Monday, November 9, 2009

Calgary Herald (Nov 8/09) - Aboriginal transplant rates show 'two tiers' to health-care system: experts

MOOSE FACTORY, Ont. — Peter Nakogee knows the chances are not good for aboriginals seeking transplants in Canada, but the gregarious father of four has reason to celebrate.

The former mayor of a small Cree community on James Bay has finally made it onto a national waiting list. As of this week, Nakogee is in line for a new kidney that could not only transform his life, but show it’s possible to overcome what some consider a racial divide in Canada’s health-care system.

The disparities in the medical treatment received by First Nations people compared to other Canadians have attracted growing national and international attention. The latest study says aboriginal people are only one-third as likely to get a kidney transplant as Caucasian Canadians, even though they have more than twice the rate of kidney failure.

Full article at: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Aboriginal+transplant+rates+show+tiers+health+care+system+experts/2199807/story.html
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BBC News - Call for more ethnic data: Health experts have said more information is needed about ethnic minority groups in Scotland

Article in today's BBC news regarding the need for better data about the health of racialized communities in Scotland.

The article refers to a new report called Health in Our Multi-Ethnic Scotland: http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/3768.aspx

BBC News (9 Nov/09) - Call for more ethnic health data: Health experts have said more information is needed about ethnic minority groups in Scotland

Health experts have said more information is needed about ethnic minority groups in Scotland.
A report has identified five priorities including recording the ethnic identity of every person registered with the health service.

It said the authorities know little about the health of ethnic minority groups north of the border.

This is largely because ethnicity is not recorded on death certificates and rarely on NHS records, it said.

The report said: "Only 15% of hospital admission records and 18% of cancer registration data currently have an ethnic code."

The report, Health in our Multi-ethnic Scotland, also said some of the recent findings also indicated that the health of ethnic minority groups is often better than that of the majority white Scottish population.

But it said action was required to tackle higher rates of coronary artery disease and diabetes amongst South Asian people compared to the general population.

The article can be read at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8349583.stm

The report is at: http://www.healthscotland.com/documents/3768.aspx


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