New research on Indigenous health

[These resources from the Equidad/PAHO listserv may be contrasted with the recent Indigenous Children's Health Report from St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, that uses a cross-jurisdictional analysis -- Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand -- to show that Indigenous health inequities are a result largely of socio-economic, and not biological, factors. In particular, the role and impacts of colonization are highlighted in the ICHR.

These different approaches to equity point to the critical importance of exploring HOW research is framed and what the implications of that framing might be....]


From the Equidad/PAHO listserv:

Indigenous health part 1: determinants and disease patterns
Prof Michael Gracey MD a , Prof Malcolm King MD b
The Lancet, Volume 374, Issue 9683, 4 July 2009
Summary http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60914-4/fulltext

“…..The world's almost 400 million Indigenous people have low standards of health. This poor health is associated with poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding, poor hygiene, environmental contamination, and prevalent infections. Inadequate clinical care and health promotion, and poor disease prevention services aggravate this situation.

Some Indigenous groups, as they move from traditional to transitional and modern lifestyles, are rapidly acquiring lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, and physical, social, and mental disorders linked to misuse of alcohol and of other drugs.

Correction of these inequities needs increased awareness, political commitment, and recognition rather than governmental denial and neglect of these serious and complex problems. Indigenous people should be encouraged, trained, and enabled to become increasingly involved in overcoming these challenges…”

Indigenous health part 2: the underlying causes of the health gap
Prof Malcolm King PhD a , Alexandra Smith MD b, Prof Michael Gracey MD c

a Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
b University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
c Unity of First People of Australia, Perth, WA, Australia

The Lancet, Volume 374, Issue 9683, 4 July 2009
Summary http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60827-8/fulltext

“…..In this Review we delve into the underlying causes of health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and provide an Indigenous perspective to understanding these inequalities. We are able to present only a snapshot of the many research publications about Indigenous health. Our aim is to provide clinicians with a framework to better understand such matters.

Applying this lens, placed in context for each patient, will promote more culturally appropriate ways to interact with, to assess, and to treat Indigenous peoples.

The topics covered include Indigenous notions of health and identity; mental health and addictions; urbanisation and environmental stresses; whole health and healing; and reconciliation….”