Life’s a black and white divide
Leo Shanahan; 25/6/08
It is one of our most troubling national issues: the gap between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Now, after decades of debate on how to fix it, researchers have discovered a confronting reality — the gap is getting wider. A snapshot of the nation’s health has revealed that while Australians overall now enjoy the second-highest life expectancy rates in the world, Aborigines remain mired in Third World rankings on almost every relevant measure of health. The study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that a baby born in Australian today can expect, on average, to live to 81.4 years — second only to Japan at 82.2.
See: http://www.theage.com.au/national/lifes-a-black-and-white-divide-20080624-2w8t.html
Better infant survival a rare piece of good news
Lex Hall; 25/6/08
The gap in death rates between indigenous infants and other Australians is narrowing. However, the gap in mortality rates between Aboriginal and non-indigenous Australians is widening, underlining the greatest failure of the health system. Seventy-one per cent of indigenous people die before they reach 65, compared with just over one-fifth of other Australians, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare conference in Canberra heard yesterday. Life expectancy for Aborigines is at least 17 years lower than for non-indigenous Australians. Fadwa al-Yaman, head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Welfare at the AIHW, said the number of conditions that affect indigenous infants had dropped significantly.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23918328-5013404,00.html
Tags: Aboriginal, Australia, Children, health