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The strategies that we use for the whole of the population work less well for low income communities .
COVID-19 as well , governments will be very slow to see the opportunity to change .”
Prevention , not cure
Report finds higher preventable deaths among low income earners .
By Eleanor Campbell
Australia ’ s health inequality gap is growing , a new report has warned , and experts are calling for a cultural shift in policy to help curb preventable deaths in lower socioeconomic communities .
The 2021 Australia ’ s Health Tracker by Socio-economic Status report found that compared to wealthier areas , lower income earners are 1.5 times more likely to die prematurely from a chronic health condition .
Lead author Professor Rosemary Calder from Victoria University ’ s Mitchell Institute said she was shocked by the results , which were last updated in 2016 .
“ You would hope that it ’ s the biggest road sign possible , ‘ please note , low incomes put people at risk ’, but more than that , they put our economy and our health services at risk .
“ People on low incomes need more resources from the government , to live life in a more healthy and free way ,” said Calder .
Just over one per cent of Australia ’ s health spending is currently directed towards prevention .
Most government policies target the health of the entire population , widening gaps in communities that benefit from more tailored solutions , according to Calder .
“ We ’ ve had very good communications campaigns to encourage people to stop smoking , but smoking rates in lower income Australia are much , much higher than smoking rates in high income Australia ,” she said .
“ That tells us the strategies that we use for the whole of the population work less well for low income communities and instead of ignoring that , we ’ re not seeing it .”
The report card found that 10 million Australians living in lower socioeconomic areas live with higher rates of preventable disease , including obesity , respiratory issues , diabetes and cardiovascular conditions .
“ The cost of people living shorter lives , but with longer years of poor health that is preventable , is such inadequate economic thinking .
“ We ’ re spending a fortune on the healthcare of people who could be supported not to need it .
“ And we don ’ t articulate it , we don ’ t make it visible , we don ’ t address it .”
Professor Calder has worked in both state and federal government , and said she was previously unaware of the severity of the issue as a bureaucrat .
“ You know about shorter lifespans , but I think there is an invisible bias , or hidden bias , or unconscious bias ,” she said .
“ Every day is relentless in government . It ’ s not just during a pandemic , the daily life of an economy and a nation is extraordinarily busy .
“ If we don ’ t have leadership from the public and health professionals through
BACK ON TRACK Launched in conjunction with the health tracker report , the Australian Health Policy Collaboration ( AHPC ) outlined a set of policy directives for politicians , educators and health professionals .
Priority actions include setting a sugar levy on sweetened beverages , more regulation for junk food advertising and increased education around smoking risks . Urgent policy action should be driven from the ground up , said Calder .
“ It needs a combined effort ,” she said . “ There are ministers who are committed and caring and want to do this , but they ’ re in circumstances where industry has very strong lobby and advocacy .
“ That ’ s where health professionals provide that leadership , that ministers get the most joint support from .”
For the first time in history , Australia is developing a national preventative health strategy .
The long awaited plan , Calder said , will rely on the public health workforce to embed prevention strategies into their everyday practices .
“ It ’ s quite clear that health professionals are under enormous pressure with the workload of chronic disease that now infuses our entire population and health system .
“ They are often not presented with the opportunity to work with people on prevention .”
A cultural shift in healthcare will help guide resources towards preventative health , according to Calder .
“ Engage with people about their weight , about their diet . Even if they ’ re presenting some pointy-end clinical need , take the time to say , ‘ What ’ s your diet like ?’
“ It ’ s a clear message that this makes a difference to the burden of illness in our population and in our economy .
“ That ’ s the sort of leadership we need , and we need it from all health professionals ,” she said . ■
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