50 years since citizenship: successes and challenges in Indigenous health

Abstract

In 2017, it is important that we reflect on progress in improving Indigenous health outcomes. We mark the passing of 50 years since Australians voted by an overwhelming majority to amend the constitution to allow the national government to create laws for Indigenous people and include them in the census. The words of the Honourable Ken Wyatt, who reflects on his 45 years of service in health and education and as the current Minister for Indigenous Health, remind us of the important place that Indigenous leaders have played in fostering change in the past. As in the past, leadership from Indigenous people will be key to future progress in Indigenous health. Indigenous leadership was notable in the establishment of Aboriginal community controlled primary health care services, from humble beginnings in Redfern and Perth to the advent of new partnerships in research arising from a National Health and Medical Research Council meeting focused on Aboriginal health in Alice Springs in the mid-1980s. Wyatt highlights the change in Alice Springs with a realisation that Aboriginal people were no longer satisfied with being passive recipients, and instead wanted to be leaders in research that could foster and progress changes and improvements in Indigenous health. Despite all these achievements, Wyatt challenges public health professionals regarding the lack of progress in understanding the social and emotional wellbeing of young Indigenous people, particularly the drivers of suicide and resilience. He also notes the challenges in responding to the needs of ageing Aboriginal Australians, notably in relation to mental health. Show more