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Graduate School of Medicine student, Chris Bentley, and Nursing stude... |
Closing the gap on Indigenous health equality
On average, Indigenous Australians die 17 years younger than non-Indigenous Australians. Indigenous infant mortality is also three times that of other Australians.
Australian governments have now committed to close this life expectancy gap within a generation. But there is still much to be done to achieve Indigenous health equality within 25 years.
SHARP (Student Health Alliance for Rural Populations) hosted a ‘CLOSE THE GAP’, showing the 2009 DVD (A campaign for Indigenous Health Equality) event in the University Hall foyer on 2 April.
Students and staff were asked to sign the pledge to send to the Australian government asking them to:
• Develop in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their representative bodies a comprehensive National Action Plan to achieve Indigenous health equality
• Increase Indigenous control and participation in the delivery of health services
• Address the critical social issues of housing, education and self-determination which contribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health crisis
Last year, SHARP, one of 28 rural health clubs across Australia, received more than 300 pledges and this year 350 pledges were made.