About the Close the Gap campaign
Working together to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by 2030.
Summary
Australia's peak Indigenous and non-Indigenous health, human rights and community organisations are working together on the Close the Gap campaign.
The campaign aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation.
The campaign is built on evidence that shows significant improvements in the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can be achieved by 2030.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss is the Close the Gap Campaign Co-Chair.
About Close the Gap
In 2007, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) set measurable targets to track and assess developments in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. These targets include halving the mortality rate gap for children under five within a decade.
In March 2008, the government signed the Close the Gap Statement of Intent, which remains at the heart of the Close the Gap campaign.
The Close the Gap Statement of Intent includes the commitments to:
- Develop a long-term, evidence-based plan of action to meet needs, close the health gap, and achieve health equality by 2030.
- Ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and their representative organisations, are fully involved in every stage of the process.
Close the Gap vs Closing the Gap
- Closing the Gap is the Government's formal strategy
- Close the Gap is a community-driven campaign led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It centres Indigenous voices and self-determination.
Who we are
The members of the Close the Gap Campaign Steering Committee are:
Co-Chairs
- Katie Kiss, Commissioner of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
- Karl Briscoe, CEO, National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP)
Members
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation
- Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales
- Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
- Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia
- Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR)
- Australian College of Midwives
- Australian College of Nursing
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
- Australian Human Rights Commission (Secretariat)
- Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association
- Australian Indigenous Psychologists' Association
- Australian Medical Association
- Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Australian Student and Novice Nurse Association
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- Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives
- Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia (CRANAPlus)
- Expert Adviser – alcohol and other drugs (Pat Dudgeon)
- Expert Adviser – epidemiology and public health (Ian Ring)
- Expert Adviser – mental health and social and emotional wellbeing (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Mental Health) (Ted Wilkes)
- First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN)
- Healing Foundation
- Heart Foundation Australia
- Indigenous Allied Health Australia
- Indigenous Dentists' Association of Australia
- Indigenous Eye Health Unit (University of Melbourne)
- Kidney Health Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers' Association
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
- National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Physiotherapists
- National Coordinator – Tackling Indigenous Smoking (Dr Tom Calma AO – Campaign founder and former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner)
- National Heart Foundation of Australia
- NSW Aboriginal Land Council
- Oxfam Australia
- Palliative Care Australia
- Public Health Indigenous Leadership in Education Network (PHILE Network)
- Public Health Association of Australia
- Reconciliation Australia
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- The Fred Hollows Foundation
- The Lowitja Institute
- The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
- Torres Strait Regional Authority
- Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
- Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service
Our progress
Since 2010, the Close the Gap Steering Committee has released annual reports tracking the Australian Government's progress towards health equality.
In 2018, it also released the Close the Gap: 10-Year Review. This report examined why governments had fallen short, and warned that the 2030 target would be missed without urgent change.
Annual reports
- Latest report
- 2022 Close the Gap report
- 2021 Close the Gap report
- 2020 Close the Gap report
- 2019 Close the Gap report – “Our Choices, Our Voices”
- 2018 Close the Gap: 10-Year Review
- 2017 Progress and Priorities report (download in Word)
- 2016 Progress and Priorities report (download in Word)
- 2015 Progress and Priorities report (download in Word)
- 2014 Progress and Priorities report (download in Word)
- 2013 Shadow report (download in Word)
- 2012 Shadow report
- 2011 Shadow report
- 2010 Shadow report
Get involved
How you can help Close the Gap:
- Pledge your support by adding your voice to the campaign
- Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates and news
- Celebrate National Close the Gap Day: host or join an event
- Use our education materials to spread the message in your school, workplace or community
- Share our resources to help raise awareness on social media and in your networks.
