LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor



Letter to the Editor

Respected Editor,

The last few years have been important for health promotion, with high-level attention focused on the prevention agenda, primarily through the work undertaken by the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission (NHHRC) and the National Preventative Health Taskforce (NPHT). It is pleasing that national health reform is seeking to embed health promotion and prevention as a priority for the future health of Australia(Chapman 2007).

The National Preventative Health Strategy provides a blueprint for tackling the burden of chronic disease currently caused by obesity, tobacco, and excessive consumption of alcohol. The Strategy's recommendations are directed at primary prevention and will address all relevant arms of policy and all available points of leverage, in both the health and non-health sectors(Chapman Freeman 2008).

The Preventative Health Taskforce was established in April 2008 to develop the Strategy. The Federal Government established a Preventative Health Taskforce in 2008 to provide evidence-based advice to governments and health providers on preventative health programs and strategies, focusing on the burden of chronic disease caused by obesity, tobacco and the excessive consumption of alcohol.

During 2008-09 the Taskforce was responsible for providing advice to the Australian Government on the framework for the Preventative Health Partnerships between the Commonwealth and the State and Territories and to develop a National Preventative Health Strategy(Adams Sandy Smith Triglone 2008).

The Strategy is to be considered within the broader health reform agenda and in conjunction with the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission's report, and the draft Primary Health Care Strategy.

The Strategy identifies seven strategic directions including the need to develop strategic partnerships at all levels; to act early and throughout life; to engage communities; to inform, enable and support people to make healthy choices; to influence markets and develop coherent policies; to reduce inequity through targeting disadvantage - especially low socioeconomic status population groups; to „Close the Gap? in health outcomes for indigenous Australians; and to refocus primary healthcare towards prevention(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006).

The Strategy identifies seven strategic directions to ensure a comprehensive approach(Chapman Freeman 2008):

Shared responsibility - developing strategic partnerships - at all levels of government, industry, business, unions, the non-government sector, research institutions and communities;

Act early and throughout life - working with individuals, families and communities;

Engage communities - act and engage with people where they live, work and play; at home, in schools, workplaces and the ...