Indigenous people in Australia have higher mortality rates than non-Indigenous Australians, poorer health, lower housing standards, lower employment rates, and lower standards of education. The Indigenous life expectancy is far below the Australian average and the age is lowered again by the amount of disease amongst Aboriginal people, which is more often than not caused by socioeconomic disadvantage (Pink and Allbon, 2005). For the period of 1996–2001, the life expectancy at birth for Indigenous males was estimated at 59 years and 65 years for Indigenous females. The life expectancy for Non-Indigenous Australians was 77 years for males and 82 years for Non-Indigenous females (Trewin and Madden, 2008). In 2007 The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the most chronic conditions among Aboriginal people were: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and kidney disease, with each of which being a preventative disease, delayed or mitigated.
In 2007-2008, it was reported that 10.81% of residents 18 years and older in the Cloncurry Shire were suffering from high or very high psychological distress (ABS, 2011). Research shows that people living in rural and remote communities across Australia have particular high risk factors of mental health compared to their metropolitan counterparts (Rajkumar & Hoolahan, 2008). This is believed to be associated with isolation and environmental hazards such as drought, floods and fires (Rajkumar & Hoolahan, 2008). With the community experiencing monsoon weather patterns and droughts each year, the impact the weather has on the community results in financial stress on families which has been linked to anxiety, depression, family breakdown and other mental health issues (Rajkumar & Hoolahan, 2008). With recent economic uncertainty in remote Queensland communities due to both government and corporate service closures and restructuring of the farming industry, the Cloncurry Shire has had an 8% population decline over the past decade (Queensland Government, 2011c).
This system will be able to better integrate and coordinate the primary health care in local communities. The Australian health system is under strain. As we have heard from the AGPN, Australia has a large amount of users in the Tertiary sector and a large percentage of these have resulted due to a lack of correct intervention and management. With a 3 tiered health system, made up of primary, secondary and tertiary levels it has been shown that consumers are experiencing disconnected and fragmented care, under not just one system but many. This lack of continuity has been shown to lead to poorer health outcomes, as a result of late intervention, focusing on illness rather than wellness and as well as being frustrating to patients and their care providers it increases costs.
There are significant disparities in the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders and other Australians. Especially to the elderly Aboriginal people, health is strongly associated with age; old people experience higher rates of disability, chronic illness and reported ill-health (Australian Statistician, 2006). Type 2 diabetes is one of the major public health issues affects the elderly Aboriginal people and the risk of developing diabetes relates complications resulting in a significant burden of disease in terms of mortality, hospitalizations and a range of financial and human costs. Today Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders constitute 2.6% of Australians population and suffer more ill health than any other Australian
Rapid Decline in Tasmanian Devils: Devil Facial Tumor Disease Tasmanian devils are under a massive threat by the disease DFTD (Devil Facial Tumor Disease). This is a type of cancer that only affects devils, mainly older than two years, and occurs mainly on the face. This disease has caused a population decline of 80% in a mere 20 years so it is obvious why this is such a threat and needs to be dealt with. Even though this disease is only apparent in certain regions of Tasmania the affected devils can only live for one breeding cycle when the normal amount is three. Scientists fear that if too much of the adult population is killed by DFTD then the devil population will take a long time to recover.
Indigenous Health Assignment Obesity is described as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or more. (1) It has become a dire issue in Australia, having the highest prevalence of obesity globally, (2) and affects both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. Accounting for 2.5% of the population, Australian Indigenous people are those that are accepted in community as having Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. (3) As with many aspects of Indigenous health however, there is a characteristic difference of incidences between the two population groups, with numerous underlying causes of obesity specific for the Indigenous people. Acting as a risk factor for several chronic diseases, obesity is of particular concern for society’s health,
However, those in the study that reported strong social connections did appear to be faring better. “Deaths involving deliberate violence are associated with higher incidence of depression and prolonged or ‘complicated’ grief and a slower rate of recovery. But our study found being in a married or de facto relationship and a perception of strong family support were key protective factors against long-term distress,” says Mr Stevens, a PhD candidate with the UWS Disaster Response and Resilience Research Group. The 2002 Bali Bombing killed over 200 people, including 88 Australians and 35 Indonesians. It remains the most deadly single act of terrorism to have affected either country.
The most common STD’s affecting the Aboriginal population is syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Statistics show that about 1,207 per 100, 000 of the Indigenous population are infected with chlamydia in comparison to 95 per 100,000 of the non- Indigenous populations. In 2001, the Australian Northern Territory had the highest rate of infection among people aged between 15- 19 years and majority of these infections occurred in Aboriginal teenagers. The pregnancy rate for female teenagers of the Indigenous origins is five times greater in comparison to those of a non-Indigenous origin. The use of condoms are proven effective to protect from the contraction of an STD and the prevent un- wanted pregnancies but, due to the cultural, socioeconomic and environmental factors and beliefs, the use of condoms in Aboriginal communities are quite little.
Most babies born with a birth weight less than 2,500 grams and this called the low birth weight. The Indigenous mother are twice as likely to be of low birth weight however the babies born to non-indigenous mothers are more likely to be healthy. Low birth weight babies are more level to ill health problems during childhood and this may be more risk when the baby become older. Many reasons, the indigenous mother likely to have a baby’s birth weight might include socioeconomic disadvantages, the size and age of mother, the mother’s health issue, smoking and other risk behaviours also the period time of pregnancy (Australian Institute 2012). The nutritional state of Indigenous people is unfair by socioeconomic disadvantage and environmental.
Australians is currently estimated to be 11.5 years for men and 9.7 years for women. 80% of the mortality gap can be attributed to chronic diseases. From ages 35-54, the ratio of Indigenous to non-Indigenous death rates is highest for diabetes, diseases of the liver, chronic lower respiratory disease and ischaemic heart disease. This may make experiences of grief and loss especially