2 CAUSE OF POOR HEALTH AMONG THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE Cause of poor health among the Aboriginal people Whereas the history of the Australian people does not indicate the health status of the people, there has been a direct correlation between the health of individuals and the social-political and economic circumstances surrounding them. The indigenous population in Australia has remained neglected over the years and of much concern is the aboriginal populations who had been denied control over their lives for a long time until recently when it was agreed that the aboriginal people should enjoy the rights just like other Australians. Despite the loss of land and livelihood during the British colonization, the aboriginal people have remained neglected by the governments which is evident in the limited access to health care of the people despite their poor health status as compared to the health status of other Australians. During colonization, the aboriginal people suffered from foreign diseases that were brought by their colonizers. Many lost their lives, and others continued to suffer without any medical assistance from the state and territorial government. It was not until in 1837 that a policy of protection was put in place after decades of suffering. The aboriginal people were considered to be inferior to the whites, and therefore, even after the policy, they were segregated in settlements and reserves to ensure they did not spread communicable diseases to the whites. Even after recognition as Australian citizens in 1960, the Aboriginal people have had problems accessing health care like other non-indigenous Australians. Sherwood has shown in his article shown that the indigenous people have continued to be affected by their colonial history (Sherwood, 2013). “The implication of this lack of knowing, unfortunately, has left its effect on the way health service providers have delivered health to indigenous children, mothers, fathers, and their communities.”
3 CAUSE OF POOR HEALTH AMONG THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE The indigenous people have continued to suffer from ill-health which has been indicated by the high suicidal rates, high rate of infection with communicable diseases, and the high mortality rate seen among the community (Axelsson, 2016). The health disparity between the indigenous and non-indigenous population has been as a result of historical injustices during colonization, which has continued to affect the people until now.
4 CAUSE OF POOR HEALTH AMONG THE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE References Sherwood, J. (2013). Colonisation–It’s bad for your health: The context of Aboriginal health. Contemporary Nurse,46(1), 28-40. Axelsson, P., Kukutai, T., & Kippen, R. (2016). The field of Indigenous health and the role of colonisation and history.Journal of Population Research,33(1), 1-7.