Sudanese Australians

Sudanese Australians • Sudan’s first civil war began shortly after independence from joint British- Population of Sudan-born people in Egyptian administration in 1956 and Australia (2006 Census): 19,0491 continued until 1972. A second civil war broke out in 1983 and continued until Population of Sudan-born people in 20054,5. i Queensland: 2402 • Sudan experienced major famines Population of Sudan-born people in i largely as a result of extended periods Brisbane : 1805 6 of drought in the 1980s and 1990s . Gender ratio (Queensland): 80.5 females • The toll from war and famine combined per 100 males is estimated at almost two million Median age (Australia): The median age deaths and four million displaced 7 of Sudan-born people in Australia in people . 2006 was 24.6 years compared with 46.8 years for all overseas born and 37.1 for • Drought, famine and war have caused 2 large numbers of Sudanese refugees to the total Australian population . seek refuge in neighbouring countries2. • At the time of the 2001 census, there were 4910 Sudan-born people in Age distribution (Queensland)1: Australia, including a large number of skilled migrants2. Age Per cent 0-19 41.7% • Between 2001 and 2006, the population of Sudan-born people in 20-39 43.3% Australia more than quadrupled to 40-59 13.6% 19,0497. 60+ 1.4% • Places of transition: Most Sudanese refugees arrive from Egypt, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda5,8. Other places of transition include: Eritrea, Lebanon, Arrivals – past five years (Source – 3 Malta, Sweden and Syria9. Settlement Reporting Database ) • Ethnicity: Although Sudan is a country Year Australia Queensland of considerable ethnic diversity, the 2006 3375 534 Sudanese are often characterised into two major groups: Arabs (in the north) 2007 1587 258 comprising 39 per cent of the 2008 939 160 population and black Africans (in the 2009 866 117 south) comprising 52 per cent of the population7,10. However, there are 2010 617 66 hundreds of ethnic and tribal divisions 7 within the two major groups . Arab groups include the Kababish, Ja’alin in Sudan is complex and it is often 7 and Baggara and African groups based on cultural affiliations7. include the Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, Sudanese also identify by region such Azande (Zande), Madi, Acholi and as Nuba and Equatorian and these 7,11 Bari . The Beja (a semi-nomadic groups are comprised of many different group distinct from both Arabs and ethnicities and languages. Africans) make up 6 per cent of the population7,10. The concept of ethnicity Community Profiles for Health Care Providers www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural • Language: Arabic is Sudan’s official Communication language and is the most widely spoken7. English is the language of • There are many different names for instruction for schools of South Sudan. languages spoken in South Sudan and A Sudanese Government policy in 1990 speakers of a particular language may forced South Sudanese schools to use not recognise the English name for the Arabic rather than English7,11. Many language they speak5. other languages are spoken in the It is advisable when contracting the south including varieties of Dinka, Fur, • 5,11 services of an Arabic interpreter for a Nuer, Ma’di, Acholi, Bari and Zanda . Sudanese Australian person that a Many Sudanese are bilingual or 7 Sudanese-Arabic interpreter is multilingual . Sudanese refugees may requested. The Sudanese Arabic have a preference for using their own dialect is distinct and the person may language rather than Arabic, which was not understand an interpreter using forced on them. another Arabic dialect12. • Religion: • There are distinctions in - Sunni Muslim: About 70 per cent of communication style between the population, mainly in the Sudanese Muslims from the north and 10 northern two thirds of the country South Sudanese people: - Traditional beliefs: 25 per cent have - Northern Sudanese greetings tend traditional beliefs including animist to be formal with a handshake only 10 and tribal religions extended to members of the same - Christian: About five per cent of the sex. There may be a reluctance of population including Catholic, Muslim men and women to shake Anglicans, Coptic Christians and hands with the opposite sex and Greek Orthodox10. prior to interaction with a woman, it is advisable that acknowledgement Ancestry, language and religion in 2 be afforded to the man as the head Australia (2006 census for Sudan-born) 9,12 of the household ii • The top four ancestry responses of - Typically, South Sudanese greetings Sudan-born people in Australia were: are less formal. People greet friends - Sudanese – 61.6 per cent and relatives with handshakes and men and women shake hands. Not stated – 6.9 per cent - Women can be addressed directly9,12. - Dinka – 4.3 per cent • People are called by their first name, - African – 4.3 per cent. except for elders, teachers and • The main languages spoken at home by religious leaders who are addressed by Sudan-born people in Australia were: their title and surname13. - Arabic – 51.2 per cent • Members of the same family may - Dinka – 23.6 per cent appear to have different surnames in Australia as a result of confusion in the - Other African Languages – 5.5 per cent transfer of names during immigration. - English – 4.4 per cent. In Sudan, family names are silent and considered other names, and as a • The main religions of Sudan-born result many Sudanese Australians will people in Australia were: have their middle name recorded as - Catholic – 35.8 per cent their surname on official documents11. - Anglican – 18.9 per cent • The right hand is used for greeting and - Islam – 13 per cent eating and all other activities. The left hand is generally only used for bodily - Oriental Orthodox – 11.1 per cent. hygiene13. Community Profiles for Health Care Providers • Eye contact is very important among have not had any preventive screening Sudanese people and indicates a such as pap smears, breast caring attitude13. examination or mammography16. • Muslim women from north Sudan may • Sudanese refugees settling in Australia be reluctant to be examined by a male have been shown to have high rates of physician. In contrast, most South depression, anxiety and post traumatic Sudanese women will view this stress disorder8. However, many examination as a medical necessity9. Sudanese Australians are more concerned with current acculturative Health in Australia stressors such as family problems, employment issues, housing and • Average life expectancy in Sudan is 54.2 transport than they are about past years (male 53, female 55.4) compared trauma8. to 81.7 years for all people living in Australia (male 79.3, female 84.3)10. Health beliefs and practices • In a study of common medical • Many Sudanese refugees practice conditions diagnosed in newly arrived herbal and traditional health remedies. African refugees in Melbourne, the These practices are often limited by a major health issues included a lack of lack of availability of herbs and a lack immunity to common vaccine- of specialists to prepare them17. preventable diseases, vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, infectious • Sudanese refugees may be unfamiliar diseases (gastrointestinal infections, with a formal health system, Australian schistosomiasis and latent medical practices or being treated by a tuberculosis) and dental disease 14. doctor of the opposite gender7. Musculoskeletal and psychological iv 14 Female genital mutilation (FGM) is problems were common in adults . • practiced in Sudan, particularly in the • A Western Australian infectious north. Complications of FGM may disease screening study of 2111 include: incontinence, obstructed refugees and humanitarian entrants in miscarriage and childbirth, vaginal and 2003-2004 reported a high prevalence perineal damage at childbirth and of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan sexual difficulties including non- Africans including: hepatitis B (6.4 per consummation and painful cent carrier state, 56.7 per cent intercourse19. Some families may want exposed), syphilis (6.8 per cent), their daughters to undergo FGM, even malaria (8 per cent), intestinal if this means undertaking the operation infections (giardia intestinalis-13 per outside Australia16. FGM is illegal in cent, schistosoma mansoni-7 per cent, Queensland and all Queensland Health stongyloides stercoralis-2 per cent, employees are obligated to report hymenolepis nana-3 per cent, FGM, or the risk of FGM, to the salmonella-1 per cent and hookworm-5 Department of Communities (Child per cent), a Mantouxiii test result Safety). It is also illegal to remove a requiring tuberculosis treatment (28.9 child from Queensland with the per cent)15. intention of having FGM performed. • Other health concerns for Sudanese • Polygamy is common across Sudan and refugees include the sequelae of broken is considered a sign of wealth and bones, injuries as a consequence of prestige9,11. The practice is decreasing torture, flight or accident16. in South Sudan11. • Common health concerns in women • For more information on Islamic beliefs include the physical and psychological affecting health care please refer to the consequences of rape, menstrual Health Care Providers’ Handbook on problems and pelvic pain. Most women Muslim Patients20. Community Profiles for Health Care Providers Social determinants of health - four per cent of males and eight per cent of females reported that they • The overall literacy ratev in Sudan is did not speak English at all. low, especially for women. The rate has risen from an overall rate of 45.8 per • At the time of the 2006 Census, 38.8 cent in 19907 to an overall rate of 61.1 per cent of Sudan-born people aged 15 years and older had some form of per cent in 2003 (71.8 per cent for male vii and 50.5 per cent for female)10. higher non-school qualifications compared to 52.5 per cent of the total • Many Sudanese refugees have Australian population2.

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