Young First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people have dealt with various contemporary health issues, such as drug and substance abuse, cancer, cardiovascular heart diseases, and infectious diseases for a long time. Métis and Inuit people are the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. They are among the indigenous communities in Canada. They are the youngest of the three indigenous communities (First Nations people and Métis), with an average age of 27.7 years. They are the fastest-growing population in Canada but have the most disadvantages in health (Goldman, 2017). Unsurprisingly, their youths suffer precariously from drug and substance abuse. For example, over 25% of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Kids between 10 and 12 years have used harmful drugs. Currently, the health of the indigenous people has improved but there are still visible gaps like high mortality rates, diabetes, tuberculosis, and death from drug misuse. However, the government has recognized these gaps and is working with the community, and provincial and territorial partners to improve the health of the Métis, and Inuit people. This assignment explores health inequality reflected in drug and substance abuse problems in the young indigenous population-based; also, including cancer, cardiovascular heart ailments, infectious diseases, mental health, high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes.
Initially, during the colonization era, the indigenous people were disadvantaged and this played a major role in health disparities. Colonial policies, segregation, loss of land, and unequal access to resources sidelined them in the past (OCASI, 2021). Durey & Thompson (2012) conduct an interview on institutionalized racism in health care and concluded that racism was apparent from a multi-layered perspective; the indigenous people did not receive adequate resources and treatment compared to white people. This is a consequence of colonial policies, segregation, and unequal treatment during colonial times. For instance, when colonizers grabbed their lands and sent them into reserves with limited resources, they stripped them of the rights of equal treatment including healthcare. Colonial policies, segregation, loss of land, and unequal access to resources sidelined the Aboriginal peoples and promoted health disparities.
In the past, the Métis, and Inuit people have dealt with health disparities due to their locality. Geographic isolation was a major contributing factor to poor health services and unmet health needs in the community. According to a survey in 2015, 1 out of 10 people admitted having unmet healthcare needs (Statistics Canada, 2020). Most of these people lived in isolated, remote areas with smaller medical institutions, and getting quality healthcare services demanded long-distance travel (p. 3). This can be explained by the traditional relocation into reserves; the reserves were “small, unproductive land” where the indigenous people were forced to live after the Indian Ac (AIATSIS, 2022). Being in isolated places made it hard to establish quality healthcare institutions as well as a development like roads to enable them to access healthcare in developed areas.
The geographical isolation also promoted language barriers and cultural underrepresentation which limited the community’s tendency to seek health care services. The indigenous people living in remote areas who do not practice English as a first language usually experience cross-cultural conflict during health care (Durey & Thompson, 2012). Geographical isolation separated the indigenous people from the rest of the world. Thus, most community members were not conversant in English. Simultaneously, the rest of the world found their practices and culture alien which brought a major cultural conflict limiting their access to health care. For instance, westerners found Aboriginal medicines and healing beliefs to be barbaric. This western perception led to the persecution of many political and spiritual role models of the community before the 1900s (Li, 2017). The persecution and biases towards their tradition created compelled the community to rebel against the western treatment which negatively impacted their health and made them vulnerable to diseases. Geographical isolation separated the Aboriginal people from the rest of the world from the cultural and semiotic perspective which contributed to the healthcare disparities.
Currently, the healthcare among the indigenous people has improved but disparities are still apparent majorly because of institutionalized racism. Racism is the primary cause of health disparities among indigenous communities. The discrimination and isolation subjected them to poor living conditions and limited resources which make them vulnerable to diseases.
Poverty and crowded, unsanitary neighborhoods make the community members vulnerable to some diseases. A study conducted in 2016 showed that about 18.3% of this community lived in unsuitable houses; over half, 51.7% of Inuit people reside in unsuitable conditions (Statistics Canada, 2020). Unsuitable conditions refer to overcrowded nature and unsanitary living conditions. These conditions make them prone to some diseases like Tb and infectious diseases. For example, during the pandemic outbreak, the indigenous people had a high infection and death rates compared to general Canadians (Huyser et al., 2020). This may be explained by the unsanitary conditions and overcrowdedness in their areas of residence. Poverty pushes the indigenous community to live in unsuitable areas making them vulnerable to communicable and infectious diseases.
Another implication of poverty is poor diet and lifestyle which exposes them to diseases. Poverty leads to unfavorable financial limitations leading to incapability to get sufficient and nutritious food (Siddiqui et al., 2020). Lack of sufficient and nutritious food exposes the indigenous community to cardiovascular heart ailments and diabetes. Also, poverty and financial limitations may compel the youths to turn to crime and drug misuse. For example, if the community members do not have stable employment or financial security, they may be prone to commit crimes that mostly accompany drug usage and misuse; most offenders use drugs as a means of leverage. Poverty contributes to a poor diet which exposes the community to lifestyle diseases like diabetes and financial limitations leading to drug misuse and use.
Despite the obvious disparities, incorporating technology to deliver healthcare services has helped those living in remote areas. Saskatchewan, are among the First Nations communities with over one million people. Most of these members live in reserves, remote areas which may limit their access to healthcare services. Nonetheless, Remote Presence Robotic Technology (RPRT), a form of telemedicine is making it possible to deliver clinical services to community members (Khan et al., 2017). Such technologies create a framework that may create a future solution to bridge the health disparities of indigenous communities.
Although, it is obvious the nation is far from solving the health discriminations of the indigenous communities, health promotion, prevention, and treatment interventions are some ways the disparity can be dealt with in the future.
Health promotion is defined by the WHO as “the process of equipping people to aggregate control over, and to improve their health” (WHO, 2023). Community awareness is one way to ensure health promotion. The healthy role model I chose is ideal for how community awareness can promote health. Carey Prince is conscious and supportive of the physical needs of vulnerable people in the Aboriginal community (The Canadian Press, 2021). For example, he gives donations to schools and poor people; this lessens the financial burden and directs the community member to live healthy lifestyles considering he is a renowned NHL player.
Prevention is another way that health disparities may be improved. According to the health sector in Truth and Reconciliation calls to action, medical and nursing institutions should take at least a course on the Aboriginal health issues including their histories like residential schools (p. 7). This will ensure the practitioners are familiar with the health issues of the indigenous people which may aid in prevention. For instance, once a nurse understands the traumas in residential schools, they are likely to mobilize and provide social and emotional support to their mental health preventing depression or any other mental disorders.
Improving the treatment interventions is another way that may improve the health disparities among these communities. As shown by the innovation behind Remote Presence Robotic Technology (RPRT), technology can be used to improve the healthcare services of indigenous communities. For example, an innovation that allows remote diagnosis using robots or drones; a patient can have online sessions with a physician, followed by lab samples which can be obtained and delivered by robot or drone. Although this is a futuristic technological innovation, the adaptations in other fields have shown that it is possible. Currently, some drones do home deliveries, and robots that are serving in brick and motor enterprises. The same technology can be applied in the medical industry to ensure that the quality of healthcare services for indigenous communities is improved.
References
AIATSIS. (2022, May 25). Missions, stations, and reserves. https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/missions-stations-and-reserves#toc-what-were-missions-reserves-and-stations-
Durey, A., & Thompson, S. C. (2012). Reducing the health disparities of Indigenous Australians: Time to change focus. BMC Health Services Research, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-151
Goldsmith, L., & Bell, M. L. (2022). Queering environmental justice: Unequal environmental health burden on the LGBTQ+ community. American Journal of Public Health, 112(1), 79-87. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2021.306406
Huyser, K., Horse, A., Collins, K., Fischer, J., Jessome, M., Ronayne, E., Lin, J., Derkson, J., & Johnson-Jennings, M. (2020, October 19). Understanding the associations among social vulnerabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and COVID-19 cases within Canadian health regions. PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9566440/#
Li, R. (2017). Indigenous identity and traditional medicine: Pharmacy at the crossroads. Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada, 150(5), 279-281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1715163517725020
OCASI. (2021, October 6). Who are the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples? Information Newcomers Can Trust | Settlement.Org. https://settlement.org/ontario/immigration-citizenship/citizenship/first-nations-inuit-and-metis-peoples/who-are-the-first-nations-metis-and-inuit-peoples/#
Statistics Canada. (2020, April 17). First Nations people, Metis and Inuit and COVID-19: Health and social characteristics. Statistics Canada: Canada’s national statistical agency / Statistique Canada: Organisme statistique national du Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200417/dq200417b-eng.htm
WHO. (2023). Health promotion. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/how-we-work/programmes/health-promotion#
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