About the Indigenous Observatory

The AIHW Indigenous observatory is a repository of information on the health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A key product of the observatory is the report The health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, an overview 2011, which draws extensively on the AIHW and ABS data collections. The report provides relevant and interesting information on Indigenous health and welfare. Papers on specific topics are also available, including:

• Child safety
• Disability
• Access to health services
• Homelessness
• International comparisons of life expectancy
• Contribution of chronic disease to the mortality gap
• Eye health
• Life expectancy
• Older people

Each paper includes a summary page, with the full report also available for download.

The AIHW observatory complements the ABS Indigenous data collections. Between them both, readers can access a comprehensive statistical overview of Indigenous health and welfare.

Artwork

Artwork for the observatory has been sourced through a local Indigenous artist, James Baban. The painting is about health, wellbeing and support. It illustrates that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have unique cultures and ways of perceiving the world. Only through two-way culturally appropriate communication and engagement can relevant services and support be provided to Indigenous people.