South Australia receives $18 million of national funding for Aboriginal health services

Moorundi Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in Murray Bridge has been awarded $8.9 million to replace its primary health care clinic, which will be the first stage of a new integrated health hub planned for the town.

Nganampa Health Council in Amata, Oak Valley (Maralinga) Aboriginal Corporation, Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service and Umoona Tjutagka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation will also be able to refurbish their infrastructure from the funding directed at our State.

This makes up part of a $120 million national package announced by the federal government and the National Aboriginal Community-controlled Health Organisation in December to support 52 infrastructure programs across the country.

Early this year another $20 million will be allocated towards Indigenous health infrastructure, ahead of a second grants round later on in the year.

“We know that there is an enormous gap in every social indicator between Indigenous people and the rest of the community. None more so than in health. The level of renal disease, the level of cardiovascular disease, the level of cancer, and on every score, Aboriginal people fall behind dramatically in terms of health outcomes in this country. It is unacceptable,” said Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney.

“It is not appropriate and Aboriginal Health Organisations; communitybased organisations across the country are absolutely integral to making sure that we close that gap in health indicators. It’s a vote of confidence in the community-controlled sector and in shared decision-making, ensuring our finding decisions are informed and supported by the community. With so many new projects, we will see considerable progress towards better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”