The Liberal Government has a goal to make Tasmania the healthiest population in Australia by 2025.
It is well established that on many key indicators our population is less healthy and more exposed to chronic disease than populations elsewhere around Australia.
Importantly:
• 21.7 per cent of Tasmanians smoke, compared to 18 per cent nationally;
• 69.4 per cent of Tasmanians are physically inactive, compared to 67.5 per cent nationally.
• 65.6 per cent of Tasmanians are now overweight or obese, compared with 63.9 per cent five years ago; and
• 39.4 per cent of Tasmanians have high cholesterol – compared to 32.8 per cent nationally.
While we are getting on with the job of fixing the broken health system and putting patients back at the centre of decision-making, what these sobering statistics demonstrate is that a healthier Tasmania must also start with promoting a healthy lifestyle and preventing chronic disease.
That is why, under our new preventative health policy, A Healthy Tasmania, we have been actively working to develop a five year strategic plan for preventative health in Tasmania.
Delivering improvements in preventative health will work in conjunction with our reforms of clinical services to take pressure off hospitals and deliver better health outcomes for Tasmanians.
An initial analysis by the University of Tasmania has now been completed -including an audit of existing preventive health activity across the Tasmanian Government and an assessment of how effective this activity has been.
The contributions and recommendations made by the previous Health and Wellbeing Advisory Council and the new report by the University of Tasmania will now inform the ongoing work of the Health Council of Tasmania in determining the future direction of preventive health plans in Tasmania in a way which will have a real and practical impact on our health system.
A specific committee of the Health Council of Tasmania, to be chaired by Dr Tim Greenaway, will consider all of this evidence to map out the way forward for preventative health in Tasmania. (Dr Greenaway serves the Health Council as Deputy Chair).
I will be inviting members from the community sector, Tasmanian Medicare Local, DHHS and UTAS to be part of the Health Council of Tasmania committee which will focus on real strategies to lift population health and help us achieve our goal of Tasmania having the healthiest population in Australia by 2025.
While the Government shows the necessary leadership on this important area, all Tasmanians are encouraged to share responsibility for good health and participate in activities which promote health and wellbeing.
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health
