Summary

The twentieth century has seen great changes in the health of Australians. There has been a 20-year gain in life expectancy at birth, and a dramatic fall in the toll of infectious disease, offset to an extent by an increase in chronic diseases associated with age. Although most Australians enjoy good health today, some groups in the population continue to suffer poor health, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

This report is the seventh in the series of biennial reports on health in Australia produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). It is broadly structured along the lines of the conceptual framework for health shown in Figure 1.1. This shows health and wellbeing as the outcome of many causes modified by intervention activities that are supported by human and material resources. 

The first chapter discusses what health is, what determines it, and the need for good information on the causes and patterns of health and illness in the community. It also includes an overview of the Australian health system. Chapter 2 reports on the health status of Australians and describes the major diseases and conditions that have an impact on their health. It includes results from the Institute’s Australian Burden of Disease and Injury Study conducted in 1999. Chapter 3 focuses on the environmental and individual factors that determine health. Chapter 4 discusses the health of particular population groups. Chapter 5 examines the cost of health services, employment in the health industry and the provision and use of health services. Chapter 6 looks at strategies for improving the health of Australians and performance in health service delivery. Chapter 7 outlines requirements for health information for a better understanding of current and emerging health issues. Chapter 8 uses mortality data to document the changes in the disease profile of Australians during the twentieth century. 

A wide range of statistical tables is included after chapter 8. These tables include data on population and fertility as well as health-related information. They include indicators that have been agreed for reporting under the National Health Priority Areas initiative of governments, covering cardiovascular health, cancer control, injury prevention and control, mental health, diabetes mellitus and asthma. Many of the tables provide time series information, as well as comparing Australia with other countries. Tables have also been included for some of the figures in the report, for the benefit of readers who may wish to examine the data in more detail.