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First Nations people are 3 times more likely to die on the road – here’s how to fix Australia’s transport injustice

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Last 12 months, more than 1,200 people died in road crashes across Australia. However, not all Australians face the same risks on our roads.

Government data in five states and territories show significant inequality in road safety.

Data from New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory shows that Indigenous people in these areas are about 2.8 times more likely to be killed on a road than non-Indigenous Australians.

One thing we will do to reduce this transportation inequity is to make it easier for First Nations to get a driver’s license. This is not going to only improve road safety. It will bring many other advantages to individuals and communities.

There is a big difference

Between 2012 and 2021, 791 First Nations people died in road traffic crashes. This is a rate of 12.7 per 100,000 First Nations people.

By comparison, the rate amongst non-Indigenous people was 4.6 per 100,000 population.

Among First Nations people, those aged 26-39 are most liable to road deaths, with a rate of 20.9 per 100,000 people. While the risk for those aged 40 and older has been steadily declining since 2016, it has increased in recent times for the 26-39 age group.

Indigenous road traffic fatalities occur mainly in the interior and outer regions of Australia and in distant and really distant areas. For example, of the 76 Indigenous road traffic fatalities in 2021, only 13% occurred in major cities.

There can be a noticeable gender difference in the circumstances of road deaths involving First Nations people. More than 40% of girls’s road deaths occur as passengers in cars, and 23% as pedestrians. However, men are more likely to be drivers, motorcyclists or cyclists.

First Nations people are more likely to be killed on the road, according to a decade of knowledge.
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Driving license is an actual problem

Drivers and not using a driving license are in greater risk death on the road or be involved in serious cases. And one key factor The significant contribution to higher road fatalities amongst First Nations people is Barriers encountered in obtaining a driving license.

Licensing rates amongst First Nations peoples are lower compared with the general population. For example, only 51-77% of First Nations people surveyed in various locations in NSW and SA had a driver’s licence, compared with 83% of the general population.

This disparity is deeply connected with the influence driving license are imposed and implemented.

My research (Masterton) in rural Australia shows what this implies in practice.

What for those who cannot afford a automobile or lessons?

In research to be published, I’m exploring the transport challenges faced by First Nations women in rural Queensland. Through writing, interviews and short surveys, I’m uncovering some common barriers.

Some women have a driver’s license or learner’s permit. Others have expired licenses and are having trouble renewing them. Most, nevertheless, shouldn’t have a license. A big number (with or and not using a license) shouldn’t have access to or cannot afford a working vehicle.

Many women and not using a license still drive out of necessity: to take children to school, to work, or to look after family. Most, nevertheless, rely on walking or getting a ride to get around. Only a small fraction of girls who had each a sound license and a automobile expressed a way of freedom, independence, and increased self-confidence.

During visits to distant communities, it became clear that the Indigenous people who participated in my research didn’t oppose licensing.

Australian L plate
Some women had a driving license while they were learning to drive, or they didn’t have a license but had to take their children to school.
Craig Sutton/Shutterstock

Research also shows that indigenous people I do not have poorer attitudes towards road safety than non-First Nations. However, the licensing process should be culturally appropriate and accessible to encourage participation.

The low licensing rate is due to barriers equivalent to literacy barriers, the complexity of using a system designed for native English speakers, lack of trust in authorities and the high costs related to obtaining a license.

There are challenges in providing appropriate identification documents (equivalent to birth certificates) and finding driving instructors who can work effectively with Indigenous people.

The high cost of driving lessons, difficulty in accessing a licensed driver to supervise practice hours, and the financial burden of unpaid driving fines further complicate the path to obtaining a license.

Solving these problems can have a big impact on improving equity in transport and road safety for First Nations communities.

It’s not nearly transportation

For many Indigenous people, particularly those in distant areas, the ability to travel safely and legally is crucial to access health care, fulfill cultural obligations and take part in the workforce.

So the problem of limited variety of driving licenses in First Nations communities can be serious the problem of social justice which has an impact on the broader health, well-being and autonomy of those communities.

This signifies that barriers to obtaining a license – whether financial, logistical or bureaucratic – deepen existing inequalities. This has a knock-on effect, restricting mobility and reinforcing disadvantageous social and economic conditions.

How can we treatment this?

Solving the licensing gap requires coordinated efforts across multiple sectors, including health, education, transportation and justice.

Community-led programs, financial support, and policy changes could make licensing more accessible.

Were Community Based Pilot Programs geared toward supporting First Nations people in obtaining licenses New South Wales and New York.

The programs provide culturally relevant, community-based licensing support through intensive case management, mentoring, and addressing specific barriers to accessing and navigating the licensing system and obtaining and reinstating licensure. These pilot programs have demonstrated significant potential and effectiveness, indicating that they needs to be scaled and implemented more broadly, with community support.

Licensing can be a matter of fairness. One in 20 Aboriginal people in prison is serving a sentence for driving and not using a driving license and other driving license offences.

So First Nations Courts Other programs geared toward diverting people from prison could also help First Nations people obtain driver’s licenses and limit further contact with the criminal justice system.


This article was originally published on : theconversation.com
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Health and Wellness

How to drastically reduce the risk of dementia after 55 years of age

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About 1,000,000 Americans are expected to develop dementia a yr until 2060, about twice today, they announced on Monday.

This estimation is predicated on a brand new study, which showed a better risk of life than previously thought: after 55 years of age people have up to 4 out of 10 opportunities to develop dementia – in the event that they live long enough.

This is a sobering number, but there are steps that folks can take to reduce this risk, similar to controlling hypertension and other bad health problems. And it isn’t too late to try even in middle -aged.

“All our research suggests what you do in the middle age, it really matters,” said Dr. Josef Coresh from Nyu Langone Health, who co -author of the research in Nature Medicine.

Dementia is just not only Alzheimer

Taking more to remember the name or place where you place the keys is typical in old age. But dementia It is just not a standard part of aging – it’s a progressive loss of memory, language and other cognitive functions. The aging is just the biggest risk, and the population is getting old quickly.

Alzheimer is the commonest form, and the quiet changes of the brain that ultimately lead to it might begin 20 years before the appearance of symptoms. Other types include vascular dementia, when heart disease or small impacts impair blood flow to the brain. Many people have mixed causes, which suggests that vascular problems can exacerbate Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Measuring risk from a certain age compared to the potential remaining period of life can lead to public health and medical examinations.

“This is not a guarantee that someone will develop dementia,” warned Dr. James Galvin, a specialist in Miami Alzheimer’s University. He was not involved in a brand new study, but said that the findings match other tests.

The risk of dementia differs from age

Earlier studies were estimated that about 14% of men and 23% of women would develop a form of dementia during their lives. The Coresh team analyzed newer data from the American study, which has been following heart health and cognitive functions of about 15,000 elderly for several many years.

Importantly, they found risk changes over many years.

Only 4% of people developed dementia aged 55 to 75, which Coresh calls a key 20-year-old window to protect brain health.

In the case of individuals who experience common health threats to 75, the risk of dementia then increased – to 20% at the age of 85 and 42% from the age of 85 to 95.

In general, the risk of dementia after 55 was 35% for men and 48% for ladies, summed up scientists. Cash noticed that girls normally live longer than men, the most important reason for this difference. Black Americans had a rather higher risk, 44%than white people at 41%.

Yes, there are methods to reduce the risk of dementia

There are some risk aspects that folks cannot control, including age and whether you’ve got inherited a gene variant called Apoe4, which increases the possibilities of Alzheimer’s late life.

But people can try to avoid or no less than delay health problems that contribute to later dementia. For example, Coresh wears a helmet while cycling, because repetitive or severe brain injuries from failure or falls increase the risk of dementia later in life.

Particularly essential: “What is good for your heart is good for your brain,” added Galvin with Miami. He calls people to exercise, avoid obesity and control blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol.

13 influential women Delta Sigma Theta Borority, Inc., which inspired us all

For example, hypertension can disturb the blood flow to the brain, the risk not only in the case of vascular dementia, but additionally related to some of the Alzheimer’s disease. Similarly high levels of blood sugar, poorly controlled diabetes, is related to a cognitive decline and destruction of inflammation in the brain.

Galvin also said that be socially and cognitively energetic. He calls people to try hearing aids if age brings hearing loss, which might stimulate social insulation.

“There are things that we control over, and those things that in my opinion would be very important to build a better brain as aging,” he said.

___

The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives support from the Science and Educational Group of the Medical Institute Howard Hughes and the (*55*) Wood Johnson Foundation. AP bears the sole responsibility for all content.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Health and Wellness

Jury awarded $310 million to parents of teenager who died after falling on a ride at Florida amusement park – Essence

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The family of Tire Sampson, the 14-yr-old who tragically died on an amusement park ride in Orlando, Florida, in 2022, has been awarded $310 million in a civil lawsuit.

Tire, who was visiting ICON Park along with his family on March 24, 2022, fell from the FreeFall drop tower. Although he was taken to a nearby hospital, he didn’t survive his injuries.

Now, greater than two years later, a jury has held the vehicle manufacturer, Austria-based Funtime Handels, responsible for the accident and awarded the Tire family $310 million. According to reports from local news stations WFTV AND KSDKthe jury reached its verdict after about an hour of deliberation.

Tyre’s parents will each receive $155 million, according to attorney spokesman Michael Haggard.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Natalie Jackson, who represented Tyre’s family, shared their thoughts on this landmark decision via X (formerly Twitter). “This ruling is a step forward in holding corporations accountable for the safety of their products,” they said in a statement.

Lawyers stressed that Tyre’s death was attributable to “gross negligence and a failure to put safety before profits.” They added that the ride’s manufacturer had “neglected its duty to protect passengers” and that the substantial award ensured it could “face the consequences of its decisions.”

Crump and Jackson said they hope the result will encourage change throughout the theme park industry. “We hope this will spur the entire industry to enforce more stringent safety measures,” they said. “Tire heritage will provide a safer future for drivers around the world.”

An investigation previously found that Tyre’s harness was locked through the descent, but he dislodged from his seat through the 430-foot fall when the magnets engaged. Tire’s death was ruled the result of “multiple injuries and trauma.”

ICON Park said at the time that it could “fully cooperate” with the authorities.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Health and Wellness

Tireless HIV/AIDS advocate A. Cornelius Baker dies

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HIV/AIDS Advocate, A. Cornelius Baker


A. Cornelius Baker, a tireless advocate of HIV and AIDS testing, research and vaccination, died Nov. 8 at his home in Washington, D.C., of hypertensive, atherosclerotic heart problems, in response to his partner, Gregory Nevins.

As previously reported, Baker was an early supporter for people living with HIV and AIDS within the Nineteen Eighties, when misinformation and fear-mongering in regards to the disease were rampant.

According to Douglas M. Brooks, director of the Office of National AIDS Policy under President Obama, it was Baker’s Christian faith that guided him toward compassion for others.

“He was very kind, very warm and inclusive – his circles, both professional and personal, were the most diverse I have ever seen, and he was guided by his Christian values,” Brooks told the outlet. “His ferocity was on display when people were marginalized, rejected or forgotten.”

In 1995, when he was executive director of the National AIDS Association, Baker pushed for June 27 to be designated National HIV Testing Day.

In 2012, he later wrote on the web site of the Global Health Advisor for which he was a technical advisor that: “These efforts were intended to help reduce the stigma associated with HIV testing and normalize it as part of regular screening.”

https://twitter.com/NBJContheMove/status/1856725113967632663?s=19

Baker also feared that men like himself, black gay men, and other men from marginalized communities were disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS.

Baker pressured the Clinton administration to incorporate black and Latino people in clinical drug trials, and in 1994 he pointedly told the Clinton administration that he was bored with hearing guarantees but seeing no motion.

According to Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings, yes that daring attitude that defines Baker’s legacy in the world of ​​HIV/AIDS promotion.

“Cornelius was a legendary leader in the fight for equality for LGBTQ+ people and all people living with HIV,” Jennings said in a press release. “In the more than twenty years that I knew him, I was continually impressed not only by how effective he was as a leader, but also by how he managed to strike the balance between being fierce and kind at the same time. His loss is devastating.”

Jennings continued: “Cornelius’ leadership can’t be overstated. For many years, he was one in all the nation’s leading HIV/AIDS warriors, working locally, nationally and internationally. No matter where he went, he proudly supported the HIV/AIDS community from the Nineteen Eighties until his death, serving in various positions including the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Association of Persons with Disabilities AIDS, and the Whitman-Walker Clinic . Jennings explained.

Jennings concluded: “His career also included several honors, including being the first recipient of the American Foundation for AIDS Research Foundation’s organization-building Courage Award. Our communities have lost a pillar in Cornelius, and as we mourn his death, we will be forever grateful for his decades of service to the community.”

Kaye Hayes, deputy assistant secretary for communicable diseases and director of the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy, in her comment about his legacy, she called Baker “the North Star.”.

“It is difficult to overstate the impact his loss had on public health, the HIV/AIDS community or the place he held in my heart personally,” Hayes told Hiv.gov. “He was pushing us, charging us, pulling us, pushing us. With his unwavering commitment to the HIV movement, he represented the north star, constructing coalitions across sectors and dealing with leaders across the political spectrum to deal with health disparities and advocate for access to HIV treatment and look after all. He said, “The work isn’t done, the charge is still there, move on – you know what you have to do.” It’s in my ear and in my heart in the case of this job.

Hayes added: “His death is a significant loss to the public health community and to the many others who benefited from Cornelius’ vigilance. His legacy will continue to inspire and motivate us all.”

Baker is survived by his mother, Shirley Baker; his partner Nevins, who can be senior counsel at Lambda Legal; his sisters Chandrika Baker, Nadine Wallace and Yavodka Bishop; in addition to his two brothers, Kareem and Roosevelt Dowdell; along with the larger HIV/AIDS advocacy community.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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