Bridging the survival gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: priorities for the road ahead

The life-expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians remains one of contemporary Australia's most enduring health divides. The reduction of observed health outcome disparity between population groups based on measures of socioeconomic status, geography, or ethnicity stands as a key target of coordinated societal and health system reform. CVD remains the principal cause of death among all Australian population groups, including Aboriginal males and females, and is the primary contributor to the 17-year life-expectancy gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. This paper discusses the challenges inherent, from the perspective of broader policy frameworks and health system reform, to reducing disparity between population groups within Australia, and outlines the opportunities for change that could contribute benefit to Aboriginal and mainstream Australians in regards to reducing the burden of CVD and related conditions. Further, through mapping adverse outcomes to acute cardiac events it seeks to discuss several key targets for reform that may serve to reduce health disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.