Indigenous health gap money running out INDIGENOUS campaigners are urging the federal and state governments to stump up new cash once funding for Close the Gap health programs expires in June. In 2008, following former prime minister Kevin Rudd's apology to the stolen generations, federal, state and territory governments agreed on six ambitious Close the Gap targets to tackle indigenous disadvantage. The $1.6 billion federal and state funding package underpinning Close the Gap health programs expires in June. The program has had a strong focus on tackling chronic diseases and delivered extra Aboriginal health workers, doctors and nurses. Thursday is National Close the Gap Day and campaign co-chair Mick Gooda said so far there had been no solid commitment it would be renewed. "It would be a tragedy if we lost momentum just at the time we've started to see the possibility of a better future for so many people," co-chair Jody Broun said. The latest report card to parliament said efforts to close the gap on life expectancy were falling behind and there was a lack of progress in reducing low birth weights, but the target to cut mortality rates for children aged under five years were on track. A spokesman for Federal Indigenous Health Minister Warren Snowdon told AAP the federal government was in the process of developing an indigenous health road map. He said announcements on indigenous health funding would be part of the budget process. The national indigenous health plan aims to cut duplication and improve health service delivery as part of its over-arching aim of reducing an estimated 11-year life expectancy difference between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The spokesman said roundtables and consultations with indigenous health experts on the plan would be wrapped up in March and April. The federal government will receive the first draft of the health plan by late May and will begin consulting with indigenous communities on how to implement the plan in June. The final indigenous health plan will be presented in August.