View - LIME Network

5.1 Injury and preventable diseasesBox 5.1.1Key messages• In 2004-05, Indigenous children under four were twice as likely to be hospitalised forpotentially preventable diseases and injuries than non-Indigenous children(251.0 per 1000 compared to 122.6 per 1000) (table 5.1.1).• For the period 2001 to 2005, the death rate from external causes and preventablediseases was around five times as high for Indigenous children (from 5.7 to10.8 per 10 000 population) as for non-Indigenous children (from 1.4 and2.5 per 10 000 population) in Queensland, WA, SA and the NT (figure 5.1.2).Since the 2005 Report, this indicator has been changed from ‘rates of hospitaladmission for infectious diseases’ to ‘injury and preventable diseases’. This reflectscomments received during consultations on the 2003 and 2005 Reports that thehealth of Indigenous children involved more than just infectious diseases. Thisreport covers a wide range of preventable conditions, including infectious diseases,non-infectious diseases and injury (includes injuries caused by transport accidents,other accidents, assault and complications of medical and surgical care).Until the second half of the 20 th century, infectious diseases were a prominent causeof death in Australia. Between 1921 and 1995, age standardised death rates frominfectious diseases fell from 185 per 100 000 population to 6 per 100 000(ABS 1997). In 2005, the death rate from certain infectious and parasitic diseases inAustralia (total persons, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) was 7.8 per 100 000population (ABS 2007).Infectious diseases range in severity from minor conditions such as the commoncold, to serious illnesses such as meningococcal infection and tuberculosis, whichcan result in death. Disease is caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses orparasitic worms, and can be transmitted directly (for example, through dropletinfection) between people, or from insects and animals to people. Disease can alsobe indirectly transmitted (for example, through contaminated food or water) andthrough the environment. Infection can also result from the pathological growth oforganisms already present in a person’s body (ABS 1997).Some infections that may appear minor can have serious longer term health effects.Recurring skin and throat infections (caused by group A streptococcal bacteria) in5.4 OVERCOMINGINDIGENOUSDISADVANTAGE 2007