Fed: New alliance formed to lobby for Aboriginal health

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2000
Fed: New alliance formed to lobby for Aboriginal health

By Elizabeth Gosch

CANBERRA, April 27 AAP - Peak medical groups have joined forces to try to disprove
myths that the problem of Aboriginal health is too hard to fix and that money spent on
it is wasted.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the National Aboriginal Community Control
Health Organisation (NACCHO) announced an alliance today aimed at advancing the cause
of indigenous health.

AMA president David Brand said poor health outcomes for Aboriginal Australians continued
to be a major blemish on the national health care record.

"If we are to see an acceleration in improved health outcomes, we need additional resources
allocated at a national, state and territory level," Dr Brand said.

"This new partnership will help focus national attention on the problem, promote better
understanding of the issues and - we hope - build on what has been achieved to date."

NACCHO chairman Puggy (Puggy) Hunter said the new alliance would bring greater coordination
to the battle to improve Aboriginal health.

"Unfortunately in today's society, having a just cause - even one as strongly deserving
as Aboriginal health - doesn't secure a fair share of resources," Mr Hunter said.

"A stronger, better coordinated and more sophisticated approach to lobbying presents
a way forward."

The alliance would seek needs-based funding for Aboriginal health in line with the
recommendations of the Deeble Report.

Australian National University academic Professor John Deeble's report, commissioned
by the Australian Medical Association, found that virtually the same amount of money was
spent on Aboriginal health as on other Australians in the same income category.

But when poor health and higher death rates, a lack of discretionary spending on health
and the cost of delivering health services to rural and remote regions were taken into
account, Professor Deeble said there was a spending shortfall of at least $245 million
a year.

The two groups also would work to counter the view that little could be done to improve
poor health outcomes for indigenous Australians.

"Evidence from New Zealand, Canada and the United States show that substantial improvements
in life expectancy of Aboriginal people can be achieved in just two or three short decades,"

they said.

"The Maori death rate declined by 44 per cent between 1974 and 1994 and the United
States Aboriginal rate by 30 per cent in the same period.

"In contrast, there was no significant reduction in the death rate for Aboriginal Australians
between 1985 and 1995."

AAP eg/mfh/as/bwl

KEYWORD: INDIGENOUS HEALTH (WITH FACTBOX)

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