This month, we’re excited to launch a new blog series by telehealth nurse Amy Seeary. Amy blends over 16 years of experience in nursing with her personal life as a mother of twin boys with cerebral palsy. In her series, she focuses on topics that truly matter—starting with a deep dive into preventative healthcare.
Preventative Healthcare and Chronic Conditions
In this edition of the CP Diaries, I shared insights about preventative healthcare—a topic I’m deeply passionate about. Nearly half of Australians live with one or more chronic illnesses, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The good news? Many of these can be avoided with early screenings and better health promotion.
The Leading Causes of Disease Burden
Heart disease remains the top cause of death in Australia. The major burdens in 2022 were from cancer, musculoskeletal problems, cardiovascular disease, mental health and substance abuse disorders, and neurological conditions. Encouragingly, rates of stroke and bowel cancer have decreased—but conditions like Type 2 diabetes, dementia, and osteoarthritis are on the rise.
Key Health Statistics in Australia
- 67% of adults and 25% of children are overweight or obese
- 14% of Australians still smoke daily, though this figure is dropping
- 1 in 5 adults face high psychological distress
- Vaccine-preventable diseases still result in deaths—579 people died from them in 2016
What Preventative Health Really Means
Preventative healthcare is all about staying well—both mentally and physically—for as long as possible. This includes making lifestyle changes to avoid illness and catching issues early through regular screenings.
Two Pillars of Preventative Health
- Promoting Healthy Living: Avoiding risks like smoking and excessive alcohol
- Regular Health Checks: General health checkups, Pap smears, bowel screenings, self-exams (breast and prostate), skin assessments, and mammograms
Why Start Young?
It’s never too early to consider preventative care. It's vital from childhood and becomes even more critical with age. In 2021, the Australian Government introduced a comprehensive preventive health strategy focused on seven major priorities:
- Cut down tobacco use
- Improve healthy food access and intake (only 5% eat enough fruits and veggies!)
- Encourage more physical activity
- Boost cancer screenings
- Increase immunisation
- Reduce drug and alcohol harm
- Strengthen mental health support
A Shift from Illness to Wellness
A powerful takeaway from this strategy is:
“Let’s reorient from an illness system to a wellness system.”
The strategy emphasizes equity—stating that “health is for all Australians,” with a strong focus on including people with disabilities among the priority groups to ensure fair access to preventative care.
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