Report on Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council

Running head: REPORT
Assignment 2
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1REPORT
Executive summary
Enhancing the status of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals is a
venerable challenge for most governments in Australia. Although there have been substantial
improvements in some domains since the 70s (in eliminating infant mortality), the general
progress has been conflicting and slow. The inequality gap between the indigenous people
and their Australian counterparts is quite wide and should be reduced. The report found that
the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) has taken different
measures for improving primary healthcare access, training staff, educating the indigenous
people and reducing health disparities among them.

2REPORT
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Profile.........................................................................................................................................3
Brief History...........................................................................................................................3
Vision and objectives.............................................................................................................4
Work.......................................................................................................................................4
Membership............................................................................................................................5
Contact and Location.............................................................................................................6
Issues and challenges.............................................................................................................6
Comments and personal reflections...........................................................................................7
General issues.............................................................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

3REPORT
Introduction
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals have often reported experiences of
significantly increased burden of illness that results in a reduction in their life expectancy,
when compared to their non-indigenous counterparts. The social determinants of health exert
an important role in the prevalence of these inequities. Additionally, the capability to address
and meet the health issues of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is largely dependent
on the accessibility of ethnically fitting health services and attitudes that are in accordance to
the overall health and wellbeing of the entire indigenous community (Thomas, Bainbridge &
Tsey, 2014). Some of the most essential social determinants of health comprises of
inadequate access to healthcare facilities, and poor infrastructure in the community (including
food, housing and sanitation), in comparison to other Australians (Holland, 2014). Thus, the
theory of social determinants elaborates on the fact that there exists a correlation between
inequality and health that is determined by a plethora of social factors. This report will
discuss on one indigenous health service named Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health
Council.
Profile
Brief History
The Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) is primarily
categorised as a policy and leadership based organisation that was founded in the year 1990.
It has been identified as the primary organisation that represents all health services that are
controlled by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community, in Queensland at the
national and state level (Qaihc.com.au, 2018).