20 March 2025 – Melbourne, VIC – The National Indigenous Health Leadership Alliance (NIHLA) proudly supports National Close the Gap Day 2025 and the launch of the latest Close the Gap Report, Agency, Leadership, Reform: Ensuring the Survival, Dignity, and Wellbeing of First Nations Peoples.
The report, released today by the Close the Gap Campaign, outlines the urgent need for governments to fully implement the four Priority Reform Areas of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. It provides a roadmap for systemic reform, highlighting how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agency and leadership are central to achieving real, lasting change.
The 2025 Close the Gap Report is structured around four critical themes that drive meaningful reform:
- Agency and Self-Determination – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples must lead decision-making processes that affect their lives.
- Leadership and Solidarity – Indigenous leadership, alongside strong allyship, is essential in closing the gap.
- Reform and Transformation – The report calls for comprehensive structural change to eliminate racism, improve data sovereignty, and ensure culturally safe policies.
A Call for Genuine Commitment
NIHLA joins Indigenous leaders and advocates in calling on governments to:
- Ensure their agencies and departments honour their commitments to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. The recommendations from the Productivity Commission's 2024 Review provides a guide as to how..
- Invest in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), who are held to a higher accountability level than non-Indigenous organisations, yet have proven to improve health, social, and emotional wellbeing outcomes for First Nations communities.
- Establish true partnerships by ensuring that policies, programs, and services are co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Karl Briscoe, Chair of NIHLA emphasised the success of Indigenous-led solutions state that "Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have driven the implementation of the Priority Reform Areas in our communities, we have seen real progress. This report demonstrates the power of our leadership when governments listen, trust, and act in good faith."
Join the Movement
Close the Gap Day is a powerful reminder that health equality is a basic human right. The public is encouraged to show support by signing the Close the Gap pledge, sharing messages on social media, and demanding stronger action from governments.
