This section provides recent references compiled from our bibliographic database addressing gastrointestinal health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. References are divided into general and specific topics and include journal articles, reports, theses, and other literature. To access our complete database please use our bibliography.
For Indigenous people rates of hospitalisation for diseases of the digestive system are lower compared with non-Indigenous Australians. For those Australians hospitalised with a disease of the digestive system, Indigenous people are less likely to have a procedure recorded than other Australians. This study examined the patterns of undergoing a procedure for diseases of the digestive tract, once admitted to hospital for Indigenous people compared with other Australians. Adjustments were made for a number of variables, for example, urgency of admission, hospital sector and patient characteristics. It was recommended that consideration should be given to these findings when Indigenous specific health programs are implemented.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet abstract
In 2004, 60 diseases and conditions were nationally notifiable in Australia. States and Territories reported a total of 110,929 cases of communicable diseases to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS): an increase of 4 per cent on the number of notifications in 2003. In 2004, the most frequently notified diseases were sexually transmissible infections (46,762 cases; 42% of total notifications), gastrointestinal diseases (25,247 cases; 23% of total notifications) and bloodborne diseases (19, 191 cases; 17% of total notifications). There were 13,206 notifications of vaccine preventable diseases, 6 000 notifications of vectorborne diseases, 1,799 notifications of other bacterial infections (includes, legionellosis, leprosy, meningococcal infections and tuberculosis) and 8,787 notifications of zoonotic diseases.
Communicable Diseases Intelligence abstract - copyright Commonwealth of Australia reproduced by permission. Available on the Communicable Diseases Australia website