JSM - Edition Two

I ndigenous C hildren across A ustralia F ace I nequalities in R egard to H ealth C are - continued If I imagined myself in the shoes of a rural Aboriginal girl born in 2010, the AIHW (Australian Institute of Health & Welfare), estimates my life expectancy to be 9.5 years less than an average Australian girl, while my brothers would on average live 10.6 years less than non-Indigenous boys. I’m horrified to discover that an Indigenous child born only 6 years ago would be expected to live a decade less than other kids. They would be 16% less likely to complete their childhood immunisations, and 5x times more likely to develop Diabetes in their lifetime. Below is an example of the situation of Aboriginal Australians being immunised in South Australia. In 2013, 89.8% of Indigenous Australians were fully immunised and while there are still many children who are not receiving their immunisations, this is thousands more than a decade ago - so Government programs are beginning to help. Rates of Immunisation for indigenous South Australians

A large number of deaths among Indigenous Australians are due to Circulatory Disease and Diabetes. Many of us don’t realise that these are such important issues. Diabetes, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, obesity, & poor diet are all risk factors for heart disease, and all seen more commonly in Indigenous Communities. 28% of Indigenous Australian deaths are due to circulatory disease. Close the gap

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JSM Edition Two