Australia's MDs decry poor state of Aboriginal health

Sally Murray

Australia's physicians are growing increasingly concerned about the gap in life expectancy between Australia's Aboriginal and general populations. It remains stuck at roughly 20 years (compared with 7 years in Canada), and the Australian Medical Association (AMA) reports that there has been no improvement in the past decade. During the same period, the life span of non-Aboriginal Australians increased by 3 years.

Figure. In the outback: a life span that's 20 years shorter Photo by: Canapress

The AMA outlined the data in No More Excuses, its report card on Aboriginal health. It concluded that the poor health outcomes result from inadequate community infrastructure, a “significant shortfall” in the number of health workers, and insufficient funding. Per capita spending on Aboriginal health is only 74% of spending in the general population.

Ian Ring, adjunct professor of population health at James Cook University in Brisbane, says the findings reflect a lack of commitment to Aboriginal health. “Prevailing public opinion means Aboriginal issues aren't on the top of anyone's list,” he said. “If you're 2% of the population, you don't have a treaty and you're not a potent political force, then commitment just isn't a priority.”

The report card says treaties are part of the solution, citing them as the reason for successes in countries such as Canada and New Zealand.

Dr. Ngiare Brown, CEO of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, believes there are other factors, especially entrenched community ideas. “The Australian community is still quite divided about how they feel about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. [Improved health] is not going to happen until we acknowledge [them] as the traditional owners, as First Nation people.”

The report card highlights gains in infectious and parasitic disease control, including dramatic improvements in the number of pneumonia-related deaths, as well as significant reductions in low-birth-weight deliveries. These are attributed to vaccination and to health promotion programs.

Ring agrees these programs are important but “we don't need new solutions, new strategies, some magic bullet. Good primary health care would bring about sizable reductions in disease and deaths in the short term.” — Sally Murray, Melbourne