AUSTRALIA’S HEALTH STATUS

• improved health outcomes:

  • health status indicators

  • dimensions

• life expectancy has shown significant improvements over time

• Between 1961 and 1972, life expectancy at birth plateaued.

• Male LE fell from 67.9 to 67.8

• Female LE improved very slightly 74.2 to 74.5

• During this time CVD reached it’s highest and cancer was more prevalent.

• We see lower fertility rates over time

• Increased life expectancy and decreased death rates

EARLY 1900S-2000S

• respiratory diseases due to fires inside - no other sources of heat

• contaminated water - cholera

COMMON DISEASES

• Smallpox

• measles

• typhoid

• diphtheria

• Tuberculosis

• cholera

• whooping cough

5 BROAD CATEGORIES OF DISEASE

Circulatory diseases

• a group of diseases that directly impact the heart or blood vessels.

• also known as cardiovascular diseases.

• includes:

  • Heart attack

  • stroke

• responsible for higher mortality rates than any of the other category throughout the whole 20th century

Respiratory diseases

• a group of diseases that damage lung function and impair breathing

• Includes:

  • pneumonia

  • influenza

  • asthma

  • chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

cancers

• a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body, forming a malignant growth or tumour.

• several specific types of cancer:

  • breast cancer

  • bladder cancer

  • lung cancer

injury and poisoning

• deaths that have external causes

• do not relate to a health complication that arises within the individual

• do relate to complication with the individual’s relationship with the external environment.

• examples include:

  • motor vehicle accidents

  • suicide

  • assault

  • poisoning

  • complications that occur during medical and surgical care

Infectious diseases

• transmitted from the environment, including through air, food, water, and other infected organisms

• Includes:

  • covid 19

  • HIV/AIDS

  • tuberculosis

OLD PUBLIC HEALTH

• Public Health: relates to the actions of governments that work to promote health and well-being and prevent illness

• an approach to health that was developed at the beginning of the 20th century

• involved:

  • improving the safety of the physical environment

  • developing public health programs to prevent infectious disease

• policies developed include:

  • clean water and sanitation - government funded sewage systems: typhoid, cholera

  • vaccination - government funded mass immunisations: smallpox, measles, polio

  • quarantine - remover from society and placed in infirmiry: tuberculosis

  • safe working conditions - regulated the employment of minors, aged between 13 and 16 years: reduction in industrial-related child deaths

  • hygeinic birthing practices - safe and hygienic birthing conditions with trained and registered midwives and doctors: reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates

• introduction of vaccines in Australia resulted in a 99% decrease in mortality caused by vaccine-preventable diseases.

• these vaccines were effective in saving lives and reducing mortality rates.

BIOMEDICAL APPROACH

• focuses on individuals with the disease, not the whole population

  • diagnosis, treatment and cure

• still used in certain contexts to this day

• for example:

  • treating illness and disease with medications

  • surgical practices.

• developed to address some of the key concerns of the ‘old’ public health model

• such as:

  • preventing public health crises by using medical technology to treat illness and disease

• made possible due to improvements in medical technology

• led to the development of many new forms of medical technology.

• for example:

  • X-ray

  • Antibiotics

  • MRI

NEW PUBLIC HEALTH

• brought in the late 70s

• aim to reduce lifestyle diseases

• involves preventing diseases from occurring through behavioural and lifestyle change

• focuses on broad determinants

  • sociocultural factors - education, employment, income

  • environmental factors - geographical location, housing (road crossings, footpaths)

• focuses on community groups rather than individuals

• It is relatively inexpensive (compared to treating conditions once symptoms are

  present) as a large focus of the social model is in education and disease prevention.

• limitations:

  • Not every condition can be prevented

  • does not promote the development of technology and medical knowledge

  • does not address health and wellbeing concerns of individuals

  • Health promotion messages may be ignored

SOCIAL MODEL

• The social model of health encompasses 5 principles.

• principles guide the focus of health promotion programs

  AREAS

ADDRESS THE BROADER DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

• Factors such as education, income, occupation, housing, access to

  Healthcare and cultural barriers play a significant role in the health

  outcomes and must be addressed to produce optimal health and

  wellbeing.

• EXAMPLE: indigenous health campaigns

ACTS TO REDUCE SOCIAL INEQUALITIES

• sociocultural factors contribute to many of the inequities experienced between population groups.

• These inequities must be specifically targeted to improve health and wellbeing in disadvantaged groups.

• EXAMPLE: welfare payments

EMPOWERS INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES

• individuals and communities are more likely to embrace health programs if they play a part in the planning and delivering different initiatives.

• They should also be given the required skills and resources to improve their health and well-being.

• EXAMPLE: healthy eating programs at school

ACTS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

• health care has been responsible for many of the health gains achieved in the past century.

• Many people still lack access to health care for a variety of reasons

  • cultural

  • economic

  • geographic

  • education

  • transport

  • language

• These barriers must be addressed to promote health and well-being.

• EXAMPLE: Breast cancer vans that travel around Australia

INTERSECTORAL COLLABORATION

• The greatest gains in health will be made if many sectors work together.

• Sectors such as the health sector, education sector, government and non-government organisations, and the private sector should all work together.

• This will produce the greatest results.

• Road safety

  • the TAC works with schools, community groups and sporting organisations to promote the road safety message.

THE OTTOWA CHARTER

• One of the responses to the social model of health

• at the World Health Organization’s first International Conference on Health Promotion held in 1986

• aims to assist government and non-government organisations in implementing the social model of health.

• health promotion: enabling people to take control over, and improve their health.

STRATEGIES FOR HEALTH PROMOTION

ADVOCATE

• Many groups within society do not have the same opportunities as the rest of the population.

• This strategy aims to speak on behalf of these groups so the many factors that influence health are as favourable as possible.

• Example:

  • social media campaigns

  • publishing research

  • lobbying governments

ENABLE

• This strategy aims to provide people with the knowledge and skills

  required to take over, and improve their health.

• Example:

  • access to education

  • empowering people through campaigns

  • access to resources i.e housing, food, equality

MEDIATE

• Different groups in society have different priorities but should all be involved in promoting health and wellbeing.

• This strategy aims to work with all groups to ensure the greatest health achievements can be made.

• Mediating between groups to resolve conflict and improve health outcomes

• Example:

  • changes to funding,

  • legislation and laws. i.e reducing speed limits around schools

ACTION AREAS

BAD

CATS

SMELL

DEAD

RATS

BUILD HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY

• Laws and policies can be made by governments and non-government organisations that promote health.

• Examples:

  • seatbelt laws

  • no hat no play

CREATE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS

• Sociocultural and physical environments should be manipulated so that healthier choices are made easier.

• Examples:

  • reducing the price of fresh food

  • installing bicycle paths

STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY ACTIONS

• Maximum benefits to health are achieved when all groups work together to achieve a common goal.

• Government and non-government and the private sector should work together to promote health.

• Example: Road safety

  • Schools, parents, police governments and the TAC all play a role

DEVELOP PERSONAL SKILLS

• This area is concerned with education .

• When people have the skills to improve their health andwellbeing, they are more likely to do so.

• Example:

  • Teaching people how to select and prepare health foods

REORIENT HEALTH SERVICES

• The health system must change focus to health promotion instead of just

  focusing on treating disease and include all members of the community

• health professionals, members of the public, government and non-government groups and the private sector.

• Examples:

  • doctors prescribing exercise before a person has a health attack

  • nurses talking to school children about the importance of regular health check ups.