Utopia: Indigenous Health, Social Determinants, and Health Services

This report examines the social determinants of health within the Indigenous community of Utopia, Australia. It highlights the influence of factors like social support, access to health services, and education on health outcomes. The community's reliance on traditional healers and limited access to modern healthcare are discussed, along with the challenges posed by the absence of formal education. The report emphasizes the importance of social support systems and the transmission of cultural knowledge within the community. The analysis underscores the complex interplay of social determinants in shaping the health of Indigenous populations, referencing key studies. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies to address these determinants and improve health outcomes.

Running Head: INDIGENOUS HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 1
Indigenous Health Perspectives
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INDIGENOUS HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2
Indigenous Health Perspectives
Social determinants of health play a major role in achieving the health outcomes of the
community. the conditions in which individuals are born, live, work and age play a significant
role in influencing their health. Utopia is a small section in the Northern Desert. It is located 300
kilometers away from any town or civilization area. It is inhabited by Indigenous Australians.
There are a few social determinants of health which influence this community.
The firsts social determinant of health is social support and coping skills. Utopia consists
of indigenous Australians. They live together on their ancestral home and in communities.
Living together and interacting together helps them to build a strong social support system. They
consider each other family and are ready to help out when one is in need (Fisher et al., 2019).
access to health services is another social determinant of health in Utopia. Most of the
communities in Utopia are far away from any health facility. In the event of an emergency, the
patient has to be airlifted to the nearest hospital. The community relies on traditional healers to
treat the common diseases. The traditional healers only have knowledge that was inherited from
their ancestors. They are not sure about treatment for modern day illness (Cullen et al., 2018).
Education and literacy play also a role as a social determinant of heath. There are no
schools in Utopia. The children gain knowledge through informal education. The children are
mostly educated abut their culture. Formal education is not considered as important as
understanding culture.in this community, culture is passed down from one generation to the next.

INDIGENOUS HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 3
References
Cullen, P., Clapham, K., Hunter, K., Porykali, B., & Ivers, R. (2018). PW 1898 Embedding
multi-sectoral solutions to address transport injury and social determinants of health in
aboriginal communities in australia.
Fisher, M., Battams, S., Mcdermott, D., Baum, F., & Macdougall, C. (2019). How the social
determinants of Indigenous health became policy reality for Australia's National
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan. Journal of Social Policy, 48(1), 169-
189.