Category: Vol 5 No 3 July 2005 – September 2005

Launch of The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2005

Issue: Vol 5 No 3 July 2005 - September 2005

(The following summary has been adapted from media releases and information provided by the ABS, AIHW and ninemsn)

The major report The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2005, has been jointly released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report was launched on 26 August 2005 at Tandanya, the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide, by Mr Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, and Mr Jim Birch, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Health in South Australia.

A broad national picture of Indigenous health is presented in the report, and disparities in the health and welfare of Indigenous Australians compared with their non-Indigenous counterparts are explored. Where possible, changes over time in the outcomes for Indigenous people are described. To obtain information, a wide variety of sources were used, particularly national health and welfare data which separately identified Indigenous Australians, and special purpose, Indigenous specific ABS surveys. Existing and new data sources have also been utilised to reflect the diversity of the Indigenous population, and there is a separate chapter about Torres Strait Islander people.

The findings of the report demonstrate that the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remains poor compared with the rest of the Australian population and they experience many disadvantages. Findings documented in the report include the life expectancy of Indigenous Australians, which for 1996-2001 was around 17 years less than for other Australians. Indigenous people were also twice as likely to be hospitalised as other Australians. The differences were mainly attributed to dialysis and other potentially preventable chronic conditions, which together accounted for 72% of all hospitalisations of Indigenous people aged 45 years and over, compared with only 21% of hospitalisations for other Australians of the same age. For the first time in the series of biennial reports (released since 1997), information has been included on disability. In 2002, Indigenous people were at least twice as likely as non-Indigenous people to have a profound or severe core activity limitation.

Commenting on the disparities after launching the report in Adelaide, Tom Calma said ‘It’s not an acceptable state of affairs in this day and age and a lot more effort needs to be put in’ (view ninemsn news article). He stated that what was needed was a focus on other activities that contribute to health.

There were however, some health and other gains detailed in the report. Declines were identified in recorded Indigenous mortality rates for 1991-2002 in Western Australia, and in infant mortality rates in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory over the same period. Of the main causes of death examined, only mortality from diseases of the circulatory system showed a consistently significant decline. Caution needs to be exercised though as while the analyses in this report support a conclusion that Indigenous mortality has declined, it is important to note that estimates of the magnitude of the trend could also reflect changes in reporting Indigenous status in deaths registrations.

There have been improvements in some of the social determinants of health, particularly in education and employment outcomes. For 1996-2004, there were steady increases in Indigenous primary and secondary school enrolments. Over the same period the proportion of Indigenous people aged 18-64 years in mainstream employment rose from 31% to 38% (much of this gain was in part-time employment). In 2002, an additional 13% of Indigenous Australians aged 18-64 years participated in the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP).

The report found that 70% of Indigenous adults recognise their homeland or traditional country, 54% identify with their clan, tribal or language group, and 21% speak an Indigenous language. Over 90% participate in social activities, 46% play a sport and 28% do voluntary work.

Spending on health services per person is only slightly higher for Indigenous Australians despite major disparities in health status between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people – an estimated $3,901 per Indigenous person, compared to $3,308 per non-Indigenous person.

The Health and Welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 2005 report (ISSN 1441-2004; AIHW Cat. No. IHW-14; ABS Cat. No. 4704-0) is available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (cost $65). For further information contact the Australian Bureau of Statistics, ph: 02 6252 5249, fax 02 6252 6778, email: client.services@abs.gov.au

The report (HTML) is also available on the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare websites for downloading.

For more information regarding the launch contact: Anna Stark, AIHW, ph: 02 6244 1287, email: anna.stark@aihw.gov.au

Other information

For a brief abstract of the report view HealthInfoNet reports and publications

Media releases

Australian Bureau of Statistics
Disadvantages remain for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but some health and other gains
View media release (HTML) (released 26 August 2005)

The Hon Tony Abbott, Minister for Health and Ageing
Improvements in Indigenous mortality rate
View media release (HTML) (released 26 August 2005)

ABC
Indigenous health improving: Abbott
View media release (HTML) (released 26 August 2005)

WA Indigenous mortality rates drop
View media release (HTML) (released 27 August 2005)

Reference

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2005) Health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2005. (ABS catalogue no. 4704.0) Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistic

The Government announces free hepatitis A vaccine for Indigenous children

Issue: Vol 5 No 3 July 2005 - September 2005

The following summary has been adapted from a media release and information for the general public provided by the Department of Health and Ageing.

The Commonwealth Government will be providing free hepatitis A vaccine from 1 November 2005 for all Indigenous children aged five years and under living in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. Immunisation will protect children under five, and prevent the spread of hepatitis A to older children and adults who are at risk of more serious disease.

Hepatitis A is endemic in many remote Indigenous communities. It is a viral illness which causes inflammation of the liver and is closely linked with poor environmental health conditions. Some people with the infection have no symptoms, others can experience symptoms such as fever, weakness, lack of appetite, nausea, abdominal discomfort and jaundice (yellow colouring of eyes, skin and urine). The disease can be mild (lasting a few weeks) or severe and disabling (lasting several months), and in rare cases it can be fatal.

A successful vaccination program in north Queensland Indigenous communities has lead the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to recommend the wider use of this vaccine for Indigenous children in States and Territories with a high incidence of hepatitis A. Around 30,000 Indigenous children will be eligible for free vaccination under the new program. Vaccines will be administered in two doses. The first dose will be given from 12 months of age with a second dose required six months later. Information about the vaccinations is available from State/Territory Health Departments.

For further information:

Minister for Health and Ageing
Government provides free hepatitis A vaccine to Indigenous children
View media release (PDF) (released 28 June 2005)

Department of Health and Ageing
Information for the general public
View information (including State or Territory Health Department contact phone numbers)
Indigenous Immunisation Program
View information

Students from the Centre for Aboriginal Studies attend HealthInternet workshop

Issue: Vol 5 No 3 July 2005 - September 2005

The HealthInfoNet conducted a HealthInternet workshop on 4th May 2005 in our new location at the School of Indigenous Australian Studies, Kurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University, Mount Lawley, WA. Participants in the workshop included Indigenous primary health care and mental health students, from all around Australia, studying at the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University. They were accompanied by Associate lecturer Cheryl Davis who teaches primary health care in the second year of the Associate Degree in Aboriginal Health.

The purpose of the workshop was to provide participants with an interactive introduction to the use of Indigenous health information resources on the HeathInfoNet website, and to gain feedback on how the website could be developed to better meet their information needs. The workshop was facilitated by Sam Burrow and Kim Hansen, and the HealthInfoNet Multimedia Coordinator, Krishanka Gunasekera, set up the computers and provided technical support. The workshop commenced with a demonstration of the HealthInfoNet site. Participants then proceeded through a series of guided exercises that illustrated how to find Indigenous health information on the website, and how to use the range of other online resources and services. The workshop activities gave participants the opportunity to explore the HealthInfoNet site and the Internet more widely, to find health information relevant to their immediate study needs.

The workshop was well received and provided constructive feedback for developing the HealthInfoNet website further. Some students had extensive experience with computers and had used the website and/or the Internet previously, while others were relatively new to computer use. The flexible nature of the workshop made it possible to cater to the needs of individuals with different levels of computer and Internet literacy. It is anticipated that the students will be able to apply the hands-on experience and skills gained during the workshop to more readily locate information relevant to their studies and work in Indigenous health.

On completion of the workshop, participants received a certificate, and were provided with a current copy of the HealthInfoNet site on a CD-ROM, and promotional material to take back to their places of study and/or work. Participants highlighted the need to let others know about the HealthInfoNet’s various web-based resources, and planned to distribute promotional materials to colleagues working or studying in related areas. There is growing interest in workshops of this type and it is hoped that funding may be obtained in the future to conduct similar workshops across Australia on a more regular basis.

We would like to thank the workshop participants who provided written permission for us to display their photos here.

The Government announces free health check-ups for Indigenous children

Issue: Vol 5 No 3 July 2005 - September 2005

The following summary has been adapted from media releases provided by the Minister for Health and Ageing, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the ABC

The Commonwealth Government has announced a new Medicare-funded annual health check for all Indigenous children from birth to 14 years of age. The new health check will be introduced within the next 12 months. This additional Medicare item will encourage doctors to carry out regular and comprehensive health checks on Indigenous children to enable early detection of disease and reduce the high rates of illness. In particular, the new health assessments will allow doctors to target risk factors for chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, substance use and other health problems that can commence in childhood or early adolescence.

Details of the child health check will be developed in consultation with child health experts, GP organisations and other groups involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. With the development of the child health check, a framework will be in place for health assessment and health promotion interventions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at all stages of life. The initiative complements the $102.4 million Healthy for Life package announced in the 2005-06 Budget, which will improve the health of Indigenous mothers and babies through targeted activities at various places across the country.

The Rural Doctors Association of Australia, while acknowledging the child health check as a welcome move, has cautioned that the health initiative will be of greatest benefit to those near a bulk-billing GP. Association vice-president Doctor Ross Maxwell commented that ‘As this is a Medicare funded system, a little bit depends on whether they have access to Medicare funded services as to whether or not this announcement will make a difference’. Dr Maxwell emphasised that efforts to improve Indigenous health cannot stop with the new initiative ‘Indigenous health standards are still absolutely inadequate on international benchmarks so it is important that we take every opportunity to improve Indigenous health.’

Three leading primary health care organisations – the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP) and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), have all welcomed the annual health checks.

Dr Naomi Mayers, Acting NACCHO Chair, explained that adult health can be improved if Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have access to primary health care. She said ‘There is good evidence that Aboriginal children are less likely to be vaccinated than other children, have more anaemia, have poorer access to hearing services even though deafness is more common from ear infections, and they are at higher risk of developing poor health as adults.’

Professor Kidd, President of the RACGP, added ‘By acting to meet these challenges early in life, better health can provide a greater chance for positive education, social and employment outcomes. This additional funding recognises the valuable role played by general practice in delivering enhanced health care for some of our most disadvantaged Australians.’

According to ADGP Chair, Dr Rob Walters, the new items ‘closed a gap’ that had existed in the current stock of health prevention measures accessible to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. ‘This initiative will provide a mechanism for Aboriginal  peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples of all ages to access preventive health care, something that is critically important given the well-documented, tragically poor health levels of Australia’s Indigenous population.’ Dr Walters said the new health check item demonstrated that preventative health initiatives – aimed at promoting good health rather than simply treating disease down the track – were a major priority for the Government. ‘It is encouraging that the Government appears to recognise that investing in primary care strategies not only saves health dollars but promotes good health outcomes. The pay off comes in the form of healthier communities overall and hospitals less burdened by patients needing treatment for preventable diseases.’

On behalf of the RACGP, Professor Michael Kidd congratulated both NACCHO and the Australian Government for improving access to vital primary health care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

For further information:

Minister for Health and Ageing
New health check for Indigenous children – 2005
View media release (HTML) (released 28 June 2005)

ABC
Doctors criticise access to Indigenous health initiative
View media release (HTML) (released 4 July 2005)

NACCHO
Medicare initiative
View media release (HTML) (released 5 July 2005)

Launch of The social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people

Issue: Vol 5 No 3 July 2005 - September 2005

The following summary has been adapted from media releases and information provided by the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research)

The social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people was launched in April 2005 at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Perth, Western Australia (WA). It is the second volume of findings from the Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey (WAACHS), with three more volumes to follow (view media backgrounder – HTML). This report presents data collected on the social and emotional wellbeing of 3,993 children aged 4-17 years. Other volumes cover the topics of health(view previous HealthInfoNet current topic), education, family, and community and justice .

The report details the complexity of factors that contribute to significantly higher rates of social and emotional difficulties experienced by Aboriginal children compared with other Australian children. Findings reveal that nearly a quarter (24%) of Aboriginal children are at high risk of clinically significant emotional or behavioural difficulties.

WAACHS Steering Committee Chairman, Associate Professor Ted Wilkes said that ‘what this report quantifies is the level of suffering faced by too many Aboriginal children and young people…a burden that affects their long term social and emotional development’. The survey found that over 70% of Aboriginal children were living in families which had experienced three or more major life stress events, such as death in the family, serious illness, family breakdown, financial problems, or arrest, and that 22% of Aboriginal children had experienced seven or more of these serious events in the past 12 months (view media release – HTML).

Report co-author Professor Sven Silburn said that ‘stress levels experienced by Aboriginal children and families are a reflection of their economic and social disadvantage, their comparatively poor health and how these factors impact on family and community functioning’. The cumulative impact of chronic stress affects development of the nervous, endocrine and immune systems, placing children at an increased risk of acquiring chronic diseases later in life, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and mental health problems. Professor Silburn emphasised the need for urgent action ‘to buffer children from the effects of these stresses as well as longer-term measures to reduce their underlying causes’ (view media release – HTML).

The report provides the first scientific evidence of the long-term effects on the health and wellbeing of children cared for by Aboriginal Australians who were forcibly separated from their natural families by missions, the government or welfare. The report found that children of Aboriginal carers who were forcibly separated from their families were 2.3 times more likely to be high risk for clinically significant emotional and behavioural difficulties, and had double the proportion of both alcohol and other drug use than other Aboriginal children. Professor Wilkes said the findings were of national significance because they prove that the legacy of past government policies is still a real issue for Aboriginal communities today (view media release – HTML).

The report’s findings highlight the extent and urgency of the emotional and behavioural difficulties faced by many Aboriginal communities and families. Importantly, the findings also include information on those children and young people who, despite past or current adversity, are living healthy and resilient lives. Professor Wilkes said that ‘understanding how they achieved these good outcomes will guide us in helping more individuals and families have better outcomes’ (view media release – HTML).

The social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people (view HealthInfoNet abstract; view report) is available on the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research website. For information regarding reproduction of the report contact: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, PO Box 855, West Perth WA 6872, Ph: (08) 94897777, Fax: (08) 9489 7700, Email: waachs@ichr.uwa.edu.au.

For further information:

  • WA Aboriginal Child Health Survey
    View media release (HTML) (released 13 April)
  • High stress burden takes toll on Aboriginal children
    View media release (HTML) (released 13 April)
  • Pain of forced separation affecting a new generation
    View media release (HTML) (released 13 April)

Or contact:
Elizabeth Chester
Ph: 0409 988 530 (mobile)
or
Tammy Gibbs
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Ph: 08 9489 7963