Closing the Gap Policy and its Significance to Indigenous Australians

ASSESSMENT 1: ESSAY
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Chronic diseases are one of the main causes of burden of diseases, potentially avoidable
deaths and hospitalizations in Australia. Chronic conditions such as circulatory and heart
diseases, diabetes, respiratory diseases, high blood pressure etc. are significant problem for
Indigenous Australians. As per the statistics, it has been found that 20% of the Australians from
the year 2015-2017 lived in very low socio-economic regions and are twice more likely to have
at least two chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiac diseases. The aboriginal and Torres strait
Islanders are always at disadvantage in comparison to the other Australians in several aspects
which even includes quality healthcare services (Ride., 2017). The gap includes the life
expectations and vast healthcare disparity between the non-indigenous and indigenous
Australians. Although the strategy like closing the gap showed some improvements but still the
national statistics suggests that there are still more areas for improvement. There were other
matters of concerns which included family and community violence, child removals etc.
In order to overcome these challenges, the government of Australia brought closing the
gap policy which ensured equality in health sector by educating on health and quality of living,
increasing their sources of income (Australian Government., 2018). There is a rise in chronic
diseases like diabetes in indigenous people due to their poor lifestyle and low nutrition diet. The
data also shows that in rural area there is also increase in the number of kidney diseases among
the local indigenous people due to inaccessibility to quality healthcare facilities. This paper will
provide a brief analysis on closing the gap policy and its significance to Aboriginal and Torres
island people, its importance to Judy’s diabetes along with the other benefits and at last the
discussion of ALO and AMS in context of Judy’s.

The government policy “closing the gap” was established in response to the Social
Justice report of 2005 (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet., n.d.). A campaign was propelled in
April 2007 by Indigenous and non-Indigenous health bodies, NGOs and civil rights groups to
attain health and lifespan parity for Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with Non-
Indigenous Australians citing the same social justice report and the campaigned was named as
“Close the Gap”. The government policy targeted to lessen the hindrance amongst these people
in the field of lifespan, child mortality, child education and occupational outcomes(Panaretto, et
al., 2014).
A formal agreement and guarantee was made which was named “the Indigenous health
equality summit statement of intent” between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populaces
and the Australian government in March 2008, to make parity in lifespan and health status in
relative terms amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populaces and non-Indigenous
Australians by the year 2030 (Australian Human Rights Commission., 2018).The council of
Australian governments (COAG) fixed assessable targets to monitor progresses, in health and
wellbeing wise of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population such as to close the gap in
lifespan by 2031, cut up the child mortality rate in half by 2018, admission of 95 percent four
year olds in school by 2025, cut up the gap in half for areas as reading, writing and numeracy by
2018, cut up the unemployment rate in half by 2018.
The policy intended to help the underprivileged Indigenous Australian people of rural areas who
had to travel long distance to get hospital services(Stoneham, Goodman & Daube., 2014).
Relatively aboriginal people have shorter lifespan to that of non-indigenous Australians due to
minimal healthcare. The policy also aimed to reduce extra cost of healthcare affecting the
lifespan of indigenous Australians. Closing the gap policy intended to increase the education