National Reconciliation Week 2021 - More than a word, Reconciliation takes action

Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly, as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2021 More than a word, Reconciliation takes action urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action. For reconciliation to be effective, it must involve truth-telling and actively address issues of inequality. Over the last half-century, many significant steps towards reconciliation have been taken. NCIRS acknowledges the health outcome disparities within our community and is proud to partner with Aboriginal medical services across the country and assist with closing the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Read more about how you can be involved in National Reconciliation Week here

Historically, immunisation has been, and remains, a simple, timely and cost-effective way to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, delivering positive outcomes for people of all ages. While vaccination coverage rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have improved, timeliness remains an issue. More needs to be done to improve on-time vaccination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, given that they have a higher risk of contracting vaccine preventable diseases, and at an earlier age, compared with non-Indigenous Australian children. 

NCIRS sees raising the profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health to be a core responsibility of and high priority for the whole health sector to achieve sustainable health and equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Read more about NCIRS’s work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander immunisation