This Wednesday (21 March 2019) marks this year's Close The Gap Day, which focuses on tackling the poorer health of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples when compared to the non-Indigenous population, with the aims of closing the Indigenous Health gap by 2030.

An Aboriginal men’s group in Airds, NSW, is helping to improve men’s health by making the local health services more accessible.

A mini-series developed by actor and television presenter Ernie Dingo has inspired the Federal Government to invest one million dollars into an indigenous men’s health initiative.

Dingo, who comes from the Yamatji people of the Murchison region of Western Australia, partnered with documentary filmmaker Tom Hearn to produce a four-part mini-series centered around ‘fireside yarns’ with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.

More Indigenous Health Workers, including those specialising in men’s health, are needed to meet the health needs of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander population.

NB: This article was first published in December 2018. It has not been updated to reflect the ALP's response to the launch of the new National Men's Strategy on 11 April 2019. 

Labor has committed to take action to improve men's health if it wins the Federal election due to be held in the first half of 2019. The commitment came on Day Three of the ALP National Conference in Adelaide.