It is well known that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce play a vital role in addressing the heath needs of our people.

An allied health professional is tertiary qualified who sometimes work alone, and often work with others in the healthcare team. Their role is to prevent ill-health, promote recovery, to support diagnosis and to guide the patient toward wellness.

Access to allied health care can improve quality of life and prevent ill-health, increase a person’s ability to walk or move better, reduce dependence and assist the patient to care for themselves. Allied health services lessen the risk and severity of complications associated with chronic disease conditions or injury.

In order to close the gap in Indigenous health outcomes, we need more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to become allied health professionals. This includes professions such as audiology; dietetics; exercise physiology; occupational therapy; optometry; orthoptics; pharmacy; physiotherapy; podiatry; prosthetics & orthotics; psychology; radiography & sonography; social work, speech pathology and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health.