View - LIME Network

INDIGENOUS HEALTH POSITION PAPERFocussing on education for both professional and community groups provides opportunities to addressboth the prevention and treatment of disease and injury, and ensures the general public is betterinformed on Indigenous health issues.5.3 Healthcare InfrastructureTo ensure that the needs of the Indigenous community are being met the College advocates for thedevelopment and implementation of culturally appropriate, accessible and sustainable healthcareservices and measures. Emphasis should be on servicing of community needs in collaboration withthose communities.While the College recognises the right of every Australian and New Zealand resident to receive properlyresourced healthcare, it also recognises that the situation for Indigenous communities is significantlybelow the standard that should be accepted..The College supports a sustainable and co-ordinated healthcare response that adopts culturallyappropriate strategies to address physical, socio-economic and cultural barriers currently present in thedelivery of health care services.5.4 Socio-economic inhibitors of acceptable Indigenous health outcomesThe social determinants of health underlie the wellness or otherwise of the individual and his\hercommunity. These factors are compounded in Indigenous populations by the multigenerational grief,loss and trauma associated with low self esteem, colonisation, the stolen generation in Australia, manylayers of racism, discrimination, and cultural dislocation. The College recognises that ‘closing the gap’ isimperative if disparities in life expectancy are to be addressed.In New Zealand, the obligations and requirements that arise from the Treaty of Waitangi are active inmany aspects of present day New Zealand life, including the delivery of health, education, social, housingand justice services and a vast number of what might loosely be termed social development issues andinitiative. All of these are relevant to issues of indigenous health and that makes the current status of theTreaty very relevant to this Statement.6. REFERENCESRoyal Australasian College of SurgeonsManual:Division:Subject:Guidelines and Position PapersFellowship and StandardsINDIGENOUS HEALTH POSITION PAPERRef. No.:Approval Date:Review Date:FES_FEL_001June 2009June 2012Page 8 of 9