Australia's Indigenous health crisis in-depth
Photo: Wayne Quilliam/OxfamAUS
The figures paint a staggering reality:
- Indigenous men and women die up to 17 years earlier than other Australians
- Indigenous children are dying at more than double the rate of non-Indigenous children
- Many Indigenous people suffer chronic diseases which are entirely preventable and have virtually been eliminated in the non-Indigenous population
- Access to primary healthcare remains extremely poor.
The health crisis affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is urgent – but it has existed for a long time. At its core it’s a crisis of inequality, the type of inequality that can’t be reversed with a quick fix.
How did we get to this?
The appalling state of Indigenous health today is a result of decades of neglect and inadequate services. Poverty caused by high unemployment, poor housing and education, discrimination, unresolved trauma and a lack of empowerment have all contributed to the situation.
A 2007 report by the Australian Medical Association uncovered evidence of inherent discrimination in our health system. It found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not benefit from mainstream health services to the same level of other Australians because they either are located out of the reach of Aboriginal communities or the medical attention they receive is culturally intolerant and unwelcoming.
A 2005 Social Justice Report by Tom Calma, the Social Justice Commissioner of the then Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, also documents the realities of Indigenous health crisis and outlines a way to address the situation.
Funding adequate healthcare
Achieving Indigenous health equality relies on investment in primary healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in health education, improved nutrition, maternal and child health and the prevention and management of disease.
The backlog of service delivery and infrastructure to Indigenous people is now extreme. The Australian Medical Association estimates that $500 million a year is needed to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders the same level of access to primary healthcare as other Australians.
This is not asking for “special” or preferential treatment for our Indigenous people but merely playing catch up to the level of services that other Australians take for granted. Proper and adequate healthcare is a basic human right.
We’re getting there:
- In March 2008 the Federal government signed the Close the Gap Statement of Intent.
- In 2008 the Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) signed up to close the gap on life expectancy within a generation (25 years) and to halve the Indigenous child mortality rate within a decade
- In November 2008, the Australian Government announced a $1.6 billion commitment to improve Indigenous health, the biggest ever injection of new funding for Indigenous health.
While these achievements are commendable – it’s just the beginning.
Addressing the social causes
Photo: Lara McKinley/OxfamAUS
There are also broader issues to address that impact on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, including education, water and sanitation, and housing. Successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health programs have been those that have recognised and addressed these factors.
One example in NSW is the Murdi Paaki Regional Housing Program. The program equips community members with accredited training in carpentry, electrical and plumbing so that they can fix common housing problems. It is based on the idea that regularly maintained houses can help reduce infections and household accidents and improve children’s health.
Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is the critical success factor. Indigenous Australians need to be consulted, empowered, resourced and supported to address the health issues facing their communities.
The daily success stories from Indigenous communities show us time and again that properly resourced services in control of the community bring positive change. In Townsville a “Mums and Babies” project has received nearly 40,000 patients since it opened in 2000, leading to dramatically improved health and birth weights of Aboriginal babies. Deaths of newborn babies more than halved in just four years.
Last year the Wu Chopperen Aboriginal Health Service in Cairns won a National Indigenous Governance Award from Reconciliation Australia. The award recognises the excellent work of the health service in specialist clinics, chronic disease management and oral health as well as social health and wellbeing.
The Victorian Aboriginal health service has some of the highest immunisation rates in the country – far higher than those for non-Indigenous Australians.
Close the Gap
For the tens of thousands of Australians who have joined the Close the Gap campaign the choice is clear. Now is the time to be visionary; to tackle the root causes of the problems affecting some Aboriginal communities, and to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to close the gap.
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