A ground-breaking, four-year evaluation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care aims to produce sustained improvements in service delivery and health outcomes for First Australians.
A critical focus will be considering how Commonwealth investment in the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme (IAHP) links with the broader health system, to improve health care access and drive faster progress in Closing the Gap in health equality.
The $18.6 million evaluation has been co-designed with the Indigenous health sector and received a wide range of input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and stakeholders.
With $3.9 billion being invested in the IAHP across four years (2018-19 to 2021-22), this evaluation will help maximise the value and impact of health funding and guide program design.
Led by independent consultants Allen and Clarke, a top priority has been placed on ensuring local communities that are involved in receiving and providing primary health care have a strong voice throughout the process.
The evaluation will establish up to 20 location-based studies to collect information from various First Nations health services around the country.
Regular reporting will share information, highlight successful local programs and support continuous improvement during the study.
The project is another important step in assessing the impact on First People’s health from the provision of effective, high-quality, culturally appropriate health care.
