Also there is a concern that Borroloola is lacking organisations that partake in or assist in health promotion. This is a failure to address the area of Secure Infrastructure for Health. If health is to be improved, then health promotion must become an objective for say, the town’s local health clinic.
Another problem is that the government is not doing enough to contribute to the health of Borroloola as it fails to Increase Investments for Health. It is demonstrated through the case study that there is poor allocation of resources for housing, education, medical personnel and lack of basics such as clean water and adequate sewerage systems. Their inability to increase the number of dry up shelters due to lack of funding and resources are a good example.
Then there is failure to address Developing & Consolidating Partnerships for Health. The town’s responsibility for health is pretty much their own. There are no established organisations or institutions in the town to contribute to improving the town’s health.
And finally, there is minimal progress in the area of Increasing Community Capacity & Empowering the Individual. This is proven in the lack of education for the wide range of ages of the community. If there was adequate education and community involvement, the Aboriginals would be able to take more control as a community to better their health.
In response to these health inequities and issues, actions need to be taken to improve Borroloola’s health. This can be achieved through application of the Ottawa Charter which was formed in by the World Health Organisation in 1986 at Ottawa, Canada. The give areas give direction for health promotion and improving health.
Firstly, Developing Personal Skills would be a good starting point to improve health by giving the town’s citizens skills to make healthy lifestyle choices. This can be achieved through implementation of the Quit smoking program and education on lifestyle factors such as diet, smoking and alcohol consumption. In doing so, Borroloola’s people will be more aware of the risks associated with drinking. This won’t directly solve the health inequities present but in the long term will help prevent or reduce occurrence of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Secondly, Creating Supportive Environments will help improve health as it shares the burden of health and individuals are not alone. If funding would allow, Active Australia could work with the community to improve cardiovascular disease and provide facilities to encourage physical activity. Other useful things would be support groups for relatives of those with CVD as it has a traumatic effect on people for whom CVD related deaths are so common. The Tick Program label on foods would help the town’s people make food choices conducive to health.
Thirdly, Strengthening Community Action would involve the community more in improving health. This is evident in the town’s cultural festival which gave the community a morale boost and something to do other than drink. Since the town lacks community initiatives, implementation of the Jump Rope for Heart activities would greatly help to prevent youngsters turning to drinking, depression and suicide, and at the same time improve CVD and diabetic health.
In addition to the aforementioned, Reorienting Health Services is an area that needs great improvement and the government must allocate more funds and resources to the town. There is a shortage of doctors, let alone health promotion initiatives. In an attempt to improve health, there should be implementation of Quit Smoking courses, education on preventative approaches and healthy lifestyle choices. There is also need for services to be extended to provide counselling for suicide attempters such as Gavin. Unfortunately, the case study shows a non-existent counselling service, leaving the distressed untreated. The community would also benefit from the local doctor exposing patients to the ‘Exercise: you only have to take it regularly, not seriously’ initiative.
Finally, Building Healthy Public Policy is an area deserving of attention. It facilitates and mandates change. From the case, a change in alcohol laws and better enforcement would have a significant impact on Borroloola. If patrons are limited in the amount of ‘grog’ they buy, it could reduce binge drinking and accommodate responsible selling and as a result, reduces one of the primary risk factors in cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
In conclusion, the town of Borroloola showcases the vast inequities that plague most aboriginal communities. If there is to be an improvement in their health and life expectancy, then the areas of the Ottawa Charter provide an ideal framework for ways of making improvements. However, it all comes down to the new approach to health promotion and the government’s financial support. Without financial backing, not much is possible. In the long term, if the above strategies are implemented, there should be a gradual reduction in cardiovascular disease and diabetes and improvement in health.