Australian Government Healthcare System

Running Head: HEALTHCARE 0
ABROGINAL &TORRES
ISLANDERS
AUSTRALIA
[School]
[Course title]

HEALTHCARE 1
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................2
Pre-invasion health status.............................................................................................................2
Western Medical Model and own interpretation of the indigenous health..............................2
Assimilation Policy of 1961...........................................................................................................3
Australian indigenous young people identity and racism..........................................................3
Smoking during pregnancy and Traditional Birthing Practices...............................................4
Higher educational attainments and professional employment opportunities........................6
Recommendations for the Australian Indigenous young people...............................................7
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................9

HEALTHCARE 2
Introduction
This report will step by step reflect all the policies made by the Australian Government for the
betterment of the heath and position of the young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander i.e.
indigenous people in Australia between the ages of 10-24 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
islander are the name given to the indigenous people in Australia.
Pre-invasion health status
Without having the adequate information about the historical outlook, it is very problematic to
identify the present status of the Aboriginal health. According to a paper presented by Marica
Anderson it was clarified on the obvious basis that the undisputed pre contact health care system
conducts its function upon the social system which is built on three sets of inter-relationship
which were present between the people and the land, amongst the people and maker and between
the humans (Griffiths 2019). But the morale of the indigenous people started facing hindrances
after coming in contact with the British people. Assumption was made on the different
perspectives of health and safety (Lovett 2017).
Western Medical Model and own interpretation of the indigenous health.
Sl no. Western view Indigenous interpretation
1 Humans are considered as the most
important part of the world.
Humans were not considered as the most
important part of the world.
2 Good health is important for the self
and the community at large.
Health is essential for personal gain only
3 Scientific and medical knowledge
brought about a diverse change in the
healthcare processes.
World is based upon the spirituality and
beliefs, health was mostly overlooked.
4 New and improved techniques are
been implemented to look after the
healthcare systems properly
Mostly were depended on the medicines
made by the plants or the natural herbs.
Medical science was not adequately
developed.
5 By contrast, biomedicine generally
looks for the one treatment that will
Traditional practices emphasize
communication with spirit beings and

HEALTHCARE 3
benefit the highest number of people
with a particular disease, such as HIV.
direct requests for healing. This
communication occurs through prayer,
song and ceremony
Assimilation Policy of 1961
For providing a better living condition to the aboriginal and part of aboriginality similar to that of
the others, this policy of assimilation was overtaken by the government of Australia. This policy
helps the aboriginal people to lead a life and enjoy all such rights, responsibilities, privileges and
observation of the customs etc. which are enjoyed by the people of other community of Australia
(publication 2010). Methods used in advancing this policy are encouraging and extending the
applicability of government settlement works for the indigenous, provision of better healthcare
and other welfare facilities, provisions of educational and vocational training etc. Extension of
social service benefits, economic welfare conditions, emotional wellbeing etc. are some of the
major steps taken by this policy (gov 1961).
Australian indigenous young people identity and racism
The constant gap between the health and socioeconomic outcome of the Australian indigenous
and non-indigenous can be explained with the help of racism which is considered as the key
determinant of the health of the indigenous Australians. These people are considered as one of
the most disadvantaged group in Australia and this disadvantage is resulted from the social
practices of the past, federal and state legislations which had refused to recognize the human
rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people (Bodkin-Andrews 2016).
The term racism on the individual basis means the beliefs and attitudes that certain group
members have advantage in relation to other groups who are considered as disadvantaged on the
basis of their race, ethnicity and cultural background. The ones who are thought of as inferior are
forced to reside in the unfavorable and different conditions. On the basis of the society the term
racism can be considered as the maintainer or the aggravator of unequal provisions of
opportunity amongst the ethno racial groups and that racial discrimination is considered as racist
behavior and that practice which provides unequal opportunity among those groups (Pruitt
2016).