Indigenous health: chronically inadequate responses to damning statistics

Abstract

In the 10 years 1990-2000, despite improvements in some conditions, there has been little or no overall progress in the health of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations of Australia. This is in stark contrast to the gains made in Indigenous health in other countries. The issue is one of lack of commitment to and implementation of already existing policies. We need to (i) fully and adequately fund the Primary Health Care Access Program to provide the out-of-hospital services for prevention and early treatment required to break the cycle of ill-health; (ii) implement a National Training Plan to train the necessary health workforce; and (iii) introduce a National Infrastructure Plan to rectify the continuing deficiencies in water supply, sanitation, education and other basic services.