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Indigenous doctors' have positive impact on Indigenous health

18 May 2006 - The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association - Media Release - The Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) congratulates the Australian Medical Association (AMA) on endorsing the AIDA Healthy Futures: Defining best practice in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous medical students Framework.

AIDA also welcomes the AMA's efforts in raising awareness of the catastrophic life-long effects of prison on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who are over-represented in the prison population compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

‘The endorsement of Healthy Futures by the AMA is another positive step towards achieving the target of 350 additional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students enrolled in medicine by 2010’ said Dr Mark Wenitong, President of AIDA, while speaking today at the launch of the AMA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Report Card Series 2006 and Discussion Paper 2004 – Update, at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service in Melbourne.

‘It is great to see professional medical organisations such as the AMA, as well as the Australian Government, other medical schools and medical colleges, and the Australian Medical Council (AMC) getting behind our Framework and supporting its implementation.

‘It shows that key players in the Australian health system recognise the positive impact an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce has on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and Australians more generally, and are committed to building its numbers’ he said.

The AIDA Healthy Futures Framework has also been endorsed by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council (NATSIHC). The Committee of Deans of Medical Schools (CDAMS) is committed, through its Collaboration Agreement with AIDA, to work on specific programs that benefit the recruitment, support and retention of Indigenous medical students.

‘We are at a critical point in time for all of Government, as well as non-government organisations, to work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to tackle the continuing poor outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health’ Dr Wenitong said.

‘We look forward to leadership and collaboration from the education and health sectors in relation to the recruitment, retention and support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students and welcome the opportunity to work with the AMA to advance this.

‘In meeting with the AMA President Dr Mukesh Haikerwal today, I am confident that as two national medical organisations, we will continue to work closely to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Health’ said Dr Wenitong.

AIDA is a not for profit organisation striving for excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, wellbeing and life outcomes through leadership, partnership and scholarship and in the spirit of cultural integrity. As the sole national body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and medical students, AIDA is in a strong position to contribute to better Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, education and workforce outcomes.

Source: Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)

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