Aboriginal Access to Health Care Systems

Ontario

Aboriginal

Health

Advocacy

Initiative

Agenda‣ Overview of OAHAI

‣ The Healing and Wellness Strategy

‣ General Population Statistics

‣ Aboriginal Health Issues

‣ Poverty

‣ Aboriginal Health Policy

‣Traditional Native values vs. Western Values

‣ Our Priorities and where do we go from here ?

The Ontario Aboriginal Health Advocacy Initiative (OAHAI)

Who We Are…….

OAHAI was established to address key health concerns of Aboriginal people regarding;

Quality, Equity and Access

OAHAI’s Mandate

To address the inequitable access to quality, culturally appropriate health services for Aboriginal, First Nation and Metis people throughout the Provinceof Ontario

Who Funds Us…….

Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS)

Unique partnership with Government of OntarioIn 1990 Aboriginal organizations and the government developed the Strategy

To address poor health conditions as well as the alarming rates of family violence Aboriginal people in the Province have endured

Our Government Partners

Ministry of Community and Social Services

Ministry of Health and Long term Care

Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat

Ontario Women’s Directorate

Aboriginal Healing & Wellness Strategy

Services and ProgramsCommunity Wellness WorkersCrisis Intervention TeamsHealth Liaisons and Outreach WorkersHealing LodgesSheltersAboriginal Health Access CentresMaternal and Child CentresInformation Clearing HousesTraining ProgramsAboriginal Healthy Babies/Healthy Children’s ProgramsAboriginal Health Advocacy Initiative

General Population Statistics

Aboriginal people represent approximately 3% of Canada’s total population

Over 50% of the Aboriginal population are under the age of 24; 40 % are under the age of 16

General Health Issues

Aboriginal people experience a broad range of health issues, many of which lead Aboriginal people to suffer from among the poorest health levels in the country

Aboriginal people have shorter life expectancies; experience more violent and accidental deaths; have higher infant mortality rates increased suicides and…

General Health Issues (cont’d)

…suffer from a number of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, TB, cancer, arthritis, etc.

Aboriginal people have the highest smoking rates in the country

57% of Aboriginal adults and 54% of Aboriginal teens smoke (some start as young as 8)

General Health Issues (cont’d)

Aboriginal people experience a

much tougher battle with

HIV / AIDS than the

broader Canadian population

General Health Issues (cont’d)

The fastest growing HIV/AIDS population is

15-29 year old Aboriginal women

This population represents between

35 – 40% of the new cases

reported in 2001

Aboriginal Poverty

52.1% of all Aboriginal children are poor.

12% of all families are headed by parents under 25 years of age vs. 3% in the general population

27% of Aboriginal families are headed by single mothers vs. 12% in the general population

Over 40% of Aboriginal families in urban areas are headed by single mothers

Aboriginal Poverty (cont’d)

47.2% of the Aboriginal community lives on less than $12,000 per year

Aboriginal Health Policy

Ontario has an Aboriginal Health Policy, designed by Aboriginal community representatives and the Ontario Ministry of Health in 1994

Aboriginal Health Policy (cont’d)

Designed to assist the MOH address the inequities in Aboriginal Health

Aboriginal Health Policy (cont’d)

Visions and Principals include: wholistic / holistic

physical, mental, emotional and spiritual based on partnership

Aboriginal ownership, control and access cultural foundation

Aboriginal Health Policy (cont’d)

Three Strategic areas:

health status access to services and

planning and representation

Policy – Aboriginal Health Status

This part of the policy addresses:

poor health status the lack of coordination

the inequity of funding and

the overemphasis on treatment rather than wellness

Policy – Aboriginal Health Status (cont’d)

Approaches articulated in this part of the policy include: healing and wellness programs health empowerment co-operation and co-ordination between community

practitioners including healers, Elders, medicine people, midwives,

community health workers and other health providers The policy also promotes a necessary equity of funding

Policy – Access to Services

This component of the Policy addresses: transportation language cultural concerns client advocacy lack of recruitment, retention and professional

development of health care workers lack of recognition and acceptance of traditional

healers

Policy – Planning and Representation

The Policy identifies barriers lack of understanding and recognition of Aboriginal

issues cultural biases a fundamental lack of respect lack of involvement of Aboriginal people in decision

making the lack of awareness of rights to available services

Policy – Planning and Representation (cont’d)

The proposed approaches outlined in the Policy includes:

planning authorities representation of Aboriginal people in health

bodies, both service-based and regulatory and, improved relations with government

Comparison of values between Traditional Native

and Western Medicine

Issues on the Immediate Horizon

Disease management Prevention and promotion strategies

The development of a mental health policy Poverty and nutrition

Governance Access to services

The development of partnerships

Current OAHAI Priorities

HIV/AIDS

Hepatitis C

Youth Sexual Health

Medical Transportation

Mental Health and Addictions

Creating Partnership

Wesahketchahk

Ontario Aboriginal Health Advocacy Initiative

219 Front Street EastToronto, Ontario

M5A 1E8Phone 416-956-7575

Fax 416-956-7577Provincial Program

ManagerJo-Anne Miller