$35 million to improve indigenous health outcomes

Health Minister reveals $35m bid to lift indigenous health, calls closing the gap ‘the only goal that matters.’

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt used an appearance on ABC Insiders to announce a multimillion-dollar Morrison government investment in improving indigenous health. Picture: AAP

Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the government will invest $35 million to improve indigenous health outcomes, declaring the nation will not be whole until we have achieved genuine parity.

Mr Hunt conceded that Australia had not yet closed the gap and met Commonwealth health targets in spite of “significant improvements” in infant survival and mortality rates among indigenous Australians.

“You're right. We haven't closed the gap yet,” Mr Hunt told ABC Insiders on Sunday. “We have been able to reduce infant mortality rate.”

Mr Hunt used the television appearance to announce a multimillion-dollar Morrison government investment in improving indigenous health across 42 projects.

“I'm pleased to say that we will be investing $35 million in 42 major national indigenous health projects,” he said. “These include focus on avoidable indigenous blindness and avoidable indigenous deafness.”

“We are working to eradicate rheumatic heart fever which can lead to rheumatic heart disease.”

He said addressing these specific health concerns would over time reduce some of the fundamental inequalities that lead to violence and incarceration.

It comes as tens of thousands of Australians have defied public health warnings and marched in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, calling for an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody.

Mr Hunt said his one goal was achieving health parity for all Australians.

“I have one goal and that's nothing less than parity. That's the only real goal that matters. It is a moral goal. It is a practical goal,” Mr Hunt said.

Asked about the differences between Australia and New Zealand’s response to the coronavirus, with the former choosing suppression and the latter opting for eradication through a more severe lockdown restrictions, Mr Hunt said both countries had “done well”.

He defended Australia’s response and flagged that New Zealand’s approach had seen a higher fatality rate on a per capita basis and a higher case rate across the country.

“Economically, there is different outcomes. We've had the difficult 5 per cent decease in GDP,” Mr Hunt said. “New Zealand has had been a 8. 9 per cent expected GDP loss.

“We respect their choice. We have made a path for Australia which we think protects lives and livelihoods.”

New Zealand was the first country to eradicate the virus, last week declaring itself “coronavirus free”.

Mr Hunt revealed that 6.31 million people have downloaded the government’s COVIDSafe App, which amounted to about 40 per cent of the adult population with smartphones.

He said the contact tracing tool, which has been used for 30 cases, is the fastest downloaded app in Australian history.

Health Minister Greg Hunt tells @InsidersABC the government's #COVIDSafe app is the "fastest downloaded app in Oz history."
He says 40% of the population or 6.31 million people have downloaded the tool.
It's been used to trace 30 cases. #auspol @australian

— Olivia Caisley (@livcaisley) June 13, 2020

Asked whether it was still the case that smartphones with the app needed to be unlocked for the tool to be effective, Mr Hunt deferred the question to the Digital Transformation Agency.

.@David_Speers: "Is it still the case if someone's phone is locked [the COVIDSafe App] may only work half the time?@GregHuntMP: "I will leave that to the Digital Transformation Agency to provide the figures on that." #insiders #auspol pic.twitter.com/JcrnyR46fJ

— Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) June 13, 2020