Health Services, Indigenous

BACKGROUND: To describe the maternity care experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women in Queensland, Australia and to identify areas for policy and practice improvements. METHODS: A culturally-tailored survey requesting both quantitative and qualitative information was completed by respondents either independently (online or in hard copy) or with the assistance of a trained peer-interviewer.

INTRODUCTION: The Rural Undergraduate Support and Coordination program funds medical schools to provide all medical students some time in rural Australia throughout their course. The University of Adelaide has developed a rural week program for both first and second year students to fulfill part of this objective. METHODS: First year students' rural week is an introduction to a range of rural health issues, Indigenous culture and rural lifestyle issues.

A study undertaken in Nepal collected information on believed causes of diarrhoea and traditional treatments. Natural causes for diarrhoea were more frequently reported than supernatural causes, the most important being teething (75% of respondents reporting it to be a cause) followed by food considered to be 'cold' in the Hindu ayurvedic classification (57.5%), stale food (52.5%), hot food (41%) and dirty water (38%). The terminology reported for dehydration however, indicates strong links with supernatural causes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge and practice patterns of non-allopathic indigenous medical practitioners (IMPs) regarding tuberculosis (TB). METHODS: Seventy-four IMPs practising in Naraingarh block, a rural area of Haryana State, India, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. RESULTS: Fifty-four per cent (40/74) of the IMPs saw two to five TB patients every month. Sixty-one per cent (46/74) reported that they based their diagnosis of TB on symptoms alone, whereas 38% use diagnostic tests such as chest X-ray, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and sputum examination.