Flu hospitalization rate higher among Indigenous people: study

It’s the first time this inequity has been estimated on a global scale. The study found indigenous groups were disproportionately impacted by influenza in numerous countries. It showed Indigenous people in the Canada, the U.S. N.Z. and Australia were three to six times more likely to be hospitalized for influenza than non-Indigenous people. In the three countries, Indigenous people were more than five times as likely to be hospitalized with influenza. The experience of colonialism is the common factor driving health inequities and researchers said governments should collaborate with Indigenous communities to address these inequities. Researchers are also calling for better data to be gathered so factors behind this inequity can be explored further.