The life expectancy of Indigenous people in the Northern Territory has increased by up to nine years over two decades, with the rise in the average Indigenous life span outpacing the rate of increase for non-Indigenous Territorians, according to new government research.
But Indigenous health advocates say there's still a long way to go to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, with their average life spans still far below those of non-Indigenous Territorians.
The Northern Territory government study, which was published in the Medical Journal of Australia, shows Indigenous men's average life expectancy jumped from 56.6 to 65.6 years between 1999 and 2018, while for women it rose from 64.8 years to 69.7 years.
Those gains outpaced those of non-Indigenous Territorians, whose life expectancy for men increased from 77.4 to 81 years and for women from 84.3 to 85.1 years.
"During 1999 to 2018, the difference in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people declined by 26 per cent for men, from 20.8 to 15.4 years, and 21 per cent for women, from 19.5 to 15.4 years," said research lead and NT Health principal health economist Dr Yueyen Zhao.
The study – which researchers say is the first to compare life expectancy changes in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations and the main diseases that cause death – found fewer Indigenous deaths from cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and some forms of injury were the main reasons why Indigenous people were living longer lives.
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the study showed there had been "considerable improvements" in healthcare for First Nations people over the past 20 years, and highlighted where more work was needed.
Progress falling short of Closing the Gap target
The national Closing the Gap target is for life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to be closed by 2031.
However, the NT Health study stated that even with the improvements that had been made, the rate of progress was "inadequate for achieving the objective of closing the gap... by 2031".
"At the current rate, a further 60 years will be required to eliminate the gap in the NT," it said.
Rob McPhee, the chief executive of Darwin-based Aboriginal health service Danila Dilba, agreed that unless there were major reforms, the territory would fail to reach the target by 2031.
"Even with the improvement over the last 20 years in the territory, we still see ourselves more likely to die around 16 years younger than when non-Indigenous men and women die in the territory, and that's even [younger] in the territory than it is nationally," he said.
"Without some really concerted efforts, we're just not going to see those changes in the time frame that's been agreed to by governments."
Flinders University Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men's health expert Kootsy Canuto said it was shocking that it would take another 60 years before the gap in Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancies was set to be closed in the NT – "and that is under ideal circumstances".
"Quite simply, we have a hell of a long way to go before we can start high-fiving each other," he said.
"For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men in the Northern Territory, a life expectancy of 65.6 years is still 15.4 years behind non-Indigenous men.
More action needed to raise life expectancy further
In the report, Dr Zhao and his co-researchers acknowleged that "mental health care and the social determinants of health, [which are] focuses of the Closing the Gap program, remain challenges".
They said the rising suicide rate among Indigenous people was an area of particular concern.
Dr McPhee said more investment into the health needs of Indigenous communities, a stronger focus on prevention and more work to address the social determinants of health were key to driving up life expectancy for Indigenous Territorians and closing the gap.
"I think [the life expectancy gap] is a real stain on the landscape of the country, really," he said.
"The fact that we've still got such a huge gap in life expectancy has to be a national priority, and a priority for the NT government.
