nuclear-news

Climate will hit indigenous Australians hardest: report

Climate will hit indigenous Australians hardest: report 
Sydney Morning HeraldJoel Gibson Indigenous Affairs Reporter January 13, 2009

INDIGENOUS Australians in remote areas will be hardest hit by climate change because of their poorer health and access to services, a team of environment and indigenous health experts has warned.

And the documented link between the health of traditional Aborigines and the health of their ancestral country could make them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

In an editorial in the Medical Journal Of Australia, three authors from different fields argued that the vulnerability of indigenous people should be recognised so health policy could be adjusted to counter the effects of rising temperatures in some of the hottest reaches of central and northern Australia……………….

The authors said the challenge for Australian doctors would be to look beyond a Western, scientific approach to indigenous health and acknowledge the influence of ecology and other factors on indigenous lives.

More services would be needed in northern Australia, as well as cross-cultural training for medical professionals and changes to the teaching practices in medical schools.

If done properly, that approach would raise social and economic indicators, not just health, they said.

“Ignoring the warning signs and failing to take action is no lo

The Sydney Morning Herald: national, world, business, entertainment, sport and technology news from Australia’s leading newspaper.

January 13, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | indigenous issues | indigenous