Australia’s staggering health divide is set to widen

Without urgent intervention, thousands more Australians will die from preventable chronic disease with new research showing the health gap between advantaged and disadvantaged communities increasing. 

The latest Australia’s Health Tracker: Chronic Conditions by Socioeconomic Status launched today by Victoria University (VU), highlights where you live determines the state of your health, including the risk of premature death from potentially preventable chronic diseases. 

Between 2017 and 2021, more than 125,000 Australians aged between 30 and 70 years old died from preventable diseases. The vast majority – 71% - were living in the most disadvantaged communities and were more likely to be in regional or rural areas of the country. 

The Tracker report card compiles existing disease prevalence data to demonstrate the strong association between chronic disease and premature death with socioeconomic status. 

The report card informed Getting Australia’s Health on Track 2024 a suite of policy proposals to tackle the issues contributing to poorer health for people living in disadvantaged communities. 

Lead author Professor Rosemary Calder, Australian Health Policy Collaboration (AHPC) Director at VU said the ever-widening gap between communities who can afford to maintain their health, and communities who can’t, should be a major concern for all Australians. 

“This situation is getting worse and we must do something about it. The best way is to take a place-based approach and start tailoring what governments and organisations do for the specific needs and strengths of local communities,” Professor Calder said.

The report card shows more than 10 million Australians live in the 40 percent of communities with the highest levels of disadvantage and are at significantly higher risk of preventable chronic disease and poor health.  

In these communities:

• Cancer rates are almost twice as high
• Diabetes cases are almost three times higher
• Chances of developing heart disease or having a stroke are twice as likely
• Lung disease – including emphysema – is three times higher.

“The health and wellbeing of people living within disadvantaged communities is adversely affected by many social and economic factors, such as lower income, lower education, limited employment conditions, low housing quality and poorer access to resources necessary for a good quality of life,” Professor Calder explained. 

Dr Suzanne Williams works at Inala Primary Care medical practice in Queensland. A community with high levels of disadvantage and complex health care needs - nearly 20% of the clinics’ patients with diabetes, more than 30% who are smokers and almost half of their patients on five or more medications. She’s at the forefront of this growing surge of chronic illness. For her, change has to include removing the blame and shame from individuals.

“As a GP, it's challenging to navigate healthcare systems that don’t account for complexity. In my practice, many patients with high mental health needs and complex medical conditions often require interpreters, and they need more time to reach the same healthcare outcomes.

“Improving health outcomes starts with engaging communities - giving them hope and empowering them to take control of their health.

“Being healthy is expensive and the system is hard to navigate. We must lift health literacy for all communities. Access to health also needs to be easier – not just in an emergency but before with greater allied health support. None of this works if we can’t keep costs down,” Dr Williams said.

Tracey Johnson is CEO of Inala Primary Care: "Improving health outcomes in communities like ours benefits all Australians. It's not about more money or higher taxes - it's about using resources smarter. A joined-up health and social care system that builds local capacity is crucial. Currently, funding barely covers direct care, especially in general practice. Our communities endure poor health for over a decade before dying younger than they should, robbing them of a fulfilling later life. Clinicians in disadvantaged areas are stretched thin, often working in isolation with limited support. We must make attracting and retaining healthcare workers easier so that we can address these challenges together."

To improve health outcomes, leading health and community sector experts have agreed on ten policy proposals that will reduce preventable disease and improve poor health and wellbeing in disadvantaged communities.

They include:

• Establish a national framework and fund for local collaboration and coordination of place-based initiatives. 
• Establish long-term funding for community organisations and service providers.
• Regenerate a community development workforce and provide support for volunteer involvement.
• Municipal Health and Wellbeing Plans should be mandatory in all state and territory jurisdictions.
• Implement health and wellbeing overlays in all state and territory planning schemes.
• Invest in prevention through improving health literacy within communities.
• Strengthen systematic collaboration between Primary Health Networks and Local Health Services in preventative health.
• Provide long-term flexible funding for coordinated multidisciplinary team-based care.
• Reduce stigma and discrimination in health and community services.
• Reduce financial access barriers in rural, remote and disadvantaged areas.

"From removing barriers to accessing healthcare in disadvantaged and remote areas, addressing stigma and discrimination to ensuring needs-based funding, we recommend urgent action to ensure vulnerable people get the healthcare they deserve, not what they can afford,” Professor Calder added.

To arrange an interview with Professor Rosemary Calder and other case studies, contact Gemma Williams, Media and Communications Manager  [email protected] ; 0401 664 047.

Background: The Australian Health Policy Collaboration (AHPC), led by the health policy team in the Institute of Health and Sport (IHES) at Victoria University, is a national collaboration of Australia’s leading population health and chronic disease experts and organisations. Established in 2014, it brings together leading health organisations and chronic disease experts to translate contemporary evidence and practice into policy recommendations to prevent and reduce the impact of chronic diseases on the population.