality, life expectancy, literacy and employment.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s report on Closing the Gap issued in February this year noted that only three out of the six areas were on track for achievement.

This is despite funding for some key areas nearing their initial expiry date.

‘CRITICAL YEAR’ FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH

In 2009, the federal government allocated $1.57 billion for Indigenous health initiatives. This funding agreement expires in June, although this has been buffered by a further commitment of $777 million over three years from the federal government — along with an expectation that state and territory governments will also contribute.

Victoria has already committed to $61.7 million over four years, and while other states have until June 30 to declare their funding commitments, none have so far declared their support.

The federal commitment, as Lesley Russell has written previously, is an increase in per annum expenditure, but because of a bump in funding for the year 2012-13, will actually result in a drop in funding for the year ahead.

“We await news of which programs will be cut, and where,” she wrote.

NACCHO’s Justin Mohamed is concerned state governments are waiting until tomorrow’s Budget announcement before making a call on Indigenous health funding.

“I would say at this stage, we haven’t had the confirmed numbers, and we do need every state and territory to come and recommit to closing the gap with their funding, to ensure the whole of Australia – every single Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person can have life expectancy similar to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”

The total amount of funding has been increasing since Closing the Gap initiatives were first announced in 2008, but the dollar figure is also only one part of the story. How effectively the money is being used is a question raised repeatedly by those keeping a close eye on the government’s Indigenous expenditure.

“It’s really about how that money is administered, and where the money goes,”  says Mohamed.

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

With an election looming, the future of the government’s Closing the Gap policies remain uncertain.

The federal opposition has been vocally critical of current state and federal programs, with Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion saying the efficiency and effectiveness of current programs needed to addressed.

A change of government could also clear out any partisan issues potentially hampering cooperation at state and federal levels, says Jon Altman.

“We’ve got to remember when we had multi-partisan agreement through COAG  on these National Partnership agreements, it was coast-to-coast Labor,  and since then we’ve had a change and a number of state governments and  territory governments are non-Labor, so the possibility of contested federalism has increased,” he says.

“Of course,  that could flip right round if you had a change of federal government,  and suddenly you might see a new cooperative federalism between an  Abbott government and at least those states and territories that are now  conservative.”

WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS?

Indigenous early childhood development $564.6 over six years from July 2009 Remote service delivery $291.2 over six years from July 2009 Indigenous economic participation $228.8 over five years from July 2008 Remote indigenous housing $1.94 billion over ten years. New funding on top of $3.55 billion already committed, so total funding of $5.5. billion over ten years from Dec 08 Indigenous health outcomes $1.57 billion over four years from July 1, 2009 Remote Indigenous public internet access $6.967 million over four years

Q&A: What next for Indigenous funding?

Source SBS with thanks

With an election looming and some key Indigenous funding policies nearing expiry, is the pattern of government investment for Indigenous policies set to change?

Jon Altman of the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University tells SBS reporter Rhiannon Elston why he doesn’t expect to see Indigenous spending on the agenda on budget night.

Q: To start with a broad picture, has funding been increasing for government-based ‘Closing the Gap’ initiatives since they were first drawn up in 2008? 

It most certainly has. There has been a series of a National Partnership Agreements (NPAs) that I think have certainly increased allocations to Indigenous policy, Indigenous Affairs. One of the problems, of course, that the government has is that the last census showed a greater than expected increase in Indigenous population. And so on a per capita basis, that puts some pressure on Indigenous funding. But nevertheless, the funding has increased. Paradoxically, perhaps, a lot of that funding is being allocated to remote Australia where need is seen to be the greatest.

And particularly, of course, the Northern Territory and Cape York are major beneficiaries. But the majority of the Indigenous population lives in non-remote Australia. Probably around 75 to 80 per cent live in non-remote Australia. So in a sense, the paradox is that government is… putting most of the money into remote Australia, where I think gaps are going to be the hardest to close.

And they’re assuming that mainstream provision of services will look after Indigenous people in non-remote Australia, where gaps are most likely to close. I think it’s a very brave assumption that people will get equitable needs-based access to services in non-remote Australia if they’re disadvantaged.

Q: That appears to be a recurring criticism; that the bulk of Indigenous funding lands in the Northern Territory and not enough is left for the other states. 

The first thing the government really needs to do, and it’s never done, is actually undertake some audit of what is needed. Because what we don’t hear a lot about in Indigenous policy making is the historical legacy. In some sense what happened post the 2007 intervention is the extent of the legacy in very visible remote Indigenous  communities was there for everybody to see, and the obvious government response to that was to try and band-aid what was very visible.

Poor housing, poor school facilities, poor community infrastructure. Poor medical centres. So the government has certainly tried to address some of that in those very visible places. But the truth is, to meet that historical legacy which has being growing exponentially for decades, is going to require very significant investments, very significant commitments, running into billions of dollars.

Q: With the Indigenous Health Outcomes NPA due to expire in June, we’ve seen the federal government recommit $777 million over three years with an expectation that the states and territories will also come to the table, and they have until June 30 to do that. So far, we haven’t seen broad state-based commitment. What kind of implications could that have?

I think it will depend on the next government. We’ve got to remember when we had multi-partisan agreement through COAG on these National Partnership agreements, it was coast-to-coast Labor, and since then we’ve had a change and a number of state governments and territory governments are non-Labor. So the possibility of contested federalism has increased, and of course that could flip right round if you had a change of federal government, and suddenly you might see a new cooperative federalism between an Abbott government and at least those states and territories that are now conservative.

Whatever the case, I think there will be some very hard questions asked about the National Partnership Agreements when they come up for renegotiation in terms of their effectiveness. And one of the things we’ve found with Closing the Gap in terms of their track record at least for the period 2006-2011, has been quite patchy. Some of the gaps are closing quite slowly. Some of the gaps are widening, and some of them are proving very difficult to shift. So in a sense, there might be scepticism about both the targets and about the efficacy of the national partnership agreements in helping to close them.

Q: Do you expect to see any major Indigenous funding announcements in next week’s budget?

I think the current government, it seems to be the new mode of operation, they’ve more or less fired all their fiscal bullets as far as Indigenous Australia is concerned. They’ve made their forward commitments to Stronger Futures, to Cape York, to Creative Australia to Carbon Farming Initiative; it has all been sign-posted so I actually don’t expect to see anything new for Indigenous Australia in the budget.

The question is, what will the government do to make sure that when we have new schemes like DisabilityCare Australia… what mechanisms do we have in place to make sure that those people who are most in need and I think it’s likely that even in relation to DC Indigenous People who will be most in need get the greatest access? And it seems to me that one of the problems we have with this notion of normalisation and needs-based equitable access to services including disability support, superannuation, jobs and so on, is that we assume the playing field is level, whereas clearly that’s not the case.

Not just in terms of historical legacy and the poor physical, psychological, emotional condition of many Indigenous people but also that our institutions aren’t very well tailored to respond to people from fundamentally different cultural backgrounds, and we just don’t want to recognise that racially based discrimination is still a problem when it comes to accessing services

May 13 2013

NACCHO chair welcomes Professor Kerry Arabena as the newly appointed Chair of Indigenous Health

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Mr Justin Mohamed, Chair of NACCHO representing over 150 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations throughout Australia today welcomed the annoucement that Professor Kerry Arabena  has been appointed Chair of Indigenous Health at the  Melbourne School of Population and Global Health

Our thanks to the Melbourne AGE for sharing photo  (Photo: Sarah Anderson) and story in which Kerry spoke about the challenges  facing Indigenous Australians, and why local and global leadership is critical  for Indigenous affairs

Strong, charismatic and decisive leadership within Aboriginal and Torres  Strait Islander communities is something Kerry Arabena identifies as crucial to  improving Indigenous health outcomes in Australia.

“Since 1970, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have taken our  rightful place in discussions about health service delivery, the health and  wellbeing of families and the positive transformation of our communities,” she  says.

“Our role as leaders has been to learn to navigate and operate in complex  health service, government and community systems to represent the issues we’ve  heard from people in our communities.”

A descendant of the Meriam People of the Torres Strait, Professor Arabena is  the first Torres Strait Islander woman to achieve and receive a professorial  position. She has had many senior appointments: as well as recently being  appointed Chair of Indigenous Health at the Melbourne School of Population and  Global Health, it was announced in April that Professor Arabena would be taking  on the role of Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander  Health Equality Council.

A social worker by profession, Professor Arabena began her career in  community services and case management in the Northern Territory over 20 years  ago, where she worked in one of the most remote Aboriginal medical services in  Australia at Kintore, 600km west of Alice Springs.

“I think I’m the only Torres Strait Islander woman who’s ever lived out in  the desert like that,” she says.

She transitioned from social work into human ecology, community-controlled  health organisations, co-ordination of national public health initiatives and  finally into academia. At the University of Melbourne her role involves  community engagement and capacity-building.

She notes that the role of leadership within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait  Islander community is constantly changing.

“Some of us have been in our fields for at least 20 years and are in  positions to mentor others. We are modern intellectuals with ancestral and  cultural connection to country. This type of leadership is now critical for all  our affairs.

“Our role is to look to the next generation, to ensure we are supporting and  creating spaces for them. We need to unify on matters affecting us all, and  engage in conversations about our affairs on a local and global scale.”

These conversations are much needed. Many disparities still exist between  Indigenous and non-Indigenous population health status and outcomes,  determinants of health and health system performance.

While Professor Arabena is wary of “simplifying, stereotyping and amplifying”  the difficulties of life for people in some Aboriginal and Torres Strait  Islander communities, she says “The reality of life is grim” for many of  them.

“Life is such that some children would choose to end their lives before they  get a chance to live it. Life is such that we have young people who have  completed year 12 but who are unable to read or write.”

Professor Arabena believes negatively framed discussion of Indigenous issues  in policy environments is, however, deeply problematic, directly impacting  health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

In many public conversations, Indigenous people are viewed as “disadvantaged”  and “in poverty” and all of these other terms we use so loosely.

“What we forget to see and know is that people can change, people can empower  themselves, and that given information and opportunity, people can transform  their lives from what might have been incredibly difficult circumstances.”

Professor Arabena identifies several strategies she will focus on during her  time at the University, including helping build recognition of the rights of  Indigenous families and communities to live self-determining lives, free from  discrimination; and creating and advancing knowledge of the contributions  Indigenous Australians have made, and continue to make, to Australian  society.

“I get excited about what we can do together. Despite difficult  circumstances, there have been eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander  Australians of the Year, and I think That’s something we can all be proud  of.

“We get described as “disadvantaged” and not able to do things: actually we  can, and we are, and we will. Whether people recognise that or not ” we know  what we do, we know what we can achieve. And to me, that is worth  celebrating.”

www.pgh.unimelb.edu.au

Read more:

Apr 18 2013

NACCHO press release:Julia Gillard to announce that the federal contribution for a renewed Aboriginal health deal will be $777 million until June 2016

Closing the gap now in the hands of state and territory governments

 See Page 5 todays April 18 The Australian for the CTG/NACCHO campaign half page ad

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The National Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) today welcomed the Gillard Government’s commitment to the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes and called on state and territory leaders to urgently do the same.

According to AAP reports this morning Prime Minister Julia Gillard will announce  that the federal contribution for a renewed deal will be $777 million until June 2016.

Ms Gillard will ask the states and territory government to chip in the remainder, although the issue will not be on the agenda of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on Friday.

“As a result of our investments in indigenous health, we are seeing improvements,” Ms Gillard said in a statement.

“We know there is more to be done.”

The original national partnership deal struck in 2008 was worth $1.58 billion over four years and the federal contribution was $805.5 million.

Ms Gillard said the renewed federal contribution would be an increase over previous per annum expenditure.

Following former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generations in 2008, federal, state and territory governments agreed on six ambitious Close the Gap targets to tackle indigenous disadvantage.

 NACCHO Chair, Justin Mohamed said the National Partnership Agreement was due to expire at the end of June, putting critical Aboriginal health programs at risk.

 “Improving the appalling state of Aboriginal health must be a priority for all levels of government and Aboriginal people will be relieved to finally have a commitment from the Gillard Government today.

 “The pressure is now squarely on the states and territories as signatories of the 2008 Close the Gap Statement of Intent in which they committed to work together to close the disgraceful seventeen year gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians by 2030.

 “The states and territories need to uphold their commitment to this important goal and sign up to continue the National Partnership Agreement which is due to expire in less than two months.”

Mr Mohamed said it was imperative the Agreement was given priority at the COAG meeting tomorrow.

 “Improving Aboriginal health is not a quick fix – it requires a long-term commitment above party politics.

 “This is not just a matter for the Federal Government. It has been proven that only by all levels of government working together will we see improvements in Aboriginal health.

 “There have been five years of good work on Closing the Gap programs and must maintain the momentum.

 “We must maintain our commitment and build on the inroads the 150 Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs) are making in their communities.

 “Aboriginal comprehensive primary health care provided by Aboriginal communities is the key to making a difference to Aboriginal health outcomes.”

 Mr Mohamed said the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment to Aboriginal health in a challenging fiscal environment was a testament to many in the sector who had worked tirelessly to keep Aboriginal health on the national agenda.

 Press release from the CTG campaign group

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health must be placed on the agenda for this Friday’s COAG meeting if there is to be any hope of closing the life expectancy gap by 2030, the Close the Gap Campaign said today.

 “Five years ago all sides of politics agreed to do something about the national disgrace that sees Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people die more than 10 years younger than the broader Australian community,” Campaign Co- Chair Mick Gooda said.

 “While the 2008 COAG meeting saw federal, state and territory governments commit to long term funding for services and programs though the National Partnership Agreement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is absent from this Friday’s COAG meeting agenda.

 “We know that the policies and programs resulting from these 2008 COAG commitments are starting to bear fruit and make a real difference on the ground, for example, mortality rates for under five year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are falling,” he said.

 “But the life expectancy gap remains just as unacceptable today as it was back then and I know that most of those attending COAG this Friday agree with me,” Mr Gooda said.

 The National Partnership Agreement which has driven efforts to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes is set to expire at the end of June 2013. Despite Federal Government indications that it will continue funding its share of the Agreement, State and Territory governments have not yet signed up to the Agreement  leaving some services and programs in real doubt as to whether they can continue to provide badly needed services beyond 30 June.

 Campaign Co Chair Jody Broun said governments of all persuasions owed it to the rest of the country to maintain their efforts to close the life expectancy gap by 2030.

 “There’s no doubt that nothing short of ongoing funding and commitment to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from all levels of government is what’s needed to keep on track,” Ms Broun said.

 “State, territory and federal governments need to continue working together to fund more services and programs that make a real difference to health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

 “We have to maintain our efforts to improve access to critical chronic disease services and to deliver anti-smoking measures, more affordable medicines and healthy lifestyle programs. We need to support and build capacity in our Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and we need to build on the inroads already made by our child and maternal health services,” she said.

 “We need more Aboriginal health workers, allied health professionals, doctors, nurses and health promotion workers.

 “A recommitment from state, territory and federal governments at this Friday’s COAG meeting is needed to quite literally save lives.”

 Who is the CLOSE the Gap campaign mob

 Australia’s peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous health bodies, health professional bodies and human rights organisations operate the Close the Gap Campaign.

 The Campaign’s goal is to raise the health and life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to that of the non-Indigenous population within a generation : to close the gap by 2030.

 It aims to do this through the implementation of a human rights based approach set out in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner’s Social Justice Report 2005.

 The Campaign’s Steering Committee first met in March 2006. Our patrons, Catherine Freeman OAM and Ian Thorpe OAM launched the campaign in April 2007. To date 176,000 Australians have formally pledged their support. In August 2010 and 2011, the National Rugby League dedicated an annual round of matches as a Close the Gap round, reaching around 3 million Australians per round. 840 community events involving 130,000 Australians were held on National Close the Gap Day in 2011.

How can you ask your state Premier or territory Chief Minister to support Close the Gap?

All Australian governments have committed to Close the Gap through the COAG process and the National Indigenous Reform Agreement.
 
The development of the Closing the Gap policy platform to back up this commitment set the foundations to meet this generational target.Ask your State Premier or Chief Minister to publicly commit to renewing investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality.
 

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 AMA 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.
Apr 17 2013

NACCHO Close the Gap campaign political alert:Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health – ongoing commitment from all Australian governments is vital

 

Mick

“Five years ago all sides of politics agreed to do something about the national disgrace that sees Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people die more than 10 years younger than the broader Australian community,” Campaign Co- Chair Mick Gooda pictured above said

Close the Gap

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health must be placed on the agenda for this Friday’s COAG meeting if there is to be any hope of closing the life expectancy gap by 2030, the Close the Gap Campaign said today.

 “Five years ago all sides of politics agreed to do something about the national disgrace that sees Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people die more than 10 years younger than the broader Australian community,” Campaign Co- Chair Mick Gooda said.

 “While the 2008 COAG meeting saw federal, state and territory governments commit to long term funding for services and programs though the National Partnership Agreement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is absent from this Friday’s COAG meeting agenda.

 “We know that the policies and programs resulting from these 2008 COAG commitments are starting to bear fruit and make a real difference on the ground; for example, mortality rates for under five-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are falling,” Mr Gooda said.

 “But the life expectancy gap remains just as unacceptable today as it was back then and I know that most of those attending COAG this Friday agree with me.”

 The National Partnership Agreement which has driven efforts to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes is set to expire at the end of June 2013. Despite Federal Government indications that it will continue funding its share of the Agreement, state and territory governments have not yet signed up to the Agreement  leaving some services and programs in real doubt as to whether they can continue to provide badly needed services beyond 30 June.

 Campaign Co Chair Jody Broun said governments of all persuasions owed it to the rest of the country to maintain their efforts to close the life expectancy gap by 2030.

 jody-broun-200x0

“There’s no doubt that nothing short of ongoing funding and commitment to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from all levels of government is what’s needed to keep on track,” Ms Broun said.

“State, territory and federal governments need to continue working together to fund more services and programs that make a real difference to health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“We have to maintain our efforts to improve access to critical chronic disease services and to deliver anti-smoking measures, more affordable medicines and healthy lifestyle programs. We need to support and build capacity in our Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and we need to build on the inroads already made by our child and maternal health services,” she said.

“We need more Aboriginal health workers, allied health professionals, doctors, nurses and health promotion workers.

“A recommitment from state, territory and federal governments at this Friday’s COAG meeting is needed to quite literally save lives.”

For Mick Gooda, please contact Louise McDermott on 0419 258 597

For Jody Broun, please contact Liz Willis on 0457877408

Apr 17 2013

NACCHO COAG press release:Aboriginal health relies on COAG this Friday to Close the Gap

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The ability to improve shocking Aboriginal life expectancy rates is at risk while COAG delays discussions on the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes, said the peak Aboriginal health organisation today.

 Justin Mohamed, Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) the national authority in comprehensive health care, said COAG must include the Agreement on the agenda for Friday’s meeting. 

DOWNLOAD NACCHO press release here

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Please note :How can you ask your state Premier or territory Chief Minister to support Close the Gap SEE LINK BELOW

 “To close the gap in life expectancy of 17 years was the core commitment of the Australian Government and Opposition in the Close the Gap Statement of Intent.” Mr Mohamed said.

 “Five years ago all state and territory governments also signed up to the Close the Gap statement of intent which would see this appalling statistic reduced by 2030

“Since then we have made some advances and invested in Aboriginal community controlled health services (ACCHO,s)which is starting to have an impact.

“But we can’t stop now. Aboriginal health is not a quick fix – it requires a long-term commitment by all levels of government.

“We must continue to build on the great work being done by the 150 Aboriginal community controlled health services around the country that are making inroads in our communities and making a real difference to their health.

“ACCHO’s  are best placed to provide culturally appropriate primary health care and need support to continue and expand their service delivery. 

“COAG must make the National Partnership Agreement a priority at Friday’s meeting”

Mr Mohamed said many quality and effective programs were at risk if COAG delayed any longer.

“It is unacceptable that Aboriginal people who rely on health programs funded through the agreement don’t know if they will still be there come July,” Mr Mohammed said.

NACCHO is calling on COAG to show continued commitment to the Close the GAP agreement

How can you ask your state Premier or territory Chief Minister to support Close the Gap?

All Australian governments have committed to Close the Gap through the COAG process and the National Indigenous Reform Agreement.
 
The development of the Closing the Gap policy platform to back up this commitment set the foundations to meet this generational target.Ask your State Premier or Chief Minister to publicly commit to renewing investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality.
 

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Dear Premier

The commitment to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people by 2030 was a watershed moment for the nation.

All Australian governments have committed to this important national priority through the COAG process and the National Indigenous Reform Agreement. The development of the Closing the Gap policy platform to back up this commitment set the foundations to meet this generational target.  Thank you for your government’s commitment to this national priority.

More than 185,000 Australians, have signed the close the gap pledge and last year alone more than 130,000 Australians attended 850 events on National Close the Gap Day. In a country as wealthy as Australia, it is unacceptable that a baby born to an Indigenous mother can expect to live between 10 and 17 years less than a baby born to a non-Indigenous mother, or die before the age of four at between two  and three times the rate of non-Indigenous children.
That is why I believe that now is the time to build on the foundations in place and continue the necessary investment to close the gap.

I therefore ask that you publicly commit to renewing investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality through:

- Committing to invest in the renewal of the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes which expires on June 30, with your state funding maintained at least at the level allocated to the current Agreement
- Committing to invest in the delivery of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan due for completion later this year

This year the number of National Close the Gap Day (March 21st) events has again grown to over 900 right around Australia; these events show continuing and growing support for the goal of closing the life expectancy gap by 2030. The message at these events was that it is critical to continue to invest in closing the gap programs.

I trust that you and your government will continue to play your part in this national effort and look forward to your response to my letter.

Mar 28 2013

NACCHO political alert:AIHW report:Spending on Indigenous health reaches $4.6 billion

 AIHW

In 2010-11, 3.7% of Australia’s total health expenditure, or $4.6 billion, was spent on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who make up 2.5% of the Australian population, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE

The report, Expenditure on health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2010-11, shows that $4.6 billion was spent on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2010-11, equating to $7,995 per Indigenous Australian.

‘For non-Indigenous Australians, $5,437 was spent per person,’ said AIHW spokesperson Teresa Dickinson.

‘This is an Indigenous per person ratio of 1.47-that is, $1.47 was spent per Indigenous Australian for every $1.00 spent per non-Indigenous Australian.’

This ratio was an increase from the 2008-09 figure of 1.39.

In 2010-11, publicly-provided services such as public hospital and community health services were the highest expenditure areas for the Indigenous population.

‘The average per person expenditure on public hospital services for Indigenous Australians was more than double that for non-Indigenous Australians-$3,631 compared with $1,683,’ Ms Dickinson said.

Conversely, for health services that have greater out-of-pocket expenses, such as pharmaceutical and dental services, Indigenous expenditure is generally lower relative to the non-Indigenous population.

‘The average per person expenditure on dental services was $149 for Indigenous Australians, compared with $355 for non-Indigenous Australians,’ Ms Dickinson said.

‘These differences reflect different patterns of service usage.’

Most health expenditure on Indigenous Australians in 2010-11 (91.4%) was government-funded-46.6% by state and territory governments and 44.8% by the Australian Government. For non-Indigenous Australians, 68.1% of total health expenditure was government-funded.

Between 2008-09 and 2010-11, expenditure by all governments on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people rose by $847 per person. This represents an average annual growth rate of 6.1%, compared with 2.6% for non-Indigenous Australians.

The AIHW is a major national agency set up by the Australian Government to provide reliable, regular and relevant information and statistics on Australia’s health and welfare.

Canberra, 28 March 2013

Further information: Ms Teresa Dickinson, AIHW, tel. 02 6249 5104 mob. 0439 430 577

Mar 20 2013

NACCHO Press Release:Aboriginal Community Controlled Health vital to closing the gap

Justin Low res.

On National Close the Gap Day it’s critical political leaders around the country recognise the importance of supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Health as the key mechanism for improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

DOWNLOAD the full release here

 Justin Mohamed, Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), said it was widely acknowledged that culturally appropriate healthcare services make a real difference.

 “Healthcare services provided by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people must continue to be supported and invested in if governments are serious about achieving health equality,” Mr Mohamed said.

“The latest Closing the Gap Report released by the Gillard Government last month highlighted the vital role of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health in improving health outcomes in life expectancy and child mortality.

 “Any genuine effort to close the gap on Aboriginal health must have Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations at its core.”

 Mr Mohamed said Aboriginal people were concerned that political leaders had not renewed their funding commitment to the Close the Gap strategy – due to expire in June this year.

 He said Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations are the preferred provider in the delivery and are largely responsible for the health gains showcased in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Performance Framework 2012. 

 “It is imperative that governments at state and national level recommit to the objectives of the Close the Gap strategy and renew their funding commitment through the National Partnership Agreements and ensure improved implementation of any new commitment is actioned immediately and into the future. 

 “There are many services and, more importantly, individuals and their families relying on programs that currently have no certainty past June 2013.

 “We are urging the Government to make a significant announcement sooner rather than later.”

 Close the Gap Day on 21 March is being celebrated by tens of thousands of people across Australia to highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and urge government action.

Mar 4 2013

NACCHO SUPPORT: In a time of need, the Lowitja Institute is asking for your support to Close the Gap

“Just over four years have elapsed in the Closing the Gap program that represents the commitment by all Australian governments to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.”

The Chair of NACCHO Justin Mohamed is calling for SUPPORT register HERE

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From Patricia Anderson former Chair of NACCHO and now Chair of the Lowitja Institute

Read full report  CROAKEY Melissa Sweet

Tangible progress is being made and there are positive signs in some health indicators.

For example, the reduction of mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under five.

SEE NACCHO chair Justin Mohamed Press Release 1 March 2013

However, this program stretches out to 2031 and much work remains to be done. Now is not the time to pull back on either funding or effort.

Within the space of a week in February this year Prime Minister Julia Gillard made two key parliamentary addresses focused on her Government’s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: the fifth annual Closing the Gap Statement, and her debate speech introducing the Act of Recognition into the House of Representatives.

Both speeches were notable for the bipartisan support they attracted from across the political divide, reflecting the building groundswell of national support for improving the lives of Australia’s First Peoples and achieving lasting reconciliation.

Given this, it seems anomalous that the Lowitja Institute – Australia’s only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation with a pure focus on facilitating research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health – should find itself under threat of closure.

How could this be?

First, a brief history: the Institute traces its origins back to the foundation of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Aboriginal and Tropical Health in 1997, which was followed by the CRC for Aboriginal Health in 2003 and then the CRC for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (CRCATSIH) in 2010.

The Institute was established in 2009 initially as the host organisation for the CRCATSIH but with the ultimate aim of becoming a permanent facilitator of research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health when CRC funding expires in June 2014.

And herein lies the dilemma. Under the rules governing the Commonwealth’s CRC program, no CRC can be funded for more than three terms – and so there is no possibility of further allocations to the Lowitja Institute’s hosted CRC.

Knowing this, the Institute also put in place a clear strategy to seek funding for a permanent institute beyond 2014 from the private and philanthropic sectors. However, in 2009 not many foresaw the severity or extent of the international financial calamity of 2008 and the implications this would have for budget bottom lines, and thus for fund-raising.

Despite this, our representations to government to secure ongoing funding continue in earnest and we are confident we will ultimately succeed in establishing a permanent and independent future for the Lowitja Institute.

Our achievements

Over the past 16 years we have provided vital financial and in-kind support to more than 200 research projects focused in areas such as chronic conditions, the social determinants of health and primary health care.

To cite just a few examples, this research effort has led to new ways of treating scabies (a prime causative factor in rheumatic heart disease), new approaches to the provision of mental health care in remote communities and the establishment of a network of more than 200 health centres across Australia using innovative continuous quality improvement tools and techniques.

Our work has contributed to the setting of Closing the Gap health goals, especially in the area of chronic conditions and tobacco consumption. For instance, a Showcase we helped organise at Parliament House in Canberra in 2008 influenced the Federal Government’s subsequent decision to invest $100.6 million in its Tackling Indigenous Smoking strategy.

Most recently, our support has contributed to the establishment of a National Indigenous Cancer Network (NICaN) and a Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer, and our funded research continues to inform the Closing the Gap program.

The Lowitja Institute is currently funding a range of projects across three program areas, including the clinical trial of a Streptococcus vaccine, a study of Aboriginal child mortality in Victoria, a national appraisal of CQI initiatives in Indigenous primary health care and a review of government efforts to improve funding and governance arrangements for providers of primary health care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander settings.

Just as importantly, our early work on how best to undertake Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research has contributed to improvements in the way research is conducted outside the Lowitja Institute.

Our emphasis on community involvement in the development and approval of research proposals has ensured that our funding is focused on community priorities, and this approach is now used widely. We believe we have, in partnership with the community controlled sector and other partners, changed the way in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research is undertaken in Australia.

We also have a strong commitment to ensuring research findings are translated into practice through knowledge exchange, principally through collaborations with our 14 research partners but also through workshops, roundtables and headline events such as the biennial Congress Lowitja.

Our most recent Congress Lowitja was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in November last year and was in fact focused on the twin themes of Knowledge Exchange and Translation into Practice. The conference brought together some 250 leading health researchers, practitioners, policy makers, community health representatives and others with an interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health to share ideas and research findings. It also provided a forum for a discussion about the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research, and the funding shortfall confronting the Lowitja Institute.

As a result of this discussion, Congress delegates drew up a short statement outlining the key role the Lowitja Institute and its predecessors had played in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector. This ‘MCG Statement’ calls on the Australian Government and all political parties to commit to the ongoing funding of the Institute, noting that just 1 per cent of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s $800 million recurrent budget ‘would double the current funding to the Lowitja Institute’.

‘The Lowitja Institute since its inception has been able to bridge the gap that previously existed between researchers and Aboriginal communities,’ the MCG statement says. ‘It has been a leader in the incorporation of an evidence-based approach to Aboriginal health both in terms of services and programs and policy, [and] its research agenda has helped shape Aboriginal health policy and practice throughout the nation.’

‘Now more than ever we need to build on this success and strengthen, not weaken, the use of research and incorporation of evidence in to practice in Aboriginal health so that the gains that have been made continue.’

We feel confident that our efforts to secure government funding will be honoured, and we can continue our vital work. Our proud history as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led health research organisation is too important to forego, and we trust that with the support of our health sector peers we will be able to continue to making a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of our people.

To read the MCG Statement in full, to see how others view our role in the health sector and to register your support, please click here.

• Patricia Anderson is Chair of the Lowitja Institute

Mar 4 2013

NACCHO asks all Australians to get behind “this election year” National Close the Gap Day

“In this election year, it’s vital that all sides of politics strengthen their commitments to closing the gap by 2030″

Justin Mohamed Chair NACCHO

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The chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (NACCHO)  Justin Mohamed is asking Australians  to get behind National Close the Gap Day and register an event for Thursday 21 March.

EVENTS

Tens of thousands of Australians are expected to take part in events in support of the Close the Gap campaign, which aims to achieve health equality between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians by 2030.

More info on the Close the Gap campaign

Community groups, health services, schools and individuals around Australia already are registering online to hold a Close the Gap event in their homes, workplaces, schools and communities.

Oxfam’s (who is the major supporter of Close the Gap)  Indigenous Rights Policy Advisor Andrew Meehan said 2013 was a critical year in the struggle for Indigenous health equality.

“It’s totally unacceptable that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples die ten – 17 years earlier than non-Indigenous Australians,” Mr Meehan said.

“Long-term commitments to programs and services will provide certainty and results that are literally a matter of life and death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Funding underpinning current closing the gap health programs will expire in June; the Federal, state and territory governments need to renew this funding to ensure we can build on the important gains made so far.”

Mr Meehan said under-five mortality rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were starting to fall, and a healthier child population meant a healthier adult population.

“Smoking and chronic disease initiatives are critical to closing the gap, with evidence showing they are starting to have an impact,” he said.

“But there is no room for complacency.  Funding for these initiatives must continue, otherwise momentum will be lost.”

He said there was an undeniable groundswell of goodwill from everyday Australians, with more than 185,000 people supporting the Close the Gap campaign around the country.

“As National Close the Gap Day gets bigger each year, it provides hope that as a nation, we want to address this historical injustice,” Mr Meehan said.

People registering an event will receive a kit containing information on running an event, posters, stickers, an informative DVD, and a Close the Gap T-shirt.  School-specific resources also are available.

The Close the Gap campaign, Australia’s biggest public movement for health equality, is a coalition of Australia’s leading Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and human rights organisations.