The Challenge

Health and Wellbeing

"Health is about more than not being sick. It's about getting a balance between physical, mental, emotional, cultural and spiritual health. Health and healing are interwoven, which means that one can't be separated from the other".

Key Facts

7times

25-34 year-old Aboriginal Australians die over 7 times more from heart disease, compared to non-Aboriginal Australians.

8%

Aboriginal cancer rates are 8% lower than other Australians because they die younger from other causes.

30times

The likelihood that Aboriginal children suffer from anaemia and malnutrition due to iron deficiencies is 30 times that of non-Aboriginal children.

Put simply, the physical and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is generally well behind that of Australia’s non-Indigenous population.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders fail to access appropriate health care for cultural and or historical factors for both mental and physical health services which in-turn directly affects community social and emotional wellbeing.

The social determinants of health are defined by if a person:

  • Is working,
  • Feels safe in their community (including no discrimination),
  • Has a good education,
  • Has enough money,
  • Feels connected to friends and family.

Social determinants that are particularly important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are:

  • Connection to land and culture
  • Acknowledgement of past policies which resulted in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders being removed from their lands and culture.

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In terms of life expectancy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are likely to die 10-11 years before the rest of the population and are more likely to suffer from ailments such as:

  • Type 1 and 2 diabetes,
  • Renal Failure,
  • Mental Health Issues including anxiety and depression,
  • Ear, eye, nose and throat problems,
  • Respiratory problems,
  • Obesity,
  • A physical or psychological disability,
  • Other illnesses associated with poor nutrition or hydration.

We also acknowledge that many of the communities we operate in do not have access to reasonably priced nutritious foods, including drinking water, and that this has a negative impact on community health and leads to serious issues. Additionally Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders experience anxiety and depression at a rate 3 times higher than non-Indigenous adults. Despite higher levels of mental illness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people underutilise mental health services for a variety of reasons.

As an organisation, NASCA acknowledges the major differences across cultures of concepts of mental wellness and that treating the symptoms of mental health issues is a complex process. We indirectly work to advocate for, and create an environment that is more likely to encourage mental wellness and personal esteem at the preventative stages of a young person’s development. Institutional or systemic racism is not necessarily overt or intentional but occurs when the dominant views and practices of an institution ignore or exclude the expectations and beliefs of some of its clients.

 

Health is about more than not being sick. It's about getting a balance between physical, mental, emotional, cultural and spiritual health. Health and healing are interwoven, which means that one can't be separated from the other Dr Tamara Mackean, Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association

 

NASCA’s Response

NASCA is part of a movement that uses a number of means of holistically contributing to the health and social wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Combining education with sport and physical activity has allowed us to address healthy lifestyles, academic results and personal achievement through sports activities. We have a great focus on increasing educational outcomes because this has shown to have a great affect on physical and mental health as well as leading to employment and increasing ones socioeconomic status.

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We are acutely aware that regular physical activity directly prevents issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and depression as well as many others. Our programs are directly tailored to combine the benefits of sport with self-empowerment and pride and we engage with young Indigenous people to empower them to make healthy choices as they relate to their lifestyles.

NASCA strongly promotes identity and the relevance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, perspectives and histories. We know that celebrating and using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and perspectives is a means of contributing to the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of the young people we work with and ultimately Australia as a whole.