Australian Labor Party promises to close indigenous health inequalities with the latest election campaign


The Commonwealth Labor Party said it promised to close the gap in health outcomes for indigenous Australians if elected to the government on May 21.

When the election policy begins, the central left opposition, if elected, trains 500 additional indigenous health workers and provides life-saving dialysis and treatment for rheumatic heart disease for Aboriginal community-managed health services. Announced to invest in.

Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese release On Sunday, his party recognizes that serious gaps in the consequences of indigenous health can only be closed by special efforts and close involvement with medical services managed by indigenous communities.

“Our policies strengthen this important sector, support the development of indigenous health workers, create jobs and address the imbalanced burden of kidney and rheumatic heart disease in indigenous communities. “He said.

The Labor Party believes that this policy will invigorate community-managed medical services and create employment. In addition, by offering up to 30 new dialysis units, people living in cities and shrublands will have access to important treatments for chronic kidney disease. Travel long distances or away from your family or country.

In addition, many communities do not provide the clean water needed to support dialysis, so Labor will invest $ 15 million ($ 10.8 million) to improve water supply to remote communities. I also promised. With an additional $ 12 million spent fighting rheumatic heart disease, fewer people miss screening, treatment, and prevention programs in high-risk communities.

according to Kidney Health AustraliaCompared to the general public, indigenous Australians are five times more likely to develop kidney disease and die of kidney disease, regardless of whether the area is urban, regional, or rural. The chances are four times higher.

However, in remote Australia, the incidence of indigenous renal failure can be up to 20 times higher than the incidence of non-indigenous renal failure.

moreover, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Between 2015 and 2019, four out of five diagnoses of rheumatic heart disease were indigenous Australians across Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. It was reported.

Mark Butler, Minister of Health and Aging Shadows, said that all Australians deserve the health care they need, and that the significant gap in health outcomes has been going on for too long.

“The Albanese Labor government will invest in First Nations’ health sector to support the significant work it is already doing to combat chronic illness and close the gap,” he said.

Meanwhile, the centre-right coalition, along with the Morrison government, has made mental health a priority for indigenous Australians. publication In August 2021, it planned to invest $ 14.3 million to support the mental health of Australians living in rural and remote areas of western New South Wales and the Northern Territory.

As part of the package, the Northern Territory Primary Health Network (PHN) has established a new headspace service in Palmerston, an outreach support service co-designed from the existing headspace Alice Springs service to the Yulara and Mutichul communities. Receive $ 5.6 million to offer.

In addition, the government will hire Arrernte Angankere (traditional healers) to improve the access fairness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the region.

Indigenous Australian Minister Ken Wyatt AMMP said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are almost twice as likely to die of suicide, and indigenous Australians are more likely to suffer more psychologically than non-indigenous Australians. Announced that it is triple.

“These new services, including Palmerston’s new headspace satellite service, give young indigenous Australians living in rural and remote communities access to culturally coordinated mental health support when needed. I will do it, “says Wyatt.

$ 14.3 million will be used to hire more mental health workers and create community-based, culturally safe services for young people aged 12 to 25 living in rural and remote areas.

In addition, PHN in western New South Wales is recruiting Aboriginal welfare workers to provide culturally safe mental health services to young people in rural and remote communities with less than 5,000 residents. Spend $ 8.7 million to train, train and assist.

Steve Milne

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Steve is a Sydney-based Australian reporter with sports, arts and politics. He is an experienced English teacher, a qualified nutritionist, a sports enthusiast, and an amateur musician. Contact him at [email protected]