Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to face significant disadvantage across a range of domains relevant to their rights and wellbeing, including in health and education, discrimination, exposure to family violence, and overrepresentation in child protection and youth justice systems. This overall disadvantage has roots in past government policies and practices, and the continued legacy of intergenerational trauma and disadvantage that these policies created.50 Current issues in the area of health include: • • • There are major gaps in data on important health issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.51 Since the Closing the Gap target baseline was set in 2008, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child mortality rates have declined by 10%.52 However, the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and non-Indigenous children has not narrowed, because the nonIndigenous rate has declined at a faster rate.53 Ear disease is a significant health issue facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. 23