Cardiovascular Disease among Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders

Essay from the year 2018 in the subject History - Australia, Oceania, , language: English, abstract: This essay gives a brief overview of the indigenous people of Australia (Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders) and analyzes the occurrence of cardiovascular disease among them with possible solutions using the social determinants of health framework and identify the relevant stakeholders required to address this health issue.

The health status of indigenous Australians played a crucial part in the decline of the population following the European colonization. Diseases such as smallpox, influenza, tuberculosis, pneumonia, measles, typhoid, whooping cough, varicella, and diphtheria were the main culprits in the decimation of the indigenous population of Australia. Today, the average life expectancy of indigenous Australians remains significantly lower than that of non-indigenous Australians and they also have an increased risk for several diseases (both acute and chronic) compared to the non-indigenous population. The commonest cause of death among these people are cardiovascular disease and as such, underlines the reason why it is the focus of this essay.

Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders are collectively known as the indigenous people of Australia. Aboriginals were the primary inhabitants of Australia while Torres Strait Islanders inhabited the islands located between Australia and Papua New Guinea. The European colonization of Australia, however, changed this dynamic and brought about dramatic changes that affected these people and their way of life. This led to a massive decline in the population of indigenous Australians.