The AIHW Indigenous observatory is a new repository of information on the health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The observatory homepage will feature key reports, information updates, and links to other important websites.
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. The format is highly visual and easy to read, and the report is also available in hard copy.
In addition the observatory initially contains a range of observatory papers covering a very interesting array of topics that are highly relevant to the current debates. The topics of the papers include:
Each paper includes a summary page, presenting the most important or interesting messages, with the full report also available for download. The collection will be added to and updated in 'real time', as new papers are completed. It will be a valuable information and statistical resource.
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.