10 May 2022

The RACP says that Indigenous populations continue to experience inequitable health outcomes such as double rates of illness, shorter life expectancies and a failure to eliminate preventable diseases¹.

The College will highlight this in an upcoming ‘Close the Gap’ session part of the RACP’s Congress 2022 program that starts on 12 May.

Representatives from the Royal Australasian of Physicians (RACP), National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA), will showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors, solutions, and perspectives to inform future directions to Close the Gap for Indigenous communities emerging from the pandemic.

One of the major pillars of the Close the Gap campaign, which the RACP endorses, is to address inequitable health outcomes experienced by the Indigenous population.

RACP President Professor John Wilson says, “We must support Indigenous leadership and commit to working with them on issues affecting their communities.

“Having representatives from Indigenous organisations present at RACP Congress to discuss and guide the way forward will help to strengthen accountability and action to Close the Gap within Indigenous communities and across Indigenous people in the health profession.”

Dr Elkie Hull, who is studying paediatrics as an RACP Indigenous Health Program scholar, will focus on the impact of COVID-19 in her community. She will also address how the RACP’s Kids COVID Catch Up campaign is supporting Indigenous children to bounce back from the pandemic.

Quote attributable to Dr Hull:

“The focus needs to be around more services in primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings. We need more First Nations Lead healthcare providers and investment in training and up-skilling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare workers. It is imperative to closing the COVID-widened gap and improving the healthcare and inequalities that exist and have been exacerbated by the pandemic” Dr Hull says.

Associate Professor Philipp Mills is a Torres Strait Islander representative on RACP’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee (ATSIHC). He will highlight how community intelligence and cultural resources are fundamental pillars to mitigating against the risk of transmission, level of exposure, and relative risk in public health infectious disease outbreak.

Facilitating the meeting is NACCHO Deputy CEO and Chair of the COVID-19 Indigenous Advisory Committee, Dr Dawn Casey AO. Dr Casey will outline the experiences of Indigenous Communities through COVID-19, and the priority reforms resulting from the Coalition of Peaks' (COP) work.

Quote attributable to Dr Dawn Casey AO:

“NACCHO acknowledges RACP Fellows and trainees as critical partners in our collective efforts to Close the Gap. We welcome this opportunity to come together to explore the best ways of working into the future to reduce the unacceptable and inequitable burden of preventable mortality and morbidity currently experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia” Dr Casey says.

VACCHO sector representative Ms Jill Gallagher AO, will speak about opportunities for trainees to work in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) sector and also cover the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees around Close the Gap.

Quote attributable to Ms Jill Gallagher AO:

“Empowerment is one of the keys to addressing the many major disadvantages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face. We need meaningful action – and that starts with having Aboriginal people in the driver’s seat. Putting Aboriginal health in Aboriginal hands is a major step forward to creating positive health outcomes for the community” Ms Gallagher says.

Dr Karen Nicholls, Trainee Support Lead of AIDA, will present insights from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical Fellows and trainees. She will discuss the ways AIDA was able to empower Indigenous doctors during the pandemic.

You can find out more about RACP Congress 2022 at: https://event.racpevents.edu.au/racp-congress-2022/