Promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Question: Discuss about the Promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. Answer: Shakira's situation and health can be understood in context of two social determinants of health. She is socially disadvantaged, lives without parents, and suffers from extreme poverty and does not have enough to eat. Poor quality and overcrowded housing is often the cause of rheumatic fever (He, et al., 2016). Living in remote area makes access to treatment difficult. Extreme poverty prevented her family from providing her with living conditions and nutrition that could improve her health. Penicillin oral or injectible, prophylaxis is advised for long term treatment of rheumatic fever. Acute rheumatic fever if left untreated can cause rheumatic heart disease. In Australia's Northern Territory, it has been reported that 92% of the RHD cases occur among the Indigenous people. 150-380 per 100,000 cases of ARF have been reported (Parnaby Carapetis, 2010). The ATSI people find it easier to communicate through a method of reciprocal exchange of ideas. As an EN it is culturally appropriate to talk to patients in a reciprocal informal exchange. The patients are then able to feel more comfortable when receiving the treatment. Similarly, a health professional's suggestions would be considered culturally competent if the method of giving advice was non-interfering. For example, it would be enough to suggest diet for a diabetics. Mentioning the complications that could arise if the suggestions were not followed would be culturally incompetent (Durey Thompson, 2012). The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander act, 2005 has been legislated to facilitate the development of self sufficiency among the Aboriginal persons and Torres Strait Islanders. The act envisages their development in the economic, cultural and social arenas and ensures delivery of services by the State and local governments (C2012C00258, 2005). The likelihood of sickness among the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders inustralia is two and a half times greater than the mainstream population. They also have significantly lower life expectancies than the white population. The health inequity among them is due to multiple factors of colonisation, racism and stolen generations- forcible removal of children from their families. The impact of colonisation was such that the indigenous people's land was taken away from them, their culture, language and social structure were affected and caused them severe mental distress. Their health was affected and to this day they shy away fromseeking treatment in the mainstream healthcare system. Provision of culturally safe care is possible if the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community is involved in taking decisions from the stage of policy framing. So that culturally appropriate care can be delivered to a population that has sufferedfrom health inequities for a long time. The design, service delivery and involvement in policy implementation by community members can ensure that all requirements of the people are met. Health outcomes are expected to be good when members of the community become a part of service provision because they understand the language and culture of their own people. Problems of racism and discrimination are addressed and cultural values remain intact when delivering healthcare (/health-plan.pdf, 2013). Effective communication when consulting with Shakira and her family would be possible when trying to understand the difficulties faced by her extended family. The main requirement of her treatment is regular antibiotic injections every three weeks. Shakira's family will be introduced to an ATSI service provider who can effectively communicate the importance of the injections. The importnce of the echocardiography tests can be communicated in a similar manner. Another urgent requirement is that Shakira attend school so that her day begins with nutritious meal that her family is unable to provide. Repeated reminders by the ATSI service provider will be provided to ensure her medical needs are met. Taking time to understand her family during the communication will improve communication (/communicating-with-indigenous-people-124). The display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander posters, art, cultural symbols and culturally attuned content creates an environment that is more inviting for them. When they access healthcare in such an environment they feel that their culture is being respected and they feel encouraged to visit such centres. The history of colonisation, racism and the forcible removal of children from their families has instilled a fear and version towards the non-indegenous people of Australia. They are feared and the continued misunderstanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's way of thinking and their connections with family, land and their culture is looked down upon. The attitude of white supremacy when dealingwith the educationally and developmentally deprived Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is evident in the way they are treated even today. Their inability to access health care due to social determinants of health has put them at a greater disadvantage. Before they access a health service, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may fear whether they will be understood they may also fear discrimination due to racism. A culturally unsafe practice could misunderstand their language treat them as being from an inferior race and society. References /communicating-with-indigenous-people-124. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.clinedaus.org.au: https://www.clinedaus.org.au/topics-view/communicating-with-indigenous-people-124 /health-plan.pdf. (2013, July). Retrieved from https://www.health.gov.au: https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/B92E980680486C3BCA257BF0001BAF01/$File/health-plan.pdf C2012C00258. (2005). Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.au: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2012C00258 Durey, A., Thompson, S. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: time to change focus. BMC Health Services Research, 12:151. He, V., Condon, J., Ralph, A., Zhao, Y., Roberts, K., de Dassel, J., . . . Carapetis, J. (2016). Long-Term Outcomes From Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease. Circulation, 134(3): 222232. Parnaby, M., Carapetis, J. (2010). Rheumatic fever in indigenous Australian children. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, 46(9):527-33.