How do an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community experience and respond to health as a social justice issue?
Compare the health experiences and self-determination strategies of an Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community
A worked answer comparing Indigenous health for the HSC Aboriginal Studies Comparative Study. Uses Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations and Maori health models to compare the legacy of colonisation, the Close the Gap movement, and self-determination in health.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to compare how an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community and an international Indigenous community experience health, and how each pursues self-determination over its own health care. Health is one of the six Comparative Study topics, and this dot point models the kind of integrated, evidence-based comparison that earns marks in the 45-mark Part 2 of the HSC examination. The example below uses an Aboriginal community and the Maori of Aotearoa New Zealand, but the structure transfers to any pairing.
The answer
Health as a social justice issue
For Indigenous peoples worldwide, health gaps are not natural but the measurable result of colonisation, dispossession and the loss of land, culture and self-governance. Comparing health therefore means comparing the social determinants, the policy responses, and above all the self-determination strategies communities use to take control of their own wellbeing. The right to the highest attainable standard of health, and the right to maintain traditional medicines, are affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007.
The shared legacy of colonisation
Both Aboriginal peoples in Australia and Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand carry a comparable legacy. Dispossession, introduced disease, and the disruption of kinship and Country produced large gaps in life expectancy, chronic disease and infant mortality relative to non-Indigenous populations. In both societies, mainstream health systems were designed without Indigenous involvement and often failed to provide culturally safe care, deterring people from seeking treatment. This shared pattern is your first comparison point.
Self-determination as the key response
The decisive comparison is how each community has reclaimed control. In Australia, the Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation model treats health holistically, linking physical, social, emotional and cultural wellbeing, and is governed by the communities it serves. In Aotearoa, the Treaty of Waitangi underpins Maori claims to health equity, and kaupapa Maori health services and the more recent move toward a dedicated Maori Health Authority reflect a parallel push for Indigenous control. Comparing these models shows two communities reaching similar conclusions: that health improves when Indigenous peoples design and run their own services.
Policy frameworks and targets
Both countries have national frameworks you can compare. In Australia, the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (2020) sets health targets and, crucially, was negotiated with the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations, embedding shared decision-making. The Close the Gap campaign, led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders, pushes for rights-based equality in health by 2030. In Aotearoa, successive Maori health strategies pursue equity through partnership grounded in the Treaty. Comparing the design of these frameworks, and how genuinely each shares power, is strong analysis.
Outcomes and ongoing gaps
A balanced comparison acknowledges that gaps persist in both contexts despite progress. Productivity Commission reporting shows several Closing the Gap health targets are not on track in Australia, while Maori health inequities also endure. The point for the HSC is not to declare one community better off, but to compare how structural factors, policy design and the degree of self-determination shape outcomes in each.
Structuring the comparison
Write integrated paragraphs. For each criterion, the legacy of colonisation, the community-controlled response, the national framework, and outcomes, move between both communities so the comparison is explicit. Support every point with specific, current evidence and frame both peoples as agents reclaiming control of their health.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
2021 HSC3 marksOutline ONE government program or strategy that aims to address the health needs of Aboriginal peoples.Show worked answer →
For 3 marks, name one program and outline its main features and aim.
Closing the Gap is an Australian government strategy that aims to reduce disadvantage and improve life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In health it specifically targets equality in health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
Outline its features: it sets measurable national targets (for example reducing the life-expectancy gap and child mortality), reports progress annually, and under the 2020 National Agreement commits governments to partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. Markers reward a named program plus its aim and key features rather than a one-line mention.
2022 HSC3 marksOutline ONE Aboriginal initiative that addresses health issues.Show worked answer →
For 3 marks, name one Aboriginal-led initiative and outline what it does and how it addresses health.
A strong choice is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), such as the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. It is a community-run organisation that delivers clinics and services to its community, including women's health, social and emotional wellbeing, and remote health services.
Outline its features: it is Aboriginal-owned and governed (an expression of self-determination), provides holistic and culturally safe care delivered by Aboriginal staff, and targets priority issues such as diabetes, heart disease, mental health and substance use. Because it is community-controlled, it improves trust and access where mainstream services often fail. Markers reward a named initiative with its features and health focus.
2021 HSC12 marksExplain how socioeconomic status of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples affects their health outcomes. In your response, refer to ONE Australian Aboriginal community and ONE other Indigenous community.Show worked answer →
For 12 marks, explain the relationship between socioeconomic status and health, sustained across two communities.
- The relationship
- Lower socioeconomic status is strongly associated with poorer health. Low income limits access to doctors, medication and ambulance services; poor education and health literacy affect lifestyle and ability to navigate care; overcrowded housing spreads illness; and these factors interact to drive chronic disease and a lower life expectancy. The effects are physical, mental and emotional.
- Australian Aboriginal community
- Use ABS evidence that Aboriginal life expectancy is below the non-Aboriginal population, and a community example (such as a remote community served by an ACCHO) where income, housing and education shape health outcomes.
- International Indigenous community
- Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand show similar patterns - long-standing health disparities driven by colonial history, income and access to care.
Conclude that socioeconomic status is a key determinant of Indigenous health in both contexts, and that community-controlled services and self-determination help mitigate it. Markers reward detailed reference to both communities and integrated concepts.
2022 HSC12 marksAssess the health status of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples. In your response, refer to both an Australian Aboriginal community and an international Indigenous community.Show worked answer →
For 12 marks, the verb "assess" requires a judgement about the state of Indigenous health, compared across two communities.
- Judgement
- Indigenous health status remains significantly poorer than that of non-Indigenous populations in both countries, but is improving where communities lead their own services.
- Australian Aboriginal community
- Use evidence such as the life-expectancy gap, higher rates of chronic disease and the slow progress of Closing the Gap targets. Show how a community-controlled organisation (for example the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress) improves access and culturally safe care.
- International Indigenous community
- Compare with Maori, who experience persistent disparities rooted in colonisation but benefit from Maori health providers and Treaty-based policy.
- Sustain the comparison
- Note shared causes (colonisation, socioeconomic disadvantage, access barriers) and shared solutions (self-determination and community control).
Conclude with a clear assessment: health status is poor but not static, with self-determined health models the strongest driver of improvement. Markers reward a judgement integrated with both communities.