Discussion
The 10 years of independence celebration by the Aboriginal Health Council of SA was a significant event for a number of reasons.It commemorated a decade long endeavour by the AHCSA to address the unique health needs of the Indigenous population. Jowsey, et al. (2012) observes that the experience of Aboriginal people in mainstream health services was poor and ignorant of the cultural needs of these people. The AHCSA has worked to reverse this by ensuring that Aboriginals receive equitably care in an environment that is respectful, culturally safe, and fair (Aboriginal, 2011).
The phrase “Our Health, Our Choice, Our Way”, is a policy framework developed and endorsed by the AHCSA in 2006. This framework aimed at improving the health outcomes of the Indigenous population by providing access to health care that was culturally relevant. Such a policy was seen as necessary since the mainstream health services lacked an understanding of Indigenous issue and was generally unwilling to meaningfully engage Indigenous people in their own health (Gracey, et al., 2006).
Closing the gap is a major goal of the Aboriginal Community since there are gross inequalities between Indigenous people and their non-Indigenous counterparts in health care with the Aboriginals having poorer health outcomes (McBain-Rigg & Veitch, 2011). The distance and socioeconomic factors have contributed to the poor health outcomes of the indigenous population (McBain-Rigg & Veitch, 2011).By offering culturally relevant health care services, the Aboriginal Health Council promotes health among the Indigenous people since good primary care contributes to patient satisfaction, empowerment, and engagement in managing their health.
Comment
Damia rightfully notes that addressing the social realities of the Indigenous population can help overcome the health disparities currently existing between the indigenous and non-indigenous population.
References
Aboriginal Health Council SA Celebrates 10 years of Community Control. (2011, October 5). The National Indigenous Times Newspaper. Web.
Gracey, M., Bridge, E., Martin, D., Jones, T., Spargo, R. M., Shephard, M., et al. (2006). An Aboriginal-driven program to prevent, control, and manage nutrition related ‘lifestyle’ diseases including diabetes. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 15(2), 178-188.
Jowsey, T. et al. (2012). It hinges on the door: Time, spaces and identity in Australian Aboriginal Health Services. Health Sociology Review, 21(2), 196-207.
McBain-Rigg, K., &Veitch, C. (2011). Cultural barriers to health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Mount Isa. Aust. J. Rural Health, 19 (1), 70–74.