Family warriors needed to Close the Gap
READ MORE
Patient Lynette Hoffman is examined by medical professional Charmain Starr at Danila Dilba, an Indigenous health centre in Darwin’s CBD.
Photo: Fairfax
Australia’s Health Ministers will gather in Alice Springs tomorrow to shine a spotlight on Indigenous health, almost 10 years after the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) approved Closing the Gap targets to achieve health equality for First Nations peoples.
While we can reflect on progress – our people, on average, are living longer with fewer dying from chronic conditions – it is equally important to focus on our failure to close the gap in life expectancy, which remains about 10 years.
For sustainable change, however, local family warriors must step up, be respected, acknowledged and encouraged.
For over 65,000 years, First Nations people thrived without a plethora of organisations. We were child, family and community-centred.
Responsibility and authority revolved around a woman, with her key roles as the mother and protector, and equally, around a man, the father and family shield.
Comments
Post a Comment