Close The Gap Event: UWA

Close The Gap is a Campaign run by Oxfam Australia and calls on governments to take action to achieve Indigenous health equality within 25 years and close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can expect to live substantially shorter lives than other Australians – up to 20 years less in some cases. In 2010 WAMSS and Interhealth will collaborate with Oxfam UWA, Spinrphex and The UWA Centre of Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (CAMDH) to Support and Promote the Close the Gap Campaign by holding a Close The Gap Event on the 18th of May.

2009: Last Year’s UWA Close The Gap event was very successful. On the day UWA Student’s showed support for the campaign by signing Oxfam’s Close The Gap Pledge. In the Evening, Speakers included the Noongar elder who established Marr Mooditj, past president of the Australians Indigenous Doctors Association, Australia's first Aboriginal Psychiatrist, Aboriginal Medical Service administrator and Aboriginal Health Council board member and a representative from the Office of Aboriginal Health.

The Close the Gap campaign has attracted immense public support over the years:

• More than 135,000 Australians have signed the Close the Gap pledge
• Thousands of Australians have written to the federal government demanding action
• Tens of thousands of Australians have taken part in National Close the Gap Day events held around Australia

2010: Find out what action is needed to achieve Closing the Gap and Best Practice Indigenous Health Care! And join us for Close The Gap Day UWA 2010!

Interested?

·        Take Online Action!

·        Sign The Oxfam Close The Gap Pledge

·        Learn More: Australia's Indigenous health crisis in-depth

Watch the Oxfam video for National Close the Gap Day! 2010