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Indigenous health

Among the people living in Australia and New Zealand, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori people experience higher rates of cardiovascular, respiratory and diabetic diseases, as well as injuries. The most unacceptable result of such poor health is diminished life expectancy.

The College and Indigenous health

The College:

• acknowledges that historical inequalities in social and economic status currently experienced by these groups contribute significantly to poorer health outcomes, particularly to decreased life expectancy.
• appreciates the diversity in the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori cultures, languages and spiritual beliefs.
• recommends that Indigenous healthcare policies, projects and research from all institutions and organisations are developed in collaboration with the Indigenous people, to make sure they are culturally relevant and delivered in an understandable and useful way.
• communicates these recommendations to decision makers to ensure the best possible outcome for Indigenous health.

The College has produced these documents about Indigenous health:

• Indigenous Health Position Paper (PDF 172Kb)
• College Submission to the Senate Committee Inquiry on Men's Health (PDF 58Kb)

Indigenous Health Committee

The Indigenous Health Committee (IHC) was established to help improve the health of the Indigenous population of Australia and New Zealand.

The committee is responsible for:

• developing College policies and position papers on Indigenous health
• building stakeholder relationships
• identifying projects that will contribute to better health outcomes for Indigenous people.

View the Indigenous Health Committee Terms of Reference (PDF 30Kb)

Chair: Dr Kelvin Kong, FRACS

Current activities

Research – The College is currently engaged in research to develop evidence-based action plans (EBAPs). EBAPs identify actionable surgical projects in the field of Indigenous health, especially in those clinical areas in which Indigenous people are over-represented, such as:

• eye disease
• ear disease
• injury
• end-stage renal disease (renal transplantation).

The research will involve appraisal of existing research evidence and engagement with stakeholders to deliberate priorities for action. Whilst recognising that Māori and Pacific Island populations have similar discrepancies in health, the initial focus will centre on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. In the future a review and evaluation will be undertaken to expand the scope for projects to the Māori population of New Zealand.

This research has been made possible through a grant from the Foundation for Surgery.

Closing the gap initatitives – Indigenous people are under-represented in the health workforce and under-represented as Fellows and Trainees of the College. The Indigenous Health Committee is working with Indigenous Doctors' associations in Australia and New Zealand to implement its plan to promote surgery as a career to Indigenous communities.

This initiative will offer prospective Indigenous Trainees:

• opportunities to undertake research
• observation of the practice of surgery
• College courses that might be suitable prior to undertaking formal surgical training.

Mentoring during the application and training stages will also be offered to those interested in pursing a surgical career.

Projects – It is anticipated that Indigenous health projects will be announced mid-year 2010 through this website.

Related articles

• Better Hospital Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing heart attack (2010), The Heart Foundation and Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association
• Indigenous Male Health – A report for Indigenous males, their families and communities, and those committed to improving Indigenous male health, Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
• National Male Health Policy (2010), from the Department of Health and Ageing
• Hear Us: Inquiry into Hearing Health in Australia (2010), Parliament of Australia, Senate
• Evaluation of the Sustainability and Benefits of Swimming Pools in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands) in South Australia (2010) (PDF 274Kb), from the Department of Health and Ageing
• Closing the Gap – Prime Minister's Report (2010) (PDF 1.8Mb), from Commonwealth of Australia
• Close the Gap Shadow Report – A Close the Gap Steering Committee for Indigenous Health Equity Report (2010) (PDF 902Kb)
• Closing the Gap: Tackling Chronic Disease (2010), from the Department of Health and Ageing
• Injury in Indigenous populations: towards a safer future (2009), A Symposium at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, November 22nd, 2007
• Korero Marama Health Literacy and Maori (2009) (PDF 353Kb), from Māori Health
• A Focus on the Health of Maori and Pacific Children (2009) (PDF 597Kb), from Māori Health
• National Indigenous Eye Health Survey (2009) (PDF 1.7Mb), from the University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye Health Research
• The New Zealand Medical Workforce in 2008 (PDF 753Kb), from the Medical Council of New Zealand

Links

• Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association (AIDA)
• Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
• Closing the Gap Clearinghouse
• Cooperative Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH)
• Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME) Network
• Māori Health
• National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
• Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH)
• Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Te ORA) (Māori Indigenous Doctors' Association)

Contact

Indigenous Health Committee Secretariat
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
College of Surgeons' Gardens
250–290 Spring Street
East Melbourne VIC 3002 Australia

Telephone: +61 3 9276 7407
Fax: +61 3 9276 7432
Email: indigenoushealth@surgeons.org