RAHC Supports
Community Control
RAHC supports the philosophy of Community Control as articulated within the National Aboriginal Health Strategy 1989 and espoused by Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory.
We believe that local communities should be intrinsically involved in the development and delivery of health services – and these services must be tailored to address the individual needs of those communities.
Our commitment to this strategy compels us to ensure participants are not only clinically qualified but more importantly culturally engaged and empowered.
Integrated Primary Health Care Model
RAHC acknowledges the importance of the integrated primary health care model and the holistic view of health that this entails, as espoused by National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
We acknowledge that “Aboriginal health is not just the physical well being of an individual but the social, emotional and cultural well being of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential thereby bringing about the total well being of their community” (National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) 1989).
Cultural Security
RAHC supports the NT Government Department of Health and Families’ reinforcement of Cultural Security where they commit to “recognise and incorporate Aboriginal culture into the design and delivery of services.” Through our assignments, we seek to strengthen the primary health care teams’ capacity to deliver a more responsive health system which encourages respect of culture and recognition that 'health care belief systems are critical to the patient's healing process'.”
The Expanding Health Service Delivery Initiative is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to close the gap for Indigenous Australians. In his Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples on 13 February 2008, the Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, articulated how we must take new directions to achieve this goal:
“The core of this partnership for the future is to closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians on life expectancy, educational achievement and employment opportunities. This new partnership on closing the gap will set concrete targets for the future: within a decade to halve the widening gap in literacy, numeracy and employment outcomes and opportunities for Indigenous children, within a decade to halve the appalling gap in infant mortality rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children and, within a generation, to close the equally appalling 17-year life gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous when it comes to overall life expectancy.”
- The Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP
To read the entire speech, click here.
