ANMF Position Statement ANMF Position Statement – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait

The health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is considerably poorer than any other group in Australia. The life expectancy of non-Indigenous Australians has risen over the last three decades. However, the life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remains significantly lower. Hospitalisation rates for chronic and communicable diseases exceed those of non-Indigenous Australians across all age groups. Contributing factors to the health inequality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples include: unequal access to primary health care and infrastructure; poor nutrition and living conditions; lack of culturally safe and culturally respectful health services; human rights and social justice inequities including the effects of racism and insufficient or poorly targeted funding to meet health care needs. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation recognises the nursing and midwifery professions play a significant role in improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and that addressing health inequality is a priority. Essential to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is implementation of the recommendations of the Report of the Indigenous Nursing Education Working Group 20021, the human rights base