It was transported out of the mine in six drums and later found in Sydney almost 5,000 kilometers away. In the mid-1980's, my father died of stomach cancer, although he lived a very healthy lifestyle. As a midwife for the past 20 years, working in the area of public health nationally and internationally, I have witnessed an increase in sterility, cancers, miscarriages, deformities and other problems. It appears to be a general problem globally. The present situation of Aboriginal Australia is alarming.
Many remote communities lack clean running water, adequate housing and proper sanitation.
We represent one percent of the national population but we count for up to 70 percent of prison inmates. Infant mortality is three times higher than in the general population, and the life expectancy is 20 to 25 years less. The unemployment rate is three to five times greater than the general population. We still have diseases like leprosy and tracoma that some Third World countries have eradicated. Alcoholism is on epidemic levels which causes family breakdowns and the loss of their cultural identity.