Discuss the impact on the health of Aboriginal peoples brought on by the changes since the arrival of Europeans in Australia

Subject  > History Term Papers  > Australian History

Introduction The arrival of Europeans in Australia had been detrimental to the survival of the indigenous people. Massacres, assimilation and appropriation of natural resources occurred. Yet the most powerful and deadly weapon used in the war against Aboriginal Australians was an unintentional one- the diseases the Europeans carried with them to which the Aboriginals had absolutely no resistance, and which consequently reduced the Aboriginal population drastically. In this report I will aim to discuss the effect these diseases had on the health of the Indigenous people of Australia. Body Before European Settlement Before European settlement, the Australian Aboriginals lived as hunter gatherers in isolation from the rest of the world. They survived great climatic changes and adapted successfully to their challenging physical environment. Their ...

... The total population today of Indigenous Australians is at 458 520. However, the Aboriginals still don't enjoy the same health and social advantages we do. In 1995, the average life expectancy for an Aboriginal man is 57 years, for woman it is 62 years old. This is 17 years shorter than the life expectancy of non-Aboriginals. Infant mortality rates are four times higher than the non-Aboriginal population. These are results of many factors, including poverty, low employment rates, inadequate access to health services and some of the issues outlined above. Conclusion The arrival of European settlement has been devastating on the Aboriginal societies. The great changes this continent has went through in the last few centuries had

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