Indigenous kids’ exclusion from national survey ‘‘discrimination”

THE exclusion of indigenous children from parts of a national health survey is a mistake that will leave doctors with a large information gap about Aboriginal health, an expert says.

University of Queensland professor of medicine Wendy Hoy said young Aborigines had been excluded from a voluntary component of the $48 million survey in which blood and urine samples are collected to gauge chronic disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol, and levels of nutrients, such as iron and B vitamins.

Professor Hoy said non-indigenous children were able to participate in the voluntary medical tests and the exclusion of Aboriginal children was a form of discrimination.

A spokeswoman for indigenous health minister Warren Snowdon said the government was following the advice of its indigenous health advisory body. – With AAP