By world standards Australians are living long lives, health
risks are being actively tackled, and access to high quality health
services is very good and generally improving, according to the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's two-yearly report card
on the nation's health.
Australia's Health 2002 shows that these results are
being delivered by a complex health system employing 640,000
people, and accounting for around $54 billion a year in health
services (8.5% of GDP).
Death rates from heart attacks and stroke have fallen by over
two-thirds over the last 30 years, and cancer 5-year survival rates
have improved. As a result life expectancy continues to increase
(now 82.1 years for females, 76.6 years for males). There are also
fewer people smoking overall, improved levels of immunisation, and
a fall in the prevalence of high blood pressure.
Despite many great health gains for Australians, the health
status of the Indigenous population remains poor. Health
expenditure in this area has risen, but large service gaps
remain.
Cardiovascular disease and cancer remain the biggest killers of
Australians, with major tolls on the health system also being
exacted by diabetes, mental health disorders and respiratory
diseases such as asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease.
The extent of severe or profound disability in Australia has
remained relatively stable over the last 10 years.
But much of the burden of ill-health to individuals and society
as a whole can be reduced through attention to a few lifestyle
factors, such as smoking, poor nutrition, excessive alcohol
consumption, and inadequate physical activity-in other words, the
public health message of prevention being better than cure
'It's like investing now in order to enjoy an asset later', says
AIHW Director Dr Richard Madden. 'But there is a double pay-off in
that not only might you enjoy better health, there will be a
reduction in future demand on the nation's health services-a
win-win with Australia's population ageing as it is.'
AIHW Medical Adviser Dr Paul Magnus says there is plenty of
scope for improvement.
'For example, 50% of adults have high cholesterol levels, and
this hasn't improved for the past 20 years. The major culprit is a
diet too high in saturated fats.
'Diabetes is now a major disease for older people, with much of
it probably due to increasing prevalence of overweight and
obesity.
'Overweight and obesity affect about 65% of men, 45% of women,
and 1 in every 5 children.
'We have to remember that diabetes, overweight and high
cholesterol levels often occur together with high blood pressure-in
fact 70% of diabetes sufferers aged over 25 also have high blood
pressure. High blood pressure is the most common reason for
consultation with a GP and a leading risk factor for cardiovascular
disease.'
According to Dr Madden, catering for future health services
demand is a difficult and complex task.
'Our future population structure can be projected with some
confidence, but with health service use it is not so easy because
it is driven by a complex mix of social, economic, and technical
factors.
'Financial incentives will affect demand for services and the
take-up of new technology. Investments today in public health,
including screening and immunisation, will lower demand into the
future.
'On the supply side, too few health professionals or poor
allocating of these professionals will eventually push up
costs.
'In this regard the fall in undergraduate nursing enrolments has
to be viewed with some concern. It was the only one of the major
health occupations to record an overall fall in enrolments in 2000
compared to 1995.
'There are many policy levers in health, and resources are
always limited. Making the right choices at the right time requires
good data and information, and we hope that Australia's Health 2002
goes some way towards providing this.
'Policy-makers, service providers, consumers and interested
citizens are all invited to read and consult this
publication-either in its printed version (available in Government
Info Shops and through the Australian Bureau of Statistics), or
free on our website (www.aihw.gov.au).'
27 June 2002
Enquiries about the content of the report:
Director, AIHW: Dr Richard Madden,
tel. 02 6244 1101; 0419 208 152
AIHW Medical Adviser: Dr Paul Magnus, tel. 02 6244 1149; 0407 307
671
Head, AIHW Health Division Dr Ching Choi, tel. 02 6244 1168; 0407
928 523
Media copies of the report: Publications Officer,
tel. 02 6244 1032, or check this website for the Media Highlights
Summary
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for details.