About the Sutherland Shire and Community Health:
Sutherland Shire residents have always maintained a high level of health when compared to the state as a whole; however, experts agree that the area still has a long way to go before achieving optimum health.
The call came after recent studies into the health profile of the region demonstrated that the growth-rate of health in the Sutherland Division had declined since 2001.
The reports outlined the need for health emphasis as a cultural process and in order to improve health and wellbeing, stating that the population distribution was in flux, with predictions of a very large proportion of middle-age to elderly by the year 2020, as the Baby-booming generation ages.
Emerging trends in breast and lung cancer as well as lymphoma for women, and sexually transmitted infections and mental illness in both males and females were also raised as issues of significance, primarily as consequences of lack of awareness and education to the public. In addition, asthma in children is on the increase across the Sutherland Shire, due to exposure to cigarette smoke and local bushland air-borne pollens.
As a relatively active area, it comes as no surprise that physical exercise rates have increased by 13.8% since 1997, demonstrating that as the Sutherland Shire population ages; people are choosing the benefits of regular exercise more than ever before.
This is said to put pressure on the limited resources of the council, however, as planning and improvements to Shire facilities are in high demand and come at high costs. Examples of this include Engadine Leisure Centre’s multi-million dollar upgrade (2007-8).
Other council initiatives, on a lesser scale, that were emphasised through the report include Purple Ribbon Day, the implementation of Private Health cover to most residents, Summer Survival Programs which target issues of sexual education, World AIDS day, Youth Week and Seniors Week, as well as, Community training and information seminars targeted at local health service workers.
Of increasing concern for the local area are the levels of immunisation, as, since 2000, notifications for Meningococcal, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia and Salmonella related illnesses have increased and the Sutherland Shire is now said to hold one of the highest incidence of Hepatitis A in Australia.
As a result, Vaccinations among high-risk groups have been carried out to help prevent outbreaks. This includes the nation-wide meningococcal vaccination program, introduced in 2003, which successfully vaccinated most 1–19 year-olds by 2006.
The emerging trend of increased alcohol and drug use complicating mental health disorders was also identified, and, consequently, the restructuring of Sutherland Division of Mental Health was carried out to enable a broader range of interventions for persons experiencing mental illness.
As a result of these changes in levels of health and policies, local residents need to ask themselves what they are doing to promote a healthier lifestyle and how they can reduce the incidence of illness and disability in the area.
Reviews of such reports are available online at ‘Health: maintain a healthy community’ and ‘Shire GPs Demographic Health Profile’, and were used with permission.
For more information on issues affecting health in your area contact your healthcare provider.
