SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Social determinants of health

Introduction

In order to improve the social, economical, health, financial or any other situation of a community, class, ethnicity or different group of people, it is fundamentally important that a thorough research is conducted to highlight the causing the factors and eliminating them. In Australia it has become an arduous task for the Australian government who spotted a definite downward curve in the health and life spans of the Aboriginal people compared with the reminder of the populace of Australian. The generally accepted Determinants theory already agrees; the inequality and health of the populace is caused by numerous interrelated factors. The study of these factors and researches was needed in order to truly help the Aboriginal people in Australia.

Discussion

The Aboriginal health strategy in Australia is founded by the National Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 2003-2013. It has 9 pillars on which the theory rests. One of these states that the Government should recognize that physical, cultural, spiritual, social soundness, emotional, governance, and community capacities are the areas where the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heath should concentrate (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner, 2006). The currently available data on the original well being in Australia says

There is an overall poorer health status of Aboriginal peoples when compared with the rest of Australia. A huge gap in equality is evident between these in any considered statistics. The best example to quote for this is the fact that is roughly a 17 year gap between the life spans of Australians and the Indigenes. The overall age limit for them is 65 while it's almost double for the rest of Australia.

Since the Indigenous people are economically disadvantaged, they don't have equivalent prospects to be hale and hearty like their counterpart Australians. This exposes them to high exposure environmental and behavioural risks, since their living conditions do not encourage healthiness. Also, they have a lack of adequate medical systems and communications like pure consumption water, sewerage and drainage system, and health housing. Mortality stats from heart disease in the common population of Australia have reduced by 30% from 1991, and as much as 70% in the last 35-years, however when comparing with the Indigenous people, there doesn't appear to be a significant reduction in the death statistics.

The Social determinants of Aboriginal People's health in Australia

As mentioned above the Aboriginal People are lacking in overall statistics compared to rest of Australia. In the National Census of 2001, the gross average household earnings of 62% of the regular Australians were $585/week, while those of the Aboriginal community were $364. In the same Census unemployment figures of the Aboriginal community was 20%, which was calculated, to be thrice as high as the rate rest of the Australians.

In another study arranged in 2004, it was concluded that only half the Aboriginal students were less likely to continue to year 12 of their studies as compared the rest of the ...