The Australian Human Rights Commission has warned that racism is costing lives in Australia, with a new report finding it is a critical driver of poor health, chronic illness and premature death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other communities.
Health inequities in Australia: A scoping review on the impact of racism on health outcomes and healthcare access synthesises evidence from 100 studies and details how systemic and interpersonal racism contribute to mental illness, chronic disease and reduced life expectancy. Conducted by researchers, including First Nations researchers in the School of Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney, the review also documents widespread mistrust of healthcare systems following repeated experiences of discrimination, neglect and stereotyping.
‘This report confirms what communities have been saying for decades: racism in the health system is not just unfair—it can kill,’ Commissioner Sivaraman said.
‘When people are denied care, misdiagnosed or treated with suspicion because of their race, the consequences are not theoretical. They can be fatal.’
‘We cannot close the gap in health outcomes without confronting the racism that underpins it,’ Commissioner Sivaraman said. ‘This is not about isolated incidents. It’s about a system that too often fails people because of who they are. That must change.’
The Commission has called for urgent reforms across the health and education systems and workplaces, including:
– Embedding cultural safety standards in healthcare and providing accessible anti‑racism training for health professionals.
– Expanding interpreter services and backing Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse‑led health initiatives through community‑led programmes.
– Recognising historical trauma in health strategies and embedding anti‑racist policies in schools and universities.
– Strengthening anti‑discrimination laws, including introducing a federal Human Rights Act, and promoting job security and workplace protections.
– Ensuring diverse voices in policymaking and governance.
– Funding longitudinal research on racism and health, including intersectional impacts, and culturally tailored mental health interventions that address workplace discrimination.
‘Racism is a public health emergency,’ Commissioner Sivaraman said.
‘We need to treat it with the same urgency and seriousness as any other threat to life.’
‘We need the federal and state governments to commit to the health-based recommendations in the National Anti-Racism Framework.’
Leaders from the health sector backed the findings.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said “[t]his important report again highlights the prevalence of structural racism and the impacts of racism on health in Australia. racism harms social and emotional wellbeing and increases the risk of chronic disease for those who experience it. racism in healthcare is preventable.
“The RACGP has a zero tolerance approach to racism and we call for implementation of the AHRC National Anti-Racism Framework and for cultural safety to be embedded across general practice and the broader health system. Governments implementing Closing the Gap Priority Reform three will be a crucial enabler for this.
“The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the RACGP have a topic on the health impacts of racism in the NACCHO-RACGP National guide to preventive healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss said “racism makes First People’s unwell, and racism is stopping first people from getting better. It’s unacceptable that First peoples are dying from diseases that have been eradicated in the rest of population decades ago. This needs to urgently change.”
The report supports the goals of the National Anti‑racism Framework and sets out a roadmap for governments, health institutions and communities to dismantle discriminatory structures and build a health system that is safe, inclusive and equitable for all.
