The Federal Government has formed a new taskforce to boost efforts in closing the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.

 

The Federal Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, said the new taskforce will comprise of 41 positions that will build on the 127 outreach workers already funded under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island heal services and Divisions of General Practices across Australia.

 

“The new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outreach workers will work with their communities to encourage more people to access health services and have health checks, and to identify people who would benefit from improved access to health services,” Mr Sowndon said.

 

The Federal Government will provide $12.6 million to fund the new positions as part of the $805.5 million Indigenous Chronic Disease Package.

 

More information, including the new roles, can be found here