Why do most health and social services fail Aboriginal people?

An Australian research team will receive AUD$2.5 million (or apx CAD$2.3 million) over 5 years to explore the depressing question of why most health and social services continually fail to improve Aboriginal health.

The research will take place under the auspices of the Perth Telethon Institute for Child Health Research project in Western Australia. It will attempt “to get to the core of why these programs aren’t working and find out what it is about those that do deliver that makes them effective.”

One associate said they “won’t just be comparing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal outcomes, [they]’ll focus on the disparity between Aboriginal communities in the hope that we can identify why some programs and services are more effective than others.”

Refreshingly, “eight post-doctoral and doctoral Aboriginal researchers will be undertaking these important studies.”

Given the broad similarities to the Indigenous context here in North America, we await with interest any fresh, innovative insights the study might provide.

(With thanks to George Lessard for tip, via Twitter)

[ Image via hreoc.gov.au ]