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Urgent action and funds needed to stem suicide tragedies

15 October 2008 - AHRC - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma says the West Australian community of Narrogin is in urgent need of culturally appropriate health services to help stem a disturbing pattern of suicide in the community.

Commissioner Calma, who visited the town today at the request of the Narrogin Aboriginal community, met with community members to hear first-hand about the circumstances leading up to - and the impacts of - the attempted suicides of at least four Aboriginal people in the last few weeks and the suicides of four people since April.

“What I heard today was a cry of desperation from this community for help from the government,” Mr Calma said.

“People told me today about difficulties with the education system, the health system, the police and the delivery of government services.

“People told me that mental health of the community was under attack from the long term stress of living in situations of disadvantage and racism.

“Needless to say, feelings of hurt and despair within the Narrogin Aboriginal Community have come to a critical point,” he said.

“Narrogin urgently needs federal, state and local governments to work together with the Narrogin Aboriginal community to address these critical issues and develop culturally appropriate services as soon as possible.”

Commissioner Calma said the Close the Gap Campaign on Indigenous health inequality had proven that a lower health status, greater exposure to health risk factors resulting from socio-economic disadvantages prevalent among Indigenous people, and limited access to health care, meant Indigenous people in Australia did not have an equal right to adequate health care.

“Putting in place culturally appropriate health services in Narrogin is an example of the kinds of measures that need to be in place in order to meet the commitments made by government and the Indigenous and non-Indigenous health sector in the Statement of Intent signed in March,” Mr Calma said.

“We cannot go on any longer accepting that such a disparity in equal treatment has nothing to do with health and life expectancy.

“The Narrogin community deserves better than watching its residents die needlessly.

“I will be asking the Western Australian government, the federal government and the local council to take urgent action and work with the Narrogin Aboriginal community to fund and develop culturally appropriate health services before another life is lost.”

Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

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