The economic impacts of ill health in Australia go beyond the direct costs to health services. An unhealthy population reduces workforce participation and productivity, and negatively affects living standards within the community. An economic analysis of public health programs in Australia over 30 years from 1970 90, found significant economic net benefits in reduced tobacco-related diseases, coronary heart disease, HIV/AIDS, road accident trauma and vaccine preventable diseases. Figure 3 provides details of the age adjusted Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) rates for a selected number of conditions across Australia.
Figure 3: Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) rates for selected conditions
Source: The Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia 2003. AIHW; May 2007
Combined data from graphs shown above
| Rate per 1000 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Cardiovascular | Chronic respiratory | Diabetes | Injuries | Mental | Neurological | Other | Total | ||
| State or Territory | NT | 28.9 | 38.3 | 16.2 | 4.1 | 20.2 | 18.5 | 15.2 | 57.3 | 198.6 |
| Tas | 28.4 | 26.9 | 11.1 | 8.3 | 10.7 | 20.2 | 16.0 | 26.7 | 148.3 | |
| SA | 26.6 | 25.9 | 11.3 | 8.2 | 9.7 | 18.7 | 17.7 | 26.2 | 144.3 | |
| Qld | 24.6 | 24.3 | 9.3 | 6.8 | 10.1 | 17.8 | 15.7 | 23.8 | 132.4 | |
| NSW | 25.1 | 24.8 | 9.3 | 6.3 | 8.9 | 18.1 | 15.5 | 24.4 | 132.4 | |
| Vic | 25.6 | 22.4 | 9.2 | 8.3 | 8.7 | 17.1 | 15.2 | 24.6 | 131.1 | |
| WA | 24.1 | 20.9 | 8.8 | 7.2 | 9.8 | 16.5 | 16.3 | 23.3 | 127.1 | |
| ACT | 21.8 | 18.6 | 7.6 | 4.1 | 6.7 | 13.4 | 12.2 | 20.2 | 104.6 | |