Closing the Gap and programs to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' health for VCE Health and Human Development Unit 3 AoS 2

What this dot point is asking

The 2025 study design key knowledge is "programs to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' health, including how they promote social justice". Two key skills go with it:

• analyse initiatives to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' health and wellbeing, and how they reflect the action areas of the Ottawa Charter and social justice;
• evaluate initiatives in terms of their capacity to improve health outcomes and promote social justice.

It has been examined every year: 2022 Q10 (headspace 'Take a Step', Ottawa Charter action areas), 2024 Q2 (NSW Knockout Health Challenge, Ottawa Charter) and 2025 Q7 (VACCA's Koorie Kids Playgroup, health and wellbeing and social justice).

Why programs are needed: the gap in 2026

The Productivity Commission publishes the Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report (ADCR) each July. The sixth report (July 2026) gives the latest data:

Source: Productivity Commission, Closing the Gap Annual Data Compilation Report July 2026 (released July 2026).

Overall (July 2026): of 19 targets, 1 has been met (preschool enrolment), 3 show good improvement and are on track (employment, and land and sea rights and interests), 5 are improving but not on track, 4 are worsening (childhood development, children in out-of-home care, adult imprisonment and suicide), 2 show no change from the baseline and progress cannot be assessed for the rest. The Commission noted that, at the halfway point to 2031, "the urgency to alter the trajectory of those targets not on track ... is strikingly clear", and that there is still no nationally consistent way of measuring the four Priority Reforms.

The ADCR also reports that health outcomes such as life expectancy and healthy birthweight are stronger in less disadvantaged areas, which shows how the social determinants of health (income, education, housing, location) drive the gap.

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap took effect in July 2020. Unlike earlier Closing the Gap strategies, it was negotiated and signed by all Australian governments together with the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations (the Coalition of Peaks). Its objective is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and governments to work together to overcome inequality and achieve life outcomes equal to all Australians.

It has 17 socio-economic outcome areas, measured by 19 targets and more than 160 supporting indicators, and four Priority Reforms that change how governments work:

1. Formal partnerships and shared decision-making: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people share decisions with governments.
2. Building the community-controlled sector: strengthening Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to deliver services.
3. Transforming government organisations: governments address racism and become culturally safe and accountable.
4. Shared access to data and information at a regional level: communities have the data they need to make decisions.

Social justice. The Agreement promotes equity (targets focus resources on areas of greatest need), participation (shared decision-making through the Coalition of Peaks and partnerships), access (targets on early childhood education, housing and essential services address the prerequisites for health) and human rights (self-determination and the right to culture, language and Country, reflected in the land, sea and language targets).

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs)

ACCHOs are primary health care services initiated, governed and operated by local Aboriginal communities through elected boards. The first, the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern, Sydney, opened in 1971, and the national peak body is the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).

• What they provide: comprehensive, culturally safe primary health care: GP services and health checks, maternal and child health, immunisation, chronic disease management, social and emotional wellbeing support, and health promotion, often with transport and outreach.
• How they improve health: Aboriginal health workers and practitioners, a holistic view of health that includes culture and connection to Country, and a trusted, racism-free environment mean people attend earlier and keep attending, improving early detection and management of chronic disease.
• Social justice: participation (community control), equity (resources directed to need), access (local, culturally safe services) and human rights (self-determination).
• Link to the Agreement: building the community-controlled sector is Priority Reform 2.

Community programs examined by VCAA

VACCA's Koorie Kids Playgroup (2025 Q7)

The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency runs playgroups where Koorie families gather, children get to know other Koorie kids, hear stories and take part in cultural activities such as art, craft and dance. It promotes social health and wellbeing (friendships and support networks), spiritual health and wellbeing (belonging and pride in culture) and helps children prepare for school. Social justice: equity (specific support for a group experiencing educational disadvantage) and participation (families take part and connect with community).

NSW Knockout Health Challenge (2024 Q2)

A community-led and -owned healthy lifestyle challenge in which Aboriginal teams choose their own activities (boot-camp workouts, walking groups, group cooking classes, nutrition and physical activity education) and share ideas through yarning circles. Action areas: strengthen community action (community-led, teams choose priorities, yarning circles) and develop personal skills (cooking classes and education). Social justice: participation and access.

headspace 'Take a Step' (2022 Q10b)

A national campaign that encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to recognise signs that something is not right and take small, practical steps towards feeling better, thinking about wellbeing holistically through culture, identity, place and spirituality, with culturally appropriate online resources and a community chat feature. The 2022 report's high-scoring answer used develop personal skills and strengthen community action.

Mapping programs to the Ottawa Charter

Evaluating programs

When a question asks you to evaluate a program's capacity to improve health outcomes and promote social justice, weigh:

Strengths to look for:

• Community control and self-determination: programs designed and run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more culturally safe, trusted and used.
• Cultural relevance: including culture, language, Country and family strengthens spiritual and social health and wellbeing.
• Targeting need: directing resources to the social determinants (early childhood, education, housing, employment) addresses causes, not just symptoms.
• Measurable targets: the Agreement's targets and annual reporting create accountability.

Limitations to look for:

• Slow progress on key health targets: life expectancy is improving but not on track; healthy birthweight shows no change; childhood development and suicide rates are worsening (July 2026).
• Wider determinants: housing, income, racism and remoteness still limit outcomes. For example, a healthy food basket cost 40 per cent more in remote Northern Territory stores than in district centre supermarkets in 2023 (NT Health).
• Funding and workforce: short-term funding and staff shortages, especially in remote areas, limit reach.
• Measurement: there is still no nationally consistent way to measure the Priority Reforms.

Command terms and how to answer them

• Describe how a program promotes health and wellbeing: quote the stimulus, then link it to a named dimension ("... builds friendships, promoting social health and wellbeing").
• Explain how a program promotes social justice: name or clearly show a principle (equity, access, participation, human rights) and link it to a specific feature of the program.
• Identify and describe an action area: name it exactly, define it, then show where it appears in the stimulus.
• Analyse: show how several features, action areas and principles work together to improve a named health outcome.
• Evaluate: strengths and limitations with evidence (use the Closing the Gap data), then a judgement.

How this dot point appears in the VCE exam

• Short answer (2 to 3 marks): describe how a program promotes a dimension of health and wellbeing, identify an Ottawa Charter action area in a program (2024 Q2), or explain how it promotes social justice (2025 Q7b).
• Analyse or evaluate (4 to 6 marks): action areas, social justice and capacity to improve health outcomes, using Closing the Gap data.
• Extended response (10 marks): Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health can be one part of a question on improvements in health status or variations between population groups.