Kimberley health providers are ‘leading lights’ in closing the gap, but calls for prevention funding persist

A lack of funding for prevention and early intervention is stifling the “wonderful” efforts of Kimberley medical services to meet Close the Gap targets, according to the boss of one of the region’s leading health providers. Boab Health Services chief executive Matt Burrows said Kimberley community organisations on the frontline of addressing the targets were among the best in the nation and needed support to tackle health issues at the root. Mr Burrows’ comments echo that of the 2021 Close the Gap campaign report, which again urged a community-led approach to addressing shortcomings in Indigenous health service delivery. The report used COVID-19 as an example of how Aboriginal organisations and health services successfully kept communities safe, noting infection rates were six times lower in Indigenous communities than the wider population. Mr Burrows said Kimberley organisations had a strong track record of working together but needed more support from government to meet the targets. “There is probably a lot to be learned from what is happening in the Kimberley,” he said. “But with limited resources and knowing there are still gaps to fill in a very large region with a lot of natural adversity we are facing, it is a challenge.” Mr Burrows said investment into prevention and early intervention would be critical to enacting lasting change to Aboriginal health. “It is not good enough to wait until people are incarcerated, it is not good enough to wait until someone has end-stage renal failure,” he said. “We have seen advances in what we are doing and certainly there are more positions focused on preventative health, but not proportionately to the growth in the overall healthcare budget. “It is probably from the dogged lobbying of organisations like Boab Health and the community-controlled sector to make sure government isn’t ignoring the preventative side of things.” The 2021 report contained 15 recommendations, including another call to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full. Last Tuesday Senator Pat Dodson slammed the Senate for voting down an inquiry into truth-telling and treaty-making as part of that Statement. Liberal MPs argued it was a matter for the States, a view Mr Dodson rejected. “We have to address our right to a voice, our self-determination: treaty, truth telling and healing,” she said. Ms Oscar said the national agreement on closing the gap signed by State and Federal governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peak Organisations in July last year was a welcome yet overdue step forward. A final report on establishment of an Indigenous voice to parliament is expected by August. The report also called for the criminal age of responsibility to be lifted to 14 years old and for establishment of a national anti-racism strategy. RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health deputy chairwoman Dr Kali Hayward said addressing racism should include ensuring GPs were trained in culturally safe healthcare. Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt said more ambitious thinking was required to make lasting change. “Great change comes when we can motivate enough people to care,” he said. “We need to break new ground for systemic change through strength-based, community-led actions and solutions.’ Mr Wyatt said while acknowledging the work still to be done successes should be celebrated.