indigenous health Resources
Discover various information about Indigenous Health.
The trajectory of racism within healthcare settings leads to diminished health outcomes for Indigenous people as seen in the current disproportionate burden of disease and diminished life expectancy (Loppie Reading & Wien, 2009).
First Nations women and men have had their life expectancy decline seven years since 2015. In 2015, the average life expectancy for a First Nation man was 67 – today that has dropped to 60. For First Nations women, it’s gone from 73 in 2015 to 66 years in 2021. The life expectancy of a non-First Nations man is 79. For non-First Nations women it is 84. Life expectancy for First Nations in Alta. drops seven years (aptnnews.ca)
Geographic isolation in rural, remote, and northern communities represents a substantial barrier to Indigenous people accessing health care. Small, isolated communities have much more difficulty attracting and retaining health professionals, leading to short-term, non-resident care or the necessity to travel long distances, at great expense, to receive care (National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health, 2019)
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Indigenous peoples in Canada. Cardiovascular disease is linked with higher social disadvantage, which correlates with an increased burden of certain cardiovascular risk factors and independently contributes to cardiovascular disease. Social disadvantage and cardiovascular disease: development of an index and analysis of age, sex, and ethnicity effects | International Journal of Epidemiology | Oxford Academic (oup.com) The State of Affairs for Cardiovascular Health Research in Indigenous Women in Canada: A Scoping Review - PubMed (nih.gov)
Access to primary health care services for Indigenous peoples: A framework synthesis
Indigenous peoples often find it difficult to access appropriate mainstream primary health care services. Securing access to primary health care services requires more than just services that are situated within easy reach. Ensuring the accessibility of health care for Indigenous peoples who are often faced with a vast array of additional barriers including experiences of discrimination and racism, can be complex. This framework synthesis aimed to identify issues that hindered Indigenous peoples from accessing primary health care and then explore how, if at all, these were addressed by Indigenous health care services.
First Nations people receive less care when accessing Hospital Emergency Departments in Canada. First Nations status was associated with lower odds of higher acuity triage scores across a number of conditions and diagnoses. This may reflect systemic racism, stereotyping and potentially other factors that affected triage assessments.
Expectant mothers in Fort Chipewyan cannot give birth on their ancestral lands.
Canada’s Obstetric Evacuation Policy dictates that pregnant women living in rural and remote communities are transferred to urban centres for childbirth. Given its remote location, this means that expectant mothers from Fort Chipewyan must leave the community at 36 weeks of pregnancy to await their child’s birth in Fort McMurray, Edmonton, or Calgary, and deliver in an urban hospital. (Fort Chipewyan Mothers Program: An Indigenous Elder Mentorship Program Connecting Mothers to Culture and Traditional Teachings Summary Report, K. Fitzpatrick, MSc, Barbara Verstraeten, Postdoctoral Fellow, Stephanie Montesanti, PhD).
Alberta Health Services
Indigenous Wellness Line is Cultural Support and Advocacy
Link to the Brochure Here
Indigenous people in Canada experience a disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Documented rates in Canada are 3–5 times higher in Indigenous compared with non-Indigenous populations. Indigenous people tend to acquire diabetes at younger ages, have complications sooner, and have poorer treatment outcomes.
Epidemiology of diabetes mellitus among First Nations and non-First Nations adults | CMAJ
Indigenous people in Canada experience a disproportionate burden of cancer rates, later diagnoses and lower survival rates.
Traditional Healer Gathering Report 2019 - Non-Insured Mental Health Benefits
Link to the report HERE
LAND-BASED HEALING
Restoration of Cultural Identity and Knowledge to Heal our Communities
Introduction:
On September 8, 2023, The Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC) declared a State of Local Emergency in response to the escalating mental health and addictions crisis among the First Nations it represents. Through extensive consultation, six Pillars were established. It was decided that a priority under the Detox and Pre-Post-Treatment Pillar was the integration of community and land-based healing programs.
Canada First Nations Strengths in Community-Based Primary Healthcare
Introduction: First Nation (FN) peoples and communities in Canada are still grappling with the effects of colonization. Health and social inequities result in higher disease burden and significant disparities in healthcare access and responsiveness. For resilience, survival, and self-determination, FN are looking inwards for strengths. This paper reports on the cultural, community, and family strengths that have supported FN communities in developing community-based primary healthcare (CBPHC) strategies to support health and wellbeing.
