First Peoples Health and Research Alliance: Closing the Gap

The First People’s Health and Research Alliance is the first of its kind in Australia and was established to accelerate Queensland’s commitment to achieving Closing the Gap deadlines.

‘Closing the Gap’ is a national framework developed in 2008 to achieve equality in health and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within a generation. The framework is underpinned by the belief that when people have a genuine say in the design and delivery of policies, programs and services that affect them, better life outcomes are achieved.

The Alliance will lead world class research, evaluation and knowledge translation pursuits, alongside a focus on building research capabilities and capacity within the health care system.

Sherry Holzapfel, Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service.

Public support and donations are integral to ensure programs such as the Research Alliance for Urban Goori Health can flourish, and we are extremely grateful to the RBWH Foundation for supporting this initiative.

The Alliance will also contribute to evidence to inform urban-based health systems reforms, nationally and internationally.

The long-term vision for the Alliance is to become the Australian equivalent of the United States’ Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI), which is leading the way in research and data for urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities.