Closing the Gap Policy Answer 2022

Running head: CLOSING THE GAP POLICY
CLOSING THE GAP POLICY
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Answer number 1.
Closing the gap policy is one of the government approach, which goals to lower the
disadvantages amongst the aboriginal and Torres Strait islander individuals (Yu and Sampson
2016). It can be associated to the life expectancy, child death, educational accomplishment,
admittance to childhood education and occupation outcome. The main focus of the Australian
government behind development of the closing the gap policy is to promote health equality
among the entire population which has included that indigenous peoples (Australian Government
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2019.
The establishment of the close the gap policy took place in the year 2005, in account of
the release of social justice report 2005 (Roth and Goff, 2019). The report focused on maintain
equality for aboriginal peoples within the period of 25 years (Australian Parliament 2019). The
closing the gap campaign was launched in 2007 when national indigenous health equality
responded to issue of health inequality. The council of Australian government (COAG) has
included the indigenous people by considering health disparity experienced by them. It was
noticed that poor health outcome are essentially the cause of structural factors like racism, poor
quality of house, social determinants and access to health service (Whatmore et al. 2019). It is
reported that Australian bureau of statistic (2006) that 34.5% of population in Australia belongs
to indigenous, which 13.9% of people are affected by poor health outcome and undergo lethal
illness like cardiovascular complication, diabetes and kidney failure. If the government focus to
address the quality of health of population over time, there was the need to close the gap of
inequality in population of Australia. Hence, it led to creation of closing the gap policy, which
was signed in the year 2008 (WHO 2007).

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The major significance of the CTG policy is that it helps to improve the quality of life
and health of the aboriginal population of Australia. It will benefit to establish early infancy
education and safe communities. The policy will assist in lowering the rate of mortality and
promote health equality (Markham, Jordan and Howard-Wagner, 2018).
From the report of Javid, Hyett and Homer (2019) it was stated that the progress of CTG
policy has faced many barrier and challenges. For example inadequate funding, lack of
awareness about the bulkbilling practice among indigenous people, lack of adequate strength of
indigenous people to take on closing the gap policy.
Answer number 2.
It can be inferred from the case study, the long-term consequence of the diabetes in the
health of the Judy. The three social determinants of health are described as follow:
The first social determinant is lack of education. It is evident that diabetes need to be self-
manage to control the blood glucose level by physical activity or balanced diet. It is evident that
in 2015, 78.9% of aboriginals have acquired proper education in comparison with 98.7% non-
aboriginals (Australian Bureau of Statistic, 2016). However, due to lack of proper education
people end up developing diabetic foot ulcer that is the case of Judy (Reading and Greenwood
2018). It is also note that in 2017, the death rate 976.3 per 100,000 aboriginal’s peoples
(Australian Bureau of Statistic, 2016). As per the CTG policy, whose target is to lower the death
rate and increase the life prospect of aboriginal people by focusing on educating the aboriginal
peoples (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018). The gap in education is address by the
building educational institution in the community and arranging health campaign to aware the
people about disease self-management.

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Second social determinant is poor income and low employment rate. It is reviewed from
the case study that Judy is a widow who worked as a part time schoolteacher but soon retired due
to her mobility issues. Thus, it can be inferred that due to poor income she was not able to
receive access to quality health service for management of her type 2 diabetes (Ross and
Mikalauskas 2018). It is reported in the Australian Bureau of Statistic (2018) unemployment rate
of aboriginals people was 18 % in 2016 and has increased to 21.5% in 2018. According to the
target of CTG policy, to decrease the gap in health equality, it has provided several job
opportunity to the aboriginal people to develop rate of employment (Australian Government
Department of Health 2019). By getting better job and adequate income, people will also be able
to access the health service like non-indigenous people.
Third social determinant of health is lack social support. It is evident from the case study
that Judy needed daily dressing for her food ulcer and due to her immobility, local AMS referred
ALO for daily home visit, as he was not able to attend her in need. However, ALO was also not
available for her health service and support. It has highlighted the gap in the providing health
service to the indigenous people that is addressed within CTG policy (Pockett and Beddoe 2017).
It has provided access to primary health care by delivering the health good and service to the
indigenous population that is culturally safe.
Answer number 3.
The benefit of the being registered with CTG will help in improving the social
determinant of health of Judy. It is evident from the case study that Judy is having lack of
awareness and education about the health, poor income and unemployment and lack of social
support which has deteriorated the diabetes and caused diabetic foot ulcer. By being enrolled in
CTG policy, Judy will be able to get adequate education and information about the management

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of disease. CTG promotes health education to the aboriginal peoples and provide self-
management (India 2016). She will be able to get good job opportunity, which will help her in
accessing the health service for treatment of type 2 diabetes and foot ulcer. Further, it can be said
that by CTG policy will assist Judy with availability of AMO and ALO which daily visit her for
dressing. She can get periodic check-up without travelling to 10 km to the health facilities. Social
support will improvise her health outcome and bring faster recovery (Medical Board of Australia
2019). Thus, as the influence of the CTG policy, the health condition of Judy will develop and
will the close the gap of health inequality, which was noticed in the case study (Hindman, Wasik
and Snell 2016). She will be able to receive all the service and facilities like other non-
indigenous people.
Answer number 4.
Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) is the first established aboriginal community that is
controlled by the health service providers in Australia that aims to deliver best medical service to
the aboriginal population and also help them to access the available health services for enhanced
health outcome. Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) is the heaths facility that is sponsored
effectively to convey best health services for the general inhabitants of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people. It is not mandatory that AMS should be controlled by the community and
hence not every AMS is eligible of the affiliation and membership of National Aboriginal
Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) (NACCHO, 2019). If any of the AMS
is not controlled and managed by the community then it will automatically be a government
health service, which will be controlled by the territory or state government. The non-community
managed AMSs are generally evident in the areas of northern part of Queensland and northern
territory.

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Aboriginal Liaison officer (ALO) is beneficial for providing emotional, traditional and
social provision to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tolerant and their family members
(GoulBurn Valley Health, 2019). The patients who are admitted to the hospital suffer from the
feeling of sadness, seclusion, fear and home sickness and therefore ALO will provide care and
support to such patients and help them to overcome form their bad health condition. The
Aboriginal Liaison officer will communicate with the health professionals and help the patient to
understand the routine and medical procedure that will further motivate them to independently
take part in their decision of care and treatment (Mckenna et al. 2015).
Answer number 5.
Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) will be useful in case of Judy because she is an
unemployed women and hence is unable to take the burden of her health expenses. AMS will
therefore assist Judy in managing her overall healthcare expenses and promote the healthcare
providers to treat the condition of type 2 diabetes in Judy and also perform the daily dressing that
is required for treating her leg ulcer. AMS is not entitled for attending the patient who require
administration of their wound but can deliver appropriate funds that will help Judy to receive
effective treatment that will fulfil the healthcare requirements of Judy (Reid, Taylor and Hayes
2016).
Since, Judy was staying alone and had nobody who could take appropriate care of her and
talk to her regarding the healthcare issues Judy is facing. Therefore, ALO will assist Judy in
overcoming form her loneliness and motivate her to execute the daily activities of living that will
help her to enhance her health condition and recover quickly. The ALO will conduct different
counselling sessions with Judy that will aim to develop her mental health condition and feel

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motivated. Therefore, it is evident that AMS and ALO will help Judy to enhance her health by
rendering to the community healthcare services and also educate her regarding the management
of her health condition by using self-management skills (Anderson and Brady 2018). Since, Judy
had lower health literacy, AMS and ALO will be effective in completely managing the condition
of Judy and encouraging a healthy life style.

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Reference
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