TASMANIA has little chance of being the healthiest population in Australia by 2025, according to Australian Medical Association state president Tim Greenaway. His views have been echoed by acting Health Department secretary Michael Pervan, who concedes it is a very lofty goal. The pair yesterday fronted a parliamentary inquiry into preventative health, who are investigating challenges facing the state's health system. The Tasmanian government has committed to making Tasmania the healthiest state in the nation within 10 years, by tackling poor lifestyle choices and preventing chronic disease. It has promised to take action on high smoking rates, physical inactivity, obesity and cholesterol. Dr Greenaway chairs a specific committee charged with driving its policy forward, but has questioned whether the target is actually achievable. He yesterday drew on a sporting reference to illustrate the challenge at hand. "I think we'd have about as much chance as the Wallabies have of beating the All Blacks - but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Dr Greenaway said. "An aspirational goal is not a bad thing so we'll give it our best shot." Mr Pervan said the Health Department also fully recognised that realising the goal would be "very, very hard". "We may not get to be the healthiest population by 2025, but we're not going to say that anything short of that is good enough," Mr Pervan said. "We will get as far as we can go and we'll put every effort we've got into every action we can do towards getting there." Both men bemoaned the lack of preventative health funding contained in the federal budget. "There's nothing new in it and, despite the promise of other things, nothing's been reinstated," Mr Pervan said.
DHHS acting secretary Michael Pervan and AMA state president Tim Greenaway, who says while there isn't a chance Tasmania can become the healthiest state in Australia in 10 years there is no reason not to try and attain that status. Picture: DANIEL McCULLOCH
TASMANIA has little chance of being the healthiest population in Australia by 2025, according to Australian Medical Association state president Tim Greenaway.
His views have been echoed by acting Health Department secretary Michael Pervan, who concedes it is a very lofty goal.
The pair yesterday fronted a parliamentary inquiry into preventative health, who are investigating challenges facing the state's health system.
The Tasmanian government has committed to making Tasmania the healthiest state in the nation within 10 years, by tackling poor lifestyle choices and preventing chronic disease.
It has promised to take action on high smoking rates, physical inactivity, obesity and cholesterol.
Dr Greenaway chairs a specific committee charged with driving its policy forward, but has questioned whether the target is actually achievable.
He yesterday drew on a sporting reference to illustrate the challenge at hand.
"I think we'd have about as much chance as the Wallabies have of beating the All Blacks - but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Dr Greenaway said.
"An aspirational goal is not a bad thing so we'll give it our best shot."
Mr Pervan said the Health Department also fully recognised that realising the goal would be "very, very hard".
"We may not get to be the healthiest population by 2025, but we're not going to say that anything short of that is good enough," Mr Pervan said.
"We will get as far as we can go and we'll put every effort we've got into every action we can do towards getting there."
Both men bemoaned the lack of preventative health funding contained in the federal budget.
"There's nothing new in it and, despite the promise of other things, nothing's been reinstated," Mr Pervan said.
