A new strategy has been developed to help ensure the provision of healthcare for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is on a par with the rest of the community.
The Sunshine Coast Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equity Strategy (2022-2025) focuses on long-term changes that address structural and systemic inequities.
The Implementation Plan (2022-2025) outlines the actions required to put the strategy in motion and measure success.
Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) chief executive Peter Gillies said the purpose was to advance health equity and achieve life parity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by 2031.
“The strategy includes eliminating racial discrimination, increasing access to healthcare, recruiting a culturally diverse and confident workforce, providing culturally safe and responsive healthcare, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to deliver and monitor health services and addressing the leading drivers of the health gap,” Dr Gillies said.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the SCHHS area is more than 12,000 people, with almost half of those aged 20 years or under.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are overrepresented in various conditions – including ear, nose and throat infections, convulsions and asthma – causing potentially preventable hospitalisations.
The Queensland Closing the Gap Snapshot Report Card (2019) reported that the life expectancy gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males was 7.8 years and females 6.7 years.
The child mortality rate was reported as 1.7 times higher than that of non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Queensland.
SCHHS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health service director Sharon Barry said throughout the consultation process, one very clear message was shared between all stakeholders, community and Elders: if we want to effect lasting change, we must all work together as a cohesive unit.
“While there are dedicated programs that offer culturally appropriate services for the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, these services are unable to support the growing population of 12,000 people on their own,” Ms Barry said.
“For this reason, it is important all services and programs within the region are empowered to support, understand and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
“Together, with a shared vision, we have the power to encourage growth from ourselves and others, advocate for those who may not have a voice and be part of a bigger dream.
“That dream is to achieve health equity so all consumers can access services that understand and support them to be healthier.”
The strategy and the implementation plan are co-designed, co-owned and co-implemented between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health, Central Queensland Wide Bay Sunshine Coast Public Health Network and Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.
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