Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health: Traditional Healing and Western Medicine

This article discusses the importance and effectiveness of traditional Aboriginal healing and Western medicine in Australia. It highlights the gap in life expectancy between Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australians and the need for culturally competent healthcare plans. The article suggests combining traditional and Western medicine to improve healthcare access and outcomes.

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Reflection: 1
Why there is a 10 – 12 years gap in the life expectancy of an Aboriginal Australian
compared to an ordinary Australian
Description
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2018), the life
expectancy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population male, born during 2010 to
2012, is 10.6 years less than the non-indigenous population. For female population, the
difference in the life-expectancy is 9.5 years. This strong difference in the life-expectancy is
attributed to increased incidence of chronic diseases among the aboriginal population. This
strong gap in the life expectancy has negatively impacted the Aboriginal population in
Australia leading to increase in the health-equality and poor social and economic status
(AIHW, 2016). This issue also has profound impact on me I feel that aboriginals are
neglected in the healthcare sector.
Feelings
Before I am exposed to the data of the AIHW I used to think that poor lifestyle of the
aboriginal people and their orthodox behaviour towards health are the main reasons behind
their poor expectancy. Like AIHW (2016) highlighted that tendency of substance abuse
among the aboriginals results in poor life-expectancy. After I am exposed to the content, I
feel that aboriginals cannot solely be blamed for their poor conditions and lack of quality
access to the healthcare service is another reason behind the huge gap in life expectancy. For
example, according to Australian Human Rights Commission (2017) the indigenous people
do not have equal access to the healthcare service in comparison to the non-indigenous

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population moreover there is also gap in knowledge about the healthy lifestyle among the
aboriginal population resulting in huge gap in the life-expectancy.
Critical evaluation
As per my understanding, this huge gap in the life-expectancy of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander population is creating health-inequality in the Australia which has a
negative impact in the overall Australian economy. According to the report published by the
World’s Health Organisation [WHO] (2018), the huge disparities in health of indigenous
Aboriginals population with non-indigenous population are disquieting in affluent country
like Australia. In order to know more about the underlying reasons behind the huge gap in the
life expectancy of the Aboriginal population I studied the governmental reports further. It
helped me to enlighten the darker side of the Aboriginal lifestyle and health. According to
WHO (2018) for the majority of the non-indigenous people in Australia, it is hard to
comprehend the live of Aboriginal tribes living in central Australia. At present, nearly 85% of
Australians reside within 50 km within the coastline of Northern Territory. It has a population
size over 200 000 people spread across 1.34 million square kilometres with more than 100
different indigenous languages used. However, more than just geography and skin there are
other things that fall apart. The average household of the aboriginals earn about 55% of an
average non-Aboriginal family. This financial crisis is further aggravated with social
problems like unemployment and high rate of imprisonment (AIHW, 2016). The lack of
proper employment and proper living condition force them to pass on to depression leading to
increase in the tendency of substance abuse (Black, et al., 2015).
After studying and knowing about the aboriginal healthcare condition, I realised that
my previous understanding was biased. I used only blame the poor lifestyle and the
healthcare habits of the Aboriginal people due to their poor health outcomes. I had no
previous experience or knowledge about how they reside under poor socio-economic

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determinants of health leading to negative health outcome. The lack of knowledge and biased
attitude towards the Aboriginal population lead to the development of the misconception.
Analysis and Conclusion
The environmental factors that I have learnt have helped to change my attitude
towards the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. According to Baker, Lester,
Bentley and Beer (2016) poor housing condition and poor sanitization are the reason
increased outbreak of both communicable and non-communicable disease among Aboriginal
population leading to gap in life-expectancy. Other cultural factor include lack of proper
aboriginal nursing population and culturally competent care plan that reduce the tendency of
the healthcare access among aboriginal population leading the decrease in life-expectancy
(Baba, Brolan & Hill, 2014). This information was something new to me as I was not aware
of the concept of aboriginal nurses.
At last, I have reached the conclusion that there is a gap in the government practice or
policy planning leading to decrease in the life expectancy among aboriginal population.
Action plan
I have learnt that I used to have a biased attitude towards the aboriginal population. In
order to make positive change, more importance must be given in the development of
culturally competent healthcare plan and inclusion of aboriginal nurses in the workforce to
increase the access of care. However, I need to learn more about the government policies
drafted in favour of the aboriginal health in order to known what government is doing to
reduce the health inequality.

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Reflection: 2
Traditional Aboriginal healing and Western medicine
The traditional Aboriginal healing is mainly dependent over medications extracted
from the roots, leaves or stem of medicinal plants. Previously I used to think that the
traditional approach of the healing process, which is favored by the aboriginals are not as
effective as Western medication and treatment approach. Under this context, Oliver (2013) is
of the opinion that the practice of the traditional Aboriginal medicine within Australia is now
suffering from risk of extinction as a result of colonization. The colonization leads to
displacement of people from traditional lands and at the same time cause change in the family
structures, which affects the transfer of the cultural knowledge leading the cessation in the
flow of information. However, Aboriginals rely in traditional mode of healing rather than
Western treatment with allopathic medications. Oliver (2013) also stated that use of the
traditional healers like the bush medicines or the healing songs are main source of the
primary healthcare among the Aboriginal population. The traditional medicine is used
sequentially, concurrently and compartmentally under the biochemical healthcare practices in
order promote rapid healing.
Thus, this reading helped to change my perspective towards the importance and the
effectiveness of the traditional healing process by medicinal plant extracts used by the
Aboriginals population. However, the reference to extinction of this process of healing is
something alarming and can be linked to decrease in the healthcare access among the
aboriginals and decrease in the life expectancy among the Aboriginal population. Garneau
and Pepin (2015) stated that there is lack of culturally competent care plan in Australia like
majority of the healthcare practices in Australia mainly relies on the use of allopathic

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medication. This leads to decrease in the comprehensive healthcare access among the
aboriginal population.
According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) (2018), a
nursing professional must practice in a culturally safe and competent manner. Thus in order
to practice in make a culturally competent healthcare plan, I think that combining the
traditional approach of the healthcare with the western medicines. Combining these two
approach will not only increase the healthcare access among the aboriginal population, but
will help to bring a new revolution in healthcare. Under this context, I would want to
highlight the study conducted by Marsh, Coholic, Cote-Meek and Najavits (2015). According
to this study substance abuse disorder and the intergenerational trauma represents the main
challenge in the Aboriginal healthcare. However, there is underutilization of the substance
use and the mental healthcare services along with a significant client dropout rates and
increase in the chances of the HIV infection among the aboriginal population. The review of
the literature conducted by Marsh, Coholic, Cote-Meek and Najavits (2015) highlighted that
Indigenous knowledge framework for healthcare must be holistic, respectful and inclusive
that must balance between emotional spiritual, social and physical realms of their life. This
can be done by having a perfect amalgamation traditional and western medicine approach.
The use of traditional medicine approach and western medicine is successful in increasing the
access of care while decreasing the substance abuse trauma among the aboriginals.
At the end, I would like to say that my negative attitude towards the traditional source
of medication is mainly due to lack of proper knowledge in the domain of importance of the
traditional medicine. But insights from the published literature helped to clear my knowledge
gap. I feel that more aboriginals must be encouraged to share their knowledge in the domain
of traditional medicine with the healthcare professionals working under the Westernized
medicine approach. This will aid in the promotion of the culturally safe and competent

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healthcare plan. Moreover, it will help to bring a perfect foil of aboriginal and western source
of medicine and thereby helping to improve the overall outcome of the healthcare along with
increase in the healthcare access. I also feel that government must come forward towards
initiation of funds in order to promote effective research towards using goodness of both
traditional medicine and western medicine. More and more the healthcare professionals must
come forward by breaking the stereotype or biased thought process towards the aboriginal
community in order to bring a positive change in the healthcare approach (Thackrah &
Thompson, 2013).

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References
Australian Human Rights Commission. (2017). Social determinants and the health of
Indigenous peoples in Australia – a human rights based approach. Access date: 10th
of March 2019. Retrieved from:
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/social-determinants-and-health-
indigenous-peoples-australia-human-rights-based
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date: 10th of March 2019. Retrieved from:
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chapter-4-determinants-of-health
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW]. (2016). Main contributors to the
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https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/5d39a104-a2d5-4ab5-900c-697ee0e5a1d8/ah16-5-
8-main-contributors-indigenous-life-expectancy-gap.pdf.aspx
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Baker, E., Lester, L. H., Bentley, R., & Beer, A. (2016). Poor housing quality: Prevalence and
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