First Nations Australians’ self-determination in health and alcohol policy development
February 2022
Citation:
Stearne, A., Lee, K. and Allsop, S. et al. First Nations Australians’ self-determination in health and alcohol policy development: a Delphi study. Health Res Policy Sys 20, 12 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-022-00813-6
Recognition of the role of structural, cultural, political and social determinants of health is increasing. A key principle of each of these is self-determination, and according to the United Nations, this is a right of Indigenous Peoples. For First Nations Australians, opportunities to exercise this right appear to be limited.
This paper explores First Nations Australian communities’ responses to reducing alcohol-related harms and improving the health and well-being of their communities, with a focus on understanding perceptions and experiences of their self-determination.
It aims to identify expert opinion on what is needed for First Nations Australians’ self-determination in the development of health- and alcohol-related policy, concluding that self-determination is complex, with different meaning in each context.
Despite some evidence of self-determination, systemic change in many areas is needed, including in government. This paper has provided a starting point, with the identification of elements and structural changes necessary to facilitate First Nations Australian community-led policy development approaches, which are vital to ensuring self-determination.
Read the paper here
