Inequities in Health: Cardiovascular Health in Indigenous Australians

This report examines the health inequities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, focusing on cardiovascular health. It discusses reasons for the disparity, including government funding inconsistencies and inadequate attention to health rights. The report highlights the impact of primary health care interventions in reducing inequity and emphasizes the importance of cultural knowledge and sensitivity in healthcare access. It also provides an example of a primary health care intervention addressing cardiovascular health issues for Indigenous Australians, detailing its impact on reducing inequity by improving risk management and promoting collaboration among healthcare providers. Furthermore, the report explores how cultural knowledge and sensitivity in healthcare can affect access to primary health care services, noting that incorporating cultural diversity improves healthcare access and reduces racial discrimination, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for Indigenous populations.

Running Head: HEALTH AND SOCIETY 1
Health and Society
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HEALTH AND SOCIETY 2
Discuss two different reasons for inequity between Indigenous Australians and non-
Indigenous Australians in relation to your identified health issue.
Introduction
Cardiovascular health issue has been realized to cause the gap or inequality between the
indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The condition has been a burden to most people in
the country. In 2011 the health issue was recorded among others as the top diseases that have
killed many of the Australians in the area. The other illnesses recorded were cancer, respiratory
infections, mental disorders, and injuries. The risk factors after research was carried out included
alcohol use, high body mass, lack of physical exercise and high blood pressure (Yiallourou et al.,
2018 p. 40). One reason that is causing a gap between these two groups is that the government in
Australia makes a commitment which do not come to pass because of the increase in the fund.
Another reason is that human rights in health are not well taken of.
The inequality between these two groups is vast because there is a longstanding challenge
in the Australian government. The improvements which the governments make on the
cardiovascular health issue has been prolonged and inconsistent. Moreover, also of the progress
being slow the process needs a lot of the fund to address the issue. Moreover, due to insufficient
funds in the health care this health problem is not well discussed leaving the disease not
diagnosed. The government has failed to control the gap between the two groups hence causing
inequality due to they have not set a time frame in which they can achieve to control the
difference. This means that the government is unaccountable to prevent the health issue. Also,
the government has not provided enough funds to support the cardiovascular disease hence
making the gap to widen. Moreover, the government has accepted the ways which can eliminate

HEALTH AND SOCIETY 3
the difference in a holistic approach. Meaning that they have not organized the health programs
which are set to treat the health issue (Estevez et al., 2018 p. 20).
The other reason is that the right to health on health services is not well addressed in
Australia. This means that when the issue is not treated the gap will always remain the same
because in the two groups the issue will not be addressed. In these for the gap to be eliminated
the government should provide equitable primary care to resolve the issue. The primary care will
ensure that the gap will be addressed in the two groups hence the health issue being discussed.
To eliminate this, the government had formulated the human rights-based approach on them, but
the approach didn’t bare any efforts because no health programs were engineered to solve the
cardiovascular issue. Moreover, the government understands that there is discrimination in the
health sectors hence not addressing the issue in any way (Rémond et al., 2018 p 228).
Conclusion
It is evident that the gap between the two groups still exists. Historically, the studies
depict that the indigenous Australians are considered to be healthy that the non-indigenous
people. This indicates that there is inequality in the sector of health care. There are some
improvements in the measures of health in Australia, but this has not been attained in the general
population of Australia. This is because still there are high death rates from the cardiovascular
disease; this means to create the equality the government should formulate equal primary care
and cultural diversity in the country to control the gap.

HEALTH AND SOCIETY 4
Provide one example of a Primary Health Care intervention that is addressing this
health issue for Indigenous Australians. Explain the impact this intervention is having on
reducing inequity.
Introduction
Cardiovascular health issue is considered to cause premature death to the indigenous
Australians. The condition has contributed to almost a third of the gap that is experienced
between the aboriginal and the non-indigenous Australians. Despite the disease-causing, the gap
the clinicians have formulated the primary care which is appropriate to take care of the
indigenous people. The proper primary cardiac care given to them improves the risk of the
diseases in the indigenous people who live in the rural, urban and the remote settings (Justo et
al., 2017 p. 1700).
The primary cardiac care controls the risk of the indigenous people getting cardiac
vascular disease. In these, the primary care providers and other health care teams work together
so that they can provide health care to the group of people. The primary cardiac care given to
them checks if the patient has the early symptom of the cardiac vascular diseases which includes
diagnosing if the patient has chest discomfort, there is routine functional testing to the patients
which involves walking for some minutes. Moreover, there is exercise stress testing, and also the
patients are encouraged to perform much of the physical activity. Additionally, for the
indigenous patients who are reluctant to talk, the primary care providers ask them indirect
questions and hence knowing their situation in a wise manner (Costello et al., 2018 p. 920). For
those who can perform different activities their ability to perform some operations like playing
football can tell if the patients have the symptoms of the disease or not, the primary cardiac care
ensures that there is the continuity of attention from the primary care providers. Moreover,

HEALTH AND SOCIETY 5
developing a rapport with indigenous individuals is essential. This relationship is created by
providing outreach programs in clinics for a prolonged period; hence this enables a good
relationship between them.
The primary cardiac care makes sure that they have used the local cardiac nurses who can
follow up about the health proceedings of different patients that they have been attended to. The
primary cardiac care ensures that the primary care providers thoroughly test all testing pertaining
the cardiovascular diseases. The primary cardiac care has also sought to seek the social and
equity determinants for the prevention of illness. They also recognize the disorders can be
addressed by ensuring that the people have good environmental health, better housing and having
an excellent emotional wellbeing (Wissenberg 2017., p. 1370).
Conclusion
The primary cardiac care has brought positive results towards the prevention of
cardiovascular diseases. These include achieving careful consideration of the disorders which
gives a mixed scorecard. Due to the establishment of the cardiovascular indicators, the gap which
existed had been eliminated because all the cardiac surgeries are carried out. The primary cardiac
care has improved the societal, cultural and lifestyle change in the indigenous people. This is
because the intervention method ensures that the affected indigenous Australians live in clean
and affordable houses; they get support from the responsive agencies and lives in a non-racism
environment. Moreover, primary care has enabled improved access to acute health care.

HEALTH AND SOCIETY 6
Discuss how cultural knowledge and sensitivity in health care may affect access to
Primary Health Care services. Provide one example based on your chosen health issue.
Introduction
Increasing the cultural knowledge in the health systems affects how the primary care
services are offered to the individuals. Having cultural knowledge and sensitivity affects how
primary care in any health system is accessed. Many factors are viewed to contribute the equality
which is experienced between the indigenous and the indigenous people in Australia. The
concept of ethnicity has also added to the health-related problems which exist in the country. In
this, it is essential for the individuals to have cultural knowledge so that the health disparities
will be avoided at all cost (Briffa et al., 2017 p.670).
Sensitization means that there is a need for primary care in every health care institution.
Incorporating diversity of cultures in the health system has improved the health system of the
indigenous people, and hence the people are well receiving the primary care intervention they
need. It is evident having cultural knowledge is the primary key that can be used in the health
system so that the gap can be eliminated. Moreover, the cultural competency has improved good
access in all the health care and also racial discrimination has been controlled (Higginbotham et
al., 2014 p. 690). This has been achieved by employing medical practitioners from diverse
cultures. When this is applied the cultural interventions provide services in the workforce which
are meant to provide an ethical framework for the necessary health care and hence ensuring that
every individual is well taken of. Furthermore, cultural knowledge and sensitization have
improved the indigenous people health outcomes in Australia. In these the health systems
formulates strategies which reduce the expenditure being incurred when the primary care is
being offered to the individual.

HEALTH AND SOCIETY 7
The inequality being experienced in Australia between the indigenous and the non-
indigenous people one of the known factors is the social constructs. This means having the
cultural knowledge and sensitivity the individuals understand their health rights hence receiving
proper treatment and the gap being eliminated at all cost. This means being culturally sensitized;
all groups of individuals are well treated in the country. In all this, it is good to implement
cultural sensitivity in areas so that issues like health disparity can be avoided. This also means
that primary care is given to them is equal (Zipes et al., 2018 p. 700).
Conclusion
Due to formulating culturally sensitive knowledge in the health care system. The
treatment of the cardiovascular health issue has been developed treatment interventions in all the
health systems. Moreover, the health care policies in treating the diseases have been
implemented. This means that formulating cultural knowledge is very important. Furthermore,
the healthcare systems have taught their health officials so that they can empower the patients by
treating the cardiovascular health issue.
Furthermore, the health system has added the equipment’s which tests the cardiovascular
systems so that the people with the early symptoms immediate interventions can be taken to
them. Also employing the cardiac care providers from the diverse cultures have helped the
disease to be treated responsively. This means when this is applied all the disorders which are a
burden in Australia can be eliminated due to the cultural diversity.

HEALTH AND SOCIETY 8
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HEALTH AND SOCIETY 9
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