Impact of Racism on Health Care among Indigenous Australians

This paper explores the impact of racism on health care among Indigenous Australians, including the types of racism experienced, the disadvantages caused by racism, and the health conditions created by racism. It discusses the direct and indirect disadvantages experienced by Indigenous Australians, such as poor access to health care services and increased exposure to ill health. The paper also highlights the health inequalities and poor health outcomes that result from racism. Overall, it emphasizes the need to address racism in order to improve health care for Indigenous Australians.

Running head: HEALTHCARE 1
Indigenous Health
Student Name
Institution

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Introduction
Racism has been in historical within indigenous Australia since the coming British
settlers into the country. Racism is always associated with negative actions and results whose
impact is massive and need to be addressed. Health care is one area that has experienced a high
magnitude of racism especially among the indigenous people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders people. There are four main types of racism that have been reported within Australia
and these are internalized type of racism, institutional or systemic racism, interpersonal racism,
and historical racism. The effects of these types of racism among indigenous Australia are
evidence within the health care service provision. There are many disadvantages of racism that is
witnessed within Australia especially indigenous Australians. These disadvantages create a
condition that either strengthens problems or create new challenges in the health care system.
The following paper explores the impact of racism on health care among Indigenous Australians.
Types of racism to Indigenous Australians
There are four main types of racism that affect many indigenous Australian people and
these types of racisms include interpersonal, systemic, internalized and historical racisms.
Firstly, internalized is based on beliefs on the inferiority of some people within the country that
has been used to marginalized indigenous people. Internalized racism has been a problem among
many indigenous Australian especially the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders making them
feel the inferior race (Feik & Manne, 2014). Personal value is the core of the internalized or
individual racism as it makes one view other races as inferior or own race as superior. British
settlers instilled the beliefs that the white settlers are superior and indigenous Australians are

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inferior. Moreover, many indigenous Australians consider their race to be inferiors to other races
and therefore live poor living conditions or standards. This act results in various racial behaviors
and actions that expose other people mostly indigenous Australians stressful conditions (Zubrick
et al., 2014).
Secondly, interpersonal racism is a type of racism that mainly exists between individuals
of a different racial group or within the same racial group. Interpersonal racism is contemporary
racism and is a type of racism that has affected the country in the recent past with many different
people showing dangers of racial discrimination in Australia. The contemporary racism is often
fuel by many political policies and ideologies that have been witnessed in the past. Within the
context of the interpersonal racism, interracial racism is the worse as it affects the indigenous
people most within the country. In addition, the interracial racisms have been in the country
against indigenous Australian since the coming of the British settlers. In the contemporary
Australia, interpersal racism is seen in many places and often precedes actions and comments
that depict discrimination (Feik & Manne, 2014).
Thirdly, systemic or institutional racism is a common type of racism that still affects
many indigenous people within Australia. Institutional processes and activities show pervert
form of racism discrimination against the indigenous Australian in major institutions.
Institutional racism is a type of racism against indigenous Australian that is seen through
discrimination within various Australian institutions or organizations (Durey, Thompson &
Wood, 2012). Despite many Australian institutions indicating no discrimination, many
indigenous people are still exposed to racism when in need of services. Several studies show that
many indigenous Australian people such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are still

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exposed to institutional racism in major institutions. Despite the multicultural initiatives that
have been advanced within the country to reduce racism, systemic racism still persists among
many people working within institutions within the country (Murphy, 2016).
Lastly, the historical racism has been over the past years affected the indigenous
Australian people and can be traced back to before coming of British people in Australia. By the
arrival of the British settlers in Australia in 1788, the indigenous Australians have been under
racism in terms of government policy and society attitude (Paradies, 2016). As a result of
colonial activities, many indigenous people were displaced from their land to reserve land by the
British leading to a poor living condition. For instance, the Aboriginal people were treated as
inferior people based on colonial government policies and access to services such as health care
services. Poor health conditions are the overall result of exploitative racism experienced by
indigenous Australians. In addition, some actions such as not counting the indigenous people
were common in the country until 1967 when the referendum helped to abolish racism. Despite
the changes in government policies and laws that reduce racism the historical racism still exist as
many indigenous Australians are still isolated (Cindy, 2015).
Disadvantages IA have which racism has contributed to
Disadvantages that indigenous Australian has experience as a result of racism include are
either direct or indirect and result from intertwined types f racisms in the health care system.
These two types of disadvantages impact the lives of indigenous Australians. Firstly, the
intertwining of various types of racism results in direct disadvantages. As cited in Artuso, Cargo,
Brown and Daniel (2013), Racism has direct effects on indigenous people that are exposed to
racism and this result from various types of racism working together in the Australian system.

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Various type of racism has resulted in disadvantages among indigenous Australians. Many
indigenous people have reported being discriminated in various institutions when requiring
services. In addition, many institutions that still practice racism are being shown to permit a
certain type of races to participate in activities. The historical racism worked together with
institutional racism and has cause come regions within the country to have few institutions that
offer services to indigenous people. According to Williams and Mohammed (2013),
contemporary racism that is witnessed results in the direct effects on people majorly indigenous
people. Many people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have reported lives in stress as
they could not access government services on an equality basis. The overall effects of
contemporary racism in institutions that is majorly located within areas of historical injustices
trauma (Acevedo-Garcia, Rosenfeld, Hardy, McArdle & Osypuk, 2013).
Secondly, racism strengthens the disadvantages of that exist within Australian society
leading to various problems. The racism issue has a historical view and historical injustice that
resulted from racism against indigenous Australians has continued to current systemic racism. A
personal view on racism especially the internal beliefs and values that give rise to an internalized
type of racism strengthen personal behaviors toward other races leading to poor access to
services. According to Mullins (2013), institutionalized type of racism has strengthened poor
access to education among the indigenous Australian people and the condition still exists since
historical times of British settlers. Interpersonal racism is based on the personal or individual
belief on racial superiority or inferiority exists within institutions and contributes largely to the
barrier to health-related services. Personal experince especially among the indigenous
Australians make them feel inferior to other races leading to individual racism (Schmitt,
Branscombe, Postmes & Garcia, 2014).

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Health conditions created by the racism and disadvantages caused by it
Exposure to racism creates a negative condition that result in various health challenges
that exist within the indigenous Australian communities. Some of the conditions that have been
created by the racism discriminations include withdrawal from health care and health promoting
activities, increased exposure to ill health, and unequal access to medical, social and economic
resources (Williams, Priest & Anderson, 2016). Firstly, poor access to health care services is a
condition that results from discrimination among indigenous Australians. The persistence of
racism against indigenous Australian people has created poor access to health care service.
Statistics show that many indigenous Australians have limited access to early diagnosis and
treatment of terminal diseases. The poor health conditions are characterized by several people
living in stressful conditions. Indigenous Australian is less likely to access health care services as
compared to other races within the country. Moreover, the access to highly specialized treatment
such as organ transplant has been limited with racism against indigenous Australians (Priest,
Paradies, Gunthorpe, Cairney & Sayers, 2011).
Secondly, indigenous Australian people are exposed to ill health condition due to racism
as many experiences stress when accessing health care services. According to Lewis, Cogburn,
and Williams (2015), mental health is an example of suffering that many Aboriginal people have
been experiencing due to stress caused racism in various institutions. Stress is the main indicator
of the ill health among indigenous Australia resulting from discrimination. In addition, many
studies indicate that stress has lead to mental problems that is witnessed among children and
adult people coming from these indigenous people. As indicated by Arabena (2013),
discrimination is majorly coming from health caregivers that consider the race before giving

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health services to patients visiting many health care institutions. The racism condition within the
health system within the country has affected the individual health especially increase disease
among these indigenous Australians due to low treatment or limited access to health care
services. The stressful condition has resulted in various disease especially those debases that
result from depression (Priest, Paradies, Stewart & Luke, 2011).
Thirdly, racism has created a condition of health inequalities among indigenous
Australians leading to many health problems. Health inequalities that exist between indigenous
and non-indigenous Australian is another negative condition that is created by racism within
Australia. According to Gee, Walsemann, and Brondolo (2012), the result of the racism is health
inequalities that are affecting many indigenous Australian people leading to poor health
outcomes. Some of the health inequalities that affect indigenous Australians are limited early
diagnosis and treatment across the various diseases and illness. Many indigenous Australian are
less likely to receive specialized treatment as compared to other non-indigenous people within
Australia. The health inequalities experienced by many indigenous Australians result to various
stressful conditions (Phelan & Link, 2015).
Thirdly, poor health care outcome is another health care condition that is created with
racism against the indigenous Australians. Institutional racism especially within the health care
system especially those caregivers that operate within these indigenous are contributing to poor
health outcomes. Increase stresses among patients within health care facilities that result from
discrimination determine the negative clinical outcome (Durey, Thompson & Wood, 2012). Poor
access to health care services such as early treatment that is common among the indigenous
Australian created through racism has resulted in death. In addition, the poor health outcome is

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also evident through much infant mortality that is continuously witnessed among the Aboriginal
people. Poor health outcomes have been reported across the age group ranging from adult to
children (Mathias, 2010).
Stressful condition is another condition that is evident as a result of racism within the
indigenous Australian communities. There are several studies that have been conducted to show
the impact of racism in the life of Aboriginal people. The stressful condition has been associated
with mental health and this is due to continuous exposure to discrimination when seeking health
services. Moreover, children of the Torres Strait Islanders that are exposed to racism are more
likely to live a poor health life that non-indigenous Australians. This stressful life majorly results
from racial acts such as jeers and negative racism commend that these indigenous people are
exposed to. This stressful condition is also connected to many other soci-economic problems that
these indigenous communities go through. If the stresful conditions are not looked into then the
indigenous people will continue to suffer in silent (Priest, Paradies, Stevens & Bailie, 2012).
In conclusion, the impact of racism still remains great in the lives of many indigenous
Australians. Various types of racism intertwine leading to negative effects of this racism in the
health care system among the indigenous Australians. There are many disadvantages of racism in
the health care system that unless dismantle the poor health care outcomes will remain among
indigenous Australians people. The impact of racism among indigenous Australians health care
is great and point to historical progressive development. Furthermore, racism strengthens the
negative results of the health care conditions within the lives of indigenous Australian
communities. The country therefore, need tolook way or strategies to reduce racism among the
indigenous Australians in health system to reduce the impact of racism.

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