The Secretary General of Amnesty International has likened conditions in Central Australia to the poorest parts of Africa and Asia, and described the gap between rich and poor in this country as the most stark she’s even seen.
Indigenous health
Travel tips for media on the Close the Gap bus
In a lecture for Reconciliation Australia, Koori Mai Editor Kirstie Parker talks about the role that Australia’s media can play in helping to Close the Gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.
After the NT intervention: violence up, malnutrition up, truancy up
The latest, and arguably most comprehensive findings, on progress in the Northern Territory intervention are damning of its effectiveness and extremely disappointing, says Jon Altman.
Deconstructing swine flu: 12 things you didn’t know
You might be over the swine flue jokes, but Associate Professor Heath Kelly offers 12 things you may not know about the swine flu pandemic. How serious has the pandemic been?
Is it helpful to think about closing the gap as an economic, rather than ethical, issue?
The question of how much to pay for “closing the gap” in Aboriginal health ought to be debated more on ethical lines than on economic lines — but the two inevitably intersect, writes Professor Gavin Mooney.
Crikey Says: We really are the lucky country, but…
Alright, we’ll admit it. Politicians have done a fairly decent job of running the nation for the last 20 years. However, climate change failings won’t be easily forgiven.
Indigenous smoking is finally out of the too-hard-basket
The federal government has put tackling high smoking rates amongst Indigenous people at the centre of its plans to “close the gap”, writes David Thomas.
A National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Authority: can it help?
A proposed Indigenous health authority would act as a third-party payer for health care for Indigenous Australians. But would it work? asks Professor Judith Dwyer and Stephanie Bell.
Aboriginal people have good reason to be mistrustful of health services
Historically speaking, health services have been part and parcel of racist policies. Which is why Aboriginal people have reason to be suspicious of Australian mainstream health services.
Fixing health: Crikey reviews the latest report
The much-anticipated report from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has landed. Bernard Keane gets to grips with the detail.
Aboriginal patients may end up the real losers in ACC victory
After a long-running legal tussle, a remote Aboriginal health clinic has lost its battle against the Australian Crime Commission to safeguard the privacy of its patient records.
Politicians alone can’t close the gap
Governments cannot fix the problems until they work with Aboriginal people in remote communities — not for them, says Rollo Manning.
Closing the gap: let’s talk about things that work
Closing the Indigenous gap was never going to be easy, but the reception of the Productivity Commission report will unfortunately make it harder, writes Eva Cox.
“Closing the Gap” is like wrestling with smoke
As yet another round of headlines emerge about lack of progress on indigenous health and social indicators, the “Closing the Gap” initiative can look more than ever like wrestling with smoke.
Rudd turns his back on closing the gap
Labor’s rhetoric on Indigenous health is better than in the Howard years, but the reality from Rudd and Macklin is no different from Howard and Vanstone, writes Gavin Mooney.
Indigenous doctors thumbs down for NT intervention
If this is an independent and transparent process, then I’m a monkey’s uncle, writes Melissa Sweet.
Can we close the gap? Not at this rate
The Federal Government, through the health programs under its direct control, spends only 92 cents on Indigenous people for every $1 spent on the rest of the population, writes Lesley Russell.
Time to intervene in the employment of Intervention doctors
A Remote Area Health Corps Agency is to be established to recruit and deploy health professionals to remote Indigenous communities in the NT. About time, writes Dr Glynis Johns.
Graham: A missed opportunity for Indigenous affairs
For Indigenous affairs, it’s not exactly bad news though Wayne Swan’s a bit of a miser, writes Chris Graham.
Indigenous funding fares better under the Liberals
What concerns Indigenous affairs watchers most is that if recent history is anything to go by, blackfellas are in for a bit of hiding. In budgetary terms, Indigenous affairs funding fares much better under the Liberals, writes Chris Graham.
Ministerial briefing note 1: To the next health minister
The ideal health system, I suggest, is one where appropriate and effective care is provided to all who need it a timely and an efficient manner, writes Professor Stephen Leeder.
Why the media’s focus on Royal North Shore Hospital is unhealthy
Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital has been copping a media hammering for weeks now. Unfortunately, much of the coverage has been a waste of valuable media space. It’s time to give the RNSH a break, for the sake of our health, writes Melissa Sweet.
Why everyone’s election health policies are lacking
A sound health policy will not just spend money, it will spend it wisely. The AMA’s latest policy hits all the politically-correct buttons but are we getting the best value for our health spending?
Not a single voice in support of intervention
During a three-day conference here on Indigenous health, the message has come loud and clear from doctors, lawyers, researchers, public servants, economists and Aboriginal leaders. Not a single voice has been raised in defence of the Federal Government’s plans for the NT.
