Rudd government has been called by Aboriginal leaders, to make health improvements for Indigenous Australians, a top priority.

On Thurday, the Close the Gap coalition, - made up of 40 health and advocacy groups - has organized hundreds of events in schools and workplaces to celebrate progress in closing the life expectancy gap between black and white Australia.

Mick Gooda, committee co-chair of the Close the Gap coalition said, Today's events send a clear reminder to government that closing the gap must remain one of its top priorities.

People do not want the government to take the foot of the pedal.

Mr Gooda, also Australia's Aboriginal social justice commissioner co-chairs the committee with his predecessor, Tom Calma.

Mr Calma says the federal government needs to invest more in community-controlled health organizations if further progress is to be desired.

The government urgently needs to get its approach right if we are to close the gap within a generation, said Mr Calma.

Babies born to Indigenous mothers die at twice the rate of other babies, Indigenous men suffer heart disease and stroke three times the rate of the other Australian men and Indigenous women die from cervical cancer at a rate five times higher.

The life expectancy gap for men and women are 11.5 years and 9.7 years, respectively.

The figures are down from the previous report of 17 years, but only due to better data keeping.

Mr Calma's call for Labor to work more closely with community-controlled health organizations to develop long-term plans to close the gap is supported by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Brad Murphy, chair of the college Aboriginal health said, Improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must be this nation's number one health priority.

In the spirit of the close the gap day, Warren Snowdon, Federal Indigenous Health Minister said, a total of $4 million would go to research teams, working to improve Aboriginal health.

The aim of the project is to increase health awareness of Indigenous people with heart disease, tackle chronic dental disease and improve doctor training.

Australia