The Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) have announced their priorities for the upcoming election, as the health gap for Indigenous Australians compared to their non-Indigenous colleagues fails to close.
The latest data showed that despite improvements, closing the gap in life expectancy within a generation by 2031 would not be met, whilst the number of Indigenous people dying from rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains exponentially larger than non-Indigenous people.
On Tuesday, the IAHA called on all political parties to adopt five policies that they say will help play a "pivotal" role in improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
These include a sustainable and long-term investment in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workforce Strategic Framework; enact the priority reforms under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap by changing the ways of work; a "strategic and coordinated investment" in culturally safe, responsive, and place-based allied health education, training, and employment pathways; and a greater development of allied health service and workforce models.
"Health rightfully remains at the forefront of pre-election campaigning, and both major parties are spruiking their ability to ensure a sustainable health care system to ensure all Australians have access to care," IAHA chair Nicole Turner said.
"However, it is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, workforce, and responsive allied health services that underpin access to sustainable, high quality and equitable care."
The announcement of increased access to Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)—supported by the Coalition—in last month's budget resulted in chief executive of National Aboriginal Community-controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) Pat Turner saying the $8.5 billion package would not only help ACCHOs but also offer better access to bulk billing and medicines impacting First Nations people across their 550 clinics.
The budget also saw money set aside for Indigenous healthcare and women, with culturally safe mental healthcare, the detection and management of RHD, and building a nutrition workforce across remote communities all funded.
$9.2 million over three years from 2025–26 will also be delivered to improve the detection, monitoring and management of acute rheumatic fever and RHD in remote communities.
The IAHA said the absence of a long-term, coordinated approach for allied health to "keep people well and thriving on all sides of politics" was detrimental to Indigenous health.
"IAHA were disappointed recently, for example, with the clear omission of allied health from a new national health workforce campaign to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to pursue careers in primary care," Ms Turner said.
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Amongst their calls, the IAHA also urged all parties to adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to "affirm our rights as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people".
UNDRIP sets the minimum standard of human rights for First Peoples, as well as State Parties' interactions with First Peoples.
In February, a private member's bill introduced by Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe, the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Amendment (Consideration of UNDRIP) Bill 2023 sought to allow the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (PJCHR) to consider the rights discussed and outlined in UNDRIP when assessing legislation.
Former Labor senator Patrick Dodson championed UNDRIP, and, in a November 2023 report, said: "At the heart of this report is a call for all Australian governments and civil society to engage with the rights of First Peoples through UNDRIP."
The bill was voted against by both major parties.
The implementation of UNDRIP has long been pushed by Indigenous advocates, who argue it enshrines the basic rights guaranteed under international law that are often bypassed.
Writing in National Indigenous Times in 2023, Noongar law academic Dr Hannah McGlade said the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples in 2014 recommended nation-states develop National Action Plans to "realise the rights" set out in UNDRIP.
Established in 2009, the IAHA is a national, member-based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander allied health organisation to support and improve the health and well-being of Indigenous people.
Earlier on Tuesday, they, along with the Black Dog Institute, Gayaa Dhuwi Proud Spirit Australia, Thirrili, and the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association, called on politicians and journalists to engage respectfully during the election.
Ms Turner said that whilst people didn't need to agree on everything, respectful debate and avoiding the "unnecessary politicisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities" was paramount.
"All political parties and our media have a responsibility to support positive, truthful and safe discussions which empower our people and voices," the Kamilaroi woman added.
