Including Everyone in Our Healthy Future Including Everyone Victorian Health Promotion Foundation Annual Report 2007-2008 Including Everyone in Our Healthy Future
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Including everyone in our Healthy Future Including everyone in our Victorian Health Promotion Foundation Annual Report 2007-2008 Foundation Health Promotion Victorian Healthy Future This report is printed on Novatech, an environmentally responsible paper manufactured using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) pulp sourced from sustainable, well managed forests. Novatech is produced by Nordland Papier, a company certified under ISO14001 environmental management systems and registered under the EU Eco-management and Audit Scheme EMAS (Nordland Papier, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation Reg. No. D-162-00007). PO Box 154 Carlton South 3053 Australia T. +61 3 9667 1333 F. +61 3 9667 1375 www.vichealth.vic.gov.au Victorian Health Promotion Foundation September 2008 Annual Report 2007-2008 Including everyone in our Healthy Future Victorian Health Promotion Foundation Annual Report 2007-2008 At face value, Australians enjoy good health, with the second-highest life expectancy on the planet. But behind this statistic lies a big challenge. We are now facing rapidly increasing rates of chronic illness, linked to unhealthy lifestyles. The future for many will be years of poor health and wellbeing. There are many social, economic and environmental issues that are compromising our ability to live healthy lives. Their impact is magnified amongst disadvantaged members of the community. VicHealth works with governments, organisations and communities to create healthier social conditions and improved built environments for everyone. Annual Report 2007–2008 3 The Foundation envisages Addressing health inequalities and a community where: fostering change in the social, cultural and physical environments that influence the health of all Victorians is key to VicHealth’s work. Everyone is included in our vision for a healthy future. VIsIon MIssIon The Foundation envisages The Foundation’s mission is a community where: to build the capabilities of organisations, communities • health is a fundamental and individuals in ways that: human right • everyone shares in • change social, economic, the responsibility for cultural and physical promoting health environments to improve health for all Victorians; and • everyone benefits from improved health outcomes. • strengthen the understanding and the skills of individuals in ways that support their efforts to achieve and maintain health. 4 Victorian Health Promotion Foundation ConTEnTs Overview Chair’s report 2 CEO’s report 3 Building a healthy future 4 Awards 8 Investments at a glance 9 WHo WE ARE Board of Governance 10 Staff 12 Board appointed Advisory Panels 14 HEAlTH PRoMoTIon Action Creating Active Communities 16 Promoting Healthy Eating 24 Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing 28 Reducing Smoking 38 Reducing Harm from Alcohol 39 Other Health Action Areas 40 Tackling Health Inequalities 42 Fostering Innovation and Building Evidence in Health Promotion 44 RAIsIng AwarenEss Media activities 48 Major publications 50 Other publications 50 Conference papers and presentations 51 International delegations 52 ConTRIbuTIng To PolICy Policy submissions and consultations 53 Committees and working groups 54 REFEREnCEs 56 Among these is tackling the burden I would like to take this opportunity contributed by chronic diseases to acknowledge the great work such as cancer, cardiovascular that so many government disease, mental disorders, departments, organisations diabetes and asthma which, if and individuals undertake in left unfettered, will overwhelm partnership with us. our health system and impact heavily on our prosperity. VicHealth is in a unique position to highlight what can be achieved Disadvantaged members of our by integrating funded program community carry a disproportionate activity, research and evaluation. share of the burden of disease We also build opportunities for and illness. There is increasing people to be informed, learn CHAIR’s REPoRT evidence that the life and health new skills, have greater access expectancy gap experienced by to activities that promote good In the last twelve months the case these groups is due in large part health, and share healthier for increased investment in health to their vulnerability to chronic environments. promotion and disease prevention disease. In turn, the associated gathered significant momentum. health burden risks compound This role allows us to lead and their economic and social advocate for excellence in the Australia’s first national illness marginalisation. development of appropriate prevention summit, a VicHealth health-promoting policies and initiative in partnership with the Ensuring our prevention efforts programs. It also enables us to Australian Institute of Health are effectively targeted to those maintain strategic alliances with Policy Studies, was held in April that have the poorest health is national and global public health 2008. The summit saw more than where we will achieve greatest interests to strengthen health 100 of Australia’s leaders from healthcare savings. It is also in promotion action and advocacy. government, health services, line with the community value NGOs, business, academia and of fairness. The challenge for Our Board has a breadth of the community create a vision health promotion is getting the experience in health, sport, the for the prevention of illness and balance right. arts, research, business and disability, including concrete communication, which gives us ideas for delivering on that vision. In addition to changes in our social great advantages in addressing and economic environments current and emerging health Over the past year it has been which will continue to have health challenges. I would like to extend very reassuring to see a renewed relevance, there is also the looming my sincere thanks to all Board emphasis from both state and issue of climate change. members for their energy, federal governments towards a enthusiasm and commitment comprehensive and cooperative There is mounting evidence that to health promotion. approach to strengthening climate change has already begun disease prevention at state to impact on health and wellbeing Finally, I would like to take this and national levels. – for example, by affecting food opportunity to thank Chief Executive affordability and compromising Officer Todd Harper and all the The challenge for us is to the sustainability of rural VicHealth staff for their ongoing seize this opportunity to create economies and communities. If commitment and drive to create significant and sustainable unchecked, its impacts are likely a healthier life for all of us. prevention approaches into to affect an increasing proportion the future. of the population, particularly those who are already socially We know that health is the top and economically vulnerable. priority for most Australians. Without health, it’s difficult These changes suggest that to live well and to achieve our Victoria faces significant health aspirations. Although there have challenges and that we need Jane Fenton, AM been marked improvements in to work in partnerships with Chair the health of Victorians in the organisations, government last half-century, and our life and the Victorian community expectancy has increased, to ensure improved health significant challenges remain. for all Victorians. 2 Victorian Health Promotion Foundation at all levels; to focus on evidence; covering a broad range of to use the learning from our sectors, to trial different programs and research; and the approaches in preventing political support which allows us violence against women. to innovate and trial approaches VicHealth is working with to complex current health issues. women’s organisations, and with Indigenous and culturally In the past year we continued to diverse groups, men, boys work in partnership with federal and workplaces to prevent and state governments, particularly violence against women. the State Department of Human Services and the Department As well as our focus on current of Planning and Community priority areas, we continued CEo’s REPoRT Development, as well as to invest in research and organisations, communities and evidence-gathering on It is my pleasure to present individuals from a broad range of emerging health concerns. VicHealth’s Annual Report sectors including sport, recreation, VicHealth’s new Discovery Grants 2007-2008. community, local government, Scheme, which fosters emerging education, arts and business. The last year has been a period of ideas and conceptual research, significant change in the global, Some highlights include: this year funded initiatives towards national and local context. further understanding in the • Commencing work with six prevention of chronic diseases, local councils across the state In response to this rapidly evolving workplace health promotion, on our new program Streets environment, we have continued alcohol harm reduction, and Ahead, which aims to foster our leading role in the promotion the application of information flexible, community-based, of better health for all Victorians, technologies in health promotion. with a focus on reducing the sustainable initiatives to increase differences in health status physical activity among children For many years VicHealth has between population groups. aged 4 to 12 years through engaged in debates on the active transport. harmful impact of alcohol in Addressing health inequalities, • Ongoing research by Associate our community. However, we particularly with Indigenous Professor Tony LaMontagne, need to strengthen our