Australia's health 2012 conference and report launch
Every two years, the AIHW publishes its comprehensive health report to the nation, Australia’s health.
2012's report shows that while Australians are generally healthy, with the majority feeling positive about their quality of life, most Australians also have at least one health risk factor that is likely to contribute to poorer future health.
AIHW Director David Kalisch said that while good health is always good news, there are challenges ahead to maintain an overall healthy population.
‘Australia compares well internationally: we enjoy one of the highest life expectancies in the world—79.5 years for men and 84.0 years for women—our level of smoking continues to fall, and most children are fully immunised,’ Mr Kalisch said.
‘However, there are several areas where Australia compares less favourably. For example, among developed countries, Australia has relatively high death rates from heart disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease.
On 21 June, the AIHW held a one-day conference at the National Convention Centre in Canberra to coincide with the launch of the report. The conference, hosted by Dr Norman Swan (The Health Report, ABC Radio), brought together a range of the nation’s leading thinkers and decision-makers to provide a stimulating forum for discussion and debate on health and health services in Australia.
Launching the report, Minister Tanya Plibersek described Australia’s health 2012 as the ‘go-to resource for many of the nation’s health experts and policy-makers’, and its companion Australia’s health: in-brief as an ‘invaluable resource for understanding Australia’s health in 2012’.
There were two keynote speakers at the conference.
Professor Jim Bishop, AO, Executive Director of the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, spoke about the challenges related to translating evidence into health practice.
Paul McClintock, Chair of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Reform Council, spoke on Australia’s health in an environment of reform.
Videos of the Minister’s launch, and both keynote presentations, are available on the AIHW website at http://www.aihw.gov.au/australias-health-2012-conference/.
A PDF copy of AIHW Board Chair Andrew Refshauge’s address to the conference, highlighting the key findings of the report, is also available at the same web address, as are all the major session presentations.
The reports
Australia's health 2012: in brief
Further information
Communications, Media and Marketing Unit
Phone: 02 6244 1032
Email: