Sahail AshrafOur Latest Shame: The Infant Mortality Rate for the Australian Indigenous Population
May 7th 2007 10:33
Check out the Oxfam Australia policy report on Australian Indigenous people “Close the Gap: Solutions to the Indigenous Health Crisis Facing Australia” and you will be appalled at the findings. At least I certainly was, and we all should be.
It’s no secret that Indigenous people still suffer hugely as a result of colonization in Australia. There’s a spectrum of inadequacies: poor health; huge unemployment; a lower standard of living; a lower life expectancy and inadequate housing. These are just a few of the major issues facing the Aboriginal community. But what astounded me most was the infant mortality rate.
In a developed nation like Australia the health of babies and young children should be assured. You would think! But tragically and unacceptably the Australian Indigenous population ranks THE WORST for the rate of infant mortality. As cited in the Oxfam report, the infant mortality rate for Aboriginal Australians is 14.3 per 1000 live births. This compares with the 9.8 for the US, 8.9 for New Zealand and a comparatively low 6.4 for Canada. That’s almost three times the rate of Canada. What’s even more disturbing is that this figure of 14.3 compares with an Australia-wide rate of 4.7. The gap is alarmingly obvious from this statistic alone.
Why is the Government not doing more to respond to this gross inadequacy in infant health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders? Surely, in a country with a high standard of living, should respond first and foremost to the well-being and health of babies? For an organization like Oxfam to necessitate writing policy reports and running a campaign to for a section of Australia’s population astounds me. We are not a Third World nation, far from it, yet there are people living in third world conditions. When are we going to wake up and address this issue instead of trying to hide it?
Source: Oxfam.org.au
It’s no secret that Indigenous people still suffer hugely as a result of colonization in Australia. There’s a spectrum of inadequacies: poor health; huge unemployment; a lower standard of living; a lower life expectancy and inadequate housing. These are just a few of the major issues facing the Aboriginal community. But what astounded me most was the infant mortality rate.
In a developed nation like Australia the health of babies and young children should be assured. You would think! But tragically and unacceptably the Australian Indigenous population ranks THE WORST for the rate of infant mortality. As cited in the Oxfam report, the infant mortality rate for Aboriginal Australians is 14.3 per 1000 live births. This compares with the 9.8 for the US, 8.9 for New Zealand and a comparatively low 6.4 for Canada. That’s almost three times the rate of Canada. What’s even more disturbing is that this figure of 14.3 compares with an Australia-wide rate of 4.7. The gap is alarmingly obvious from this statistic alone.
Why is the Government not doing more to respond to this gross inadequacy in infant health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders? Surely, in a country with a high standard of living, should respond first and foremost to the well-being and health of babies? For an organization like Oxfam to necessitate writing policy reports and running a campaign to for a section of Australia’s population astounds me. We are not a Third World nation, far from it, yet there are people living in third world conditions. When are we going to wake up and address this issue instead of trying to hide it?
Source: Oxfam.org.au
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Comment by Brenton
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Comment by Lilla
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A terrible report... very saddening, but very true too.
You must have read my poem on Gloria and the abuse of these children, by their drunken father's, is legendary ... most of the mothers were raised this way themselves, are ruled by fear and unable to properly protect their young.
A friend of mine lived next door to a family whose father drank all the money for baby formula. My friend used to buy formula to help feed the baby... and keep it alive.
I was reading recently that the government went out into the bush to hold a round of talks with certain tribal leaders about 'merging' our two laws. Westminster and Tribal laws... but negotiations keep breaking down ... it's when I realised that we really have such a long way to go here in Australia...
We may have a world class, western fringe, but we have a dark, third-world interior.
Oxfam do a great job in bringing it to people's attention, but their hands are so tied in so many countries where two laws apply...
Lilla ...
Comment by Ahmed
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People like Kathy Freeman, they're pathetic.
Comment by Candice
Yes, it's easier to ignore Aboriginal people as a whole it would seem. Where is all the media expressing outrage about this??
Hi Tracy,
Yes, and middle class anglo males to be specific.
Hi Lilla,
I haven't read your poem 'Gloria' - am off to take a look right now!
It's a huge problem on so many levels. Aboriginal people really suffer in all aspects of life - it really becomes obvious when you look at reports like the one Oxfam produced. I know Oxfam can only do so much but thankfully they are trying to create policy change. If you plug away long enough at least something may shift a little.
That's a truly saddening story about the baby.
Apparently, with the native title cases, there is such a massive backlog of cases that most Aboriginal people won't see them carried out in their lifetimes.
Hi Ahmed,
I have to agree with you there. Freeman could have done a lot but I heard her interviewed one time where she pretty much said she wasn't interested in Aboriginal issues. How can you not be when it's who you are and where you come from?
Thanks everyone for your comments and thoughts. Much appreciated.
Comment by Brenton
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And Aboriginal heroes are around all the time. It' d be nice to hasve a camera behind them though.
Comment by Ahmed
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She has this bitter view towards Australians in general. She doesn't outright say it but you get the feeling.
Case in point? An American got busted for using performance enhancing drugs which quite possibly won the 400 meteres for her, against Cathy.
After it was proven Cathy jumped to the Americans side claiming it must have been false or whatnot (genereally defending the party at guilt).
Around the same time the whole drugs controversy was getting big in Australia, Cathy got up and scorned Australian athletes as a whole for taking these drugs, with no proof. She was speaking about it like Australian athletes are baby killers (not quite to that effect but you get the idea).
Yet the American who was busted for taking drugs had her full hearted support.
Another thing, she goes to live in the US, ok, then what? She starts giving money to charities in the US. So lets just forget about the Aboriginal community, she's officially American.
I wouldn't be surprised if her behaviour inspired that of another Aboriginal woman who teaches English. She spent six months in the US and came back, bragging about her 'American accent' (how you pick up an accent in six months is beyond me) she also wouldn't shuttup about her 'American friends' (emphasis on American).
It's the desire to disassociate yourself from your people, just because you made it big does not give you a free ticket out of your people, there is a certain level or moral obligation that just doesn't click in the minds of the few Aboriginals who make it big.
To put it all bluntly, Cathy is famous, she's popular, she's loved by Australians and most importantly, she can go on national TV if she so wanted. Yet she doesn't use this power to help the Aboriginal community, now thats just plain neglectful at best and downright evil at worst.
Comment by Candice
Interesting argument, but I can't say I know enough about Cathy Freeman, publicly or privately, to comment too much more.
I don't know that she should be scorned if she does have anger towards Australia and Australians - if I were Aboriginal I probably would too!
I think individuals all deal with things in their own way. Though she is in the rare position where I do believe she could make a huge difference, it's up to her. How she wants to live her own life etc. I think it's disappointing she hasn't gone this way but we all react differently. Who knows her full background and life experiences?
Comment by Ash
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What sad information... coming from Africa it never ceases to amaze me how people are judged... yet they do not look in their own backyard at the neglect that they have of their own people. It truly frustrates me to the point of tears sometimes.
Excellent info and like yourself I do hope that something is done about it all...
ash
Comment by Candice
Thanks for your comments.
When I went to do aid work in Nepal, it amazed me to hear that Australia was also listed as one of the countries to do volunteer work in. A German guy I met said Europeans come to Australia to help the Aboriginal community.
The conditions Indigenous people face is definitely 'hidden' and I'm glad organisations like Oxfam are bringing it more to light.
Comment by Hope
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I come from a third world country but moved to a US territory. One would think the conditions here would be better but I'm slowly realizing that certain issues like poverty, inadequate healthcare and lack of education is a universal problem.
Comment by Ahmed
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Comment by Candice
Sadly, I think there are inequalities, and those that suffer, no matter what the country. The only difference being that developed nations have more to answer for considering they have the capability of solving the issue.
As Ahmed says, minority races are often the big losers.
Thanks so much for your comments.