Aboriginal Peoples Health Care Improvement - Essay Example

Aboriginal people’s health care improvement Name Institution Date Questions: Ноw соuld рrimаry неаlth саrе аnd соmmunity соntrоllеd неаlth sеrviсеs better mееt the hеаlth nееds of аustrаliа’s аbоriginаl реорlе; what is the role of indigenous hеаlth workers аnd the hеаlth саrе tеаm in this рrосеss Introduction Aboriginal is one of the communities which are marginalized (Peterson & Sanders, 1998) among the indigenous communities. In fact, their suffering started in the year 1788 when they were colonized since they first lost their independence, dispossession of lands and being pushed to reserves. So as to regain their independence they strongly resisted but unfortunately many people died and the even worse they never regained their independence later. Even after independence the indigenous Australians were never welcomed by the non-indigenous Australians but they were even termed as non citizens and therefore never had the right to own even an inch of land (Hunter, 2007). Further they suffered social injustices from the government and from the non-indigenous Australians up to date which doomed them to poverty which is felt up to date (Healey, 2008). The social injustices which was worsened by racism they receive from the non-indigenous Australians includes violation of their rights such as judicial injustices, inadequate public services such as inadequately funded education, inadequate health services, lack of employment (Mellor, 2004; Nettheim, 2007). All this in the long term resulted in a miserable poor community. Due to the interplay of the several social factors such as inadequate health, low employment rate and lack of proper education and lastly inadequate primary health care the community health deteriorated consequently leading to high mortality rate. To address this government had to improve health care through several programs which were shall see later. Therefore, this paper intends to explore and analyze aboriginal health in reference to primary health care as well as community controlled health services and how the two programs facilitated in solving the health needs of the aboriginal people. As a sociological issue, health issue among the Aboriginal people is a blend of many factors which while combined together they result in a mega health problem (Eckermann et al, 2010). Factors and their history need to be understood first so as to adequately have good picture of the Aboriginal’s health needs. Their health problem started during colonization where the colonizers introduced infectious disease such as small pox, influenza, venereal diseases, typhoid, tuberculosis, pneumonia measles and whooping cough. Further, the problem was accelerated by racism and marginalization that followed later. Marginalization saw most of the Aboriginal who were found in rural areas suffer from the government as they received inadequate public services such as lack of enough clean water and inadequate sewerage services among others. Indeed, this impacted severely on the health of the Aboriginals for instance water borne diseases became prevalent as they consumed unsafe water (Cunningham et al, 2008). At the same time, as the Aboriginal were confined in the rural where most of the houses were inhabitable as they were built without following the standards of adequate housing. As such, most of the Aboriginal contracted diseases and health problems and to make the matter worse there was inadequate health care services (King et al, 2009). Social injustices such as inadequate education to Aboriginals, high rate of unemployment and lack of ownership of means of production (land) to lowered social economic status of the Aboriginal community and as such they could not comfortably seek the expensive health care services or offer good education to their children. Moreover their nutrition was equally negatively affected affected through lack of education as most of them never understood nutritional health hence high number of malnutrition. Indeed, according to a report by the Australian Bureau of statistics there is high motility rare of Indigenous Australians compared to the non-indigenous people. In fact, most of them suffer from chronic illness such as diabetes, cancer, respiratory system diseases and circulatory diseases (King et al, 2009). These diseases usually results to deaths as they are mostly diagnosed at later stages. For instance according to South Australians Cancer Registry, death rates among indigenous populations are higher as the cancers are typically diagnosed at a later stage (Cunningham et al, 2008; Jong et al, 2004). During emergencies such as accidents indigenous person are likely to die in an accident compared to non –indigenous individual. Moreover, the indigenous populations suffers high rates of infections for many contagious, severe and live threatening diseases such as gonorrhea, HIV/AIDS meningitis among many others. Further lack of educations plays a role in the poor diets and nutrition that the indigenous people suffer. Consequently, it results in such malnutrition disorders such as obesity cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes. On the other hand, infant mortality rate among the indigenous people is three times higher than the national average. More precisely 15.2 deaths per 1000 births compared to 5 deaths per 1000 respectively. This comes about due to interplay of several factors which include underweight newborn, exposure to terratogens after birth such constant exposure to cigarette smoking in homes (Pink & Allbon, 2008). At the same time, children are mostly affected by the middle ear infections which contribute to hearing problems and can cause speech or schooling difficulties (Pink & Allbon, 2008). Indigenous Australian physical health problem may graduate to psychological problems and as such it result to psychological disorders such as depression which is manifested in the predominant suicides and homicides. Consolidating all this factors, indigenous Australian have a shorter lifespan compared to the non- indigenous life span (Pink & Allbon, 2008). In this regard, intensified primary health care and community controlled health care services becomes very vital to the health status of the Aboriginal Australian across all ages Couzos & Murray (2008). Primary health care services starts with deployment of more health physicians and improvement of health infrastructure in the communities including equipped hospitals and health centers with reliable machines and equipment. This becomes necessary especially in rural and remote areas where high populations of Aboriginal people are confined. Despite the high populations this area contains few cardiac services and specialists consequently facilitating health deteriorations in the areas. As such, the move of improving health care infrastructure results to a health people as they are able to access health care efficiently and adequately when they need it despite their economic status Couzos & Murray (2008). Consequently, chronic diseases are discovered early in their earlier stages thus reducing the mortality rates accompanied with rate discovery of chronic diseases. Indeed, with primary health care the aboriginal people especially those who have cardiac complications are able to participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs thus further reducing the mortality rates. Equally through the programs the health of children and pregnant mothers are closely monitored unlike when the health infrastructure is inadequate and not continuous (Willis Reynolds & Keleher, 2009). Pregnant mothers for instance benefit from adequate nutritional information which indeed becomes the basis of healthy populations. This reduces the problems of underweight births, free from terratogens. consequently this reduces children complications such as central nervous system disorders due to lack of proteins, complications associated with smoking and mortality rates. Additionally, with increased health care services the aboriginal will become more informed of health living through the hospitals social responsibilities. In this the hospitals personals visits the community members and advise them health issues such as the importance of clean water consumptions, healthy eating and regular visiting the hospital and many others. Also with improved health care services deaths as a results of accidents as is in the current situation are tremendously reduced as the victims of accidents are adequately attended to before their situations deteriorates. Reliable patient date keeping becomes data keeping is achieved through both the primary health care and community controlled health care and therefore easier follow up in a patient progress which is vital to health care. (Willis Reynolds & Keleher, 2009) So as to deliver the primary health care to the aboriginal communities and the other indigenous Australians community controlled health care program has become so effective and reliable. Aboriginal community-controlled health indeed has become strategic site for Aboriginal communities development by empowering Aboriginal people through self determination thus facilitating them to take care of their own health matters (Couzos S & et al, 2005). The program offers a wide rage of multi-functional services which includes employment of several medical practitioners and provides a wide range of services to small services that rely on aboriginal health workers/nurses to provide bulk primary health care services, often with preventative focus on health education. The wide range of services forms a network, although each is autonomous and independent of one another and from the government (Couzos S & et al, 2005). Additionally, the aim of community controlled health programs and services are to address wider social and economic disadvantage as it facilitates to the poor health statistics registered. This because it is evident that additional to individual causes of ill health lies other serious causative factors which include the social and cultural determinants determinant of health as argued by Eckermann et al (2010). The services do not only address the physical health issues, but also they addresses social, emotional and cultural well being of the whole community enabling each individual to achieve their full potential as humans and as such contributing to the total well being of the community. To many Indigenous Australian Aboriginal if not all Aboriginal community-controlled healthcare services and programs provide sense of belonging in diverse ways including community ownership as community has developed and shaped the service as well as a built-in health care complaints system. Additionally the services are consumer driven as every one is a consumer. In fact, a community elected ACCHS board where board members are consumers of the service and many of them are elected to represent the community at regional, state and national level (Couzos S & et al, 2005). The services equally ensure cultural respect and support where assistance is offered whenever needed including assistance during funeral times. As such, the services become important in bridging the health gap between aboriginal community and the non-indigenous Australians. In fact, this program has been unanimously approved by most Australians as the best model via which delivery of primary health care services is made possible. This is because it gives aboriginal and slander people a control of their own services as well as providing range of integrated services rather than single medical service or fragmented set of specialists services (Couzos S & et al, 2005). Additionally, the program is favored as it deals conclusively with population health as well as treatment, advocate for better conditions, services and rights and most importantly caters to the cultural needs of the service users. Consequently, the Aboriginal community comfortably gains confidence the with the health care program as it is community owned unlike when the services were offered by the non indigenous workers whom they believed were biased and prejudiced Aboriginal workers Taylor Wilkinson & Cheers (2008). Indeed, the program is justifiable attractive and it is bound to achieve the objective of maximum health as it is characterized by strong community engagement, employment of Indigenous health workers, and service models that reflect indigenous health practice(Rowley & et al 2000). In fact, through the community ownership and Aboriginal workers who play very important roles in realization of tremendous improvement in aboriginal people’s health, the patients gain more confidence to seek basic health care. As such, Aboriginal workers improve the community’s confidence with the program as they have a belief that their own cannot betray them Taylor, Wilkinson & Cheers (2008). Further since the Aboriginal communities own and control the program they are able to equally monitor the progress of their community members in terms of health and protect them from aggression such as racism from the non- indigenous communities. Most probably this is the reason why the aboriginal utilize health care services at a lower rates compared to the non-indigenous Australians. In the past, it has been widely reported that aboriginal people utilizing health care services encounters wide range of barriers including institutional racism lack of cultural awareness and loneliness (Willis & Elmer, 2007). As such, the community controlled health care becomes fundamental in remedying the problem as it creates more touch with the community members, empowers them through advocating for fair treatment in job market and creating jobs thus progressively eradicating the problem of low social economic status which is cited as one of the hindrances of healthcare utilization by the aboriginal (Eckermann et al, 2010). Also through the program the community members are more motivated to take care of the old and chronically ill by easily taking them to hospital and if possible notifying the health physician if they are immobile (Willis & Elmer, 2007). All this is made possible as this program is incorporated with the people culture thus solving lack of cultural awareness as well as lack of Aboriginal health workers. Conclusion Throughout this paper it is evident that primary health care program and the community controlled healthcare program if incorporated with the culture in its implementation process it can be very helpful and fruitful in realizing healthy aboriginal population. This is because thy have been vulnerable in the past and they fear being vulnerable yet another time through being subjected to racism which comes about with hate. Additionally as a social issue health problems require sociological approach such as using personnel from victim community and as such health goals and objectives are easily achieved. References Eckermann, A & et al., (2010). BinanGoonj: Bridging cultures in Aboriginal health (3rd ed.). Sydney: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier Australia King M & et al., (2009). 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