MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Getting the health and health services we needNational Rural Health Conference, Albury, 2007

Moora adds a rocket to fireworks show

MOORA'S relentless campaign to embarrass the State Government over a decision to scrap plans for a new hospital for the town could reach thousands of people this weekend.

A plane towing a banner which says “Gallop give back Moora Hospital” will take to the skies over Perth on Monday as the town intensifies its campaign.Moora Shire's plan to upstage the Skyworks fireworks and make its frustrations known to an estimated audience of 400,000 is part of an innovative campaign to force the Government to recommit to building the $6.3 million hospital. “We thought the fireworks would be a good opportunity for us to get across an important message to Perth about the need for a Moora hospital,” Moora Shire enterprise development officer Devon Gilmour said.

“We'll keep on telling people about it right up until the election, or until the Government give us a contract in writing telling us they are going to give us our hospital.”

The Gallop Government rescinded an election promise to build a new hospital in October, instead offering funding for an upgrade, but the decision infuriated Moora residents who have mounted a campaign targeting Premier Geoff Gallop.

Every second weekend, busloads of Moora residents have been driving to Dr Gallop's Victoria Park electorate asking residents to sign a petition calling on the Government to build the hospital.

The West Australian, 24 January 2004

Furious at the Government's reversal on building the hospital last year, Moora residents waged a door-knock campaign in Dr Gallop's electorate and embarrassed him by presenting him with bricks from the decaying facade of the Moora hospital.

The brick presentations became a security issue for the Government when the WA Police Service's security unit became concerned the bricks could be used as weapons or projectiles against the Premier.

The West Australian, 29 March 2005

“Better prevention could be expected to save the country about $4 billion a year, with nearly three quarters of that saving in the area of cardiovascular disease”

The Weekend Australian, March 10 – 11, 2007 (From Productivity Commission, 2007)

Estimated health cost savings (annual)Chronic Disease Cases avoided Gross Avoided Costs

Cardiovascular 1,578,000 $2714m Type 2 diabetes 508,000 $745m Injury (serious) 26,000 $303m Cancer 15,000 $142m Musculoskeletal 25,000 19m

From: Productivity Commission, 2007

PREVENTION EXPENDITURE 1.7% of all health expenditure 2.5% of all governmental expenditure

Total Federal Government health promotion expenditure – all major issues - c. $48m p.a.

McDonalds expenditure – advertising alone – $50 – 55m p.a.

Alcohol caused deaths 1998-2003Region Number of alcohol

caused deathsStandard rate

(State = 1)WA 1463 1Kimberley 56 3.21

Pilbara 49 1.74

Goldfields 54 1.54

Midwest 44 1.22

East Metropolitan 412 1.09

Wheatbelt 61 1.06

Great Southern 44 1.03

South West 89 0.92

South Metropolitan 351 0.90

North Metropolitan 289 0.76

Source: Overview of drug-caused deaths due to alcohol among residents of the Wheatbelt Health Region. Epidemiology Branch, HIC, Department of Health. April 2004.

NORTH KARELIA PROJECT

The North Karelia Project was launched in 1972 in response to the local petition to get urgent and effective help to reduce the great burden of exceptionally high coronary heart disease mortality rates in the area. In cooperation with local and national authorities and experts as well as with WHO, the North Karelia Project was formulated and implemented to carry out a comprehensive intervention through the community organizations and the action of the people themselves. The Project has included a comprehensive evaluation, and has acted as major demonstration programme for national and international applications.

Over the years the scope of the Project has been enlarged to include broader objectives of integrated prevention of major non-communicable diseases and health promotion, as well as prevention of risk related lifestyles in childhood and youth.

The 25 year results and experiences of the North Karelia Project show that a determined and well-conceived intervention can have a major impact on health-related lifestyles and on population risk factor levels and that such a development, indeed, leads to reduced disease rates and improved health of the population. By 1995 the annual mortality rate of coronary heart disease in North Karelia in the working age population had fallen approximately 75%, compared with the rate before the Project.

INDIGENOUS HEALTH

Priority for all agencies Apply what we know Single approach Learn from elsewhere Address behavioural problems Partnerships Clear strategies; measurable targets

Campaigner’s view

Recognise your strengths Don’t waste time on bureaucratic debates

and restructures Look to see where you can make a difference (As well as other activities) – Focus on

prevention so rural and remote Australians can live as long and as healthily as the rest of the country