Study: Indigenous People At Higher H1N1 Risk Because Of Poverty, Lack Of Access To Health Infrastructure

Ottawa, Ontario (AHN) - Recent studies have shown that indigenous communities are at a higher risk to be hit by viruses like the Influenza A (H1N1).

The UNICEF report released last week has similar results to a study made by Unity of First People of Australia medical adviser Dr. Michael Gracey, whose report is scheduled to come in the next issue of the Lancet medical journal.

Assembly of First Nations national chief Phil Fontaine said in a statement, "Today's report by UNICEF demonstrates that inequities in health services for First Nations, compounded by the poor social conditions found in too many of our communities, contributes to our poorer health status even in the best of times."

Fontaine added the World Health Organization has established a connection between high incidents of swine flu cases and poor living conditions, overcrowded communities, poor quality drinking water, pre-existing chronic conditions and below standard healthcare.

The UNICEF report probed the inequities in Canada's health system which showed the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadian children widened in terms of health care systems. While the federal government has made some investments in First Nations health services, it did not reflect the same level of funds allocated to the rest of Canada.

Gracey's study goes beyond Canada. It said the world's almost 400 million indigenous people have higher risks of being infected by the H1N1 virus because of their poverty and distance from health infrastructure. He pointed out Australia's first swine flu mortality was a young aboriginal man whose house was very far from a hospital.

Gracey explained, quoted by the CanWest News Service, "The underlying factor is that indigenous people are susceptible to infections because they have low immunity, they're often undernourished, and they often have pre-existing illnesses."

Gracey said the bigger problem are with aboriginal populations in developing nations whose governments could not provide for adequate health facilities, preventive initiatives and the capability to deal with pandemics unlike what the federal governments of Canada, Australia and the U.S. could do.