Aboriginal Health

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (15:08): My question is directed to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the minister update the council on recent initiatives to support Aboriginal health outcomes in South Australia?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for his question. During the winter break the Marshall Liberal government has continued to roll out better health services, particularly for communities with poorer health outcomes. As part of the government's partnership with Aboriginal South Australians to deliver better health services, I was delighted to open the new space for the Aboriginal family birthing program at the Women's and Children's Hospital.

This project is funded from the $50 million that the Marshall Liberal government is investing to maintain the current hospital and represents a significant benefit for Aboriginal families. The new dedicated space for the program will support Aboriginal women during pregnancy and after birth.

The program has been providing support since 2010 to the 250 Aboriginal babies born every year at the Women's and Children's Hospital. This new space will provide a larger, dedicated waiting room for Aboriginal families; private meeting areas; three consulting suites; integration of Aboriginal artwork throughout the facility; and more natural light.

We know that more needs to be done to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health outcomes. Currently, 7.4 per cent of non-Aboriginal babies are born at a low birth weight; for Aboriginal babies, that number is 15 per cent. For babies born prematurely, the rate for non-Aboriginal babies is 9.3 per cent but, again, that number is 15 per cent for Aboriginal babies.

The culturally appropriate support provided through the Aboriginal birthing unit is one example of the way that the public health system can better engage Aboriginal families to improve access to health services and deliver better health outcomes. Importantly, this is reflected in the staffing of the program, which has 11 Aboriginal women working as part of a multidisciplinary team, incorporating midwives, medical consultants, Aboriginal maternal infant care workers, social workers and family support workers.

This is particularly important because of the growing body of evidence that links childhood health and relative disadvantage to adult health indicators and outcomes. If we want to close the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health outcomes, better support for families during pregnancy, and of the children and families after birth, is a good starting point. There is more to be done, but I am pleased to see this very concrete example of support for Aboriginal families as they grow their families.