Australia a world-leader on health, but chronic disease is on the rise

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) latest report, Australia’s health 2024: in brief, reveals boys and girls born in Australia today can expect to live 81.2 years and 85.3 years respectively. This is an increase of about 40 per cent since the start of the 20th century and is the fourth best among OECD countries.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said it confirmed Australia’s health system was widely regarded as one of the best in the world.

“Australia’s life expectancy is now higher than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, which clearly shows the excellence of our country’s health system and the medical workforce,” Professor Robson said.

“However, Australians are spending an increasing number of years, on average, in ill health, which is placing more pressure and demand on the health system.”

According to the AIHW’s report, the average number of yearly GP visits per person increased from 3.8 in 1984 to 6.8 in 2022.

There have also been considerable increases in wait times for planned surgery. In 2022–23, 50 per cent of patients were admitted for planned surgery within 49 days of being placed on the waiting list, up from 40 days in the previous year, and 9.6 per cent of patients waited longer than 365 days, up from 6.3 per cent.

“While there are many positives to take from this report, there are also red flags and warnings that governments must pay attention to,” Professor Robson said.

“Australians are living longer, but the burdens of chronic disease and mental illness are on the rise.

“We must treat health spending as an investment, rather than a cost. Placing a greater focus on preventive health, mental health and increasing support for general practice would help Australians live healthier lives and would save taxpayer dollars in the long run by reducing pressure on the health system.

“There must also be immediate action from all governments to address the public hospital logjam crisis, as it is unacceptable to have such long wait times in emergency departments and for surgery.”

The AIHW report confirmed Australia fared well in the Covid-19 pandemic when compared with other OECD countries, with one of the lowest prevalence of Covid-19 infections.

“Australia managed the Covid-19 pandemic very well, but it was one of the leading causes of death in 2022 — the first time in more than 50 years an infectious disease has been in the top five causes of death, highlighting the critical importance of staying up to date with vaccines and boosters,” Professor Robson said.

“We also expect to see knock-on health effects as a result of people delaying access to care for health issues during the heights of the Covid-19 pandemic.”