{"id":6012,"date":"2025-04-02T08:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T22:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/?p=6012"},"modified":"2025-05-15T13:57:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T04:27:59","slug":"closing-the-ever-widening-gap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hepatitissa.asn.au\/communitynews\/2025\/04\/closing-the-ever-widening-gap\/","title":{"rendered":"Closing the Ever-Widening Gap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite the rejection of the Voice in the 2023 referendum, some working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector still see hope. Speaking on the recently released Closing the Gap 2024 Annual Report, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Kate Kiss, notes, “Coming off the back of the 2023 Referendum, our communities are still reeling from the result. However, if 2024 has demonstrated anything, it is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples\u2019 resilience and commitment to pushing for equity and healing for our peoples, continuing to make strides despite the setbacks and barriers we continue to face.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Close the Gap campaign was officially launched in 2007 to address the unacceptable gap in life expectancy and other health indicators between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians; and helped influence the establishment of the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, and the formation of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap<\/a>, which was developed in partnership<\/a>\u00a0between Australian governments and the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (the Coalition of Peaks) in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its 16th annual report<\/a> to mark Close the Gap Day (20 March, 2025)<\/a> the Close the Gap Campaign has focused on shared decision-making, strengthening and building the community controlled sector, transforming government organisations, and shared access to data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report’s themes of agency, leadership, and reform underscore the pivotal role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and communities continue to play in embedding the four Priority Reform Areas outlined within. The report emphasises both the ongoing challenges and the tangible solutions needed to close the health and wellbeing gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The report showcases how the closing the gap priority reform areas are being implemented to create lasting change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…governments must adopt rights-based policy approaches, provide long-term funding, and engage in shared decision-making with Indigenous communities.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Priority Reforms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A central focus of this year\u2019s report is the success of First Nations leaders who are actively shaping solutions and paving the way to close the gap. These leaders and their organisations have shown steadfast commitment to advancing the rights and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities-ensuring the survival, dignity and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NAIDOC Week Celebrations [istock]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The four priority reform areas are at the heart of the 2025 report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n