WCAR Outcomes on Services - Summary
The Conference focused principally on health care in recognition that poverty is both a cause and a consequence of racism and that lower health outcomes are an unavoidable concomitant of poverty (Declaration paras 18 and 19). Governments are committed to these undertakings and private agencies and non-government organisations are encouraged to adopt them as well.
Employment of minorities
All services – particularly public services – should take affirmative measures to recruit from among minority groups (PoA 100).
Human rights and anti-racism training
All public officials, including health service providers, are to receive training in their human rights and anti-racism obligations (PoA 133).
Monitoring
Effective anti-discrimination laws are one way of monitoring and eliminating racism and racial discrimination from the health care system (PoA 110(a)).
Research
Research into health disparities and differential effectiveness of services should be undertaken (PoA 110(d)).
Access
Further measures need to be introduced to enhance access to health care for the most vulnerable and excluded groups. In fact equal access must be assured and health disparities must be eliminated (PoA 101, 110(b)).
Specific measures
HIV/AIDS prevention is particularly mentioned (PoA 110(e)) as well as infant and maternal mortality, child immunisation, heart diseases, cancer and contagious diseases (PoA 101).
Environmental health
Non-discriminatory measures are to be taken to provide a healthy environment for all. Information on health and environment issues is to be publicly available and contaminated sites are to be cleaned up and made safe (PoA 111).
Housing
The conference supported residential integration and called for the renewal of neglected public housing areas (PoA 102).
Prepared by the Race Discrimination Unit, HREOC.
