The aim of this assignment is providing an overview of the key health issues affecting Australia today. Within the assignment I will cover the historical trends and foretell the country health future in the perspective of social issues and global health.
Over the recent years Australia has had to deal with the continuous and current health issues like chronic diseases. Chronic diseases in Australia are the main cause of disability, death and illness and also is the most difficult health challenge the country faces today. Chronic disease account for 90% of death among the Australians in the year 2011 (Australia health 2011), although during the late 19th and early 20th, the arrival of chronic diseases was highly treatable and controlled in
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The National Health Survey Analysis 2007 to 2008 shows that one third of the Australia population, which mean 7 million or 35 percent Australians have been reported to have suffered from at least one of the following chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, arthritis, cerebrovascular disease, osteoporosis, asthma, depression, type 2 diabetes and blood pressure. In other word the percentage of chronic diseases among the Australians increased with age and lifestyle (AIHW 2012a).
In the data of the Australian health survey (2011-2012) it shows that 13 percent of Australia population suffered from back pain (problems), 15 percent was also recorded to have suffered from arthritis and another 10 percent had hypertensive disease, depression and asthma. Additional statistic data indicate that around 360,000 people (1.6 percent of the population were suffering from cancer, 1 million of the population had heart disease and 999,000 were suffering from diabetes. Cited in (ABS,
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The National Health Performance Authority report shows that the life expectancy of children born in the year 2012 was 84.3 years for girls and 79.9 years for boys, and those who have survived or make it to the age of 65 years in 2012 were likely to live an additional years of 19.1 (for men) and 22.0 (for women). The trends in life expectancy in Australia since the late 1800s has increased by 30 years. In the year 1890 the life expectancy for young boys was 47.2years while for girls was 50.8 years. There is a huge difference in life expectancy of children (infants) by territory and state among Australians. Infants (babies) born in 2012 in the Australian capital region had a longer life expectancy than babies born in any territory and state in Australia (AIHW,