Advocacy & Policy Development

One of AMSANT’s key roles is to advocate strongly to governments, their agencies and key stakeholders (including the general public) for improved programs and resources for comprehensive Aboriginal primary health care, to help ‘close the gap’ on Aboriginal disadvantage.

The shortfalls in Aboriginal access to specialist services—mental health, ear and eye health, dental, maternal and children’s programs, alcohol and other drugs etc—are well documented but still largely unaddressed by government initiatives, funding programs or the ‘intervention’ into the NT.

Similarly, the ‘social determinants of health’ such as housing, nutrition, education, training, jobs etc are often poorly planned and funded, so AMSANT seeks to integrate services for these ‘social determinants’ into the Aboriginal comprehensive health care model in the NT as a matter of priority.

AMSANT argues strongly for such essential services in regular meetings with bureaucrats from OATSIH, DoHA and NT Health, and with Commonwealth and Territory MPs and Ministers.

AMSANT is regularly featured in the media talking up strong on behalf of its members (and on behalf of the tens of thousands of clients they care for) about wide-ranging topics and current health issues [See Media Page.]

Many allied groups are impressed by AMSANT’s intellectual rigour and our promotion of Aboriginal primary health care. Key partners such as Oxfam Australia, the Commonwealth Research Centre, Fred Hollows Foundation, Menzies School of Health and ANTaR often collaborate with us on policy, media and advocacy issues.