NACCHO

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is the national leadership body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. NACCHO provides advice and guidance to the Australian Government on policy and budget matters and advocates for community-developed solutions that contribute to the quality of life and improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We represent 143 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) operated by the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities which control it through a locally elected board of management. NACCHO members operate around 300 clinics providing holistic and culturally competent primary health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia. The sector is the second largest employer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia; the ACCHOs employ about 6,000 staff, of which 3,500 are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In 1997, the Federal Government funded NACCHO to establish a Secretariat in Canberra, which greatly increased the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in ACCHOs to participate in national health policy development.

The integrated primary health care model adopted by ACCHOS is in keeping with the philosophy of Aboriginal community control and the holistic view of health. Addressing the ill health of Aboriginal people can only be achieved by local Aboriginal people controlling health care delivery.

NACCHO is leading negotiations with the Commonwealth and state and territory governments on a genuine partnership to identify an agreement on both the process and the new Closing the Gap targets including health and health-related targets.