The New South Wales Government launched the state's first Aboriginal Cancer Strategy on Wednesday, promising to deliver improved cancer outcomes in Aboriginal communities with a $12 million funding boost.

In Australia, Aboriginal people are 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with and 2.1 times more likely to die from cancer, when compared with non-Indigenous Australians.

On World Cancer Day, the NSW Government released the NSW Aboriginal Cancer Strategy: Caring for Kin and Country — a comprehensive health strategy developed by the Cancer Institute NSW in consultation with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) of NSW.

"The NSW Aboriginal Cancer Strategy is a great step in addressing the significant gap in cancer outcomes for our people," Jacqui Khan, a proud Gomeroi woman who survived a breast cancer diagnosis, said.

"We've lost so many people to cancer, a disease which does not discriminate, and the Strategy identifies solutions which will assist in the prevention of cancer and earlier diagnosis."

Underpinned by a culturally safe approach developed in extensive consultation with Aboriginal communities across the state, the Strategy aims to increase healthcare accessibility and close the gap in health outcomes for Aboriginal people.

"Aboriginal communities have faced persistent inequities in cancer outcomes yet continue to show remarkable strength and leadership," NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive Cancer Institute NSW Professor, Tracey O'Brien, said.

"By ensuring Aboriginal people are at the centre of decision-making through this Strategy, we're supporting care that honours Aboriginal people's needs, values and cultural strengths. The Strategy is a testament to the power of partnerships, the importance of listening and the strength of the world's oldest culture."

As part of the Strategy, the NSW Government also delivered $12 million to 10 local health districts and 15 Aboriginal medical services to employ Aboriginal cancer coordinators across the state — bolstering the Aboriginal cancer workforce and ensuring culturally safe experiences for Aboriginal patients, their families and communities.

"The support provided by Aboriginal cancer care coordinators is unique because we use our Aboriginal ways of being, knowing and doing to provide culturally appropriate care while complementing western medicine," Aboriginal cancer care coordinator at Western Cancer Centre at Dubbo Hospital, Catherine Noble, said.

"It's being another Aboriginal face the patients can reach out to and relate to.

"I advocate for my patients through the entire process, from the beginning to the middle and the end, sitting with them during appointments to make sure they understand every word about their diagnosis and treatment options and linking them to supports."

New South Wales Minister Aboriginal Affairs and Medical Research, David Harris, believes the funding will address significant accessibility gaps faced by Aboriginal communities.

"The $12 million to fund Aboriginal cancer care coordinators across the state will ensure many more Aboriginal people in NSW will access the care they need," he said.

"This Strategy delivers practical solutions to better enable Aboriginal people to receive the cancer care they need to close the unacceptable gap in health outcomes.

"I am particularly proud of the Strategy's focus on increasing community-led cancer prevention, screening and treatment for Aboriginal patients that reflects the importance of family and culture."

Additionally, the Strategy supports a number of the New South Wales Government's Closing the Gap health initiatives. They include lowering the recommended age for Aboriginal women to breast screen to 40 years, tailored cancer prevention campaigns and the What Matters 2 Adults wellbeing tool, which measures what is important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

Closing the gap through these initiatives is imperative, the Government says, with the Strategy providing a potential solution to Aboriginal health inequity.

"The cancer care gap for Aboriginal people living in NSW is unacceptable and demands our collective and urgent action," New South Wales Minister for Health, Ryan Park, said.

"The Strategy acknowledges how inter-generational trauma experienced by Aboriginal people has contributed to the cancer care gap and aims to embed a collaborative and community-led approach to achieve equitable cancer outcomes for Aboriginal people in NSW."

Similarly, Chief Executive AH&MRC of NSW, Nicole Turner, reaffirmed the significance of the Strategy in closing the gap.

"The Strategy is a roadmap for change, crafted with the guidance and wisdom of Aboriginal communities. It's only by listening to the stories, journeys and experiences of Aboriginal people that we can truly create healthier futures."

"This Strategy highlights the importance of the Aboriginal health workforce. These professionals provide not only exceptional care but improve the overall experience of people with cancer and their loved ones - in turn, breaking down barriers and generations of trauma."