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Volume
3:
No. 2, April 2006
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Chronic Disease Among the
Indigenous Population of Central Australia
Suggested citation for this article: O’Connor G. Chronic disease
among the indigenous population of central Australia [letter to the editor]. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2006 Apr [date cited]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/
apr/05_0205.htm.
To the Editor:
I educate and consult with health care providers in chronic disease prevention, self-management, and screening. I also work with the Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Program
team teaching new staff about Australian Aboriginal culture from a “white-fellas” perspective. The indigenous population of
central Australia is very traditional and maintains cultural practices. There are 10
dominant indigenous languages spoken in central Australia. Chronic diseases — including renal disease, insulin-resistant diabetes, respiratory disease (especially bronchiectasis), heart disease and hypertension, and mental health —
are in plague proportions.
High alcohol intake has lead to increased liver disease, and substance abuse
such as petrol sniffing has increased the need for respite care among young Aboriginal people.
The population of central Australia (area of 1.5 million sq km) is
45,000 people, and approximately 14,000 are of Aboriginal descent. Aboriginal
people of central Australia are very traditional and maintain cultural
practices. There are 25 central Australian indigenous languages spoken, and the
five dominant languages spoken are Arrernte, Anmatjyerre, Alwyare,
Pitjantjatarra, Luritja, and Walpiri. Alice Springs (population 26,000) is in
the Arrernte region, and there are five dialects of Arrernte spoken among 1800
people.
I started nursing in Alice Springs in 1980, and many of the babies with
gastroenteritis and malnutrition I nursed then I saw in later years with
end-stage chronic disease. I have attended the funerals of some of these children who only lived to their late teens or early
20s. Over the years, many programs have been set up, committees and working parties
have set agendas, and projects have been developed to tackle
the chronic disease issues we face, but unless these programs involve the Aboriginal people
(so that the correct language is used, concepts are ensured, appropriate health literacy
is used,
and ownership of health initiatives and cultural needs are recognized), these programs
will not be as effectual.
Aboriginal people teach through the art of story telling, and an example of this
is “Grandmother Law.” The grandmothers teach the young girls about antenatal
care through story telling whilst walking through bushland. I feel that the image and story on the
cover of Preventing Chronic Disease
(Volume 2: No. 4, Oct 2005) is a good reminder to health care providers to work
side by side with the indigenous communities and respect each other’s knowledge
and stories. I have stuck it up on my office wall as a reminder to myself as well. I
gave a copy to my Aboriginal colleagues, and they
loved the cover’s description because story telling is an important part of Aboriginal culture. I have enjoyed the journal and shared many of the articles with colleagues.
Gill O'Connor
Clinical Nurse Consultant
Workforce Strategy & Clinical Learning Team, Nursing Clinical Team
Alice Springs Hospital
Alice Springs, Australia
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