The federal government is putting almost $30 million into improving the health of indigenous babies and their mothers following last week’s bleak Closing the Gap report.
Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt will today announce the $27 million boost for child and maternal health programs, to be spent over the next 18 months.
It’ll go toward services like antenatal and postnatal care, breastfeeding assistance, health and development checks and ensuring children are properly immunised.
The services will be delivered by providers across NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull tabled the ninth annual report into indigenous health, education and employment outcomes in parliament last week, describing the findings as sad and disappointing.
The target to improve life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by 2031 was not on track to be met, nor was a target to halve the gap in child mortality by 2018.
Just one of the seven Closing the Gap targets, halving the gap in Year 12 attainment by 2020, was on track.
