National Health Priority Areas - Essay Example

Health Priorities in Australia Introduction Public health is a relatively new field in terms of development and government attention. However, the Australian government has been working on improving the health of Australians for many years and there have been several priorities that have been defined by the government. These include musculoskeletal diseases, asthma, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, injury prevention and mental health (Browne et. al., 2000). Other than these six primary areas there are other issues which range from improving the diet of children to making sure that adults are getting enough exercise. These areas may have a level of overlap within the six priority areas which have been defined therefore it is important to understand these areas on their own before the priority overlaps between them can be discussed. The NHPA (National Health Priority Areas) themselves were created as a response to global agenda put forward by the WHO (World Health Organisation) which was to focus on those areas which make up the majority of patient cases around the world (Browne et. al., 2000). The priority areas for Australian health are overseen by the National Health Priority Action Council (NHPAC) that is made up of commonwealth, state, regional as well as local governments (AIHW, 2005). The Priority Areas There are two primary objectives the NHPAC looks at before considering any health related problem as a priority areas. First, the NHPAC examines whether making a health issue a priority objective could significantly contribute towards lessening the burden of illness and injury on Australians. Second, the NHPAC sees if the area to be focused on will improve health related issues and if it will decrease the burden on our health system which is due to the diseases included in the priority area (AIHW, 2005). It is important to note that the NHPA did not start with the seven priority areas mentioned above because it shows that the NHPA is not a static body. Rather, like other scientific organisations, it is looking towards expanding itself and improving its position through active research and analysis which shows how the addition of a priority area can be beneficial for public health. Historically speaking, the NHPA initiative began with only four areas i.e. cardiovascular health, cancer control, injury prevention and mental health (AIHW, 2005). With time, Diabetes was added to the priority areas in 1997 with asthma being added in 1999 and musculoskeletal issues being added in 2002. It is clear that the government is not picking diseases randomly from the various ailments that are faced by Australians. In fact, the diseases and priority areas identified show us that the government is looking to make those areas priority areas which are negatively affecting the health and living standards of a significantly large number of Australians. In combination, these seven areas of focus describe more than three fourths of all medical issues in the country (AIHW, 2005). While it may seem like the priority areas are too broad and ill defined, the individual diseases and underlying causes that can be identified within the broad priority areas are certainly not so. For example, the very latest idea of getting the right kind of diet to Australian children can help in two priority areas such as cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes. It is with this context under which the article titled Ban junk food ads was recently written by Burke (2007) in the Sydney Morning Herald. The article reports that top ranking national medical organizations are looking to get a total ban on food advertising before 9 pm in which children can be identified as a the target market. These organizations include some respected names such as the Australian Medical Association, Cancer Council Australia, the Public Health Association of Australia and others which look after the interests of doctors and physicians in the country. In terms of present laws, the restrictions on food advertising to children are in place only from three to four thirty in the afternoon. However, researchers have reported that the greatest number of children is watching TV between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM (Burke, 2007). A total ban on food advertising to children could significantly improve their intake of food as well as the future levels of national health. There are several reasons why food related advertising directed towards children is an important issue and the first of them is the health of the nation where childhood obesity is becoming a real health issue (Linn, 2004). At the same time, Hill (2002) reports that psychological issues like anorexia might also be a part of the equation when he says that, “Up to one-quarter of young adolescent girls report dieting to lose weight, their motivation driven by weight and shape dissatisfaction (Hill, 2002, Pg. 259)”. In this case, the topic goes into the issue of mental health as well as physical health. On the other side of the debate, the Australian Association of National Advertisers have taken an approach which should be taken with a grain of salt since they have different suggestions for why more Australians and especially children are becoming overweight. They suggest that things such as genetics, industrial chemicals that alter metabolism, the reduction of tobacco intake, air-conditioning which improved appetite are to be blamed for the overall trend in increased obesity (Burke, 2007). Clearly, this situation and others show us that the health of the nation is certainly at risk if it is not managed properly. Of course we would not want the government to make Australia a nanny state but the business of improving the health of the population is very important for all concerned parties. Each of the health priority areas on their own is quite important therefore a deeper analysis and statistical information about them is quite important. For example, in 2001, more than six million people in Australia were found to be suffering from musculoskeletal diseases. In terms of problems managed by general practitioners, arthritis and related issues were the second most common form of ailment. These problems are also the leading cause of disability amongst Australians with nearly a third of all disabled Australians citing arthritis as the cause of their disability. The direct cost of this disease alone was estimated to be $4.7 billon during 2001 (AIHW, 2005). However, this figure was exceeded by the direct cost of cardiovascular diseases which cost more than $5.4 billion in 2001 even though they affected less people. At the same time, it is the leading cause of premature death in the country which makes it a primary area of focus for the government. In 2003, nearly a third of all deaths were due to cardiovascular problems and they caused more than a million cases of individual disability. Like Cardiovascular disease, cancer also has a significant impact on Australia since one in three Australian males and one in four women will be directly affected by this disease (AIHW, 2005). In 2001, more than forty thousand malignant cancer related deaths were reported in Australia with the majority of cases linked to lung cancer and melanoma. The direct cost of cancer to the Australian society was estimated to be $2.8 billion. Other diseases, such as asthma or diabetes may not cause as many deaths as cardiovascular ailments or malignant cancers, but the number of individuals affected by them put them on the list for priority areas the government needs to focus on. For example, 15% of Australian children and 11% of Australian adults suffer from asthma as a current problem. With a large number of children being affected, it becomes a leading cause of chronic disability. Similarly, diabetic Australians account for more than 7% of the population aged 25 and above and their problems also become important health considerations (AIHW, 2005). Finally, mental illnesses and general injuries form the last two areas of priority for the government since both of them are connected with the idea of self inflicted injuries. Treated as a mental issue, suicide is the leading cause of self inflicted injury death, and it makes up nearly 30% of all deaths caused due to injuries. In terms of the number of individuals affected by mental health issues, depression and related illnesses produce the largest numbers since in any given year, more than eight hundred thousand Australians will go through a prolonged bout with depression. It is the third most common cause of illness amongst Australian women and one of the most frequently managed problem for general practitioners (AIHW, 2005). Overall, I find that the ideas of the government in making and assigning these issues as priorities for the health system to be quite useful. Since the issues identified by the government show us that they have a significant social cost, affect a large number of the population and can be helped with medical science, it becomes important for us to consider these issues as a part of the public health concerns which are present in Australian society. I feel that with time, as these issues become more managed and less important, the government should create newer priorities to ensure that Australia remains in good health. Works Cited AIHW. 2005, ‘National Health Priority Areas’, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, [Online] Available at: http://www.aihw.gov.au/nhpa/ Browne, S. et. al. 2000, PDHPE: Application & Inquiry, Oxford University Press. Burke, K. 2007, ‘Ban junk food ads: health chiefs join forces’, Sydney Morning Herald, [Online] Available at: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/ban-junk-food-ads-health-chiefs-join-forces/2007/05/15/1178995163419.html Hill, A. 2002, ‘Developmental issues in attitudes to food and diet’, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 61(2), 259-266. Linn, S. 2004, ‘Food Marketing to Children in the Context of a Marketing Maelstrom’, Journal of Public Health Policy, 25(4), 367-378. Read More