Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are attending Sorry Business "weekly," according to the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC).
Gunggandji woman and QAIHC Acting Chief Executive Officer Paula Arnol said that government progress on Closing the Gap targets has stagnated.
"New Closing the Gap data reinforces what the community is telling us – they're sick of attending funerals all the time," she said.
"They are tired, traumatised, and distressed,"
The Productivity Commission's new data shows only five out of 19 targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap are on track.
"It feels like we are going around in circles," she said.
"We're practically in the same position we were a few years ago."
"Our progress to close the gap continues to be frustratingly slow."
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health organisation (ACCHO) sector remains under-resourced and under-funded by the government, despite minimal progress.
Many member services have full patient waiting lists due to rising demand for their services.
The health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is not closing quickly enough.
"We have a serious problem on our hands," Ms Arnol said.
"The latest data shows we've had an increase in the rate of young people in detention from 41.3 per 10,000 in 2021/22 to 46 per 10,000 in 2022/23."
"The mortality rate due to suicide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has almost doubled nationally from 2009 to 2022."
QAIHC regularly receives feedback from communities about the trauma and burden of frequently attending Sorry Business.
There has been some improvement in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies born in Queensland with a healthy birthweight, but more progress is needed.
The Productivity Commission has indicated that governments require a paradigm shift in their thinking.
"Although the Productivity Commission's three-year review into Closing the Gap progress saw 'pockets of good practice' by governments, we need a true whole-of-government approach," Ms Arnol said.
She notes the Queensland Government's Budget commitment of $156.7 million to the ACCHO sector to strengthen the capacity and capability of the ACCHO sector was a positive step forward.
"The next step is to share decision-making with the ACCHO sector, as per Priority 2 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap that the Queensland Government signed," she said.
"The review of the Closing the Gap targets clearly stated that a strengthened community-controlled sector, shared decision making, and shared data were the key to improved outcomes."
"QAIHC is working towards this goal through its future plan, The Blueprint, and sees a strong ACCHO sector that is recognised as a core participant in our health system as essential to making real progress."
Highlights of Closing the Gap Health Data (July 2024)
Target 1: People Enjoy Long and Healthy Lives.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men have a life expectancy of 71.9 years, while for women it is 75.6 years.
Despite improvements in QLD, WA, NT, and NSW, life expectancy targets are not on track to be met by 2031.
QLD shows slightly better life expectancy than other regions.
Target 2: Children Are Born Healthy and Strong.
The goal for babies born at a healthy birthweight (2500 to 5000g) is on track for 2031.
In 2021, 89.6% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies were born with a healthy birthweight.
Social and Emotional Well Being (SEWB) data from Reconciliation Australia indicates rising racism and emotional distress among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Reports of racial prejudice among Queenslanders aged 18 and over more than doubled, increasing from 35,694 in 2018 to 77,678 in 2022.
In 2018-19, 30.7% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders reported high or very high levels of distress, compared to 13.6% of all Queenslanders surveyed in 2017-18.
Both figures are slightly below the national averages of 31.1% and 13.7%, respectively.
