Published Tuesday, 26 August, 2008 at 02:24 PM
JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Health
The Honourable Stephen Robertson
Premier
The Honourable Anna Bligh
QLD TARGET TO BECOME AUSTRALIA’S HEALTHIEST PEOPLE
Premier Anna Bligh has launched an all out assault on five key health challenges, including preventable disease, and has set a goal to help Queenslanders become Australia’s healthiest people.
Ms Bligh joined Health Minister Stephen Robertson to launch Advancing Health Action – Making Queenslanders Australia’s Healthiest People in a new phase of reform that will build on the early achievements of Queensland’s $10 billion Health Action Plan.
“Queensland needs to deal with the health challenges of today that may become bigger problems in the future,” Ms Bligh said.
“It’s part of my commitment to look over the horizon and take action early.
“Our hospitals have made a lot of ground since the State Government provided unprecedented new funding and initiated widespread reform three years ago.
“The job of building a world-class health system isn’t finished and our five-year Health Action Plan will continue over the next two years to build on those gains.
“But we must also target our next challenges - challenges that threaten to wind back a lot of the good work achieved in the past few years to improve our health services.”
Advancing Health Action’s challenges are:
• Expanding our health services to treat record numbers of patients;
• Stemming the devastating tide of preventable disease;
• Giving mothers and babies the best start;
• Improving mental health care; and
• Reducing the gap for rural communities and for all indigenous Queenslanders.
Ms Bligh said it had been her long-held vision to break the barriers that held back Queenslanders’ health over generations, particularly poor lifestyles and habits.
“I want to see Queenslanders become Australia’s healthiest people by leading healthier lifestyles and receiving better health care,” she said.
“The benefits would be enormous – better run hospitals that aren’t overburdened by preventable disease, a more productive workforce and a better performing economy.
“But to get there, governments, communities, individuals, business and industry all have a role to play.”
Mr Robertson said Queensland Health would continue expanding services to provide better and new forms of treatment in a growing and ageing population.
“In parallel, much of our focus must also be on prevention and gearing our system so that it steps in early before illnesses become more serious,” he said.
“However, many illnesses – some serious and lifelong - could be prevented altogether by individuals making the right choices and older Queenslanders getting regular check-ups.
“For instance,
• Around 4,300 Queenslanders die prematurely every year from preventable chronic diseases, more than one-third of all deaths and this is growing;
• Compared to other states, Queensland has the highest percentage of men who smoke (29%), are overweight or obese (60%) and who don’t undertake regular physical activity (68%);
• One in five Queensland women smoke and nearly 30% don’t exercise regularly;
• About 206,000 Queenslanders are currently living with type 2 diabetes through a poor diet and lack of exercise. About 50 new cases are diagnosed every day. It can potentially cripple someone, rob them of their livelihood and severely impact on their social and family life. A person with a bad case of type 2 (preventable) diabetes can spend most of their waking hours on a chair getting treatment in hospital at a cost of up to $6,000 a day;
• About a decade ago, type 2 diabetes was known only as an adult illness. Now it’s found in Queensland children as young as five years old;
• Queensland has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. It’s almost entirely preventable through responsible UV exposure, yet it kills more than 300 Queenslanders every year. Thousands more are diagnosed annually;
• Queensland has one of the worst rates of heart disease and lung cancer in Australia, both largely preventable conditions that kill thousands of Queenslanders every year; and
• More than 1,000 Queenslanders die from prostate and breast cancers each year. Detecting these cancers early through regular screening would reduce this rate.”
Ms Bligh said the good news was Queenslanders could take massive steps towards reversing these alarming rates.
“And by working together governments, organisations and communities can help Queenslanders become Australia’s Healthiest People,” she said.
“These are the goals my Government has set for itself and we’ll be rolling out a number of initiatives designed to reach them over the next several months.”
Advancing Health Action – Making Queenslanders Australia’s Healthiest People can be viewed at www.health.qld.gov.au.
26 August, 2008
Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Health Minister’s Office: 3234 1190
Ms Bligh joined Health Minister Stephen Robertson to launch Advancing Health Action – Making Queenslanders Australia’s Healthiest People in a new phase of reform that will build on the early achievements of Queensland’s $10 billion Health Action Plan.
“Queensland needs to deal with the health challenges of today that may become bigger problems in the future,” Ms Bligh said.
“It’s part of my commitment to look over the horizon and take action early.
“Our hospitals have made a lot of ground since the State Government provided unprecedented new funding and initiated widespread reform three years ago.
“The job of building a world-class health system isn’t finished and our five-year Health Action Plan will continue over the next two years to build on those gains.
“But we must also target our next challenges - challenges that threaten to wind back a lot of the good work achieved in the past few years to improve our health services.”
Advancing Health Action’s challenges are:
• Expanding our health services to treat record numbers of patients;
• Stemming the devastating tide of preventable disease;
• Giving mothers and babies the best start;
• Improving mental health care; and
• Reducing the gap for rural communities and for all indigenous Queenslanders.
Ms Bligh said it had been her long-held vision to break the barriers that held back Queenslanders’ health over generations, particularly poor lifestyles and habits.
“I want to see Queenslanders become Australia’s healthiest people by leading healthier lifestyles and receiving better health care,” she said.
“The benefits would be enormous – better run hospitals that aren’t overburdened by preventable disease, a more productive workforce and a better performing economy.
“But to get there, governments, communities, individuals, business and industry all have a role to play.”
Mr Robertson said Queensland Health would continue expanding services to provide better and new forms of treatment in a growing and ageing population.
“In parallel, much of our focus must also be on prevention and gearing our system so that it steps in early before illnesses become more serious,” he said.
“However, many illnesses – some serious and lifelong - could be prevented altogether by individuals making the right choices and older Queenslanders getting regular check-ups.
“For instance,
• Around 4,300 Queenslanders die prematurely every year from preventable chronic diseases, more than one-third of all deaths and this is growing;
• Compared to other states, Queensland has the highest percentage of men who smoke (29%), are overweight or obese (60%) and who don’t undertake regular physical activity (68%);
• One in five Queensland women smoke and nearly 30% don’t exercise regularly;
• About 206,000 Queenslanders are currently living with type 2 diabetes through a poor diet and lack of exercise. About 50 new cases are diagnosed every day. It can potentially cripple someone, rob them of their livelihood and severely impact on their social and family life. A person with a bad case of type 2 (preventable) diabetes can spend most of their waking hours on a chair getting treatment in hospital at a cost of up to $6,000 a day;
• About a decade ago, type 2 diabetes was known only as an adult illness. Now it’s found in Queensland children as young as five years old;
• Queensland has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. It’s almost entirely preventable through responsible UV exposure, yet it kills more than 300 Queenslanders every year. Thousands more are diagnosed annually;
• Queensland has one of the worst rates of heart disease and lung cancer in Australia, both largely preventable conditions that kill thousands of Queenslanders every year; and
• More than 1,000 Queenslanders die from prostate and breast cancers each year. Detecting these cancers early through regular screening would reduce this rate.”
Ms Bligh said the good news was Queenslanders could take massive steps towards reversing these alarming rates.
“And by working together governments, organisations and communities can help Queenslanders become Australia’s Healthiest People,” she said.
“These are the goals my Government has set for itself and we’ll be rolling out a number of initiatives designed to reach them over the next several months.”
Advancing Health Action – Making Queenslanders Australia’s Healthiest People can be viewed at www.health.qld.gov.au.
26 August, 2008
Contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Health Minister’s Office: 3234 1190