September 2023
Health challenges affecting Australia highlighted in global review
By Rebecca Jenkins
Life expectancy at birth in Australia has increased by six years since 1990, primarily through reductions in communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases, a systematic analysis finds.
In a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease study dataset, Australian researchers found life expectancy at birth improved from 77 years in 1990 to 82.9 years in 2019.
Over the same period, the age-standardised death rate decreased from 637.7 deaths per 100,000 population to 389.2 deaths per 100,000 population, researchers reported in The Lancet Public Health.
‘Relative to similar countries, Australia’s ranking improved for age-standardised death rates and life expectancy at birth but not for YLDs [years of life lived with disability] and YLLs [years of life lost],’ the researchers wrote.
Ischaemic heart disease; self-harm; tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer; stroke; and colorectal cancer were the leading causes of YLLs.
The leading causes of YLDs were low back pain, depressive disorders, other musculoskeletal diseases, falls and anxiety disorders. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) remained the major cause of mortality in 2019, accounting for 90.9% of total deaths, followed by injuries (5.7%) and communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases (3.3%).
Lead author Associate Professor Shariful Islam, of Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Geelong, hoped the data would equip clinicians with a deeper understanding of the prevailing health challenges and evolving trends in Australia.
‘This study sheds light on the burden of NCDs within the Australian population, emphasising the significance of understanding NCD prevalence and impact, encompassing conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health disorders,’ he told Medicine Today.
As life expectancy rises and mortality decreases, Professor Islam said challenges associated with ageing, such as falls, low back pain and hearing loss, persistently contributed to the disease burden.
‘In this context, robust preventive and remedial health policies are essential to ensure the sustainability of the Australian healthcare system,’ he said.
However, he noted there was a strong case for greater funding of preventative healthcare in Australia, with only about 0.13% of GDP currently channelled towards prevention.
In an accompanying editorial, Professor Jaime Miranda, Head of the Sydney School of Public Health at The University of Sydney, and three other public health experts, argued there was a need to marry gains in life expectancy with strategies and policies to prevent or reduce disease burden during the entire life course, and to reduce inequalities.
In particular, the editorialists stressed that Australia should not embark on further prioritisation areas for action without inputs from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.
‘... [Health equality] will not be achieved if Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians remain marginalised and invisible from metrics used for policy making and monitoring, as well as invisible in the process of determining what metrics are used to guide policy,’ they wrote.