Primary Healthcare in a Global Context Analysis 2022

Running Head: PRIMARY HEALTHCARE IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT
Primary Healthcare in a Global Context
Name
Institution

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Primary Healthcare in a Global Context
Introduction
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by now front a huge risk to global health and social
and economic development. NCDs as a public health issue in Australia have become more
prevalent mainly among the Indigenous Australians (Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders). In
2014, NCDs, NCDs embodied the primary causes of worldwide deaths, as well as disability.
Inequality has persisted towards access to mental health services amongst the Indigenous people
in Australia (Gibson et al., 2015). The National PHC Strategic Framework has consistently
addressed the challenge of NCDs among the Indigenous people and has emphasized the need to
develop the necessary strategies to address this public health issue in Australia. Providing
equitable access to primary health care (PHC) is an ongoing challenge, even with Medicare and
funding of community-controlled in addition to government-managed healthcare services
(O’Sullivan, 2012).
Strategy
Strong Community Participation
The strong Indigenous participation in the primary healthcare service is an appropriate
strategy in dealing with the current health disparity between the Indigenous Australians and other
Australians. The Indigenous Australians encounter inferior health outcomes along with shorter
life expectancy than non-Indigenous populations. NCDs pose a huge threat to the Indigenous
people in Australia that result in inequality in access to preventive healthcare. Hence, community
participation is an important strategy in reducing inequality because of the problem of NCDs.

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Strong community participation will be essential for addressing inequality due to non-
communicable diseases among Indigenous Australians. There is a need for effective policies to
promote and encourage community participation in issues of health, such as NCDs. Stressing the
significance of community participation needs and enhances optimum community along with
individual self-reliance and participation. PHC through the national framework has stressed the
significance of community participation in reducing the inequality due to NCDs among the
Indigenous Australians (Vos, Barker, Begg, Stanley & Lopez, 2009). The strategy stresses the
need to promote the connections between health services and communities and promote health
literacy. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the role of the community in taking
part in health efforts, especially in tackling NCDs. The WHO five principles include community
participation that will boost accessibility that will result in health promotion and will attract
diverse partnerships and use of technologies to meet the health needs of Indigenous persons
(Russell, 2010).
The social determinants theory acknowledges that population health along with inequity
is ascertained by diverse interrelated social factors. Thus, the relative socioeconomic
disadvantage faced by the Indigenous Australians than non-Indigenous populace puts them at a
superior threat of exposure to NCDs as they do not have resources to participate in health issues.
Important determinants of Indigenous health inequity in Australia comprise to lack of equal
access to primary healthcare in addition to the inferior standard of health infrastructure in
Indigenous communities (health, food, education, hygiene among others) as compared to non-
Indigenous Australia. Education is another social determinant that has been cited to control to
low participation of Indigenous Australians in health matters. Social class is another factor that

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has been found to impact the prevalence of NCDs and it through community participation that
will help resolve the social issue (Bailie et al., 2015).
Analysis
The significance of policies that promote community in health in health and health
promotion has become the cornerstone of the most successful healthcare systems around the
world. Studies have shown that around 80 percent of diabetes, cancers, as well as heart diseases,
are presently and prevention is effective in terms of cost. This category of chronic diseases is not
only linked to elevated levels of mortality, except also long-standing disability plus morbidity.
The primary prevention should be the focus for any approach for these NCDs and therefore,
community readiness and participation in health promotion is important. Policies must focus on
empowering, as well as engaging communities via health promotion programs. This implies that
through empowering and engaging Indigenous Australians through the policies will reduce the
burden of NCDs (Vos et al., 2009).
The primary evidence-based, as well as cost-effective, population-level intervention
programs presently exist for chronic diseases. These include dietary salt reduction, tobacco
cessation, as well as cardiovascular treatments. Furthermore, good facts exist for lifestyle-change
programs, which include weight loss via nutrition, physical activity, and screening programs.
These programs will need a high-level community obligation to be attained, reflecting the
influence of the community on an individual’s actions via social support plus norms. This is
evident that the Aboriginals can take part in health promotion programs through community

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participation policies. Therefore, community empowerment and participation are essential in
attaining progress in reducing NCDs among Indigenous Australians (Gibson et al., 2015).
The World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges that community participation is a
pillar of quality, safe, as well as people-centered services in tackling NCDs. Community
engagement is a process of developing relationships with the community mobilization or
community health programs. In the context of the Indigenous Australians, strong community
contribution is a crucial strategy in ensuring equity in access to healthcare services towards
combating the problem of no-communicable diseases (Chaudoir, Dugan & Barr, 2013). The
primary five principles of the World Health Organization on PHC include accessibility,
community involvement, inter-sectoral partnership, health promotion and suitable of technology.
Thus, these principles revolve around community participation, which is one of the WHO
principles since the participation of the community will boost health promotion, accessibility and
attract the use right technologies and attract inter-sectoral partnership (Demaio et al., 2014).
Global justice movements, comprising transnational activism rights for Indigenous rights
are working to promote health equity through changing public health policy to promote social
justice. Social status have been found to be another factor that affects the health of the
Indigenous people and through community participation the social injustice will be resolved and
Indigenous people will access healthcare in Australia. The epidemiological factors that affect
Indigenous people include injuries and poisoning. Other factors include and lifestyle factors
unhygienic conditions the exposes Indigenous people to NCDs. Concerning Indigenous
Australians, poor health has been associated with increased inequality access to healthcare. The
people have not accessed the healthcare services because of poor education that bar them from

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accessing health services as other Australians. Poor education and literacy are associated with
poor health status and affect the degree of individuals to participate in health promotion. Thus,
the use of community participation is essential in addressing the poor education and literacy and
allows the Indigenous to access care. Also, poor incomes of Indigenous people lower their
accessibility to healthcare services along with medicines. This lack of accessibility because of
poorer income has caused social inequality and social injustice in a society like Australia with
universal health coverage (UHC). Strong community participation will ensure that the
Indigenous people get the opportunity to champion their place in accessing healthcare services
(Dwyer, O'Donnell, Willis & Kelly, 2016).
Conclusions
Community participation is an appropriate strategy in tackling NCDs among the
Indigenous people in Australia. Community participation must comprise policies to address the
social determinants (poor education and income) that continues to face the population leading to
inequality in access to care PHC offers a comprehensive approach in handling chronic diseases
among Indigenous populations.

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References
Bailie, J., Schierhout, G., Laycock, A., Kelaher, M., Percival, N & O'Donoghue, L. (2015).
Determinants of access to chronic illness care: a mixed-methods evaluation of a national
multifaceted chronic disease package for Indigenous Australians. BMJ Open.
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Chaudoir, S., Dugan, A & Barr, C. (2013). Measuring factors affecting implementation of health
innovations: a systematic review of structural, organizational, provider, patient, and
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Demaio, A. R., Kragelund N. K., Pinkowski Tersbøl, B., Kallestrup, P., & Meyrowitsch, D.
W. (2014). Primary Health Care: a strategic framework for the prevention and control of
chronic non-communicable disease. Global health action, 7(1), 24504-24598.
Dwyer, J., O'Donnell, K., Willis, E & Kelly, J. (2016). Equitable care for indigenous people:
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Gibson, O., Lisy, K., Davy, C., Aromataris, E., Kite, E & Lockwood, C. (2015). Enablers and
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O’Sullivan, D. (2012). Justice, culture and the political determinants of indigenous Australian
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Russell, L. (2010). Indigenous Health Checks: A Failed Policy in Need of Scrutiny. Menzies
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Vos, T., Barker, B., Begg, S., Stanley, L & Lopez, A. (2009). Burden of disease and injury in
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: the Indigenous health gap. Int J Epidemiol.
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