They are urging political leaders to make indigenous health funding a priority, warning failing to do so will result in indigenous people continuing to die 10 years earlier then other Australians.
"You can't cut the way towards closing the gap," Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda said in Sydney on Thursday.
"If you think you can cut resources and maintain a commitment to closing the gap target, we're all kidding ourselves."
Speaking at a Close the Gap 10-year anniversary event at Redfern's The Block, indigenous leaders said health services needed more resources to achieve the target of equal life expectancy by 2030.
Mr Gooda said a recent spate of child suicides in indigenous communities, including a 10-year-old girl in Western Australia's Kimberley region, showed the need for all governments to better fund health services.
"I've been bashing my head against this wall for the last seven or eight years," he said.
"The only way we're going to make real difference is when the government decides to engage with us because we have the answers to what happened in the Kimberley.
"Canberra's not going to solve that problem."
Healing Foundation CEO Richard Weston said progress on life expectancy had stalled due to gaps still present in indigenous mental health outcomes.
"The fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians continue to take their own lives at almost double the rate of non-indigenous Australians is unacceptable."
"It is clear the current approach is not working and a new strategy is needed."
More than 190,000 Australians are expected to take part in about 1500 Close the Gap events across the country.
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Make Indigenous health a priority: Oxfam
Oxfam Australia says the "tremendous" response by participants - including 320 schools and 240 ambulance stations - shows Australians from all walks of life are coming together in solidarity with the nation's indigenous population.
But Oxfam's Justin McCaul also says political parties must make indigenous health a priority at the federal election.
"We need state, territory and federal governments to take real, measurable action," he said.
The charity wants a national plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
The national day follows the latest Closing the Gap report, released in February, which showed only two of seven targets set by governments were on track.
* For support and information about suicide prevention, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
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