This report gives the latest information on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland are faring according to a range of measures of health status and outcomes, determinants of health and health system performance.

Indicators are based on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework. The report highlights the main areas of improvement and continuing concern

Download the report HERE

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2014 report for Queensland finds areas of improvement in the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Queensland (Table S1).

Areas of improvement include:

• A 21% decline in overall mortality rates for Indigenous Australians living in Queensland over the period from 1998 to 2013.
• A 45% decline in the death rate due to circulatory disease over the same period, and a halving of the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. This is the leading cause of death for Indigenous Australians.
• Infant mortality rates for Indigenous Australians in Queensland decreased from 13 per 1,000 live births in 1998-2000 to 6 per 1,000 live births in 2010-2012, and the gap decreased from 7 to 2 per 1,000 live births.
• There was a large increase in the rate of Medicare health assessments for Indigenous Australians, from 36 per 1,000 in 2006-07 to 255 per 1,000 in 2013-14. Other favourable results include:
• The apparent retention rate from Years 7/8 to Year 12 for Indigenous students in Queensland is higher than at the national level (65% compared with 55%), and the gap is smaller.
• The immunisation coverage rate for Indigenous children is similar to other children at age 2, and slightly higher than other children by age 5.

Areas of concern include:

• Rates of Indigenous women smoking during pregnancy are high (50%), almost four times the rate among non-Indigenous women.
• Indigenous women in Queensland had lower rates of access to antenatal care in the first trimester of pregnancy than non-Indigenous women (49% compared with 67%).
• Mortality rates for chronic diseases are much higher for Indigenous than non-Indigenous Australians, nearly 6 times the rate for diabetes and almost twice the rate for respiratory diseases.
• The incidence rate of treated end-stage kidney disease for Indigenous Australians in Queensland is more than 6 times the rate for non-Indigenous Australians.
• Indigenous Australians in Queensland are more than 9 times as likely as non-Indigenous Australians to be hospitalised for injury and poisoning due to assault, and more than twice as likely to be hospitalised for intentional self-harm.
• Unemployment rates for Indigenous Australians aged 15-64 continue to be higher for Indigenous than non-Indigenous Australians (21% compared with 4%).

Additional material

Related publications

• Indigenous Australians publications
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2014 report: Northern Territory (IHW 159)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2014 report: Victoria (IHW 160)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2014 report: New South Wales (IHW 162)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework 2014 report: Western Australia (IHW 165)