VACCHO is advocating for strengths-based approaches to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the upcoming Victorian election.

VACCHO’s proposed initiatives are practical, evidence-based investments that will improve health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal Victorians, while easing long-term pressure on the state budget.

VACCHO CEO, Dr Jill Gallagher AO, said many of the initiatives are designed by Community, for Community and will contribute to closing the gap in health outcomes and deliver on Victoria’s obligations under the National Agreement.

“By focussing on early intervention and prevention, these initiatives will ultimately produce strong returns on investment by getting Aboriginal people the care they need in Community and out of hospital.”

“Our state election platform provides effective, low-cost prevention strategies for dental and oral health and there are also policy changes that can be incorporated into existing legislation that can have significant impact on the lives of Aboriginal Victorians,” Dr Gallagher said.

VACCHO is calling on the next Victorian government to consider the following recommendations to strengthen the health and wellbeing outcomes of all Aboriginal communities:

• Renew funding for the Urgent Care Pathways initiative ($35.5 million over 4 years).
• Expand Urgent Care Pathways to an additional 14 ACCOs (estimated at $45 million over 4 years)
• Invest $18.3 million over 5 years to enable up to nine ACCOs to deliver enhanced dental and oral health services to Aboriginal Victorians.
• Invest $36.2 million over 4 years to deliver two Healing Centres (one regional, one in metropolitan Melbourne) that will reduce demand for crisis mental health services and improve mental health.
• Create a $20 million per year Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Infrastructure Fund.
• Transform prison healthcare including by
  – Putting healthcare in the hands of health professionals
  – Move all prison healthcare to a public health provider
  – Implementing an ACCO-led, holistic and integrated model of prison health and wellbeing care for Aboriginal people in prison
• Implement the model designed to deliver on Recommendation 38 of the Coronial Inquest into the death of Veronica Nelson.
• Legislate to embed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into the Victorian Charter of Human Rights.
• Legislate cultural safety into Victoria’s health acts.

“The next Victorian Government has an opportunity to make meaningful, lasting change for the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Victorians and VACCHO is providing the roadmap on how to do it,” Dr Gallagher said.

Read more in VACCHO’s election platform here.