Indigenous Health Issues

As a people, our rate of chronic disease is still 2.5 times higher than that of other Australians, and Indigenous people in this country die 15 to 20 years younger than those in mainstream Australia. More than half of

It is well studied by health authorities that the current health statistics of the Indigenous population today are clearly reflected on their health status, due to the impacts of the colonisation process. The relating problems associated with this have resulted in destructive families and communities. It is unquestionable that Indigenous Australians were adapted to the environment in which people lived and had control on every feature of their life during the colonisation period. According to ‘The Deplorable State of Aboriginal Ill Health, Chapter 1’ (2014), studies that show that numerous infectious diseases; such as, smallpox and the flu, were not present in the pre-invasion period. It is also shown that lifestyle diseases such as high BP, diabetes and heart diseases were not known to exist.

Aboriginal health standards are so low today that all most half aboriginal men and a third of the women die before they are 45. Aboriginal people can expect to live 20 years less than non-indigenous Australians. Aboriginals generally suffer from more health problem and are more likely to suffer from diabetes, liver disease and glaucoma. The causes of their poor health and low life expectancy are poverty, poor nutrition, poor housing, dispossession of their traditional land, low education level, high unemployment, drug and substance use, unsafe sex, limited health care and diseases.

Diabetes is a growing health concern within Aboriginal communities across Canada, it is a health concern that is often an underlying condition secondary to many other health issues and often goes undiagnosed or untreated. Many individuals within these communities choose to leave their diabetes untreated until it becomes life threatening and becomes too late to treat or control. According to Health Canada (2013), Aboriginal peoples who are living on reserves have a rate of diabetes that is three to five times higher as compared to Non-Aboriginal Canadians (Para. 1). The growing rate of diabetes is especially concerning amongst the Inuit communities, and is a growing concern; the rate of diabetes within this community is expected to steadily increase over the coming years from contributing factors such as lack of activity, poor nutrition and obesity (Health Canada, 2013). For these reasons alone it is important to raise awareness and educate these communities about diabetes and healthy lifestyle so that positive steps can be taken in order to maintain healthy living. Aboriginal peoples living in Canada have higher rates of diabetes as compared to non Aboriginal Canadians, and of the two types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, the latter is more prevalent in First Nations communities (Brooks, Darroch, & Giles, 2013). With diabetes uncontrolled, an individual can come across many health problems such as poor circulation, foot ulcers, and sometimes even amputation (American

As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in Canada, and is growing health concern. This increase is especially apparent in Canadian Aboriginal population where the estimated prevalence of diabetes is three to five times higher than in the general Canadian population. Because of the risk of several health complications such as coronary heart diseases, neuropathy, eye damage, kidney failure, and peripheral arterial diseases, diabetes is a one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity. Developing health complications increases when diabetes is undiagnosed and represents unseen, but important burden with significant long-term impact on the people’s health status. First Nations individuals have more diabetes risk factors and suffer more diabetes-related health complications than non-Aboriginals. Therefore, accurate data on diabetes prevalence are essential for government, health care and research organizations.

“The status of Indigenous health in contemporary Australia is a result of historic factors as well as contemporary socio-economic issues” (Hampton & Toombs, 2013, p. 1).

C. (2009). Is ‘Close the Gap useful approach to improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians?. Australian Review of Public Affairs, 9(2), 1-13.

This paper will examine the healthcare of Indigenous Australian peoples compared to non-indigenous Australians. The life expectancy gaps between the two are a cause for alarm when statistics show Indigenous Australian peoples die on average 17 years earlier than non-indigenous Australians (Dick 2017). This paper will examine the social determinants of health to explore these factors and what interventions are in place to improve health status and life expectancy gaps for equality. The Federal Government has seen the implementation of the Northern Territory Intervention and the Closing the Gap Initiative. This essay will examine these two strategies and discuss the effectiveness of both policies. It will explain the differences, similarities and look at the success so far to

As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social

     Many of the inequalities in the health of the Aboriginal people can be attributed to the

The inequalities in today’s indigenous communities are still strongly evident. Heard, Khoo & Birrell (2009), argued that while there has been an attempt in narrowing the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians, a barrier still exists in appropriate health care reaching indigenous people. The Indigenous people believe, health is more than the individual, it is

Obesity in Aboriginal children is developing to be a community and population health concern in Canadian Aboriginal communities. Particularly due to the co-morbidities associated with obesity such as diabetes. Childhood obesity primarily associates with insufficient physical activity and consumption of high calorie dense foods. However, this does not give the true picture of the cause, trend and rates of obesity in Aboriginal children. Numerous factors impart obesity in Aboriginal children and thee health determinants originate from the history of colonization. Colonization and government policies influenced the lifestyle, diet and culture of Aboriginal people and has translated to food insecurity, low income and limited opportunities in Aboriginal populations. Health care professionals have a role in collaborating with Aboriginal communities to provide culturally appropriate sustainable health care as well as, advocate for decolonizing policies and interventions that target the intersecting health

(Oliver, 2013). As the Indigenous population is a high-context culture, they place a strong emphasis on non-verbal communication and are highly relational, meaning they do not openly express themselves until they feel as though they have built a stable and trustworthy relationship with the other person. Clinical yarning can be an effective communication tool to build relationships with Indigenous patients. Clinical yarning consists of a social yarn where the healthcare professional tries to find common ground with the patient about their family, the weather or connection to their land in an attempt to build a level of trust and display an interest in the patient’s personal life. In this stage, the patient can allude to their health issues and how it impacts their daily life.

The concern of social issue in this study is the disproportionate burden of chronic kidney disease in Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suffer considerably higher rates of chronic kidney disease than the non-Indigenous population in which 11% of those getting treatment for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are Indigenous people. On the other hand, the population of Indigenous Australians is only around 3% of the total population in Australia (Anderson, Cunningham, Devitt, & Cass, 2013; Anderson, Devitt, Cunningham, Preece, & Cass, 2008). Therefore, such condition indicates a serious public health problem due to several barriers that affect Indigenous people’s response towards ESKD and its treatments. Living in remote area with poor health facilities creates a constraint for Aboriginal people to receive equitable treatments while renal specialist, renal transplantation and dialysis services tend to be allocated in the urban area (Cass, Cunningham, Snelling, Wang, & Hoy, 2004; Preston-Thomas, Cass, & O 'Rourke, 2007). Patients with ESKD have to attend dialysis treatment three times a week. Hence, Indigenous people who come from a remote area must leave their community to get dialysis medication. Coming from low socio-economic status and education level, Indigenous people also have to face some difficulties to engage with the treatment services. Effective communication between Indigenous people and health providers during the treatment process might