The Close the Gap campaign was launched in 2007 in response to Poche Network Patron, Professor Tom Calma’s Social Justice Report (2005), which challenged governments to achieve health equality within a generation. Each year, National Close the Gap Day is marked on the third Thursday in March. It provides an annual opportunity to review progress against the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which contains 4 priority reforms and 19 indicators spanning health, education, employment, business and culture.
Close the Gap Day has traditionally been characterised by both recognition of ongoing efforts and sobering headlines about the persistent inequities faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
While some national indicators are on track, many remain stable, and some have gone backwards. But this story does not capture the enormous efforts and full extent of the work undertaken every day across communities, organisations, and research centres to Close the Gaps. This year, in celebrating Close the Gap Day, the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health aims to redress the usual narrative by sharing a snapshot of the work we undertake to contribute to Closing the Gaps in Australian society between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population.
Our work reflects our many efforts, and recognises the progress being made through our research studies, projects and partnerships to create meaningful change with our partnering communities. Our efforts span research, collaboration, capacity building, and community-led action.
Key principles guiding our work include:
- Embedding Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles across all our work, ensuring data is governed, interpreted, and used in ways that respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community ownership, governance, and control.
- Working with Aboriginal-led businesses and community organisations to deliver impact and guide future efforts, to ensure our work reflects community priorities and delivers meaningful outcomes.
- Centring the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services in our studies and striving for meaningful impact in everything we do.
- Being guided by the cultural wisdom of our Elder in Residence, Dr Aunty Mary Martin AM, who ensures our researchers work in culturally appropriate and respectful ways.
Research and its contribution to Closing the Gap
Recently, one of our teams, led by A/Prof Mamun Huda, conducted an analysis of the perinatal datasets in Queensland and found that the current approach to assessing the healthy birthweight of babies, based solely on the baby’s Indigenous status, overestimates the overall healthy birthweight proportion for Indigenous babies. The team recommended calculating the healthy birthweight proportion according to the Indigenous status of both the baby and their mother to better monitor progress toward Closing the Gap Target 2 (CTG-2). More information is available here.
One of our PhD students, Ashraful Alam, completed an analysis of the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, documenting evidence of the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). His work also highlights how strong family bonds and financial stability can mitigate these experiences, suggesting that interventions aimed at strengthening these factors are essential. More information is available here.
Dr Stephen Harfield (Narungga and Ngarrindjeri) has led important work examining the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents. This includes research on models of care, young people’s experiences of health and wellbeing, and health care providers’ perspectives on adolescent care, all of which relate to CTG-1.
Clara Walker (PhD candidate) is undertaking work in preconception health that relates to CTG-1 and CTG-2. Her research focuses on addressing reproductive and intergenerational health inequities and supporting improved maternal and child health outcomes. A recent scoping review identified a need for dedicated research into preconception health risk factors, reproductive health outcomes, awareness and attitudes toward preconception health, and interventions for Indigenous peoples. She is also conducting research into infertility, with early findings suggesting that infertility is an important public health issue for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Queensland (to be published).
Sexual Health and BBV Research
Kellie Stacey (Wiradjuri) alongside our 10 ACCHS community partners are currently finalising data collation for the third GOANNA Study, a national cross-sectional survey examining social and behavioural factors related to blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples aged 16–29 years.
In the coming year, we will conduct a comprehensive analysis across all three GOANNA studies collected from more than 5000 people spanning 2011–2026 to understand changes in knowledge, health care access, and sexual behaviours over time as they relate to STIs and BBVs. GOANNA 1 and 2 reports can be accessed here.
In 2026, we continue to raise awareness of STIs, healthy relationships, and the importance of STI testing in communities through the Young Deadly Free health promotion campaign. Working in partnership with communities, we are developing new resources and maintaining strong national engagement through our website and social media platforms.
Our work in leading the ATLAS sentinel surveillance network with more than 90 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service clinics nationally, also continues to make a difference in how STI and BBV care is delivered in ACCHS. ATLAS supports improved clinical care and management of STIs and BBVs through tailored datasets and dashboards that enable local CQI and reflective practice implementation.
Through the RISE project, we are supporting community-led, multi-level strategies to address STIs by strengthening prevention, testing, and care pathways. This approach moves beyond traditional STI control studies that focus on single interventions and instead aims to measure the impact that multiple interventions across individual, community health service, and systems levels can have on STI prevalence in the regions. The project currently operates across three major regions spanning Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Through the GLOWS Program, we are supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services with models of care that provide best-practice support for people living with HIV and viral hepatitis (A/Prof Judith Dean, Kellie Stacy, Helena King, Robert Palm, Jethro Romer and Emily Pelger and A/Prof Rani West).
Health Systems and Models of Care
Our teams are working to finalise major projects including the Birthing in Our Community BiOC-LEWIS Study, The Deadly Fit Mums Study and Integrated Systems of Care (ISOC-2) in partnership with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH). (A/Prof Judith Dean and A/Prof Federica Barzi).
We are also progressing an important linkage study connecting primary and tertiary care in the Brisbane North region to better understand service access and utilisation for First nations peoples in the region. (Dr Saira Sanjida and Prof Ward).
We are collaborating with community partners, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane (ATSICHS), 2 Spirits and the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health, to develop a responsive and affirming model of care for LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy people (Rainbow Mob) called ‘BLA K PRIDE’. The BLAK PRIDE Model is being developed for implementation at ATSICHS Brisbane. We are also developing an accreditation program specifically for Rainbow Mob called the ‘BLAK PRIDE Certification Program’, and a Rainbow Mob specific Deadly Choices campaign. This work includes interviews with Rainbow Mob, co-design workshops, and is guided by our Community Advisory Group (Dr James Fowler and Zamira Tyson).
A/Prof Federica Barzi is leading work to develop a cardiac risk algorithm specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people using Aboriginal and Tores Strait Islander -specific data, rather than relying on tools developed from non-Indigenous populations.
Natasha Lee and Dr Anton Clifford Motopi are also finalising an anti-racism project at Caboolture Hospital. Through a co-design process informed by qualitative research with both clients and staff, this project will develop an anti-racism intervention for the hospital setting.
Urban Health Research
A major focus of the Centre is building a comprehensive research program examining the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Australia’s capital and major cities.
In mid-April we will launch the Health Equity Urban Health Dashboard, the first tool of its kind to present national datasets by capital city. The dashboard was developed in partnership with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and guided through governance processes involving Centre staff and members of the Research Alliance for Urban Community Controlled Health Services (RAUCCHS).
At the formal launch at VACCHO in Naarm, we will also release an inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Research Framework and a 2026 State-of-Play Report on urban health developed through the leadership of the Research Alliance for Urban Community Controlled Health Services.
Our Centre Director is commencing his work on his recently awarded ARC Laureate Fellowship that aims to transform the lives of people in capital cities and our work with RAUCCHS steps into its fourth year of work.
Additional Research Programs
We are working to reduce the impact of rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous communities through a life-course approach. This work includes education, point-of-care testing, behavioural nudges, and improved post-surgery rehabilitation across partner organisations in Darwin, Mt Isa, and Far North Queensland.
We are also supporting research into gestational diabetes and its impacts on First Nations women and children, contributing to a stronger evidence base for culturally safe and responsive care.
Building the Next Generation of Researchers
Developing the next generation of Indigenous health research leaders remains a core focus of the Centre.
Building on the success of last year, when six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students working with or affiliated with our Centre graduated with their PhDs, Rebekah Hauiti (Kamilaroi) and A/Prof Judith Dean continue to support our growing PhD cohort. We currently have 15 students, seven of whom identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
The Pathways to a PhD program: Doing Research for Mob, provides an overview of what PhD study involves and helps prospective Indigenous researchers explore their options.Our next Pathways to a PhD program will be held in Brisbane from 8 to 10 June, 2026.
Knowledge Sharing
As part of our seminar series, we have already hosted three speakers this year:
- Renee Blackman, CEO of ATSICHS Brisbane, examined how ACCHOs are reshaping research partnerships through community control, co-design and shared governance, highlighting culturally safe approaches, ethical research practice, and strategies for building equitable collaborations that prioritise community benefit and self-determination.
- Barbara Ibuai (Sabai Island – Koedal clan), who spoke about the existential challenges facing the Torres Strait Islands due to climate change and its impacts on health.
- Dr Eddy Strivens, a Cairns-based medical officer and researcher, who shared insights on ageing in the Torres Strait and highlighted community-led, evidence-based approaches to healthy ageing and dementia.
Looking Forward
Through our work and collaborations, we aim to make a meaningful contribution to Closing the Gap by ensuring our research is impactful and grounded in community priorities. Our commissioned work with Gargun Consulting Group, an Aboriginal business, is helping us capture our impact.
Our partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to guide how we work and what we focus on. We look forward to building on this foundation to support better systems, stronger evidence, and improved health equity and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
To celebrate Close the Gap Day in 2026, we affirm that our commitment will not waver until health equity is truly achieved between First Nations peoples and the rest of the population.
Our commitment will not waiver until health equity is truly achieved.
