The TIS&HL program was established to reduce smoking rates, the incidence of chronic disease, and early death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The program delivered community education activities to reduce health related risk factors for preventative chronic disease. These risk factors included the uptake and prevalence of smoking, poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.
During this first funding period, the program鈥檚 objectives aimed to:
The TIS&HL principles in the initial funding period of 2010鈥�2015 were:
Program delivery was provided primarily through 82 regional teams, funded to deliver tobacco and healthy lifestyle health promotion activities. Host organisations were mostly, but not exclusively, community-controlled health services.
Our digital repository of resources displays activities conducted by all TIS teams across each funding period.
Explore TIS activities across all funding periodsCo-designed social marketing campaigns were used by RTISHL teams to change people鈥檚 beliefs and attitudes towards smoking and promote healthy lifestyles.
RTISHL teams developed links with community members, Aboriginal Healthcare Practitioners, and local organisations including Community Controlled Health Services, schools, youth clubs, and sports clubs, as well as regional and national organisations (e.g. National Heart Foundation; Regional Cancer Councils).
A key activity for RTISHL teams who delivered a range of educational activities to improve the understanding of the health and economic impacts of smoking, and the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. Most activities took a holistic approach to health education, providing links between smoking, nutrition and physical activity.
Teams provided smoking cessation advice and tools to individuals and communities. This included running local quit support groups and providing Nicotine Replacement Therapy to participants.
School-based activities were carried out to educate young people on the harms of smoking and encourage healthy eating and participation in physical activity.
Resources were developed and distributed to educate, increase awareness and make meaningful impact in communities. This included brochures, fact sheets, videos and posters that supported TIS activities.
An independent review of the TIS&HL program, conducted by the 海角射区 Health Research Institute established the successes of the program and identified elements for enhancement. The review provided advice to the Australian Government on options for renewed action to reduce the impact of smoking and other health related risk factors Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.
In 2005, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma, called on the government to take real action to achieve health equality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. His sets out a human rights framework to achieving improvement in health status.
This report led to the community driven response, of National Close the Gap Day in 2007. The aim of the
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