National Close the Gap day
Dear friend,
© James Robertson/ OxfamAUS It's an outrage that here in Australia, one of the most prosperous countries in the world, a health crisis continues to plague Indigenous communities?
Today is Close The Gap Day. It’s a day to highlight the 17 year gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and it’s an opportunity to ensure that another Australian generation isn't condemned to third world health conditions.
It is alarming that in the so-called “lucky country” twice as many Indigenous babies die before their first birthday as non-Indigenous babies. Cardiovascular disease is around 2.5 times higher for Indigenous Australians. And levels of respiratory disease and pneumonia are 3 and 4 times higher respectively.
We urge you to sign the pledge to close the gap on Indigenous health
Last year the Prime Minister and several state premiers signed a Statement of Intent committing them to work with Indigenous Australians to improve their health and wellbeing. What's more, the Council of Australian Governments also announced additional funding towards closing the Indigenous health gap.
It is now time to turn intentions into real, lasting outcomes. We urgently need our Government to work with Indigenous health organisations to develop meaningful short and long-term plans to ensure that Indigenous communities enjoy the same standards of health as the rest of the population. Most importantly, the Government’s plans must be transparent and have clear targets so we can measure our progress.
That’s why your ongoing support to help close the gap is vital and that’s why Amnesty International Australia is part of the Close the Gap coalition.
Join us in increasing the pressure for a comprehensive national action plan and help achieve health equality for all Australians
Thank you,
Claire, Rodney, Sarah, Lucas, Robyn, Roxanne, Deb and the team
PS: Last week we learned that the Australian Government will support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Amnesty International has been campaigning on this issue for many years and this is a huge victory. Together we are having an impact. We look forward to responding to the Government’s official announcement about the Declaration in Canberra tomorrow.
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