Aboriginal babies in Victoria are twice as likely to die as non-Aboriginals in their first year, with a study warning efforts to close the gap have a long way to go.
The first study of its kind in Victoria reveals that the gap between the Aboriginal infant mortality rate and the rest of the population is worse than thought.
Examining a decade of unpublished data from 1999 to 2008, Melbourne University researchers found there were nine deaths per 1000 live births among Aboriginal babies, compared to 4.5 deaths for non-Aboriginal babies.
Aboriginal births made up 1.6 per cent of births statewide but accounted for 3.1 per cent of Victorian infant deaths.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Jane Freemantle, of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, said the data showed that the federal government’s Closing the Gap goals to address indigenous disadvantage had a massive task ahead. One of the national targets is to halve the gap in mortality rates for children by 2018.
Associate Professor Freemantle said there had been no change in the rate of Aboriginal infant mortality in 10 years and there was a lot of work to be done.
“For this to be the case in 2014 is really not acceptable,” she said. “We want this data to be used to prevent preventable deaths and to target interventions.”
The study, which took six years, found that the previous estimate of the number of Victorian births to Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islanders over the decade should be increased by between 87 and 120 per cent.
Aboriginal babies younger than 12 months were at a higher risk of dying of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and complications because of premature birth, the study showed. Aboriginal children younger than 11 were more likely to die of injuries than the non-Aboriginal population.
“If we can’t afford to look after the most vulnerable in our society, we really need to question where we are going,” Associate Professor Freemantle said.
Andrew Jackomos, Victoria’s Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Youth, said the worrying statistics reflected the overall vulnerability of Aboriginal children.
He urged the new Labor state government to understand the importance of accurate population statistics on which to base public health policies and programs.
“What this tells us is that there is a need for the new state government to break the practice of secrecy that has permeated over the past four years,” he said.
“We need more statistics and facts like these to be made public.”