Non Aboriginal Health

Approximately 2.5% of the Australian population is made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, however these people experience much higher levels of ill-health and premature death rates than the rest of the Australian population. Gathering sufficient information is difficult

The indigenous population has a lower average age of 21 years, in comparison to 36 years, which is directly correlative to the higher death rates, which are 1.9 times the general population. The contrast in the differed health status of Indigenous Australians compared with non-indigenous Australians can be comprehended by the considerably lower life expectancy, in 2010-12 the ATSI life expectancy was estimated to be 10.6 years lower compared to the non-indigenous population for males (69.1 with 79.7) and 9.5 years for females (73.7 with 83.1). Similarly, the ATSI population experiences higher rates of hospitalisation, suicide and most other major illnesses and disease (particularly CVD and

Indigenous cultures in Australia are characterised by extensive diversity, comprising numerous kinship networks and language groups. These cultural traditions have developed over millennia, showcasing adaptive responses to various environmental contexts. Torres Strait Islanders are separate people with distinct identities and cultures (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031). Studying the social determinants of health for Indigenous Australian peoples in modules one and two has broadened my understanding of the complexities surrounding Indigenous health disparities. In Australia, the health status of Indigenous peoples is deeply intertwined with various social determinants, influencing their well-being and outcomes.

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 introduction to the western/European way of living, loss of ancestral land, intolerance and the economic disadvantages that Indigenous Australians suffer fuels socially related conditions within their communities such as substance abuse, violence, increased degrees of infectious diseases and chronic diseases etc. culminating in higher mortality rates than non-Indigenous Australians (Duckett & Willcox, 2011, p. 34-35). Stephens, Porter, Nettleton and Willis (2006) state that “infectious disease burden persists for Indigenous communities with high rates of diseases such as tuberculosis, and inequality also exists in the prevalence of chronic disease, including diabetes and heart disease” (p.2022). Statistics show mortality for most age groups of the

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

Marmot, M. (2011). Social determinants and the health of Indigenous Australians. Med J Aust, 194(10),

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

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population across different parts of Australia have lower life expectancy than mainstream Australians (approximately 10 years difference in lifespan between indigenous and non-indigenous people). Late diagnosis of disease is the most prominent, with many indigenous people entering the end or terminal phase of illness before it is diagnosed (Williams, 2016). The colonisation of Australia had a catastrophic effect on Torres islander or Aboriginal people. Behrendt, L, (2012) states that in 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip and other 1500 civilians, marines and crew arrived at Sydney. After 10 years of their arrival, Australia’s indigenous population reduced by 90 percent.

“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).

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.

Colonialism in Australia places a detrimental threat to the health of Indigenous Australians. Inherent in colonialism were scientific racisms, institutional racism and structural violence. These factors continues to persist in the fabric of Australian society today and limits the life chances of Indigenous Australians. This essay illuminates colonialism as a major contributor to the social marginalisation and low socioeconomic status experienced by indigenous Australian. An analysis of Aboriginal infant mortality rate, a health indicator highlights the difference between biomedical and sociological approach and the embedded negative impact of social marginalisation and low socioeconomic status on the health of Indigenous Australians. The

The Aboriginals also known as the Indigenous people are the first people’s inhabitants of mainland Australia (WIKIPEDIA). Historically, Aboriginals enjoyed better health before any invasions from non-Indigenous peoples. They didn’t suffer from any major illnesses though they did have other type of health issues, but their life was happier and content. Everything started to change after 1788 when non-Indigenous people introduced illnesses where the mortality rate of Aboriginals population started to increase, and this affected their life and the community (http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/health-facts/overviews/the-context-of-indigenous-health). There are various factors that contribute to the poor health status of Indigenous people, and this is part of the social determinants of health which should been seen in a broader context (1)(2). Factors such as employment, income, stress, gender, education, behavioral aspects, working and living conditions, social networks and support, are interrelated and complex, and are part of the social

Germov ( 2009) further explained that the indigenous Australians found it hard to get employment as a result of convicts available for labour. These condition worsened their ability to be in good health. Basically the Australian economic development were based on selfish exploitation of natural resources which was mainly for civilization and maximizing of profit Germov (2009).

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.