158903 - check, unit 561, Preventive health for Australia's First Peoples, June 2019

This edition of check focuses on preventive health for Australia's First Peoples in general practice.

In the past decade there has been a syphilis outbreak in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in northern Australia.4 This outbreak has resulted in six congenital syphilis deaths,5 emphasising the specific importance of appropriately treating syphilis in pregnancy. Research has shown that clusters of suicides are common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.6 Consequently, mental healthcare is crucial in these populations.7 In 2012–13, rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were 2.5 times higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples than in non-Indigenous Australians.8 Although Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are more likely to abstain from alcohol than non-Indigenous Australians (31% versus 23%), almost 20% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples consume =11 drinks per occasion at least once per month,9 resulting in an increased risk of alcohol-related harm. 
References on file.