The North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health (NCACCH) will be starting its annual free Well Person’s Health Check Days this week. The program aims at raising awareness among the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island community about the importance of a general and sexual health. It will also promote the country wide Close the Gap campaign. The campaign focuses on reducing the gap between the health and life expectancies of Aboriginals and the rest of the population.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lives shorter lives than other Australians. In some cases the rate is up to 20 years less. Babies of these aboriginal people die at twice the rate of other Australian babies. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also suffer from higher rates of preventable illness such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. Statistics reveal that Macarthur has the largest urban Aboriginal populations in NSW.

South Western Sydney Local Health Network Chief Executive Officer, Amanda Larkin believes that Close the Gap event is of major significance to all Australian.

Kim Helmore, Operations Manager, of the NCACCH said that The Well Person’s Health Check Days encourage the community to make healthy life choices and thus improve their overall lifestyle and health problems.