Indigenous Chronic Disease Package
Introduction
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience a burden of disease two-and-a-half times that of other Australians. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and chronic respiratory diseases are the major diseases contributing to an unacceptable gap in life expectancy.
Reducing the burden of chronic disease requires a much greater effort in delivering prevention programs and comprehensive, well-coordinated primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Chronic diseases tend to have common lifestyle-related risk factors such as smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and obesity, which contribute to the onset of chronic disease. Modifying risk behaviour and decreasing the occurrence of risk factors can prevent or delay the onset of chronic disease and improve outcomes for those who are already unwell.
This booklet provides information on how the Australian Government’s Indigenous Chronic Disease Package contributes to closing the gap in Indigenous health outcomes.