March 28, 2008
On the 20th of March Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson signed the Close the Gap Statement of Intent along with a coalition of health leaders. As we know the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation is large, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a life expectancy 17 years less than other Australians.The campaign calls on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians within 25 years through:
increasing annual Indigenous health funding by $450 million to enable equal access to health services
increasing Indigenous control and participation in the delivery of health services
addressing critical social issues such as housing, education and self-determination which contribute to the Indigenous health crisis
The Statement of Intent committed Australian governments to closing the indigenous health gap by 2030. It was not the first national plan for Aboriginal health. However, this is the first time that an Australian government has a signed up to a time frame. It is a bold step — and it is even more significant that this is a bipartisan commitment.
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