Indigenous Health Minister and League Star Kick Goals for Indigenous Health
Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowdon teamed up with rugby league star Steve Renouf at the Indigenous All Stars game on the Gold Coast to promote free health checks for Indigenous Australians who are at risk of getting chronic disease.
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13 February 2009
Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowdon teamed up with rugby league star Steve Renouf at the weekend’s Indigenous All Stars game on the Gold Coast to promote free health checks for Indigenous Australians who are at risk of getting chronic disease.
Mr Snowdon and Mr Renouf handed out brochures and spoke with sports fans before the match as a series of messages were broadcast over the big screen encouraging people to register with their local Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) for a regular health check.
Mr Snowdon said the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) organised the event to promote positive health messages and the Government’s Closing the Gap initiatives.
“The Rudd Government has committed $805.5 million over four years to help close the gap in Indigenous life expectancy through its Tackling Indigenous Chronic Disease package.
“As part of that package, people who are at risk of getting a chronic disease are entitled to health checks. They’re very important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people because they help in the early detection and diagnoses of often common yet highly treatable conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and respiratory diseases,” Mr Snowdon said.
Mr Snowdon said that as a former rugby player in Alice Springs, he fully supported sport as a great way to get communities involved and interested in their health and wellbeing.
Mr Snowdon congratulated QAIHC and Steve Renouf on the tremendous effort they had put into the promotional initiative “independent of any Government funding”.
“Credit must go to them for identifying this event as an excellent opportunity to promote positive Indigenous health messages to a large audience,” he said.
“This links to the Rudd Government’s Closing the Gap campaign and I really hope the people attending this sporting event get out there and register with their local AMS, get a health check and take control of their health.
Media contact: Alice Plate 0400 045 999 or alice.plate@abc.net.au
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