ANTaR's Indigenous Health Rights Campaign has been developed in response to Indigenous calls for urgent action to address the crisis in Indigenous health. The campaign is informed by the following understandings:

1. It is a health emergency
The Indigenous health crisis is literally a life and death issue affecting every aspect of Indigenous lives and communities. What is more, the situation for Indigenous Australians is getting worse, not better.

2. The crisis can be solved
This emergency can be met. Governments need to show political will and put into action the strategies and solutions they have had in front of them for over 10 years. A genuine partnership approach that allows Indigenous people and communities to take responsibility for solutions will solve the crisis.

3. Misconceptions must be addressed
There remains widespread misunderstanding in the broader community about the Indigenous health crisis, its causes and solutions. It is essential to address these misunderstandings to improve attitudes and respect for Indigenous peoples and to motivate governments to act on these issues.

4. Health is linked to other rights
It is more than simply a health issue. Health is a human right that is directly linked to other fundamental human rights: housing and employment, relationships to land, rights to self-determination and to the enjoyment and protection of cultures.

5. Health requires new government thinkingFixing Indigenous health involves more than tweaking service delivery. A changed policy approach is needed – one that allocates resources on the basis of need, and delivers Indigenous control of solutions.

6. We spend too little, not too much, on Indigenous health
People think far more health dollars are spent on Indigenous people than everyone else. Yet Commonwealth health expenditure on Indigenous Australians is less than for other Australians despite Indigenous illness levels three times higher than the rest of the population.

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