Fed: Indigenous health should be top priority in 2000 AMA

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-1999
Fed: Indigenous health should be top priority in 2000 AMA

CANBERRA, Dec 31 AAP - Indigenous health should top the list of priorities for Australians
in 2000, the Australian Medical Association said today.

AMA federal president David Brand said the poor health record for indigenous Australians
continued to be a major blemish on the nation's health care record.

"If we are to see an acceleration in improved health outcomes, we need additional resources
allocated at a national, state and territory level," Dr Brand said.

"The AMA urges the federal government to use this year's federal budget to build on
the work achieved in indigenous communities and health services over the past few years.

"A policy of incremental change will, at the end of the day, produce incremental results.

"We must also shatter some of the myths about health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders."

They included the myth that indigenous health was too hard to fix, he said.

Evidence from New Zealand, Canada and the US showed that substantial improvements in
life expectancy of indigenous people could be achieved in just two or three decades.

The Maori death rate fell by 44 per cent between 1974 and 1994 and the US indigenous
death rate fell by 30 per cent during the same period, Dr Brand said.

"In contrast there was no significant reduction in the death rate for indigenous Australians
between 1985 and 1995."

Dr Brand also debunked the myth that indigenous people were allocated more health dollars
than the rest of the community.

For each $1 spent on health service for non-indigenous Australians, $1.08 was spent
on the same services for Aborigines, he said.

But for each $1 spent on Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for non-indigenous
Australians, only about 20 cents was spent on Aborigines.

Dr Brand said indigenous Australians had a life expectancy at birth that was 15 to
20 years less than other Australians and they were two to three times more likely to be
hospitalised.

"We need to build on the success stories of the past few years and expand primary health
care, public health education and training initiatives," he said.

"Employment, housing, education, infrastructure and better sanitation measures are also required."

AAP daw/cjh

KEYWORD: INDIGENOUS

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