National Close the Gap Day?
We recognise today as National Close the Gap Day and shout out to all that there is important work to be done.
According to the 2019 Closing the Gap Report[1] Australia is not meeting its targets around closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians.[2]
The Report highlighted that the targets for closing the gap in school attendance and life expectancy have not been met. Child mortality, reading and numeracy and employment goals have not improved.
Goals that are heading in the right direction include the goal to have 95 per cent of Indigenous four-year old’s enrolled in early childhood education by 2025 and Year 12’ schooling achievements.
This year’s 2019 Close the Gap theme is Our Health, Our Voice and Our Choice. The campaign is aimed at ensuring that the healthcare gap in Australia’s First Nations people is closed. On 21 March 2019 we celebrate National Close the Gap Day by acknowledging our clients who work in the Indigenous health sector. Thank you for your continuous work and we wish you greater support and resources to enable our Indigenous families to be health and thrive.
We are holding an information session today for our staff on National Close the Gap Day and will be donating to the ANTAR campaign to raise further awareness.
[1] Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Cth), Closing the Gap Report (2019), 10.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.