Reconciliation Action Plan

Cancer Council Australia is proud to be joining the Reconciliation Action Plan program and, in doing so, making a formal commitment to advance reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Cancer Council is the only charity in Australia to work across every area of every cancer, from research to prevention and support. We are here for all Australians affected by cancer and our vision of a cancer free future is intrinsically linked to the ongoing journey of reconciliation. Addressing health issues for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can only be done in a spirit of reconciliation and in understanding the contextual factors surrounding ill health for these communities. Cancer is no exception to this.

Cancer Council recognises the importance of understanding the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by cancer and in developing approaches to managing cancer that are culturally safe. Cancer is the second most common cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who are 43% more likely to die from the disease than other Australians, despite similar overall cancer incidence. This distressing inequity highlights the important work needed to ensure services, information, and support are designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and provide them with the best chance of achieving optimal cancer outcomes.

As this Reconciliation Action Plan outlines, Cancer Council Australia is committed to increasing its engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and to working with the existing structures for health and wellbeing established to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. We are committed to a process of partnership that places cancer prevention, treatment, and care within a wider approach to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to a just, equitable, and reconciled Australia.

Finally, Cancer Council Australia recognises that sovereignty was never ceded and that this was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.