WA Health’s commitment to building partnerships with non-government organisations and Aboriginal communities will help to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal men.

The Aboriginal Men’s Health Strategy 2012–2015 , released last week, aims to ensure Aboriginal men live long and healthy lives.

“Aboriginal men are often reluctant to talk about their health, to participate in programs designed to prevent ill health, or to seek treatment when they need it,” Aboriginal Health Director Jenni Collard said.

“This often results in health problems not being acknowledged until they become too serious to ignore.”

The strategy aims to:

• promote Aboriginal men’s health as a priority issue for the health sector, communities and individuals
• encourage Aboriginal men to prioritise their health needs
• work with service providers to support Aboriginal men to use their services.

“Increasing WA Health’s engagement with Aboriginal communities and building partnerships with service providers and non-government organisations across the state will help deliver improved health services,” Ms Collard said.

The strategy also acknowledges that a health workforce that understands cultural links is critical to improving health care options for Aboriginal men.

“Initiatives such as online cultural eLearning packages are just one way WA Health is already working to build the cultural understanding of its workforce,” Ms Collard said.