Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

One in five First Nations Australians have signs of kidney disease.

Kidney Health Australia is a trusted source of information and referral regarding the kidney health of people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. A key priority is to work with local communities to address the inequities in care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People living with chronic kidney disease.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience disproportionate levels of kidney disease, regardless of whether they live in urban, regional or rural areas. Compared with the general population, they are twice as likely to develop kidney disease and four times as likely to die from kidney disease.

In remote and very remote areas of Australia, the incidence of kidney failure among First Nations Australians is especially high, with rates up to 20 times higher than those of comparable non-Indigenous peoples.

Kidney Health Australia works across the continuum of healthcare to support and improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families and communities impacted by kidney disease.

Client resources

Learn all about what your kidneys do, how to keep them stronger for longer and if you need a Kidney Health Check.

CARI Guidelines

Launched in 2022 and founded upon broad clinical and community consultation and collaboration. Click to read more about the process and to download the guidelines.

External Resources

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is Australia’s authority on comprehensive primary health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet is a ‘one-stop info-shop’ established to help ‘close the gap’ by informing practice and policy in Indigenous health by making research and other knowledge accessible.

The Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) helps to alleviate the language barriers faced by many Aboriginal people throughout the Northern Territory. Guidance and advice can be provided with appropriate language selection, dialects, language level and cultural considerations. The service also offers cross-cultural training and workshops on how to work effectively with an Interpreter.

The Indigenous Observatory initiated by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is a repository of information on the health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The website features reports, information updates and useful links.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association (NATSIHWA) is the peak body for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners in Australia.

The Menzies School of Health Research is Australia’s only medical research institute dedicated to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and well being. Its work addresses critical issues such as mental health, nutrition, substance abuse, child health and development, as well as chronic diseases including kidney disease, cancer and heart disease.

Yolngu Radio is a community development radio station providing information, music and entertainment to the Yolngu people of northeast Arnhem Land. It’s broadcast in the languages of the Yolngu people. Yolngu Radio is a part of Aboriginal Resource and Development Services (ARDS), which covers health concepts, specific diseases significant in Yolngu populations, and ‘responsive health messages’ on a range of topics.