Dr Bartone addresses AIDA Conference - October 2019
Article from AMA Rounds of 4 October 2019
Real changes to Indigenous health outcomes will only be achieved when programs are adequately resourced and implemented with proper engagement with, and direction by, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Dr Bartone said this week.
In an address to the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Assocation (AIDA) Conference in Darwin, Dr Bartone said that many innovative health services are delivering high quality health care for their communities, driven by local leadership.
“There are models of health care that are delivering proven health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and these should be supported in terms of funding and workforce,” Dr Bartone said.
“There are others all underpinned by community oversight and direction. This sense of community leadership is a key feature.
“The problem with such models is that they are not being sufficiently resourced and funded to continue and further their development.
“With the right support, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people stand to address health inequities by transforming services under their purview, as well as health services provided to Indigenous people by the mainstream.”
You can read the speech in full here.