Program planning and Evaluation (Public Health)



Program planning and Evaluation (Public Health)

Evaluation Report Title: Evaluation of Primary Health Care Funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services

Introduction

This report is prepared to provide recommendations and findings with respect to the effectiveness and efficiency of the PHCF (Primary Health Care Funding) program as administered and managed by the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health within the DoHA (Department of Health and Ageing). This program is the initiative of Government of Australia in their effort to bring indigenous community into the mainstream Australian society by sharing the significant health benefits and gains with them which other Australians share and enjoy. This evaluation report is the assessment of program goals (Impact of the funding on the overall health of Indigenous Australians) that lives throughout the Australia but mostly in rural areas. The scarcity of healthcare providers in rural districts is a universal problem which is great challenge in making health care provision and delivery system equitable and fairer. Rural areas in Australia are underdeveloped as compared to the remote and rural where indigenous community lives mostly. Indigenous people in rural areas suffer more from chronic health problems due to shortage of health care benefits and services in rural areas of the country. In this essay, 2 sets of evaluation criteria are set up for evaluation of this assessment report. First criteria will take into account the program short term and long term goals and objectives. These goals and objective are then assessed on the overall health statistics of Indigenous population to see whether any improvements are witnessed as envisioned by this funding program. Second set of criteria is established to assess overall quality and authenticity of this report (figures are correct, organization of information etc.). Improvements made will bring indigenous Australians closer to being equal citizens with non-indigenous Australians in terms of access to broader and better health options so this evaluation is based on the principle of equity which is a PHC principle.

Description of the program

Many research studies and surveys have suggested long ago that the significant health benefits and gains that an average Australian enjoys are not shared by the indigenous community. Indigenous communities of Australia are suffering continuously a larger burden of ill health as compared to the rest of the Australian population. Indigenous Australians have limited access to the health benefits and services, shorter life expectancy as compared to non-indigenous Australians, poorer health and increased health risk factors. Additionally, according to the estimations of Australian Bureau of Statistics, adult life expectancy gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians are 11.5 years for males and 9.7 years for females. Moreover, Indigenous Australians also suffer from a burden of diseases that are approximately and 2 and half times larger as compared to the rest of the Australian population. Chronic conditions were attributable for 80 percent of this difference. Several research studies have confirmed that many of the poorer health outcomes on the part of indigenous Australians are directly related to the ...