The National LGBTI Health Alliance has responded to the Department of Health’s Consultation Paper on the development of a National Preventive Health Strategy.
In a welcome move, the paper explicitly recognises that LGBTI people as a group with has greater health needs than the general Australian population. Our submission focuses on significant health disparities largely related to discrimination, exclusion, harassment and physical violence.
We argue that the final Preventive Health Strategy needs to provide greater focus on mental health, inclusive schooling, reducing discrimination, the role of community-controlled organisations, improved data collection for more research, and removing barriers to accessing health services.
We call for strategies that recognise lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, and intersex people are diverse, with distinctive health challenges that can need different strategies. LGBTI people with other distinct identities or experiences (such as those who are Aboriginal, from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, have a disability, or from regional or remote locations) can face greater and different challenges that affect their health.
The link to the Consultation Paper is https://consultations.health.gov.au/national-preventive-health-taskforce/consultation-paper-for-the-national-preventive-hea/supporting_documents/NPHS%20Consultation%20Paper%20%20PDF.pdf