Australia Increases Support for Aboriginal Health Programs in 2015

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The struggle for establishing health equality between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australians has received immense support, with a record number of Aborigines' holiday events scheduled to be held in the country, Australia's Close the Gap non-profit group said on Tuesday.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has repeatedly stated that the country's indigenous peoples have on average poorer health status than other Australians.

The 2015 National Close the Gap Day, celebrated on March 19, will involve 1,559 events all over Australia, compared to 1,298 in the previous year.

The holiday marks the cultural heritage of Aboriginal communities, shares knowledge with the non-Indigenous Australians and focuses attention to the difficulties Aborigines face.

The Close the Gap initiative, operating under the aegis of the Oxfam Australia charity, has developed a 25-year plan to improve the health of indigenous communities in Australia. The plan presupposes providing them with regular access to health services and establishing partnerships between Aboriginal and government institutions.

According to the group's data, Aborigines live on average 10-17 years less than other Australians. At the same time, children born in Aboriginal families, die at twice the rate of other Australian minors and face more preventable diagnoses such as heart disease or diabetes.