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Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) fact sheet

PDF printable version of Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI) fact sheet (PDF 52 KB)

Background

Chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers are estimated to be responsible for nearly 80 per cent of the total burden of disease and injury1, and more than two thirds of all health expenditure.1
Most chronic diseases have a set of modifiable risk factors – and addressing the impact of these risk factors will significantly improve the health of the population.
Many Australians are unaware of the risk of chronic disease they face as the result of their lifestyle choices, such as unhealthy eating, lack of physical activity, smoking, being overweight or harmful alcohol consumption.
By addressing lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease, the impact of chronic diseases can be reduced, population health enhanced and health system sustainability improved.

The Australian Better Health Initiative (ABHI)

ABHI is a four year joint Australian, state and territory government program which aims to reduce the prevalence of risk factors for chronic disease, limit the incidence and the impact of these diseases and reduce morbidity and mortality rates.
ABHI’s priority areas include:
  • Promoting healthy lifestyles
  • Supporting early detection of risk factors and chronic disease
  • Supporting lifestyle and risk modification
  • Encouraging active patient self management of chronic conditions
  • Improving the communication and coordination between care services.
The Measure Up social marketing campaign is funded under the promoting healthy lifestyles priority area.

For information and tips go to australia.gov.au/MeasureUp


1National Health Priority Action Council (NHPAC) 2006. National Chronic Disease Strategy, Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Canberra.
2 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) 2006. Chronic diseases and associated risk factors in Australia, 2006. Canberra: AIHW.

Australian Better Health Initiative

info@MeasureUp.gov.au  australia.gov.au/MeasureUp

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