Social Determinants Of Health

Social determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, developed, live and age, defined by The World Organization of Health (C. “Health equity,” n.d, p.2). They include many factors such as financial and social status in regards to the situation in Attawapiskat. Financial problems stem from continuous improper use of funds and complete lack of documentation to support expenses. The scarcity of jobs creates an unemployed or almost, jobless economy and thus widens the margin of poverty. Such limitations inevitably result in improper living conditions despite being widely funded by federal and provincial government bodies and ultimately affects the healthy well-being of Attawapiskat cree community.

An audit is a thorough
According to CBC News, ''An audit of the financial records of the Attawapiskat First Nations reserve has raised questions about the situation on the northern Ontario reserve and about its leader, Chief Theresa Spence'' (Schwartz, 2013). An independent auditing firm called Deloitte was hired by the federal government in 2011, to investigate $90 million that was given to the reserve. The firm is looking into how those federal funds have been spent since 2005 (Schwartz, 2013.) After a public campaign was held by Spence to raise awareness on issues such as housing and health crisis, the government felt it was time to look into how those federal funds were spent, and if they were spent appropriately. However, due to the lack of documentation provided by the Attawapiskat, Deloitte faced difficulties conducting a thorough audit. Such discrepancies may indicate fraud or corruption, nonetheless, Mak from the firm Rosen said ''given the absence of documentation, an auditor cannot conclude either way whether the affairs were properly conducted or not." (Schwartz, 2013). This is extremely significant, as it proposes that there is no
Since then the Hudson’s Bay Company built a general store, which slowly developed while most of the natives still lived outdoors and brought their own food to the table. (Aulakh, 2012) During the 20th century, expansion began and houses along with water and sewage treatment were incorporated into the land. (Aulakh, 2012) Today, development of the society and infrastructure have come to a standstill, primarily stemming from the reserves financial issues. “Attawapiskat hasn’t changed in decades ... I don’t think it ever will. It can’t. I was born here, I was raised here and I have raised all my kids here. The problems I saw four decades ago ... they are problems we still face”(Aulakh, 2012) said Rosie Koostachin a resident of the area. The issues faced by people of Attawapiskat shows that developing of the society and care for its people has not changed, despite the funds they received over the years. Children in the area are not attending school regularly, and the dropout rate is over 50%. Similarly employment opportunities are at a low and poverty is high. (Aulak, 2012) This trend sets a bad example for the younger generation and is evidently reflected in the drop out rate. Overall, it comes down to the cost of living being too high for families to live comfortably. Residents of Attawapiskat think the situation can not be mended, and question Attawapiskat’s long term sustainability. (Aulak, 2012)