There is a lot of evidence to support the point of view that the major health improvements in the 20th Century (particularly for children) have come about as a result of improvements in health engineering and health infrastructure.
People's ability to put into practice healthy living practices (like washing themselves, their bedding and their children) relates either directly or indirectly to having health hardware or health infrastructure that works.
When health hardware and waste systems fail in and around the house, there is an increased risk of poor health. For example, waste water from the toilet, shower, basin, laundry and kitchen sink contains germs that are harmful to health. It is important that houses are well constructed and that the systems can be easily inspected and maintained.
| Domestic control There's a myth about poor Mrs Daisy in her house with 20 people and 12 visitors from Kintore who lob in for a week. [The myth is] that she has domestic control of the situation - that she can maintain adequate standards of hygiene. Naive and shallow thinking. A white fellow preconception. Stephan Rainow, Nganampa Health, Alice Springs |
The UPK Report (South Australian Committee of Review on Environmental and Public Health within the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia 1987), showed that breakdowns occurred frequently in all housing stock in the Pitjantjatjara Lands. There was almost a complete lack of formalised maintenance systems. In most communities there were ongoing issues and problems to do with washing facilities, sewage and waste-water disposal. In many parts of the Northern Territory this situation still exists today.
The book, Housing for Health: Towards a Healthy Living Environment For Aboriginal Australia, looked carefully at the commonly held view that Aboriginal people will not use health hardware facilities and that people are not very interested in washing themselves and their clothes. The study showed that Aboriginal people in the Pitjantjatjara lands, enthusiastically used facilities when they were maintained and working well.
| That's a lot of washing Some people think that people won't use showers even if they work. This has been proven false. In clothes washing studies by NTRC (National Technology Resource Centre, Alice Springs), people are using the machines for 3-5 hours per day. That's a lot of washing. People are interested and they do care. A situation has grown up around them and they haven't had the capacity to contain it and interact with it in a more positive way. Stephan Rainow, Nganampa Health Council, Alice Springs |
The difficulties listed in the 'Housing' section also apply to health hardware. Other issues include: