Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the increasing use of Aboriginal traditional medicine as a complementary service in Australian public health care. I want to first commend the unique work of Dr Francesca Panzironi in this field. In 2013, Dr Panzironi published an informative report regarding the status of Aboriginal traditional medicine in Australia, Hand-in-hand: report on Aboriginal traditional medicine. The key finding of this report was that, while Australia is a signatory to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, there is no overarching policy or legislative framework that recognises Aboriginal traditional medicine within Australia. This is contrary to article 24.1 of the UN declaration, which explicitly states:

Indigenous peoples have the right to their traditional medicines and to maintain their health practices, including the conservation of their vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals.

Article 31 of the declaration goes on to state that Indigenous people have the right to 'maintain, control, protect and develop' their traditional knowledge in all its diversity and that states 'shall take effective measures to recognise and protect' these rights. However, there is still no overarching or cohesive legislative or policy framework at a state or federal level that recognises the actual role of traditional healers.

Since Dr Panzironi's report, the Anangu Ngangkari Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation, or ANTAC, has been established in my home state of SA under the governance and direction of traditional healers from the APY lands. ANTAC offers Aboriginal traditional healing to local hospitals and regional and remote clinics in South Australia, as well as various locations interstate, including WA, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Overall, ANTAC services reach close to 100 different government agencies, health services and community centres around Australia, and demand is very much growing. Their services are provided through various ad hoc arrangements at state and local community levels, but there is still no cohesive funding model or policy framework that supports or recognises Ngangkari healing.

The delivery of these essential traditional treatments around Australia is a complex undertaking that requires substantial logistical and administrative support. Since the Hand-in-hand report, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2013-2023 and the related implementation plan recognised the cultural and holistic significance of traditional healing for Aboriginal health and wellbeing. These documents affirm the need for collaboration between traditional healers and the Western mainstream health sector as part of an integrated healthcare approach from Aboriginal people. The health plan documents also note the need to develop an evidence base that includes traditional healing and cultural models of care. I'm unaware of any research or funding that has progressed this strategy.

I recognise there are complexities when diverse cultural perspectives, world views and knowledge systems converge in the provision of health care. This is not new and is an ongoing challenge. However, this is not about the superiority of one approach over another. Rather, it is about realigning our approaches to health care to recognise diverse systems as equally valid, according to the culture and world view in which they are adopted. Aboriginal traditional medicine is equally valid, according to its own traditional knowledge and practice. Importantly, recognition of Aboriginal traditional medicine in state and federal legislation and policy will provide a strategic pathway towards closing the gap in health outcomes for Indigenous Australians—a target that has not been achieved under previous strategies.

Putting Aboriginal traditional medicine on the formal health research agenda will also support the development of traditional healing and align with the current national health plan. Noting that $160 million has been allocated from the 2019-2020 health budget to the Indigenous Health Research Fund, it makes sense to include Aboriginal traditional medicine on that agenda. This is perfectly compatible with Minister Hunt's focus on 'improving primary health care, overcoming the origins of inequality in health, reducing the burden of disease and addressing emerging challenges'.