Advocacy Resource Centre

Aboriginal Child and Youth Health

The Issue  
Background 
Calls to Action  
Role of the Federal Government  
Role of the Canadian Paediatric Society  

The Issue

Improving the health of Aboriginal children and youth 

Children under 16 years represent 40% of the Aboriginal population in Canada. Yet although they represent a greater proportion—and faster growing — segment of Aboriginal communities, they lag far behind other Canadian children when it comes to their health. 

• Infant mortality rates are twice to three times as high in First Nations and Inuit communities (CPHI, 2004).
  
  
• The suicide rate among Aboriginals is two to six times that of the overall Canadian population. (CPHI, 2004).
  
  
• Aboriginal children are at a higher risk for unintentional injuries and early deaths from drowning and other causes. Injuries are the biggest contributor to premature death among First Nations on reserve — rates are four times that of the overall Canadian population (CPHI, 2004, Health Canada 2005).
  
  
• Rates of diabetes (largely as a result of obesity) are higher among Aboriginal youth than among other adolescents. (CPHI, 2004).
  
  
• A greater proportion of Aboriginal families face problems with housing and food affordabiltity. (CPHI, 2004).
  
  
• First Nations and Canadian populations had similar proportions of low birth weight births in 2000; however, almost twice as many First Nations babies were classified as high birth weight than in Canada as a whole. (Health Canada, 2005)
  
  
• Immunization rates among First Nations children are lower than among other children in Canada. (Health Canada, 2005).

A national strategy is needed to generate concrete action to improve the health of Aboriginal children and youth, especially to address health inequities.   

The federal, provincial, and territorial governments should adopt Jordan's Principle, a child-first principle to ensure that jurisdictional disputes do not result in delays of health and health care services to Status Indian children.

Health Canada spends $1.1-billion delivering health services to First Nations and Inuit communities (www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/branch-dirgen/fnihb-dgspni/mandat-eng.php). 

It delivers several programs on-reserve that target children and their families, including Canadian Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP), Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve, and initiatives around fetal alcohol syndrome/fetal alcohol effects. 

The CPS, through its First Nations and Inuit Health Committee, develops policies and guidelines for health professionals to improve the health care of Aboriginal children and youth. 

The CPS is also working collaboratively with national Aboriginal groups on a long-term initiative to implement a new vision of Aboriginal children's health. In December 2005, the groups co-hosted a 3-day summit called Many Hands, One Dream: New perspectives on the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth, the first step in building a broad-based movement to:

• Engage professions that work with children to implement the holistic vision of Aboriginal child and youth health developed at the Many Hands, One Dream summit, respecting the diverse cultures, contexts and languages of Aboriginal peoples.
  
  
• Improve the health and well-being of Aboriginal children and youth, their families and their communities through a sustained strategy of advocacy and collaboration, with a particular focus on structural and systemic health risks.
  
  
• Describe the key health risks facing Aboriginal children and youth as well as the policy, practice and research solutions to redress those risks. 
  
  
• Redress inadequate research, policy and practice by developing more effective options.
  
  
• Identify gaps in knowledge, policy and practice and develop strategies to fill those gaps. 
  
  
• Identify processes for effective exchange of knowledge between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to benefit all children and youth.

The CPS believes collaborative action across disciplines (health, education, social services, etc.) and sectors (not-for-profit, government, private) is critical to addressing the health needs of Aboriginal children and youth.   

The CPS has developed tools for its members to help promote action.

Last updated: January 2008