While the infant birthweights of Aboriginal children have improves, there are still significant wellness concerns around child immunisation, coronary heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. This is according to data derived from 53 Aboriginal health services that participate in the Australian federal government’s Healthy for Life initiative, and as a result Aboriginal community health services have called for more frontline spending on doctors and health workers.
According to the new report, the average birthweight of indigenous babies rose by 66 grams from 2007-08 to 2010-11, and the number of pregnant women recorded as not smoking or consuming alcohol in the third trimester more than doubled. Further, the number of pregnant women recorded as not using illicit drugs almost tripled, but 51.2% of women still smoked, 14.8% still drank alcohol and 15.9% still used illicit drugs, so it is still an area for improvement.
Another area requiring improvement is guarding child wellbeing against disease, as the report found that immunisation of Aboriginal children fell between 2007 and 2011. Last March, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare only noted full immunisations in 70% of Aboriginal children aged 12-24 months, 68% of children aged 24-36 months and 56% of children aged 60-72 months. Interestingly, children in very remote areas were far more likely (91%) to be immunised than children in major cities (42%).
Treatment and screenings for other health concerns seemed to improve, but again still have a long way to go. The number of indigenous people with type 2 diabetes who had a GP management plan, for example, rose by about 50% between 2007-08 and 2010-11. This number increased from 1492 to 2156, and the number of those who had blood sugar tests rose from 2797 to 3610. Moreover, management plans among patients with coronary heart disease rose from 405 to 750.
According to Lisa Briggs, chief executive of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s report proves that the country needs a stronger focus on frontline services. She commented, ‘When you deliver comprehensive care, particularly to the most vulnerable and those who have the highest burden of disease and disadvantage, you get health gains.’