The issues and concerns facing aboriginal people in healthcare in Canada

Within Canada, the Aboriginal population fares more poorly in almost every health determinant when compared to the rest of Canada (National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health 2013). The Canadian Aboriginal population is also not as educated in comparison to the rest of Canada (Biswal 2008). It has the highest rates of addictions, chronic disease, and mental health issues in comparison to other cultures residing in Canada. This issue is worsened by the fact that many Aboriginal patients are treated poorly within healthcare due to racism, stereotypical assumptions, misunderstanding the Aboriginal culture, and having a lack of resources to adequately care for Aboriginal patients. Many healthcare providers do not have knowledge of Aboriginal experiences, culture, traditions, and the historical reasons behind their poor health outcomes and, consequently, do not treat Aboriginal patients appropriately. These challenges are troublesome because the health status of Aboriginal people is in dire need of improvement...