Health equity

Health equity

Health equity is central to the work of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) and reflects a commitment to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can access the same opportunities for good health and wellbeing as all Queenslanders. Despite ongoing efforts, significant disparities remain, driven by the enduring impacts of colonisation, systemic racism, and unequal access to culturally safe services.

Achieving health equity requires more than improving access to care. It demands a fundamental shift in how systems are designed and delivered, with a strong focus on self-determination, cultural safety, and community control. This approach aligns with Queensland’s Making Tracks Together: Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equity Framework, which embeds legislative and system-wide accountability for progressing health equity across the health system.

Queensland’s community controlled health organisations are at the forefront of this work, delivering holistic, culturally grounded care that responds to the needs and priorities of their communities. QAIHC supports its Members to lead this transformation, working in partnership with government and the broader health system to embed equity across policy, funding, and service delivery.

This includes advancing the commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, particularly the priority reforms that centre shared decision making and the transformation of government systems. Through this work, QAIHC continues to advocate for sustained investment, strong governance, and accountability to ensure health equity is not just an aspiration, but a reality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland.