Assessing the Impact of Closing the Gap Policy on Aboriginal Health

This essay examines Australia's Closing the Gap (CTG) policy, a government initiative designed to address health and socioeconomic disparities faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The essay begins with an overview of the CTG policy, its targets, and its aim to improve health equality. It then uses the case of Judy, a 57-year-old Aboriginal woman with type 2 diabetes and leg ulcers, to illustrate the application of the policy. The essay identifies a relevant CTG target related to Judy's health and analyzes three social determinants of health (income and social status, access to health services, and race) and their impact on Judy's well-being. It also discusses Judy's registration process with the CTG program and defines the roles of the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) and the Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO), highlighting their services and interrelationships within the healthcare system. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of the CTG policy in improving the health outcomes of Indigenous Australians and the need for effective implementation of its targets.

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

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The government of Australia has started an initiative to eradicate the issues of the
indigenous population of Australia, known as Closing the Gap. This strategy focuses on
reducing the deprivation this community is facing, such as education, employment, and
health. It increases the chances of getting educational achievement, childhood education, and
employment outcomes.
The Australian government commits to achieve Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander’s (ATSI) health equality in the next 25 years (Carey and Friel 2015). A social justice
report was made in 2005, which was the reason for the foundation of this government
campaign. In March 2008, the Australian government decided “to work together to achieve
equality in health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by the year 2030”. The Council of Australian
Governments (COAG) has many targets that are measurable to look after the improvements
and welfare of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders such as close the life expectancy by
2031, halve the gap in child mortality 2018, ensure 95% Aborigines and Torres Strait
Islanders 4-year-olds are enrolled in early childhood education by 2025, halve the gap in
reading, writing and numeracy 2018, halve the gap in year 12 attainment by 2020, halve the
gap in employment by 2018, close the gap in school attendance by 2018. The Prime Minister
submits a report on the strategies of closing the gap to the parliament every year, and it has
the details on the progress of the targets being met (Kline, Pruett and DiFonzo 2014). Close
the Gap steering committee also releases the report targeting two health issues and gives
suggestions to the government. The achievements gained by these campaigns are substantial
improvements in the wellbeing and health department and it is dependent on the effective
implementation of these targets because sometimes they reflect on unsuccessful ventures
experienced by the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

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The enormity of the challenges influences the time frame of the targets being set to
improve the education, health, and employment quality, as faced by the government and
nation in the effective. Closing the Gap works for the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders
in enhancing their status in the society so that it improves their wellbeing and health
(Pmc.gov.au 2019). One of the targets of Close the Gap campaign spotted in Judy’s health
problem is her suffering from type 2 diabetes and having leg ulcers that need dressing every
day. She is an aboriginal woman of the year 57 and is a widow. She lives alone, so she needs
support from people to manage her health complications, as she has two grown-up children
who are close by can help her during any emergency. The major issue here is her medical
complications and no medical guidance to guide her about the dressing she needs to get done
because she has leg ulcers (Marmot 2015). The Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO) had the
duty to visit her for infections, but he was not able to attend to the need. The ALO was not
able to visit for the first introduction. This is the major Closing the Gap target that includes
erasing all types of disparities in health for the Aboriginal population. This campaign works
for decreasing such issues as seen above, so Judy needs the strategic implementation of
closing the gap so that her health needs are met that is rare in the indigenous population. The
issues Judy is facing can decrease her life expectancy, so the initiative of close the gap in life
expectancy by 2031 is required. In 1998, 14% of mortality rates were decreased
(Closingthegap.niaa.gov.au, 2019).
The 3 social determinants in Judy’s case are income and social status, access to health
services and race of the patient. The discharge letter from the hospital stated that she is
eligible to be included in closing the gap foundation. It will grant her a number of health
benefits so that she will be able to overcome her issues and health complications. Her
socioeconomic status is not optimum to access improved healthcare facilities, and this is one
of the social determinants (Altman, Biddle and Hunter 2018). Closing the gap program will

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help in eradicating this issue as it has targets that work on decreasing the economic problem
and raising funds for the Aborigines and Torres Strait islanders. Access to healthcare services
is a benefit that is provided to people who are living away from major centres that have more
healthcare facilities as well as enhanced patient safety care. Judy needs to travel 10km to get
to the nearest medical facility centre and she has no car of her, so she travels using public
transport. She is an aged widow, and she needs persistent care and support in terms of
economical and well as physical aspects. The healthcare facilities being far from her
residence is an obstruction for her regarding her health care routine check-ups (Taylor and
Haintz 2018). She needs dressing regularly for her leg ulcers, and she has to travel a long
distance every day. Closing the gap strategy funds for increasing healthcare facilities for the
indigenous population and so they can access efficient patient safety in shorter distances. The
third determinant is a race because she is an Aboriginal woman, and closing the gap
campaign works for them. She will get the health benefits and potential privileges with the
help of this campaign after she gets registered because she is eligible for closing the gap
program (Carey 2015). ATSI populations have 2.3 times more chances of suffering from
diseases than the non- indigenous population. Australian government health expenditure was
$1.38 per ATSI person and $1.00 for every non-indigenous person (Marmot and Allen 2014).
The social determinants are the enemies of health improvement in these vulnerable
populations, so Judy should be included in closing the gap program. It works for widening
mortality rates and life expectancy gaps, which is required by the people of ATSI (Australian
Indigenous HealthInfoNet 2019).
Judy was registered in closing the gap campaign by the doctor because it was
suggested in her discharge note she got from the hospital. Doctors do the process of
registering as they are more knowledgeable about healthcare and medical aspects. Judy was
registered by a doctor instantly when she was recommended. Aborigines Medical Service is

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the first community controlled health services for aaborigines in Australia (Baba, Brolan, and
Hill 2014). It is now an established indigenous community organisation. The broader
objectives of this organisation are to provide health standards in aboriginal communities
(Marles 2019). This organisation also gives referrals about people to closing the gap
campaigns as they have a stronghold in the processing of registration and being a part of
closing the gap campaign. An Aboriginal Liaison Officer has to provide emotional, cultural
and social support to the indigenous population. They mostly work in hospitals, and they
assist and guide people who need support during intense situations and medical interventions
in the community of Aborigines and Torres Strait islanders. They consult patients as well as
families. The benefits provided by both these components are such as helping patients in
talking to their health professionals, explaining them the medical procedures, giving routine
check-ups and consultations so that they understand about the care they need. They will also
provide information to the staff of the healthcare facilities so that they can deliver efficient
care (Hayward 2019). They guide patients in getting admitted to hospitals that deliver
efficient treatment and make arrangements for them to provide culturally sensitive health
services. Suggesting the correct medical facilities and support groups are provided to the
Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The services provided to Judy by the Aboriginal
Medical Service are a part of their activities, as they provide referrals and registration with
closing the gap campaign. They help in combating the social determinants, as we can see in
Judy’s case studies (Badland et al. 2014).
Aboriginal Medical Services will provide holistic care to the patient and improve the
health condition of Judy. Aboriginal Liaison Officer will provide emotional support to Judy
and motivate her about getting access to more efficient care. Both of these groups will help in
enhancing the health of Judy as she requires optimum care for leg ulcer, which needs dressing
every day. Aborigines Medical Service recommended Judy to mainstream health service for

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daily dressing because this service provides the best care for the aboriginal community
(Ketchell 2019). Judy is a diabetic patient with leg ulcer so she needs the most efficient
medical service, which is provided by aboriginal medical services. These health systems have
a smooth interrelationship between them so that they can be efficient and accessible to the
indigenous population of Australia. Aborigines Medical Services and Aboriginal Liaison
Officer are interconnected in such a way that they provide the best guidance and emotional
and social support to the ATSI community, as it is also done with Judy.
The social determinants of health has been targeting Australia since a long time
especially the indigenous population and it is the responsibility of the government and
concerned communities to look after the welfare of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

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