Improving indigenous health starts with reconciliation: Anna Banerji

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health of himself and of his family, including food, clothing,housing and medical care and necessary social services

I have realized that in Canada these rights areupheld only if you are non-indigenous in Canada.

From what Ive seen over the past 20 years as a physician, researcher and health advocate, indigenouspeople have suffered human rights abuses on a daily basis. Today, in our land of plenty, indigenouschildren suffer malnutrition and many are actually starving. Hundreds of indigenous communities lackclean water and adequate housing. Indigenous children receive less funding for education per child thantheir non-indigenous counterparts. Many indigenous women and girls dont live in safety.

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This dailyattack on the basic needs such of food, water, housing, safety (the determinants of health) has a great impact on indigenous health.

Ive also witnessed bias and blatant discrimination by health providers against Indgienous Peoples.Recently, our two-tiered health system allowed a First Nations man to die while waiting 34 hours in anemergency department without being seen.

My own research has demonstrated that rural Inuit infants have the highest rates of admission for lung infections in the world due to the RSV virus but still dont receive the RSV antibody, something given to their southern counterparts with lower rates of infectionand less severe disease. To add insult to injury, my research shows it would be cheaper to prevent thanto treat this disease in many rural communities.

Where did these discrepancies start?

So much of the health issues that face Indgienous Peoples arerooted in the history of colonization, which continues today. They are rooted in the history ofIndgienous Peoples' relationship with Canada through treaties that were to be based in indigenousvalues such as sharing and reciprocity -- but these treaties have been met with betrayal.

For some the truth is uncomfortable, for many just inconvenient.- Anna Banerji

Discriminatory policies, such as the Indian Act, still form the basis of a unilateral relationship with manyFirst Nations peoples. Residential schools inflicted physical and sexual abuse, neglect, and abduction ofinfants at birth by the government and the clergy.

What would be the impact of having our childrentaken away, beaten if they spoke English or practised traditional customs (for example, Christianity orother religions), starved and physically and sexually abused? Why did Canadians accept thesediscriminatory practices?

For some the truth is uncomfortable, for many just inconvenient. Others are incomplete denial. I believe that most Canadians just dont know the truth.

Change in the air

A few months agoI had the privilege of chairing the Indigenous Health Conference: ChallengingHealth Inequities through the University of Toronto. It was the first national conference geared towardshealth care providers to help them become more culturally competent providers.

Through thevoices of Indgienous Peoples, the conference created dialogue between indigenous and non-indigenous participants. Doctors and nurses were listening, not only to medical topics, but about history and politics and human rights impacting health. They came to hear the truth. We were sold out.

On Nov.20,2014,in response to a panel lead by Dr. Michael Dan, Bernie Farber and former AFN national chief PhilFontaine, approximately 450 conference participants unanimously made a declaration in the belief that a genocide took placeagainst First Nations peoples by the Canadian government." The TorontoDeclaration 2014.

The medical profession is starting to listen.

Change will happen. Young Indgienous Peoples in ever increasing numbers are becoming highlyeducated. Many are passionate about justice and equity and restitution and will be a formidable force as seen by the Idle No More movement.

Canadians are now starting to hear the truth, and are startingto believe that reconciliation and restitution are required to right the historical injustice. A growingnumber of Canadians are disturbed by the inequalities and want a Canada that is fair and equitable forall.

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There is the growing recognition that governments need to be accountable to the people, and wehave power to influence political decisions. Change will come, because it is the right thing to do.

No health without reconciliation

I have learned that for many Indgienous Peoples there can be no health without healing, and no healingwithout reconciliation and restitution. Solutions may come from within indigenous communities, butthe oppression from without needs to stop.

We need to use a human rights framework to ensure that allCanadians have equitable access to basic needs. A growing number of Canadians believe that food andwater insecurity in this country is unacceptable, as are the double standards in our health and educationsystems.

We must negotiate with and for indigenous populations in a fair manner as equal partners andfundamentally change our relationship with Indgienous Peoples for the better. This is in the interest ofall Canadians.

After all health is a human right.

Dr. Anna Banerji is a pediatric infectious, tropical disease specialist and global health specialist. She isthe Director of Global and Indigenous Health, forContinuing Professional Development, for the Faculty of Medicine, University ofToronto. Dr. AnnaBanerjiwill take part in a panel discussion, Reconciliationin Canada: The Way Forward, atMassey College in Toronto,Jan7.