Eliminating racism is vital to achieving health equity
It is widely documented that First Nations peoples experience a disproportionate burden of preventable disease and poorer health outcomes than other Queenslanders.
We must acknowledge the history of colonisation that has contributed to this health burden. The forced exclusion of First Nations peoples from all facets of society ensured that government systems excluded their participation in, and access to, the health system. In this way, institutional racism became embedded in the fabric of our health system and continues to be present to this day.
Aside from being a fundamental human rights issue, racism and discrimination have a well-documented negative impact on the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of First Nations peoples.
The Mayi Kuwayu study provides insight into the contemporary impacts of discrimination on health and wellbeing outcomes for First Nations peoples. It is the only validated study that includes metrics quantifying the impact of racial discrimination on physical health outcomes and social behaviours.
- Of the First Nations peoples surveyed, 55% reported an experience of some form of discrimination, and 37% experienced racial discrimination.
- Racial discrimination was associated with higher rates of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
- People facing moderate to high discrimination were less likely to identify themselves when accessing health and social services, impacting their care.
This is why eliminating racism from our health system is essential in our journey towards achieving health equity with First Nations peoples and closing the health gap. It is also the foundation of reform in Queensland, led by the First Nations Health Office (FNHO).
Source
- K Thurber et al., ‘Population-level contribution of interpersonal discrimination to psychological distress among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, and to Indigenous–non-Indigenous inequities: cross-sectional analysis of a community-controlled First Nations cohort study’, The Lancet, 2022, 40(10368): 2084–2094.