Aboriginal health groups urge federal and NT governments to boost support for life-expectancy gains

Aboriginal health bodies appealed to both the federal and Northern Territory administrations for expanded assistance to sustain reductions in the Indigenous life-expectancy gap. A study by the Menzies School of Health Research credited the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress with lifting Aboriginal male life expectancy from 47 to 65 years and narrowing the gender gap for women. While increased primary-care funding and hospital investment have helped, leaders stress that prevention also depends on addressing overcrowded housing, education deficits and poverty.

Community-led projects such as the Hope For Health programme on Elcho Island have demonstrated measurable drops in blood-glucose and weight among participants, yet they remain unfunded. Both governments said existing grants are already allocated to other regional health services, leaving the community groups frustrated and calling for more transparent funding mechanisms.