Australian Life Span at All-Time High

Life expectancy in Australia is at an all-time high of 80.3 years for males, while females can expect to live for 84.4 years, according to Health Minister Sussan Ley.  Referencing the latest two-yearly national health report card from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).  

“Australia’s health 2016 shows us that about 85% of Australians rate their health as good, very good or excellent,” she said.  However the rise of chronic diseases “still presents challenges in achieving equal health outcomes for Indigenous Australians and people living outside metropolitan areas,” she added.

AIHW CEO Barry Sandison said, “We are living longer than ever before, death rates continue to fall, and most of us consider ourselves to be in good health”.  However the influence of lifestyle factors on a person’s health was a recurring theme of the report.  “13 out of 100 of us smoke daily, 18 drink alcohol at risky levels, and 95 do not eat the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.

“And while 55% do enough physical activity, 63% of us are overweight or obese,” Sandison said. Socioeconomic factors also impacted quite directly on health: “every step up the socioeconomic ladder is accompanied by an increase in health,” Sandison said.

Indigenous Australians also continue to have higher rates of many diseases, such as diabetes, end-stage kidney disease and coronary heart disease, the report said, also identifying rural and remote area dwellers who find accessing medical support difficult, having lower life expectancy and higher rates of disease and injury.

Ley said managing chronic conditions and their impact on Australia’s health system remained one of our greatest challenges.  “The report shows that half of Australians have a chronic disease – such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes or a mental health disorder,” Ley said, adding that the Health Care Homes initiative is designed to help those with chronic conditions remain healthier and out of hospital.

Click here for the AIHW report.

Source: PharmacyDaily.com.au, Wednesday 14 September 2016