Policy and Advocacy
AMSANT plays a key role in developing and promoting evidence-based policy in Aboriginal health. We have a small central policy team and a number of specialist staff from other units, providing capacity to develop informed responses on a broad range of health-related policy issues.
AMSANT also draws from the expertise of our members through the AMSANT Policy Network. We advocate strongly to governments, their agencies and key stakeholders (including the general public) for improved programs and resources for comprehensive Aboriginal primary health care, and the needs of our Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service members in the Northern Territory.
Comprehensive Aboriginal primary health care is holistic in its approach and (in addition to clinical and other core services, health promotion and workforce concerns) includes focus on the social and cultural determinants of health that contribute significantly to the health gap.
AMSANT’s policy engagement and advocacy is advanced through a number of formal and informal partnerships including the NT Aboriginal Health Forum, Children and Families Tripartite Forum, Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT (APO NT), and the NACCHO Policy Network.
As a member of APO NT, AMSANT contributed to the National Indigenous Coalition of Peaks’ role in negotiating a new National Agreement on Closing the Gap in 2020 and to the development of an NT Implementation Plan in 2021. In the years ahead the National Agreement and NT Implementation Plan are expected to provide increased opportunities to achieve systemic and policy changes to drive improvement in Aboriginal health and its cultural and social determinants.