Page 3621 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 26 August 2008
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The report provides information on the health of the ACT population, including trends in health status, health risk behaviours and national health priority areas, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental health, maternal, infant and child health, the health of older people in the ACT, communicable diseases and health service use.
The report shows that ACT residents continue to enjoy a high level of health—61.5 per cent of adults in the ACT rate their health as either excellent or very good. Life expectancy in the ACT is higher than life expectancy nationally. Mortality rates continue to decline and the median age of death has increased. Cancer and cardiovascular disease remains the leading causes of mortality but death rates from these conditions have declined over time in the ACT.
Cancer mortality rates have declined markedly over the last 20 years, largely due to advances in prevention, screening and treatment. The mortality rate for breast cancer, the leading cause of female cancer deaths, is also decreasing. Asthma mortality rates and hospitalisations have decreased over time. This reflects improvements in asthma management through general practice and through improved self-management programs for people living with asthma.
It is especially pleasing to see that there has been a reduction in smoking levels, harmful drinking and the use of illicit substances by young people in recent years. Less pleasing is that survey results in ACT secondary schools show a sustained decline in the uptake of sun protection measures by adolescents in recent years. This trend is reflected in all jurisdictions and requires us to consider ways in which we can reinvigorate the focus on sun protection amongst our young people.
The ACT has a very low rate of potentially preventable hospitalisations in comparison with other jurisdictions. The ACT was 32 per cent lower than the national average. This outstanding result reflects effective population health programs, primary care and outpatient services that prevent the need for hospitalisation.
ACT immunisation coverage rates for children were amongst the highest in the country and were above the Australian average during the reporting period. This is an improvement on those reported in the 2006 Chief Health Officer’s report.
We know that there is no room for complacency when it comes to the health of our community. The 2008 Chief Health Officer’s report identifies areas where we need to continue to focus on achieving health gains in the ACT population.
The proportion of overweight and obese adults in the ACT has increased over the last decade. Healthy weight issues are expected to become the largest national preventable cause of premature death and ill-health, replacing tobacco, which is currently associated with the greatest disease burden. The health benefits that could be achieved through regular physical activity and good nutrition are considerable.
The ACT also has an ageing population, and this will have implications for health services, particularly for age related chronic diseases. Cancer projections suggest that the number of people diagnosed with cancer will increase by about 22 per cent every
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