Health Priority Issues Essay

In order to improve the health of Australia as a whole, priorities need to be established. Health priority issues are those health issues that are of greatest concern to governments due to the effect they have on the overall health of Australians and their burden on the health system. These issues are identified through the use of the social justice principles, priority population groups, the prevalence of the condition, potential for prevention and early intervention and its cost to the individual and community.
Cardiovascular disease is a degenerative disease that affects the heart, brain and blood vessels of the circulatory system. It is the leading cause of death in Australia and while it is on the decrease, it still makes up for approximately …show more content…
The four principles of participation, equity, access and rights recognise that there are inequities amongst some subgroups in Australia such as ATSI’s and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups that suffer a higher incidence of CVD. By applying the principles of social justice, the aim is to target and recognise these disadvantaged groups and provide funding and resources needed to alleviate these inequalities.
Priority population groups of people who are at the highest risk of CVD include:
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged: carries the burden of a lack of education and poor decision making skills about lifestyle factors e.g. nutrition, exercise. Display most risk factors of smoking, obesity and high blood pressure which contribute to CVD
• ATSI’s – Death rates due to CVD are approximately twice the rate of the total Australian population due to lack of access to health care, geographically isolated and are more likely to smoke and drink.
• Males have higher mortality than females as males are more likely to dismiss early warning signs and take part in more risky behaviours e.g. smoking,