Healthy Queensland
Making Queenslanders Australia's healthiest people
Too many Queenslanders die prematurely from preventable diseases each year. We have the highest rates of death from skin cancer and the second highest from heart disease and stroke in the nation.
The overall burden of preventable chronic disease in Queensland is predicted to rise by more than 20% between 2006 and 2016. Major increases in Type 2 diabetes are fuelling much of this growth.
And yet we live in a state with the best climate for outdoor activities and some of the best locally grown produce in the nation.
Current and future challenges
Too many Queenslanders are putting their health, and their lives, at risk
Smoking: 1 in 6 men (14 years and over) and 1 in 7 women smoke daily.
Weight: 2 in 3 men (15 years and over) and about 1 in 2 women are overweight or obese.
Exercise: about 1 in 3 men and 1 in 2 women (18 to 75 years) exercise very little or not at all.
Diet: just over 5 in 10 men and 4 in 10 women (18 years and over) don't eat enough fruit.
Unless, as a community, we start leading healthier and more active lives, the future looks bleak.
Improvements in medical science
There have been some incredible medical breakthroughs in recent years. And there's a strong likelihood advances in medical research could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment of preventable diseases in the future.
However, while technological and scientific advancements may bring us closer to solving some of our biggest health problems, we can't simply wait for a ‘miracle cure’.
Healthy lifestyle changes
Many illnesses can be prevented by making lifestyle changes, like eating better, exercising more, drinking less alcohol, quitting smoking and avoiding unprotected sun exposure.
As a society we need to make the healthy choices the easy choices.
Increased demand for our hospitals
Rising cases of preventable diseases, combined with our growing and ageing population, is expected to result in a doubling in hospitalisations over the next 20 years.
That's why making changes to the way we live now is so important.
But the government recognises its responsibility to ensure that when sickness does strike, Queenslanders get the best care, where and when they need it.
Too many patients are still waiting longer than they should for elective surgery and emergency treatment. We can do better.
Healthy Queensland targets
Target 1: Shortest public hospital waiting times in Australia.
Target 2: Cut obesity, smoking, heavy drinking and unsafe sun exposure by one third.
Last updated Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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