Strategies for Improving Indigenous Australian Health and Wellbeing

This essay examines the significant health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, focusing on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It highlights the higher rates of disability, morbidity, and mortality experienced by Indigenous Australians across various health conditions and life stages, including diabetes, renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and mental health problems. The paper aims to outline effective strategies, supported by evidence-based literature, to improve health outcomes and life expectancy, acknowledging cultural values and promoting culturally sensitive healthcare. Key strategies discussed include addressing racism and prejudice, improving access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, supporting social and emotional wellbeing, providing maternal and child health services, and integrating social and emotional wellbeing strategies. The essay emphasizes the need for government funding, collaboration, and a whole-of-life approach to address risk factors and improve the health of the Indigenous population.

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The prominent inequalities between all health outcomes of indigenous and non-
indigenous Australians in the country have been time and again documented in a detailed
manner. In here, indigenous population denotes the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples of Australia. Speaking at the very fundamental level, very important statistical data
indicate that indigenous Australians suffer higher disability, morbidity and mortality across
different conditions and at all stages of life span (Kelaher et al., 2014). The main health
complications that this population experience includes diabetes, renal disease, intentional
injury, cardiovascular disease, a higher rate of hospitalisation and mental health problems.
The burden of illness leads to the increased economic burden for health care sector as well as
social burden across the different communities. Life expectancy is the summary measure of
mortality and it indicates the indicator for social equity (Murray et al., 2015). The present
paper aims to outline the strategies that are noteworthy for holding the potential to bring
improvement in the burden of illness and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people in Australia. The paper is based on evidences extracted from a wide range of
literature that indicate some beneficial measures that when implemented would likely reduce
the social and economic burden of poor health outcomes of this population across
communities.
Data collected over the past few decades point out that the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Australians suffer poor heath outcomes as compared to their counterparts. A
number of challenges are faced by this population when commucniating their health needs
and accessing health care facilities. Differences have been pointed out in the culture,
perceptions, social beliefs and attitudes between the two set of the population that have
contributed to this gap between the health conditions of the two populations. The Australian
government is showing heightened commitment to bring improvement in the health and
wellbeing of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians by bridging the gaps

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prevalent between the heath outcomes of this population with the wider population. There is
an urgent need of implementing valuable strategies, resting upon evidence from literature and
research, that would bring about a positive change in this context (Brittet al., 2013).
The vision that is to be followed for successful implementation of novice and
evidence-based strategies has to focus on the prevalence of prejudice and racism between the
two population. The aim has to be on the reduction of inequality and racism so that the
indigenous population receive appropriate healthcare services without any major challenges.
The services provided are to be affordable, high quality, effective and appropriate that
address the comprehensive needs of the population. The principles of the strategies would be
resting upon health equality and human rights approach, partnership, community control and
engagement and accountability (Barclay et al., 2014). As highlighted by Couzos and Thiele
(2016) if the Indigenous population are to be made free from the burden of illness and if their
life expectancy are to be enhanced, the most crucial step would be to acknowledge the
culture, traditions and values that they uphold. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
population have the right to live a safe and healthy life wherein they are empowered and
supported continually. Further, it is important that they establish a healthy and strong
connection to the other parts of the country. Embracing the culture of this population would
strengthen the bond between the two populations and the indigenous population would be
motivated and encouraged to access adequate health care services that are safe and culturally
sensitive. The population is to be actively engaged in decision making process regarding their
own healthcare. Support is to be given to the population by education, housing, employment
and diverse programs having the focus on elimination of causes of health inequality (Singer
et al., 2015).
Uplifting emotional and social wellbeing of the Aboriginals and Torres Islander
population would also serve as a key approach for promoting preventive and clinical care.

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Mothers and infants of the indigenous population suffer drastic negative health outcomes and
have less access to healthcare services. Based on subjective data on health outcomes for
mothers and children the strategy that comes into focus is the delivery of best possible
support and care provided to the mothers and children. Coming to the adult population, they
are to be given support, care and resources for managing their health. The aim would be to
ensure they have productive and longer live spans similar to that of the non-indigenous
population. In addition, older people must be supported to have an active and healthy life that
is comfortable and culturally secure (Browne et al., 2017).
High quality healthcare for indigenous population needs to be accessible and
appropriate addressing the needs of the population. Coordinated and culturally appropriate
services across the health system, taking into account hospital care, primary health care, and
aged care would certainly bring improvement in the patient journey (Dockery, 2017). The
strategies for this goal would be implementation of a National Anti-racism Strategy, and
identification and promotion of a health practice to prevent systematic racism. These would
eliminate incidents of anxiety, depression and psychological distress. As opined by Smith et
al., (2015) the inability to deliver mainstream services lies at the core of continuing health
disadvantage. The goal would therefore be to deliver care that is responsive. The clinical
effectiveness of the health system for this population needs to be improved. A significant
measure would be to improve access to health information comprehensive of eHealth. This
idea emerges from the fact that a number of indigenous individuals face lack of transport and
suffer language barrier while accessing care services. Continual funding for community
controlled health organisations would be critical. Priority is to be given to the development of
primary healthcare systems. Regional infrastructure is to support governance, coordination,
planning, workforce development and accreditation process.

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Kilcullen et al., (2017) have pointed out that social and emotional well strategies are
to be integrated into practice if best possible health outcomes are to be achieved and burden
of disease is to be reduced. For Aboriginal and Torres Islander people this is applicable. The
government must take initiatives to promote wellbeing through counselling sessions. These
sessions can be conducted at the settings were the population has most access to. Adults and
adolescents are to be icnldued in this. Sessions are to be conducted separately for adults and
adolescents since the topics of the sessions would be different. Some valuable topics that can
be considered are sexual health, depression, anxiety and substance abuse, including alcohol
and tobacco. Promoting the relationship across drug and alcohol services, and mental health
would increase community awareness and education on the different measures and tools to
deal with illicit use of tobacco and alcohol. Some other strategies in this respect include
culturally safe and family-centric services for communities. Work is to be done to reduce the
overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Islander people in the criminal justice system
such as a National Indigenous Law and Justice Framework (Parker & Milroy, 2014)
Whole-of-life structure is imperative for ensuring that the indigenous population are
healthy and enjoy the similar life expectancy to that of the non-indigenous population. The
forte of utilising a whole-of-life structure lies in its potential to focus on broader factors
affecting health as people age gradually (Naidoo& Wills, 2016). Multiple health conditions
suggestively become the cause of disproportionality in the health status between Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people and the non-Indigenous population. Implementing suitable
interventions against these challenges would identify an approach that is multi-layered
towards modification of risk factors. The top risk factors requiring immediate attention
include tobacco, obesity, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, alcohol, low fruit and
vegetable intake and high blood pressure. Changes in policy is needed immediately that
addresses these concerns. Complementing system-wide health service delivery that addresses

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these key factors would need to encompass population targeted activities. Policies are to be
brought into practice regarding nutritious foods being given to at-risk mothers and children
(Edelman et al., 2013).
Lastly, for addressing the needs of the mothers and at-risk children, maternity services
are to be improved along with advanced birthing options. Increasing access to positive
parenting services and programs would also be desirable in relation to family support, early
childhood development, alcohol consumption and other certain issues. Antenatal care is to be
broadened for including support for preinatal depression, maternal stress, breastfeeding, and
maternal nutrition. Increasing the duration and rates of breastfeeding would be aligned with
this step (Baum, 2016).
In conclusion, it can be stated that there is an increased need of closing the gap
between the health outcomes of the indigenous and the non-indigenous population.
Strategies, as outlined above, would be beneficial for addressing the needs of this population
that encompass diverse aspects. The strategies that have been mentioned in here emerge from
the data reflecting the issues and the challenges faced by this population at large and across
the different communities. It is imperative to sustain the implementation of these strategies so
that long-term objectives can be fulfilled. The government must come forward with adequate
funding options so that health care organisations can allocate resources when and where
required. Collaboration between governmental and non-governmental bodies would be
crucial in this regard. Exchange of information between the different layers of the
organisations would be needed to understand the future needs of addressing the gaps in health
inequality among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

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