Aboriginal Health: Social Determinants & Equity

This essay examines the significant challenges facing Aboriginal health in Australia, focusing on the influence of social determinants and the need for equitable healthcare systems. It discusses the Constitution for the NACCHO's emphasis on addressing both physical and spiritual well-being, the National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health Plan, and collaborative approaches like mobile dispensaries to bridge health gaps. The essay argues that cultural safety, equal access to Medicare, and recognizing social determinants are crucial for improving Aboriginal health outcomes.

Running head: ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
Introduction
This essay aims to address the statement given in The Constitution for the National Aboriginal
Community Controlled Health Organization (NACCHO, 2011, p. 55). The essay will center
round the different strategies to ensure culturally safe and spiritual wellbeing in the patient. In
support of this statement I have provide with strategies that can cover the gap between the
indigenous and the westernized health care. I have also made sure that my strategies do not
hamper the cultural safety of the aboriginals. The later part of the discussion addresses the
importance of the collaborative care approach for the aboriginals.
In order to analyze the statement in The Constitution for the National Aboriginal
Community Controlled Health Organization (NACCHO, 2011, p. 55), it is important to
understand social barriers that prevent the indigenous people to get a proper health care.
The aboriginal people have a varied range of cultural beliefs that does not align with the
Westernized concept of the non indigenous Australian population. The Indigenous people have a
belief that health is related to maintenance of the life balances (Taylor & Guerin, 2010, p.123).
They are deeply connected to their tradition and culture and believe in the traditional methods of
treatment.
Different researches say that the aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islanders experience a
very low standard of health compared to that of the non aboriginals. The reason behind this is
multifactorial. The factors contributing to this inequality of health services are the racism, socio
economic status, poverty, disempowerment, discrimination and dispossession (Wepa 2015,
p.22).

2ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
The health care services provided by the government often do not meet the health care
requirements of the aboriginals. The aboriginal community health services have developed in
order to reach out to the aboriginals. This organization is managed by the local indigenous
community, by an elected board of directors. As state governments have refused to provide any
financial support, arguing that the aboriginals have access to the mainstream care, The ACCH
has been thriving entirely upon the donations. ACCHS (Aboriginal community controlled
health service) is a health care service provided to the aboriginal Australians. The ACCHS
aimed at providing primary care to the aboriginals. Currently over a hundred community exists
in Australia providing physical as well as spiritual support to the aboriginal people (Swan &
Raphael, 2006). In order to address spiritual well being in the aboriginals The Prime minister has
taken “Close the gap” policy framework. This framework had 6 specific goals which include the
life expectancy gap in a generation, accessing education to all the aboriginal children, reducing
the gap in reading, writing and numeracy accomplishment for children and reducing the gap for
Indigenous students in Year 12 attainment or equivalent attainment rates by 2020; and lessen the
gap in service outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in a decade.
The National aboriginal Torres Strait islanders plan has been established by the
Australian government in order to fill the gaps in the health outcome with the aboriginal people.
This plan has been established in 2008, for tackling the health parities faced by the indigenous
people (Best, 2009 p.25).
The visions of this plan are to make the Australian system free of racism and inequality
and such that all the Torres strait Islanders get high quality, effective and affordable services.

3ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
The different principles of this plan are 1. The health inequality and the human rights. 2.
Partnership 3. Accountability 4. Control of diseases in the Aboriginal and the Torres Strait
Islander community (Swan & Raphael, 2006. p.24). The Priorities of the plan is to continuously
strive to improve the appropriateness, accessibility and impact. The strategy of this plan is to
provide a robust, strong and vibrant effective community controlled health sector. Evidence
based care has to be practiced in order to provide a physical and emotional support to the
aboriginals (Nielson et al. 2014.p.190-196). Care should be given such that the aboriginal
mothers and the babies get appropriate amount of care. The organization should be able to look
after the rate of the growth and the development of the aboriginal children, such that they grow
into young healthy adults. It should be mentioned that most of the aboriginals do not rely on the
non aboriginal way of treatment, due the trauma of the past experiences. The sense of racism,
loss of values prevents the aboriginals from approaching the westernized healthcare. The health
care policy is continuously to build the environment of trust with the aboriginal people (Taylor &
Guerin, 2010, p.123).
The aboriginal health care plan played a major role in a responsive and strong healthcare system
in Australia. The aboriginal healthcare pan had mainly focused on the detection and the
management of the chronic diseases in the aboriginals.
The challenges for the South Australian health involve engagement of the aboriginal community
in their own care. The innovation of the ‘The Health in All Policies’, is one specific high level
approach which helps to form an innovative multi-level and innovative policy development
(King, Smith & Gracey, 2009). This initiative is being incorporated to improve health outcomes
in the young Aboriginal population.

4ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
All these strategies can not only bring about better outcomes in their physical well being but will
also help in their overall improvement over the years.
It has already been mentioned that in most of the cases the aboriginals do not like getting
westernized health care facilities out of the incidents that have happened to them in the past
(Durey 2010, p.44). Therefore it is necessary to build a conducing environment for them so they
get access to the health facilities. In most of the cases improved health care settings are not
available in remote places. As a nurse it is necessary for us to reach out our hands to them, so
they get access to proper life saving medications and other treatments. It is reported that
aboriginal students and teenagers often suffer from racist statements in schools and colleges, it
should be noted that these shameful incident can leave emotional scars on the brain of those
teenagers, which might ultimately hamper their progression in personal and professional life
(Baker 2012, p.144). One important aspect of a nurse is the acceptance of diverse cultures in a
non biased way. According to Best (2009), cultural safety comes from the understanding of a
culture. Often indigenous people are faced with institutional racism (Best 2009.p.256). As a
nurse in my institution I should understand their ritual, cultural beliefs and should slowly make
them understand the importance of the westernized treatments. It should be kept in mind that
health is dependent on the culture of any society. It is the culture that maintains and defines
health (Baba et al. 2014, p.56). I have often come across aboriginal patients with mental health
illness. It is quite challenging for me to deal with the patient’s family with different cultural
beliefs. A proper client- therapist relationship can increase their reliability on us and help in
adherence to the therapeutics. I have disseminated and encouraged my peer nurse to set up
programs involving the indigenous patient and their families, where indigenous health care

5ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
professionals will also be present to represent the aboriginal culture. A collaboration of different
members of a health care setting is required to achieve the goals. The healthcare service provided
by my organisation should not only be restricted to giving medications, but should also be able to
impart knowledge regarding the importance of maintenance of health. Mobile dispensaries can
be set up or clinical camps can be organized for the people who cannot reach out to us. A team
work from my organization would be able to accomplish this. My treatment should entirely focus
on providing safe care to the children and the teenagers, holistic care to the elderly persons and
mothers.
Although the Australian government is continuously trying to provide an equable care to
the aboriginals, they still face with racism and negligence. The aboriginals do not get suitable
Medicare facilities and their socio-economic status does not permit them to access the expensive
westernized healthcare. Therefore the potential health strategy should also focus on the cost
effectiveness; otherwise it won’t be reachable to all the strata of the society. Furthermore
maintenance of the cultural safety can close the gap between the indigenous and the non
indigenous health care (King et al. 2009, p.76-85). For having a good health, it is important for
the aboriginals to shape up the society. It is our duty to identify the different social determinants
of aboriginal health. Addressing this social determinants would bring about improve health in
the aboriginals (Carson et al.2007). As I have already mentioned about the equable Medicare
system which would help in stopping the discrimination, further more maintenance of cultural
safety would increase their dependence on our treatment.
It can be concluded from the above essay that the constitution of The Constitution for
the NACCHO rightly says that to promote health to particular community, it is necessary to
identify the social determinants and cater to the physical as well as spiritual well being of the

6ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
patient. The National aboriginal Torres Strait islanders plan has been established by the
Australian government in order to fill the gaps in the health outcome with the aboriginal people.
A proper collaborative plan like setting up mobile dispensaries and programs can bring about
better outcomes in health.

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8ABORIGINAL MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING
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