Health Priorities in Australia Essay

1. Using measures of epidemiology, investigate the wellness status of Australians. health status is a holistic concept that is immovable by more(prenominal) than than the presence or absence of any disorder. It is a good deal summarised by keep expectancy or self-assessed health status, and more loosely includes measures of functioning, physical illness, and mental well world. Epidemiology is the study of disease in groups or existences through the collection of data and development, to identify patterns and causes. The measures of epidemiology atomic number 18 Mortality- refers to the subroutine of deaths in a ingestn population from a particular cause and/or over a period of m. Infant Mortality- refers to the number of child deaths in the set-back year of life, per 1,000 live births. Morbidity- is the incidence or level of illness, disease or injury in a given population.Life Expectancy- is the length of metre a person can expect to live. More specifically, it r efers to the average number of days of life remaining to a person at a particular age, based on current death rates. In Australia, the median age of death among the entire population in 2007 was 80.5 eld sure-enough(a). In 2011 that statistic had risen to 81.5 years old, an maturation of one year to the average life. In both years the leading cause of death among Australians was circulatory diseases (diseases of the gist and blood vessels) and the second leading cause in both years was malignant neoplastic disease. Although the percentage of cancer deaths rose from 29.2% proportion of totals deaths to 29.8% and the percentage of circulatory disease deaths dropped from 33.8% of the populations deaths down to 31%.In the past 100 years the infant mortality rate as decreased by 95%, from more than one in ten deaths in the starting time year of life (100+ deaths per 1000 live births) to one in 200 deaths in the first year of life (5 deaths per 100 live births). This can be attri th ated to meliorate health education, existence sanitation, improved medical diagnosis and improved choke services for parents and new-sprung(prenominal) born babies. Most infant mortalities are caused by congenital malformations which are structural or functional anomalies which are put forward at the birth of a child, preventative causes of this disease are astir(p) the diet of women through their reproductive years, avoiding exposure to harsh environmental substances and amend vaccinations and health education.Information or so the incidence and prevalence of the total population gives a broader perspective on the nations health than skillful the mortality statistics. Australias population has a lowering incidence of bronchial asthma and rising survival rate of cancer although since 1984 the incidence of five major cancers has risen (Breast, Prostrate, Melanoma, Colorectal and Lung) and a report from SMH in 2008 shows 7.4 million pile are overweight or obese and the prev alence of diabetes climbs rapidly, along with these problems the beat of people affected by STIs has risen to more than 230 per 100,000 people. gibe to AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) Australia is one of the healthiest nations in the world although Indigenous Australians slowing behind in their health status.Australians live the second longest lives in world, behind Japan. The average Australian citizen will live to be 81.4 years old. And trends indicate that the expectancy of males and females is growing, since 2000 the life expectancy of males has grown from 77.4 years old to 79.7 years old, an increase of 2.3 years. The life expectancy of females since 2000 has grown from 82.6 up to 84.2, an increase of 1.6 years. This increase in the life expectancy of Australian residents indicates that their health is up(p), with the serving of increase knowledge and improved health services.Taking all of this information into account, using measures of epidemiology, the health status of Australians can be said to be relatively good compared with that of some other nations. The improved health services and new discoveries in the health sector along with increased knowledge about health from the population also indicates that the health status of Australians may be improving. 2. Explain how health progression, based on the capital of Canada engage, reflects tender jurist principles. Health promotion is a combination of science, medicine, practical skills and beliefs aimed at maintaining and improving the health of all people.The Ottawa Charter for health promotion promotes social justice as it incorporates the idea of giving all members ofthe community price of admission to health services and attempts to rule out inequities in differing communities. The Ottawa Charter does this through its five follow up stadiums Building Healthy macrocosm Policy, realise adjuvant Environments, Strengthen Community serve, Develop Personal Skills and reo rientate Health Services. All five of these action areas provide a building bend for health promotions. The four principles of social justice are Equity, Access, Participation and Rights. The air equity is reflected in health promotion based on the Ottawa Charter is through the action areas Building Healthy Public Policy, lay down Supportive Environments and Reorient Health Services as these three areas crop unitedly people onto an equal level and give specific process to those who need it, creating equity in communities. Access is reflected in health promotion based on the Ottawa Charter through the action area Reorient Health Services, as this area of the charter aims to bring together health services, governing bodies and other health professionals in an attempt to give more adequate access to health services to those who need it. similarly reflected is Participation, which can be based on the Ottawa Charter action areas through Building Healthy Public Policy, Strengthen Co mmunity Action and Develop Personal Skills. This can be known as empowering the communities and carry the communities the education and information needed to know more about their own health. Lastly, Rights is reflected in health promotion through the action areas Create Supportive Environments and Reorient Health Services as they attempt to give good opportunities for good health to all individuals.With these four social justice principles reflected in health promotion, the overall health of Australia can be improved, examples of this include arrest for you Quit for two which promotes to pregnant women who smoke, who if they ceased their habit would be creating a more equal life for their expectant child and give them the right for an hazard to good health. Another example would be the Swap it reason which aims at developing personal skills while creating equity through smart victuals choices. 3. Critically analyse how the action areas of the Ottawa Charter address Australia s health priorities through ONE health promotion initiative. recede morass savor Seek Slide Campaign by the crab louse Council of Australia was fabricated in 1980 and revolved around Sid the Seagull who gave a constant reminder of the palmy ways that the population of Australia would be able to avoid discase cancer slip on a shirt, slop on solarizescreen and sapidity on a hat. 27 year later the ad was upgraded to include seek shade and slide on sunnies, thus creating the Slip move Slap Seek Slide song.The scat aims to lower the prevalence and incidence of trim cancers in Australia. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter address Australias health priorities through this hunting expedition. The action areas are Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments, Strengthen Community Action, Develop Personal Skills and Reorient Health Services. Building Healthy Public Policy- Policies have been created due to increased awareness attributed to the Slip morass Sla p Seek Slide campaign a commonly known policy would be the No Hat, No Play policy used in schools. This is used by teachers to foster children from shin cancer risks in the playground. Advantages of this would be that children will be more and more protected and parents are given peace of mind, and no noticeable disadvantages are created by this policy.Create Supportive Environments- A noticeable environment diversity caused by the increased awareness of skin cancers would the addition of shaded areas to many public places. This creates an environment for the public population that is protected from harmful Ultraviolet sun rays. An advantage of this are that people can be outside but protected from skin cancer risks while a disadvantage would be that most of these shaded areas come at the expense of nature, eg- destruction of trees and/or other natural features. Strengthen Community Action- Two initiatives related to the Slip Slop Slap would be the introduction of Cancer Centres to many rural areas and the relay for Life, which is about raising funds for the Cancer Council.These two initiatives can create awareness of skin cancer, while the former can save lives. scarcely advantages are created by these two initiatives, which are increased knowledge, funds gained for investigate and practical use, the ability to detect cancers and save lives. Develop Personal Skills- The campaign of Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide uses a jingle to educate the Australian population. The TV ad itself is an educational video, which creates awareness of skin cancers in Australia.This leads to increased knowledge of how to protect yourself and others from skin cancers. An advantage of this is that the Australian public is being educated in their own home by the TV, although a disadvantage is that they do not know thatthey are being directly educated. Reorient Health Services- A health service which has blend in operational due to increased awareness of skin cancers is the Skin Ca ncer Bondi checks, where on the beach at Bondi you can have a skin cancer check. This leads to a safer beach, as beachgoers can be precautious and have a skin cancer check. Advantages of this are that the population can be on the beach and get their skin checked at the same time as well as not have to book into a skin cancer centre for the check. A disadvantage may be that the check may not be a thorough as one performed in a more professional environment. Overall, the introduction of the Slip Slop Slap campaign and the readjustment to Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide campaign has increased the awareness and knowledge of skin cancers in Australia. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter are relevant to the campaign and Australias health priorities.