Year 9 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 16

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

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Date
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Learning Goals

Warm Up

Because… chain

Fill in the missing effects. Each cause leads to the next step in the chain.

European settlers arrived in 1788 with smallpox, measles, and influenza viruses
→
Aboriginal populations had never been exposed to these pathogens before
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No adaptive immunity existed in the Aboriginal population
→
The diseases spread rapidly through immunologically naive communities (high R₀)
→
Catastrophic mortality caused disruption to families, knowledge systems, and communities
→

Overall outcome for long-term Indigenous health:

Your Turn

Real-world context

The Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) Redfern, founded in 1971 in inner Sydney, was the first Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation in Australia. Today, over 140 ACCHOs operate nationally under the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO). An Aboriginal health researcher at NACCHO is proposing that the AMS Redfern integrate traditional healing knowledge, including bush medicines such as emu bush and tea tree oil, into their biomedical primary care program, creating a culturally safe, dual-knowledge model of healthcare.

(a) Identify TWO traditional healing practices that have a scientifically demonstrated basis, and briefly explain the science behind each one.

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(b) Explain TWO specific benefits of culturally safe healthcare at an ACCHO compared to mainstream health services for Aboriginal patients.

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(c) How does integrating traditional healing with biomedical care align with disease prevention principles from this unit?

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Show What You Know

1. Aboriginal Australians today have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease than non-Indigenous Australians. Using the concept of social determinants of health, explain ONE reason why this gap exists.

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2. Why does the Closing the Gap strategy include targets for housing and education, not just health services? Use evidence from the lesson to support your answer.

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Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?

HSCScience · Year 9 Science · Unit 1 · Lesson 16 · Apply Worksheet