Social determinants of health and the future well-being of Aboriginal children in Canada

Aboriginal children’s well-being is vital to the health and success of our future nations. Addressing persistent and current Aboriginal health inequities requires considering both the contexts in which disparities exist and innovative and culturally appropriate means of rectifying those inequities. The present article contextualizes Aboriginal children’s health disparities, considers ‘determinants’ of health as opposed to biomedical explanations of ill health and concludes with ways to intervene in health inequities. Aboriginal children experience a greater burden of ill health compared with other children in Canada, and these health inequities have persisted for too long. A change that will impact individuals, communities and nations, a change that will last beyond seven generations, is required. Applying a social determinants of health framework to health inequities experienced by Aboriginal children can create that change.