Closing the gap in cardiovascular risk for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Abstract

The recent 10-year review of the Closing the Gap Strategy, which aims to eliminate the difference in life expectancy between Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians by 2031, found that the life expectancy of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians increased between 2005e2007 and 2010e2012, but the gap has not closed significantly, and is still about 10 years.1 As reiterated by Sir Michael Marmot in his recent MJA editorial,2 the Close the Gap campaign highlights the importance of addressing underlying social determinants of health, engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, increasing the emphasis on chronic disease, enhancing primary health service capacity, and shifting to a preventive health focus.