Chronic Health Condition and Healthcare Strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

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FIRST PEOPLES HEALTH

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Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................2
One chronic health condition.................................................................................................................3
Demographic, cultural and social factor affecting diabetes...................................................................4
Contemporary Health care strategy.......................................................................................................4
Health perspective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people......................................................5
Applying knowledge of this perspective for improving health status....................................................6
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................7

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INTRODUCTION
All around the world there is debate about the special healthcare needs required by some
specific community. The indigenous people that are not in the main stream do not have
access to best of medical facilities. It has made governments think about the heath
requirements they have and work upon it to improve their health economics. The same is the
case with Australia where Torres Strait Islanders are the Indigenous people from Torres Strait
Islands which is a part of Queensland. They are genetically different from the people from
rest of Australia (Panaretto, et. al. 2014). There are two communities living there namely
Seisia and Bamaga. There are many chronic diseases that are common in these people like
Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. There are several factors that
push them towards this type of health condition. Due to this total life expectancy of this
community is 10 years less than other Australians. This mortality gap is a result of these
chronic diseases at the same time it is responsible for the two-third premature deaths
(Schierhout, et. al. 2016). Interestingly there is disparity in the chronic disease prevalence in
the two populations. The condition cannot be improved without having an effective
healthcare strategy along with improved healthcare facilities.
This report highlights one major chronic disease in these people as well as the factors that is
responsible for such condition. It also describes a contemporary healthcare strategy to
improve the condition. In the later section of the report recommendations regarding
improving health status are provided.
One chronic health condition
According to the survey in Australia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
suggests that there are various types of chronic health diseases prevalent in this community.
One chronic disease that is common in these people is Diabetes. Due to lack of proper
healthcare facilities the situation has become worse (Chamberlain, et. al. 2015). Apart from
this there are many people in this community who are living a modern life but their body
have not accepted the modern day life style. This has caused huge problems for the people.
Their eating habits have also somehow changed along with the environment change. The
climate change is the major reason for it. Diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease
all three occurs in a person at the same time. This can be understood by the fact that around
53.1% of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have diabetes along with signs of
having chronic kidney disease. In other Australian people this is around 32.5%. Same is the