Category Archives: NACCHO CEO

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

Kerry Arabena _Leadership-opt-620x349

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:

May 13 2013

NACCHO accreditation resource:RACGP Standards set to assist Aboriginal community controlled health services

RACGP 012

Pictured Sarah Paterson (left) and Aislinn Martin (right) presenting the first copy of RACGP Standards to NACCHO CEO Lisa Briggs here in Canberra

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) are proud to launch the

New Interpretive guide to the RACGP Standards set to assist Aboriginal community controlled health services Interpretive guide to the RACGP Standards for general practice (4th edition) for Aboriginal community controlled health services (‘Interpretive guide’).

DOWNLOAD PDF

A companion document to the RACGP’s current Standards for General Practices (4th edition) (‘the Standards’), the Interpretive guide aims to assist Aboriginal community controlled health services to meet the requirements for accreditation against the RACGP standards and to apply quality measures to their everyday practice.

The RACGP and NACCHO acknowledge the efforts made by the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), across Australia, to obtain RACGP accreditation, an important step towards achieving the best possible health outcomes for patients.

The Interpretive guide explains the Standards in a meaningful way for Aboriginal community controlled health services by taking into account their context, culture and service delivery models.

Associate Professor Brad Murphy, Chair of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, acknowledges that Aboriginal community controlled health services are committed to achieving RACGP and other forms of accreditation, and this new resource aims to assist in identifying the relevance of the Standards to their own health services and communities.

“Thanks to the highly effective collaboration that took place between the RACGP and NACCHO, as well as its state and territory affiliates, we are proud to jointly launch a significant piece of work that will contribute to ongoing quality and safety improvements in the health services delivered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” A/Prof Murphy said.

By applying the Standards to individual practices, GPs, Aboriginal Health Workers and their practice teams ensure the provision of high quality, safe and contemporary primary healthcare is delivered to all Australians.

“Achieving accreditation demonstrates that a practice has been assessed as having reached defined standards of excellence in safety and quality in primary healthcare. This should be a matter of great pride to the practice itself, its patients and the community,” said A/Prof Murphy.

Justin Mohamed the Chair of NACCHO on behalf of all the 150 members throughout Australia thanked the RACGP for the highly effective collaboration that has taken place between the two peak bodies to produce such an important resource

Both the Interpretive guide and Standards are available to all College stakeholders

as either a downloadable PDF

RACGP 014

Trish Jean NACCHO National Quality and Accreditation Officer (left) checking out the new site

and also via an interactive and topic searchable web resource on the RACGP website

About the RACGP

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation and represents urban and rural general practitioners. We represent over 21,500 members working in or towards a career in general practice and are proud that over 19,300 Australian-registered general practitioners have chosen to be a member of the College. There are over 125 million general practice consultations taking place annually in Australia. Visit

http://www.racgp.org.au. The RACGP recognises the traditional custodians of land and sea, on whose lands we work and live. We wish to pay our respects to all Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and future.

May 6 2013

NACCHO promotion:Affordable Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Aboriginal Health Workers

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Infection Control in Primary Health Care

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This tutorial details what standard precautions are and when and how to implement them. It is suitable for all health care workers and is based on the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, 2010.

Managing Difficult or Challenging Behaviours in the Primary Health Care Environment

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Inappropriate verbal or physical behaviours can be distressing for clients and staff, so it is important that health care professionals are able to assess such behaviours and can rapidly implement an effective management plan.

Tobacco Use – Preventive Health Care

cigarette

Smoking is a major cause of death and disease in Australia. This tutorial aims to help health care workers to encourage and assist people who want to stop using tobacco. It examines smoking as a public health issue and a major risk factor for preventable disease and death, explains why it is so addictive and harmful, and looks at a range of smoking cessation interventions.

Legal Issues in Health Care

This tutorial discusses tort law and how the law of negligence relates to the health care profession and practice. The laws governing medical negligence have evolved over time and continue to be substantially common law.

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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

 Low Res 2013-02_CTG_TheAust_filler_halfPhoriz_v2

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.
 

Write a letter with this template

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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 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.

Apr 11 2013

NACCHO good news:New National Health Careers Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

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Our future Aboriginal doctors and health workers pictured above arriving in Canberra

30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander senior high school students from around the country have been selected to be part of the inaugural National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Careers Development Program: Murra Mullangari – Pathways Alive and Well.

 The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association President, Dr Tammy Kimpton said “it is extremely important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to know the wide range of rewarding careers in health that are open to them, from a very early age”

 “Murra Mullangari is just one way of empowering our young people to achieve their goals.”

 Murra Mullangari is an initiative of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association, designed and delivered in partnership with the following Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak health organisations:

 o National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation

o Indigenous Allied Health Australia

o Indigenous Dentists Association Australia

o National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association

o Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses; and

o Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association

 17 year old Ms Annie Ingui, a Torres Strait Islander student from Queensland said “I am interested in pursuing a health career because I have always wanted to make a difference in Indigenous communities.

 I think it is important to make other Indigenous mothers comfortable while they are having their baby and Indigenous women are most likely going to want an Indigenous midwife”.

 “Murra Mullangari will be an important experience for me because it’s going to help me go further in being a midwife”. Murra Mullangari comprises of a 5 day residential program and follow-up mentoring component. Illustrating the high demand for such a program, around 200 application were received for the 30 places.

 AIDA CEO, Mr Romlie Mokak said “The high demand reflects the fact that Murra Mullangari is a program run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

 The participants will be immersed in a culturally, educationally and professionally empowering space”.

 The Program will encourage Indigenous students to pursue a career in health and support transitions from secondary school toward careers in health. The program aims to increase awareness of pathways into the health workforce, identify common educational barriers and build strong networks.

For further information visit www.aida.org.au/murramullangari

Apr 10 2013

NACCHO health news:For true primary healthcare and better outcomes, support Aboriginal community controlled healthcare

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Selwyn Button, CEO of the NACCHO affiliates QAIHC (Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council.) writes

As published this week in Melissa Sweet’s health blog that we highly recommend you follow

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Over the past few weeks, authorities have released a number of reports about the performance and expenditure of our national health system, and some of these relate directly to efforts aimed at improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

View reports here

This might seem a good thing on face value, as we need to know whether our efforts are making any difference, and where to direct resources in future to ensure ongoing outcomes.

But if this information is used without the appropriate context, it may be used as a means of reducing expenditure on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, in the name of creating ”efficiencies”.

This presents a significant risk for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, as we continue efforts in improving the health of our people, while remaining at the whim of Ministers and government officials who rely on this information to determine policy priorities and resource investments.

What is needed now is for governments to re-think how we analyse, interpret and use data to inform ongoing priorities, practice and future innovation.

Firstly, let’s take the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework report released in early 2013. and used as the main body of evidence for the Prime Minister’s Close the Gap Report card.

This report clearly demonstrated that the most significant gains in access to care and improvement of outcomes is and continues to be achieved through the national network of community controlled health services.

Upward of 75% of health improvements outlined in the report were directly attributed to the community controlled sector, and clearly justifies the increased investment into community controlled services as the most appropriate provider of healthcare for Indigenous people as they are making the best health gains.

Secondly, let’s consider the most recent Indigenous Expenditure report of 2012 produced by the Productivity Commission, that averages overall Medicare expenditure on Indigenous people as 60 cents in the dollar compared to the rest of the Australian population.

As many readers would be aware, Medicare was created as a safety net to ensure that all Australians get access to required care and benefits through quality primary health care services.

With community controlled services focused on providing comprehensive primary health care to our people, efforts in increasing access to an individual’s entitlements through Medicare can and will be best achieved by our organisations.

In spite of this data, we now have more recent releases stating the overall expenditure of the National health budget is 1.5 times greater for Indigenous people than the broader population.

Additionally, we have received further data stating that mortality rates for certain illnesses are only reducing by slight amounts and chronic diseases are still high placing burden upon the public health system.

Although much of this information is already 2 years old by the time it is released, it fails to identify why much of the burden is borne by secondary and tertiary public health systems, as access to comprehensive primary health care is still limited for our people nationally.

Consequently, when you don’t have access to quality primary health care, many of our people will present at secondary and tertiary facilities when their issues have escalated to a point where hospital is the last resort, requiring treatment for not only one health condition, but generally 2 or 3 issues.

Even though we have over 150 community controlled organisations across the country, our services do not exist in every corner of the nation, and fundamentally this would be impossible to achieve without enormous costs involved.

Alternatively, what we should be aiming to achieve is to have a strong community controlled presence providing quality care to our communities in all areas with populations greater than 900 residents focused on increasing access to comprehensive primary health care.

Why primary health care? Current and historical research by credible researchers have proven that the most effective means of delivering care and improving outcomes for Indigenous people is through community controlled services.

Health economists such as Professor Theo Vos and colleagues identified this in their work in assessing cost effectiveness of primary prevention activities across all health providers. This work clearly highlighted that compared with government-run, mainstream and private services, community controlled organisations achieve close to 50% better outcomes than other providers in delivering care to our own people.

Although this method was documented to be more expensive than other models, the focus on outcomes should not be lost, as the only variable included in his analysis that increased the overall expenditure against the model was transportation services for clients.

Due to the implementation of a comprehensive primary health care model, transport services are a core component and will always be included within the community controlled delivery of care, which does not diminish the model but does and will continue to achieve far greater outcomes.

Unfortunately, the notion of ‘If you build it he will come..’ only works for Kevin Costner in the movies, and does not work to improve health outcomes for our people.

With all this data now publicly available for all to review and analyse, we must hope that in determining future policy and funding priorities for Indigenous health care, consideration is given to understanding the context and reliablity of the information.

Importantly, there already exists some credible evidence that encapsulates comprehensive primary health care delivery into a set of core functions. This research was conducted and undertaken as a partnership between all healthcare providers, and should be the central component of any current and future policy debate about improving the health of Indigenous people, as it is widely accepted within the community controlled sector as the gold-standard in health service delivery for our people.

This work is the Core Functions of Primary Health Care in the Northern Territory, and with minimal adjustments to ensure local contexts are considered can and is applicable across all parts of the country. Utilising the Core Functions as a means to support improving outcomes goes a long way to encapsulate high quality service delivery standards with current data and information to ensure that we are all targeting the right priorities, through appropriate mechanisms.

This was not evident at start of the COAG investment to support overall Indigenous improvements, which saw over 65% of the entire $1.6B commitment channelled into mainstream and government-run service providers, as it was determined the most effective way to improve outcomes. Data was used showing that 70% of our people access care through government-run and mainstream services.

New data and information available now rebuts this myth that community controlled services have struggled with over the last 4 years.

Information now available within the community controlled sector shows that over 40% of Indigenous Queenslanders access care regularly through community controlled services, yet we are not in every part of the state.

With the end of the current Indigenous Health National Partnership Agreement set for 30 June 2013, we need to ensure that all of the relevant information and context is considered as part of ongoing discussions, policy setting and resource allocations to improve the health of our people.

Consequently, we are confident that this evidence will lead to what we have been seeking for many years – an increased investment in those services known to make a difference to the health of our people. That is community controlled organisations.

• Follow Selwyn Button on Twitter @qaihc

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