Launch of Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 2003

Australian of the Year and distinguished medical researcher Professor Fiona Stanley AC, launched the Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 2003 on Friday 29 August at Indigenart, the Mossenson Gallery of Authentic Aboriginal Art in Perth.

Professor Stanley described the report as a rich source of information for anyone interested in the health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She commented that the ‘report will be a valuable tool in the ongoing efforts of government and the community to understand the needs of, and improve services and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.’

Professor Ted Wilkes (Curtin University of Technology and Institute for Child Health Research) noted that the report provided a grim Indigenous health snapshot, with life expectancy at birth estimated to be 20 years lower in the Indigenous population than in the total population. He was, however, optimistic about improvements for the next generation.

Dennis Trewin (Australian Statistician, ABS) acknowledged the progress in reporting Indigenous statistics but spoke of the quest for further improvements (view speech PDF – 32KB).

The report, by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), provides a current statistical overview of the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. It covers information on a variety of health issues including health risks, ill health, mortality, community and health services, and social determinants such as, employment, income and housing. There are separate chapters on the health and welfare of Indigenous mothers and babies and on Torres Strait Islander people.

Statistics in the report demonstrate that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience greater disadvantage than other Australians in terms of their living conditions, vulnerability to risk factors, and ability to access health services. These factors increase their likelihood of poor health and contribute to the early onset of disease.

The report highlighted initiatives to improve health-related circumstances in Indigenous communities, including:

• the building of public pools in three remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia;
• increased access to financial services and products to improve family budgeting and saving achieved through the Cape York Family Income Management project;
• improved birth weights and a reduction in perinatal mortality achieved through the Nganampa Health Council’s antenatal care program in South Australia;
• improved access to health services for the local Indigenous population through the establishment of a General Practitioner Aboriginal Health Clinic, in partnership between the Shoalhaven Division of General Practice and the Aboriginal community controlled South Coast Medical Service.

The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 2003 report (ABS Catalogue No. 4704.0, AIHW Catalogue No. IHW 11) is available from the ABS for $60. The ABS and AIHW websites have made the report (PDF – 4.75MB – large file warning!) available for downloading and provided details regarding how to obtain a hardcopy.

For further information:

View HealthInfoNet abstract
View ABS summary
View interview transcript (PM, Radio National)
View launch speech (Dennis Trewin)

Reference
1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2003) The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2003. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics