Impact of Closing the Gap Policy on Aboriginal Health: Essay

This essay examines the Closing the Gap (CTG) policy, a significant Australian initiative aimed at reducing health disparities among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It explores the policy's historical context, objectives, and the data that influenced its creation, including the challenges and barriers to its implementation. The essay analyzes the potential long-term consequences of Judy's diabetes on her social determinants of health, such as economic stability, social context, and healthcare access, and discusses how the CTG policy addresses these issues. It also evaluates the benefits of Judy's registration with CTG, including improved healthcare access and social wellbeing. Furthermore, the essay defines the roles of the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) and Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO) and explains their involvement in Judy's case, highlighting the relationships between these services and the community health center. The essay is supported by relevant literature and health statistics to provide a comprehensive analysis of the CTG policy and its impact on Indigenous health outcomes.

Closing The Gap (CTG) policy refers to the Australian State initiative to
reduce the disadvantage among the Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people.
Such defects concern educational achievements, access to early childhood
education, employment outcomes, child mortality, and life expectancy (Parter,
Wilson & Hartz 2018). CTG is a formal commitment made by the Australian
government to achieve health equality among Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal
people within 25 years (Parter, Wilson & Hartz 2018).CTG policy was developed in
response to 'the close the gap justice campaign' and 'call of the social justice' report
in 2005 (Parter, Wilson & Hartz 2018). The government of Australia together with
Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginals met in 2008 and agreed on cooperation
towards the achievement of equality in life expectancy and health status between the
Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by the year 2030 (Parter, Wilson & Hartz
2018). Various targets were set upon which the Prime Minister releases a Closing
the Gap report every year to the parliament. Periodic reporting aims to assess the
progress of these targets (Parter, Wilson & Hartz 2018). Furthermore, a report is
released to the CTG Steering Committee, which documents health-related
achievements and provides necessary recommendations to the government (Parter,
Wilson & Hartz 2018). Wellbeing and substantial health improvement among Torres
Strait Islander and Aboriginal people of Australia depend on effective implementation
of these targets. These targets are vital because they present fundamental
disadvantages experienced by Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginals people of
Australia (Parter, Wilson & Hartz 2018).
Closing the Gap strategy in Australia is significant in promoting wellbeing
among Indigenous Australians (Parter, Wilson & Hartz 2018). For instance, the
approach encompasses the development of a long-term plan of actions that are

evidence based and capable of curbing inequalities in health service (Parter, Wilson
& Hartz 2018). Elimination of these health inequalities is beneficial to Indigenous
Australians. Currently, indigenous Australians feel neglected in the healthcare
sector. Also, CTG strategy promotes the full participation of the Torres Strait Islander
and Aboriginal people of Australia in all aspects of addressing their health needs.
Even though the CTG policy has significantly been advocated in Australia, the
gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is not closing. This
aspect has been caused by three reasons. Therefore, CTG policy is faced by three
fundamental challenges.
Firstly, the laudable policy ambition was not in a consensus with the radical
shift in how business is done in Indigenous affairs (Smartic Company, 2018). The
policymaking process remains usual since 2008. Failure to implement changes in the
policymaking process, implementation criteria, and funding approach lead to failure
of the CTG policy.
Secondly, the actions of the government do not match their stated policy
goals. A typical example illustrating this disparity exists in the employment policy.
The abolition of the critical job creation program (Community Development
Employment Project Scheme) has reduced job opportunities in the remote parts of
Australia (Markham, 2018). The removal has imposed an enormous challenge in
closing employment gaps. The contradicting policy priorities impose a challenge to
the CTG policy. A typical example of such priorities includes attempts to eliminate
federal budget deficits. Repeated reduction of Indigenous affairs budget has hobbled
potential progress.

Thirdly, strategies intended to achieve these targets have never been
subjected to careful revision and evaluation (Markham, 2018). Also, assessments
which occur capture the causal impact. Reviews do not incorporate the people who
were affected by the policy. Furthermore, the CTG policy is framed to hide the extent
to which Indigenous disadvantage is a political problem.
The three fundamental social determinants of health that are likely to be
influenced by Judy's 'diabetes type 2' condition include economic stability, social
context, and healthcare (Smith et al. 2018; Lawless et al. 2017). Judy is likely to
spend a lot of money taking care of her diabetic condition. In the long term, more
medical expenditures result in economic instability (Joret et al. 2016). Also, following
the fact that Judy has retired from her teaching profession, the diabetic condition
may hinder her from accessing the available casual job opportunities. Lack of
employment opportunity will also negatively impact her economic stability. CTG
policy promotes financial security among Indigenous Australians (Hunter & Yap
2018). Firstly, the strategy fosters employment equality, thus enhancing job
availability to Indigenous Australians. Secondly, the approach improves access to
public healthcare services among the Indigenous Australians, hence curbing
hospitalization expenditures among the patients.
Social and community context incorporates harmonious participation in
community programs (Northwood et al. 2018). Adverse conditions of diabetes type
two might make Judy too weak to engage in community programs. Furthermore, her
condition might lead to social discrimination. CTG policy has promoted social
wellbeing by promoting participation and representation of the Aboriginals and
Torres Strait Islander people of Australia in healthcare programs and other meetings
involving discussions on their necessities.

Lastly, Judy's diabetes type two condition has a significant influence on health
and healthcare. Diabetes management calls for strict adherence to a self-care
regimen, including exercise, diet, medication, and blood glucose testing (Shrivastava,
Shrivastava, & Ramasamy, 2013). This aspect imposes a fundamental challenge to the
patients and those who care for them, hence impacting interpersonal relationships
and indirectly impacting glucose control. Also, Judy may develop stress and
psychological disorders due to intensive thoughts about her condition (PIDHAINY,
2019). The CTG policy calls for health quality among the Indigenous Australians by
2030. The Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia are expected to
enjoy healthcare wellbeing just like their non-Indigenous counterparts.
Judy is likely to benefit significantly from registration on CTG. Firstly, Judy will
curb her possible economic instability situation. Registration on CTG enables an
individual to access medicine either freely or at a low cost (Luke 2017). Thus, Judy
will benefit by spending minimal on hospital bills. Minimal expenditures would enable
her to be economically stable.
Also, registration on CTG will enable Judy to have adequate access to
healthcare. This registration incorporates the low cost of medicine acquisition
(Trivedi et al. 2017). In so doing, her health condition shall be managed.
Furthermore, she will develop no stress regarding her health condition. Management
of her current situation will also reduce the likelihood of developing other medical
issues. Therefore, registration on CTG is advantageous to Judy because it promotes
her health and healthcare.
Lastly, registration on CTG has accompanied advantages to social wellbeing.
Usually, members who are registered on CTG meet in various conferences to

access educational and development services from government officials. Such
meetings provide a room for social interactions among the members (naccho.org.au,
2019). Therefore, Judy shall gain socialization benefits concerning social and
community context as social determinants of health.
Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) refers to a health service funded primarily
to provide services to Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people of Australia
(Naccho 2019). AMS play a significant role in curbing adverse effects of constant
discrimination on Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia. Such
problems are curbed by providing, comprehensive, community empowering, and
culturally appropriate health services (Baba, Brolan & Hill 2014). They also address
mental health concerns and provide health education services to Indigenous
Australians. Aboriginal Liaison Officers (ALOs) provide social, emotional, and cultural
support the Indigenous Australians and their families when they use the hospital
(Goulburn Valley Health 2019). Aboriginal Liaison Officer (ALO) helps patients talk to
health professionals, and participate in decision making about their care. Also, they
help patients to understand medical routines and procedures. Aboriginal Liaison
Officer (ALO) provides information and support to government health staff to help
provide culturally sensitive health services (McKenna et al. 2015). Additionally,
Aboriginal Liaison Officers (ALOs) help patients make arrangements for discharge
and admission. Furthermore, they link patients to community support services,
programs, and agencies. Finally, Aboriginal Liaison Officers (ALOs) liaise and
advocate on behalf of patients and their families.
AMS and ALO would be involved in Judy’s case because of two fundamental
reasons. Firstly, July is an Aboriginal woman. Secondly, Judy is in the aging woman
(57 years) who needs care and support when offering medication services. Thirdly,

she has a leg ulcer for daily dressings which needs AMS. Lastly, Judy is a lonely
widow who calls for the support of AMS. The fact that she does not have a car and
relies on public transport gives her an upper hand to be referred to a Community
Health Centre. Also, her aging condition does not allow her to travel 10km to the
nearby health care facility. Thus, it would be naive to hesitate to refer her to the
nearby Community Health Center following the leg ulcer that requires a daily
dressing.
AMC, ALO, and Community Health Centre have a binding relationship. ALOs
are responsible admit patients to the Community Health Centre and connect them to
AMS (Health, 2019). The AMS provides health services to the patients within the
Community Health Center before releasing them back to the ALOs who organize
their discharge from the Community Health Centre.

References
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