Make Indigenous Poverty History Goal 6: Combat Chronic and Communicable Diseases

Target 9: Have increased, by 2015, the life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to that of the rest of Australia

• Indicator 18: Cardiovascular disease (heart diseases, strokes) 
  
  
• Indicator 19: Neoplasms (cancers) 
  
  
• Indicator 20: Diseases of the respiratory system
  
  
• Indicator 21: Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, including diabetes
  
  
• Indicator 22: Disease of the digestive system
  
  
• Indicator 23: Prevalence of Suicide

Target 10: Have decreased by 2015 the rates of hospitalisation for communicable diseases

• Indicator 24: Prevalence of Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B 
  
  
• Indicator 25: Prevalence of Meningococcal infection 
  
  
• Indicator 26: Prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis
  

AUSTRALIA

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders suffer higher rates of disease and ill health than the general population. There are many statistics and reports written about it. (For a good summary see ABS AIHW page 92). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are disadvantaged across a range of socio economic conditions which lead to poor health, such as income, employment, educational outcomes and housing. In addition they are also exposed to high health risks such as smoking, obesity, alcohol misuse, and exposure to violence.

The following is a snapshot of the state of the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Ratios of Chronic Disease between Indigenous and non – Indigenous people (HREOC).

Communicable diseases

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are also at higher risk of contracting communicable diseases.

Indigenous people’s rates of hospitalization for communicable diseases as multiples of the rates in the non – Indigenous population (2000 – 2001) (HREOC)

Rates of Communicable diseases in Indigenous peoples reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System as multiples of the rates in the non – indigenous population (2001) (HREOC).

LIFE EXPECTENCY

According to the ABS life expectancy for indigenous men in 1996 – 2001 is 59.4 years and for Indigenous women it’s 64.8 years. This is approximately 18 years younger than their non – Indigenous counterparts.

Australia has fallen behind life expectancy compared to other Indigenous Peoples. Taking into account discrepancies in the ways in which different countries estimate life expectancy according to HREOC data suggests that Indigenous males in Australia live between 8.8 and 13.5 years less than Indigenous males in Canada, New Zealand, and the USA. For women, it is 10.9 and 12. 6 years less.

MENTAL HEALTH

Indigenous men suicide at 2.6 times the rate in the non – Indigenous population
Women suicide at 2 times the rate of the non – Indigenous population (HREOC).

AIDS

The incidence of AIDS amongst Indigenous peoples is 3.7 cases per 100,000 it is 3.6 for non indigenous people. There are however some differences:

• The median age of diagnosis is 32 for indigenous people and 37 for non - Indigenous people. 
• Around 17 % of cases amongst indigenous people are women compared to 5 % amongst the non - Indigenous population. This is indicative of the fact that 29 % of Indigenous people acquired the disease through heterosexual activity, compared to 7 % of the general population (Health Net Info June 2003).

DISABILITY

After adjusting for age differences Indigenous people over 18 years in non – remote areas are 1.7 times more likely than non – Indigenous people to report a disability resulting in a core activity limitation.

RESOURCES

For general comment and statistics on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health - Www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au

National Health Survey: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Results. ABS 2002 Catalogue number 4715.00. - http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/C36E019CD56EDE1FCA256C76007A9D36?Open

Fred Hollows Foundation - www.hollows.org

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