NATSIHEC Terms of Reference 2011-2014

In May 2011, the Minister for Indigenous Health approved the following Terms of Reference.

NATSIHEC will advise the Minister for Indigenous Health:

on the development of a National Indigenous Health Plan;
on the development and monitoring of health related goals and targets to support the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) commitment to closing the gap in outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; and
on other Ministerial priorities as requested, including child and adolescent health, drug and alcohol, mental health, social and emotional well being and health workforce issues.

In developing this advice, NATSIHEC should consider a range of matters, including but not limited to the following:

how current activities to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people align with the Government’s commitment to close the gap and improve health outcomes for all Australians;
existing health policy and programs and their effectiveness at a regional, rural, remote, metro and national level;
work being progressed through other fora including but not limited to the COAG Health and Ageing Working Group and the COAG Working Group on Indigenous Reform;
current barriers to Indigenous people accessing adequate health services and how these might be best overcome;
the interaction between mainstream health services and Indigenous-specific health services;
the need for a whole-of-government approach to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well-being;
the need for coordination and integration of various national, regional, remote and rural programs and initiatives;
existing gaps in data and how these might be addressed in the future;
the social and environmental determinants of health that impact on Indigenous health to ensure goals and targets to support the Government’s commitment to improving Indigenous life expectancy and reducing child mortality are properly evidence-based;
national and international strategies for improving Indigenous health and building capabilities; and
how to maximise effective internal and external stakeholder relationships and increase community involvement in the Government's Indigenous health agenda.

The terms of reference for NIHEC 2008-11 are accessible here ‘NIHEC 2008-2011 TOR’

Page currency, Latest update: 17 August, 2011