Indigenous People Research Paper

Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are the main indigenous people lives in Australia for hundreds of years. It is evident that they have spent a happy, healthy life style before colonization but recent Health care literature review shows number of diseases and disorders which show significantly higher rates among indigenous people when comparing with rest of the population. Among all, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is one of the major health conditions. Social disadvantages such as lower education level and employment rates, poor nutrition, higher smoking rates, physical inactivates and poor access to health services has created this significant gap of health indicators between indigenous and non-indigenous communities. It has been led to lower

Three types of indicators had been used to gather the data: number of people who have diabetes, number of hospitalization and number of deaths due to diabetes. Thus it is evident that type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes are the main health issues that impact on indigenous people. Obesity, lack of exercise, eating too much sugar and fatty foods, living in poor housing and environment are the reasons for diabetes that as evident by recent surveys. Further, diabetes/high blood glucose levels are more common among indigenous people who live in remote areas than non-remote areas. Every one out of sixteen indigenous people is suffering from the disease. Females have higher prevalence than males. Simultaneously, more indigenous women developed gestational diabetes than non-indigenous women. Therefore indigenous women show higher possibility to deliver premature babies. The most interesting finding is though the prevalence is high Diabetes is not recorded as a main reason for them to visit hospitals. It shows their level of health literacy. Unfortunately, though it can be well controlled, diabetes has been the main cause of many indigenous deaths. Deaths caused by diabetes were three times common in indigenous females than males (Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet,

Following strategies has been implemented to reduce the gaps regarding high prevalence of Diabetes. National Diabetes Strategy and Implementation Plan identified principles for the prevention and management of Diabetes among indigenous people in 1999 and it has been elaborated into National Diabetes Strategy during 2000-2004. Further, during 2001-2002 commonwealth budgets has included allocation of $ 43.4 million for a National Diabetes Program (NIDP). In addition, The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) presented and endorsed eleven guidelines out of which eight are mainly for the prevention of Type I Diabetes in children and adolescents and lipid control in Type II Diabetes. At the same time Western Australia Department of Health worked with the Western Australia Diabetes Strategy in 1999 to develop culturally-appropriate strategies with the collaboration of aboriginal communities, organisations and local aboriginal health services to empower indigenous health services and to provide them resources to implement their own diabetes prevention programs. In 2002, Healthy Lifestyles- A strategic framework for the primary prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Western Australia (2002-2007) was released for intervene Type I Diabetes. The latest strategy