Preventive health failure

t,E amount of money and attention on preventative healthcare on Australia is going backwards instead of forwards, and it’s coming at a great cost, according to a new report from the McKell Institute, launched at the World Self Medication Industry (WSMI) General Assembly in Sydney last week.

The report, ͚Picking the lowhanging fruit – achieving a more equitable and sustainable health care system’, notes that Australia has hit an unwanted milestone – in 201ϰ-1ϱ, health care expenditure reached 10% of GDP for the first time, according to AIHW data.

Expenditure on health currently takes up around 2ϱ% of State and Commonwealth revenue according to the Grattan Institute, with the trend rising, the report said.

A point echoed through several sessions at the WSMI General Assembly is the need for the selfcare to go beyond the management of minor and common ailments and move more into preventative measures to maintain health.

Increasing the use of complementary therapies that have a strong evidence was considered one of the “low-hanging fruit” for Australians to use in the self care to help protect their health.

The report used vitamin D and calcium as examples where supplementation can reduce the prevalence of a number of chronic diseases, and where a dollar value had been placed on this through studies.

A strong recommendation from the conference was for Australians to become “the ceo of their own health”, driving the direction of their health through their own actions and collaboration with their health professionals.

Nevertheless for its number one recommendation, the report says that Australia should re-establish a National Preventative Health body to evaluate the evidence of the cost effectiveness of new health interventions.