The purpose of the blog is to provide a high level comparison of how Canada and Australia prioritize the health of their Indigenous people.
In order to prioritize the health of a specific group one must first understand the determinants of health. The determinants of health are the range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors which determine the health status of individuals or populations (“What Determines Health? - Canada.ca,” n.d.)
A two part series published in the Lancet examined the determinants and disease patterns and the underlying cause of health gaps in indigenous peoples (Gracey & King, 2009; King & Gracey, 2009). Gracey and King examined various determinants of health. There are many similarities in health gaps most notably diabetes, smoking and mental health.
At the Canadian federal level there is acknowledgement that there are GAPS in First Nations and Inuit health compared to other Canadians. There is a special branch of Health Canada know as the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.
The Canadian Health Act (Government of Canada, 1984) relies on federal spending powers to establish a Canada-wide, publicly funded health care system that bases patients’ access to health care services on need, not on the ability to pay. While the federal government establishes the national standards for health care services, the provinces and territories deliver those services. (The Council of Canadians, 2013)
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7MkgUw60_s
Each province and territory prioritize their own strategies. Every province and territory in Canada has a First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. Some specific initiatives that have been garnering more focus include diabetes and mental health (specifically teenage suicide).
Australia at the federal level has also acknowledged the GAP between the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander health and have established a ten year plan (2013-2023) committed to closing the gap between the health of Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Australians (“Department of Health | The Social Determinants of Health,” n.d.)
Retrieved from https://nacchocommunique.com/tag/national-close-the-gap-day/
Canada and Australia, two different countries on two different hemispheres yet similar health gaps with their indigenous populations. There are similarities with regards to how these groups have been treated with colonization and subsequent segregation which have led to the disparities in many of the social determinants of health.
It is time to close the GAP.
Resources
Department of Health | The Social Determinants of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2018, from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/oatsih-healthplan-toc~determinants
Gracey, M., & King, M. (2009). Indigenous health part 1: determinants and disease patterns. The Lancet, 374(9683), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60914-4
King, M., & Gracey, M. (2009). Indigenous health part 2: the underlying causes of th... [Lancet. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI. The Lancet, 374, 76–85. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19577696
The Council of Canadians. (2013). Factsheet: Understanding the Canada Health Act, 2. Retrieved from http://canadians.org/healthcare/documents/Canada_Health_Act.pdf
What Determines Health? - Canada.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2018, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html
Department of Health | The Social Determinants of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2018, from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/oatsih-healthplan-toc~determinants
Gracey, M., & King, M. (2009). Indigenous health part 1: determinants and disease patterns. The Lancet, 374(9683), 65–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60914-4
King, M., & Gracey, M. (2009). Indigenous health part 2: the underlying causes of th... [Lancet. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI. The Lancet, 374, 76–85. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19577696
The Council of Canadians. (2013). Factsheet: Understanding the Canada Health Act, 2. Retrieved from http://canadians.org/healthcare/documents/Canada_Health_Act.pdf
What Determines Health? - Canada.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2018, from https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html
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