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 Province of Ontario

Who Funds Us……. Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy (AHWS) Unique partnership with Government of Ontario In 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 Programs Community Wellness Workers Crisis Intervention Teams Health Liaisons and Outreach Workers Healing Lodges Shelters Aboriginal Health Access Centres Maternal and Child Centres Information Clearing Houses Training Programs Aboriginal Healthy Babies/Healthy Children’s Programs Aboriginal 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 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 East Toronto, Ontario M5A 1E8 Phone Fax Provincial Program Manager Jo-Anne Miller