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Aboriginal health

Aboriginal people have lost their land and language. Families have been broken and children forcibly removed over generations. Aboriginal people have high rates of unemployment and poverty, low education levels, suffer overcrowded living conditions and experience general discrimination. These factors have caused stress and poor physical and mental health. The taking away of children and splitting up of families has led in particular to much isolation, and to attempts to deaden the pain of grief, loss and loneliness through the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Homelessness does occur. However, homeless Aboriginals are often in touch with at least some members of their extended family. They tend to have closer community links than most non-Aboriginal homeless people. If a homeless Aboriginal person needs help, contact the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service or one of the other community organisations listed in Table 2 of the directory section.

Heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illness are common with Aboriginals, many of whom suffer multiple illnesses. Aboriginal people tend to die at an earlier age than non-Aboriginals. It is never safe to assume that an Aboriginal person who is uncoordinated or unconscious is drunk, even if they smell of alcohol. Other possible serious causes of this might be:

• Bleeding in the brain after a head injury.
• High blood sugar levels (i.e. diabetes).
• Overdose of pills or other drugs.
• Illness such as pneumonia.

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