by Graeme Woodrow
Introduction
Overview of Australia’s State of Health
Australia is one of the healthiest nations as measured by life expectancy. Australia’s life expectancy at birth continues to rise and is almost 84 years for females and 79 years for males.1 At age 65, males can expect to live to 84 years and females to 89 years. This ageing of the society brings with it its own challenges, particularly in the way those with chronic disease are cared for. Hence, the main focus for healthcare providers is on chronic disease, both its management and prevention. Nonetheless, infectious disease is still important, particularly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), because although the risks of contracting an EID are lower than contracting a chronic disease the potential impact could be enormous. This report will provide a brief but broad overview of the general state of Australia’s health, including especially chronic disease, followed by a special emphasis on infectious diseases and biosecurity.(continue…)