Vol 37, (12) 986-988
Beyond the mainstream - Health gains in remote Aboriginal communities
Paul Burgess MPH, FRACGP, is a NHMRC Public Health PhD Scholar, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory.
Albert Mileran is Community Elder, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
Ross Bailie MBChB, FAFPHM, is Professor of Public Health, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory.
BACKGROUND Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have long asserted the health benefits of maintaining close links with the lands and seas to which they have ancestral connections.
OBJECTIVE This article outlines the health findings of the ‘Healthy country, healthy people’ study conducted in central Arnhem Land between 2004–2007, which examined ‘caring for country’ practices in a remote Aboriginal community, and draws out the policy implications for health promotion and sustainable development.
DISCUSSION At the request of, and in collaboration with, Aboriginal landowners in central Arnhem Land, the study investigated the ecological and human health outcomes associated with ‘caring for country’ practices. The study demonstrated significant and substantial health benefits associated with greater participation in caring for country, along with a healthier environment.
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