Historical and Current Health Issues: Australia's Indigenous People

This essay examines the profound impact of historical and current events on the health outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in Australia. It delves into the consequences of colonization, including land dispossession, cultural disruption, and the introduction of diseases, which led to a drastic decline in the Aboriginal population and continues to shape health disparities today. The essay highlights the significant inequalities in health statistics, such as life expectancy, diabetes rates, and infant mortality, and attributes these disparities to a complex interplay of biological, socio-cultural, political, and economic factors. It also discusses the role of nutrition, health policies, and access to healthcare, particularly in remote areas, in exacerbating these issues. While acknowledging Australia's overall high standard of healthcare, the essay emphasizes the urgent need for inclusive policies, improved healthcare access, and culturally sensitive approaches to address the persistent health inequalities faced by Indigenous Australians, advocating for equitable and sustainable solutions.

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA1
Impacts of Historical and Current Events on the Health Issues of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous
of Australia
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Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA2
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people groups are the principal tenants of Australia..
Formerly they were distinguished by their skin pigmentation or just aboriginal descent but that has
been replaced by present-day definitions which are more inclusive. The Australian government
today defines the Australian native as one who originates from an Aboriginal community,
acknowledges him or herself as a native descent person and the community accepts him or her as
one of them. (Fuary, 2016).
During the colonization period, Australia was identified as a colony. The indigenous land
was taken and become under control of British colonists and assumed that the land belonged to no
one. The struggle between the natives and the colonists resulted in bloodshed which was one-sided
leading to the drastic decrease in the Aboriginal population (Nayton, 2012). The number of native
individuals who passed on during the white people settlement in Australia is estimated to range
between 300,000 and 1 million. This figure increases considering the confrontation battles of the
Aboriginal and the white settlers. Additionally, numerous Aboriginal populaces died of acquainted
maladies which no protection was available to counter, for example, smallpox, flu and measles
without forgetting arbitrary killings, inflicting punishment and organized mass killing (LoGiudice,
2016). Resulting to significant decrease of the Aboriginal population. The survivors were transferred
from their land to reserves and missions denied education or studying from different schools. Some
were assimilated into the broader population with the aim of eradicating the natives gradually and to
ensure that they lose their identity.

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA3
The circumstances surrounding the natives after the end of colonization period resulted in
their exclusion from the mainstream Australian policies, specifically, the health policies.
The records of health statistics and information show inequities between indigenous population of
Australia and non-Indigenous Australians (Al-Yaman, 2017). At a populace level, Indigenous
Australians encounter more prominent dreariness, mortality, and handicap over diverse situations
and at each phase of living. For instance, elevated diabetes rate, kidney infections, poor eyesight,
inappropriate and higher rate of hospital admission for cognitive health and deaths as a result of
cardiovascular diseases just to mention a few, affect the Indigenous as compared to non-Indigenous
individuals. ("Health and Welfare of Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People,
October 2010"). These inconsistencies are owing to the mind-boggling interaction of past events
already highlighted and an extensive variety of biological, socio-cultural, political and economical
determinants of health ("House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs: Press
Release," 1989). As in numerous settings, these disparities is as a result for disdain and
disappointment by ones whose well-being is highly influenced which is of worry to policymakers
whose aim should be ensuring there is equality and fairness in the society. Similarly, the light way
with which the health of Indigenous population is reported and handled is an indication of how vital
health information is unclear on the non-Indigenous populace
Another commonly used measure of social equity is life expectancy which is a concise
measure of susceptibility to death. In Australia, the life expectancy for the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islanders has been used determine the limitations of the Indigenous populace, ("Intellectual
disability in Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," 2007) and has become a vital
avenue for championing for Australian natives health. Life expectancy calculation relies on the

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA4
reliable data indicating the size of the population and deaths by age and gender. With this in mind,
there has been a concern about the reliability of the natives' information, especially on their deaths.
This has led to unreliable methods of estimating Indigenous life expectancy (Rosenstock, Mukandi,
Zwi, & Hill, 2013) where late reports evaluated a life expectancy of 11.5 years for Aboriginal males
and 9.7 years for Aboriginal females contrasted with non-Aboriginal Australians (Gwynne &
Lincoln, 2017).
Another important indicator of a healthy community is nutrition. Nutrition contributes to
infants' development; maternal wellbeing also, serves an essential determinant of the unending
ailments that lessen Aboriginal life expectancy. Hence, enhancing nourishment is fundamental for
advancing Aboriginal prosperity (Gibson et al, 2015). According to National Aboriginal Health
Strategy (NAHS) which was started in 1989, poor nutrition and acquiring food were the main issues
influencing Aboriginal well being (Wilson, 2016). The NAHS was recognized for reframing the
Aboriginal wellbeing agenda and for its group inclusion and all-encompassing approach. However,
most analyses concentrated on its absence of subsidizing and implementation. This was affirmed by
the NAHS assessment, which revealed little confirmation of either procedure usage or change in
Aboriginal wellbeing status (Smith, 2013).
Due to inequality health service provision and health policies which are not inclusive,
ailment burden in rural Aboriginal areas with respect to the general Australian population is evident.
These diseases start at the neonatal stage. Statistics have indicated that the susceptibility to death of
infants in indigenous communities is three times that of the non-indigenous populations (Harris &
Zwar, 2014). Albeit Australia is recognized as a developed country, health problems in Aboriginal
communities are similar to those experienced in developing countries. Indigenous infants suffer from

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA5
maladies which are rare in non-indigenous population due to improved facilities and health care
providers including improved economic and living standards which decrease the burden of
contagious and infectious diseases. For instance, skin infections which remain highly noticeable
health problem in developing countries and among indigenous communities are the common reason
for children presentations in rural clinics known as primary health care centers (Couzos, Delaney-
Thiele, & Page, 2016). Another malady in children which is rare in industrialized countries but
alarmingly high in Aboriginal in Australia is middle ear disease also known as otitis media
(Spurling, n.d ). The research shows very high rates which have not been registered in any other
population in the world showing the sidelining of this indigenous community considering the
country's medical advancements and strides it has made which is superior compared to most
countries around the globe whose statistics on the disease is relatively low.
On the issue of knowledge provision and creating awareness on hazardous lifestyle which
can lead to detrimental health is minimal. Underweight infants with other health complications are
born to Aboriginal women due to smoking. According to Kildea et al., (2017), 57.8% of Aboriginal
women smoke during pregnancy whereas only 24.0% non-Aboriginal pregnant women smoke.
Additionally, teenage girls have a pregnancy rate of more than twice as high as non-Aboriginal.
Those with early pregnancies are likely to be single hence freely smoke during pregnancy. They are
more likely to have few or none clinical visits before birth, are more likely to give birth in a country
hospital or home in some circumstances hence susceptible to infections and anemia (Hure, Powers,
Chojenta, & Loxton, 2017). HIV and AIDS and sexually transmitted disease are relatively high in
the indigenous communities as compared to non-indigenous populace due to little or lack knowledge
on how to use protective measures for protection.

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA6
Further, remote communities in this case Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are
disadvantaged by reduced access to health facilities and services known as primary health care
centers (PHC) (Roberts, 2017). Considering that these remote communities are characterized by
higher hospitalization rates higher prevalence of health risk factors compared with town settings
where most non-Indigenous live, health policies and health service providers should be set in motion
to bring to bring equity in this statistical discrepancies. Similarly, segregated remote areas which
happen to be the homes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are limited to support traditional
models of well-being provision locally. Hence, the residents are forced to acquire health care from
metropolitan centers. Regrettably, it remains a problem for a higher number of residents of the
Indigenous community to access the health services provided in larger centers (Carey, Wakerman,
Humphreys, Buykx, & Lindeman, 2013). The outcome when most fail to obtain this services when
required is evident since the communities' mortality rate compared to the non-Indigenous population
significantly differs where the former is high whereas the latter is relatively low.
On the other hand, the communities in Australia which significantly differ culturally with
the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people are the non-Indigenous who are majorly the
European. After their arrival in Australia in the 1600 and afterward treating the land as a colony,
they suppressed any aggression from the natives This is viewed in different historical facts
documented of how the suppressions were made. The resistance of the residents and the
advancement of the colonizers led to the termination of many indigenous people, and the remaining
were moved from their land to give way for white settlements.
Unlike other colonial territories, on independence, the white settlers made the majority
population ensuring that they made the government and came up with policies which only served

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA7
them good neglecting the indigenous communities. As mentioned earlier, attempts were made to
eradicate the identity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people hence more evident that
the policy Makers did not have their inclusion in mind.
For any country to be considered industrialized and developed, health services, facilities,
and policies must be sustainable accompanied by life expectancy and mortality rate ("Criteria and
procedures for inclusion in and graduation from the least developed country category," 2015).
Australia being a developed and industrialized country, the fact that health facility, infrastructure,
services, and policies are sustainable and reliable is inevitable. This point which is undisputable has
ensured that the health statistics of the Australians is impressively better comparing with many
countries rated the same on the economic scale. For instance, the life expectancy of the Australians
is averagely 82.45 years as per 2015. This is much higher than that of United States which is at 78.74
years, China at 75.99 years and Canada at 82.14 years all as per 2015 (OLIVER, n.d). This is a good
sign that Australian citizens enjoy world-class health service and policies that better their living
standards.
Also, fundamental policies have been put in place by both private and government
organizations to ensure the status quo is maintained or even higher results as far us health provision
is concerned. In achieving this, Medicare has been formulated which funds health care system for
every individual in Australia ("Health | australia.gov.au," n.d). Further departments such as state and
territories have been put in place with fundamental responsibility for hospitals, communities, public
health ambulances, oral health services and mental wellbeing programs. It also links the state and
territory wellbeing data. Additionally, as stated earlier information and creating awareness is evident
and well formulated hence the public is aware of specific lifestyle choices which will result in poor

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA8
health and growth of a sickly community. This has ensured that most citizens living in urban settings
have a better living standard as far as health factor is concerned. Albeit some still live in the neglect
of the knowledge already readily available on better lifestyles, most have adopted the recommended
lifestyle of active life which involves exercising and wholesome nutrition which is crucial in the well
of citizens.
Conclusion
Though one country with competent health providers, standard facilities, and holistic
policies, there is a massive disparity between communities living therein. Historical events and
policymakers have been the sole reason for having diverse communities living in the same region
but with different advantages. Although several efforts and been put in place to close the gap as
termed by many and to reduce the vivid difference, the wheel of equality is still slow in achieving a
habitable and equitable society for all. The significantly minimal number of public health care
centers should be added and well equipped to ensure the communities living in isolated regions
access the facilities. Nutrition should be the priority since is the determinant of the well being of all
individuals and lastly people living in marginal areas should be educated on how to live healthy to
help them make informed choices for a better living

Running head: HISTORICAL AND CURRENT EVENTS IMPACTING HEALTH ISSUES OF
INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA9
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