The Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Justin Mohamed (pictured above) said evidence continues to mount that investing in services run by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people makes good economic sense.
“Every new Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) and every new patient attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, is a step toward closing the appalling health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians,”
Close the Gap Progress and Priorities report released by the Close the Gap Campaign
DOWNLOAD THE PRIME MINISTER 2014 Closing the Gap Report here
A new report reveals that the expansion of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations is contributing to closing the shameful health gap, prompting the call for continued investment by all levels of government.
The annual Close the Gap Progress and Priorities report released today by the Close the Gap Campaign shows that investment through national partnership agreements has created 30 new Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations since 2008-9 and delivered 400,000 episodes of care.
The Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Justin Mohamed said evidence continues to mount that investing in services run by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people makes good economic sense.
“Every new Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) and every new patient attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, is a step toward closing the appalling health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians,” Mr Mohamed said.
“We are seeing time and again that the biggest health gains are being made when Aboriginal people have control over their own health.
“And the flow on effects are significant. The ability of our services to provide a platform for the generation of jobs and education cannot be underestimated. ACCHOs train and employ more than an estimated 5000 people, many Aboriginal, so the economic benefits are felt throughout our communities and more broadly.”
Mr Mohamed urged all governments to recommit to a national agreement to provide funding certainty to programs and services that are working and also for the Federal Government to move to implement the most recent health plan.
“The programs targeting maternal and child health, largely delivered by ACCHOs, are having an impact.
“Other services and programs are also showing gains. Generational change comes slowly but the incremental gains being made reinforce the need to maintain focus and investment over the long term.
“A new national partnership agreement is now long overdue and all governments must come to the table and demonstrate their commitment to improving the health of Aboriginal people.
“NACCHO would also like to see the Federal Government commit to delivering on the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan. Too much was invested by Aboriginal people in its development to have it be just another report gathering dust on a Ministerial shelf.”
Close the Gap Campaign Press release: action on health will lead change
The Close the Gap Campaign has called on the Government to continue to prioritise and drive action to ensure this is the generation that ends Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health inequality.
“We expect the Government to wholeheartedly grasp the opportunity to lead on closing the gap in health equality between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians,” said Close the Gap Campaign co-chairs Mick Gooda and Kirstie Parker.
Today, the Close the Gap Campaign releases its progress and priorities report which coincides with the Prime Minister’s release of the Government’s own closing the gap report.
“We are just starting to see reductions in smoking rates and improvements in maternal and childhood health. We need to build on these successes,” said Mick Gooda, who is also the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.
“This is a national effort that can achieve generational change. It is critical that Close the Gap continues as a national priority. We need to stay on track.
“All political parties and almost 200,000 Australians have committed to end the health equality gap by 2030.
“The Prime Minister’s closing the gap report released today continues the bipartisan tradition of reporting publicly on progress to achieving health equality by 2030,” Mr Gooda said.
“We know that empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services has broader benefits. Health services are the single biggest employer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Ms Parker, who is also the Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, said.
“Community controlled health services create jobs as well as train people in real vocations.
“We call on the Government to renew the National Partnership Agreement on Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health Outcomes (NPA) and forge ahead with implementing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan in partnership with our people.
“This is the support needed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to continue to exercise responsibility for their health.
“We can make real inroads in the national effort to close the gap if we continue to place a high priority on it.”
Pingback: NACCHO PM CTG Political alert : PM Tony Abbott’s Close the Gap full speech Feb 2014 | NACCHO Aboriginal Health News Alerts
What is the average % rate of Indigenous to Non-Indigenous working in ACCHO’s? What is the highest? What is the lowest?