title: Indigenous child health: urgent need for improved data to underpin better health outcomes.
abstract: Accurate data about Indigenous child health is vital to enable us to understand its current state, to acknowledge achievements, and to determine how to reduce inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. We have identified a paucity of national, or nationally representative, data relating to Indigenous child health outcomes, and significant deficiencies in available data. A coordinated national approach will help address current data limitations, including lack of identification of Indigenous status, lack of currency, and lack of information about specific health disorders affecting Indigenous children. To ensure that health data collected are relevant and useful, Indigenous communities must have a role in data collection and management.
authors.affiliation: Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fremantle
authors.forename: Yvonne A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Zurynski
authors.forename: Deepika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: D'Antoine
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000639:trends*; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000592:standards*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*