Lifespan of Indigenous people 15 years shorter than that of other Canadians, federal documents say – CBC

Incidence of diseases such as diabetes is 4 times rate of non-Indigenous population

January 23, 2018

Federal briefing documents on the new Indigenous Services Department say Indigenous people in Canada don’t live as long, are more likely to end up in the child welfare system and are less likely to graduate high school.

On Tuesday, Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott laid out the structure and goals of the new department, which is supposed to improve the quality of life and help move away from the top-down approach where Ottawa dictates all that happens in the file.

Philpott’s briefing documents show the difficult job ahead for her new department, with life expectancy for Indigenous people 15 years shorter than other Canadians, infant mortality rates two to three times higher and incidence of diseases such as diabetes four times the rate in non-Indigenous populations.

Read More: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/indigenous-people-live-15-years-less-philpott-briefing-1.4500307