Abstract
In this paper I will describe some of the sentinel events in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy and strategy during 2003 and the early part of 2004. This will involve discussion on the:• National Strategic Framework in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health• National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Mental Health and Social and Emotional Well Being 2004–2009• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework• The roll-out of the Primary Health Care Access Program• The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey and the National Indigenous Health SurveyThese developments are consistent with a policy agenda that has evolved, in general terms, since the release of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy in 1989. However, I will also consider significant developments in the broader context for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs, particularly the decision made in early 2004 by the Howard government to abolish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). While the key events and developments that are reported in this paper elaborate on an agenda that has been developing for more than a decade, the decision to abolish ATSIC is likely to have a revolutionary impact on the future development of Aboriginal health strategy.
Highlights
Following the lead of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) [1], national strategy in this field has focussed on health sector reform and the development of inter-sectoral strategies to improve Indigenous health outcomes
Mechanisms have been established that provide a platform for collaborative, inter-governmental planning, engaging with both the Aboriginal community sector and the non-health sectors of government [2,3,4]
It was significant that the Australian Health Ministers Conference endorsed its successor on the 31st of July 2003, the "National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health"
Summary
Following the lead of the National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) [1], national strategy in this field has focussed on health sector reform and the development of inter-sectoral strategies to improve Indigenous health outcomes. In 1995, the health portfolio assumed responsibility for the management of the Australian government's Aboriginal health program from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). ATSIC had play a critical role in integrating Australian government programs in Indigenous affairs and providing an institutional structure that facilitated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander input into policy and program development. ATSIC, for instance, continued to play a role in health strategy following the transfer of specific health program responsibilities in 1995. The decision to abolish the ATSIC and radically overhaul of the administration of Commonwealth programs in Aboriginal Affairs has potential implications for national health strategy. These are discussed later in this paper
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