BMJ  2003;327:988 (25 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7421.988-a

Letter

Health of indigenous people

Health of Aboriginal communities can be improved by innovative methods

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Lehmann et al showed the multiple health related benefits of swimming pools in remote Aboriginal communities in Australia.¹ The idea of swimming pools to reduce pyoderma and otitis media is truly innovative. As Lehmann et al point out, it has had dual success—improving school attendance and reducing infections.

In India a similar success story was introducing midday meal programmes in schools in the 1950s for students up to class V (age 10-11) in Tamil Nadu state. In addition to improving the nutritional status of malnourished children aged 5-10 years, school enrolment also increased.²

Similarly, to improve the reproductive health and family planning of women, local dais (traditional birth attendants) were selected and appropriately trained. They were given sterile delivery packs with encouraging results.³

More innovative ways of incorporating community participation need to be developed to improve the health status of Aboriginal communities.

Department of Neurological Sciences, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India 632004 drsudhirkumar@yahoo.com

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Competing interests: None declared.

1. Lehmann D, Tennant MT, Silva DT, McAullay D, Lannigan F, Coates H, et al. Benefits of swimming pools in two remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia: intervention study. BMJ 2003;327: 415-9. (23 August.)[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Agarwal DK, Agarwal KN, Upadhyay SK. Effect of mid-day meal programme on physical growth and mental function. Indian J Med Res 1989;90: 163-74.[Medline]
3. Chaturvedi SK. Delivery pack for traditional birth attendants. Lancet 1978;2: 102.

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Relevant Article

Benefits of swimming pools in two remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia: intervention study

Deborah Lehmann, Mary T Tennant, Desiree T Silva, Daniel McAullay, Francis Lannigan, Harvey Coates, and Fiona J Stanley
BMJ 2003 327: 415-419. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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