early public health career network workshop apacph, 19 th nov. 2005 dr john hall senior lecturer...

Early Public Health Career Network Workshop

APACPH, 19th Nov. 2005

Dr John Hall

Senior Lecturer

School of Public Health

University of Sydney

2. Demography

• Main features of the Australian population:- Concentrated in Eastern / SE corner of the

continent.- Low population growth rate.- Small families.- Growth is from in-migration- An ageing population.

2. Demography (cntd)

• 20 million people in 2004.

• 53% live in cities of >1 mill. (1996).

• 18% live in rural areas. (1996)

• 16% people not born in Australia, UK or Ireland. (1996)

• 386,000 Indigenous Australians. (1996)

Summary of the State of Health of Australians

- Change from infectious diseases to non- communicable disease (cardiovascular, stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetes, cancer, mental health)

- Risk factors – sedentary life style, obesity, tobacco.

- Aging population- Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians

• Made up 386,000 of Australian population of 20 mill.

• Have worst health status in Australia.

Indigenous Australians

• In the Far West of NSW:- Average age of death of Aboriginal males is 33 year

(78 years for white males).- Alcohol deaths for Aboriginal males are 8 times the

national average.- Blindness is 10 times the national average.- Teenage pregnancy is 16 times the national average.- Have the highest incidence of lung cancer, premature

births and STIs in NSW.- Have the highest rates of death from heart disease,

diabetes, injury, suicide and homicide in NSW.

Public Health Workforce in Australia

• Risk factor modification – behaviour change - tobacco, exercise, diet.

• Evidence based interventions – population screening for cancer?

• Indigenous health.

• Ageing health.

School of Public Health, The University of Sydney

• MPH – key Public health issues in Australia.

• M.Clin.Epi. – evidence based decisions.

• MIPH – key Public Health issues in resource poor and transition settings.

- since 2000, 107 enrolments – China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, PNG, Australia.