Public Health

Aim:

To reduce the incidence of preventable disease, injury, disability and premature death.

Target Group:

The Western Australian population as a whole, including selected target groups.

Services offered under this program

• Health Promotion

  Implements programs which inform the public about the causes of disease and injury, especially those associated with an unhealthy lifestyle;

  Promote the means of avoiding premature illness, disability and death through changes in behaviour; and

  Educate people to develop and maintain environments which support health enhancing behaviours and reduce health compromising behaviours.

  Examples of major strategies include the Quit, Drinksafe, Respect Yourself and Fruit ‘n’ Veg Eat it! campaigns.

  Facilitate the creation of healthy environments through development and administration of certain legislative controls that are designed to reduce selected behaviours which are known to result in serious disease within the population. For example, monitoring and enforcement of the Tobacco Control Act (1990) and its regulations, and other tobacco control legislation.

• Health Protection

  Development and administration of legislation to control: the quality of food, air and water; exposure to pesticides and chemicals; misuse of drugs; and the management of hazardous and municipal wastes.

  Provision of services to minimise the incidence and severity of diseases and conditions eg. women’s cancer prevention services; immunisation services, HIV/AIDS and STD services; injury prevention initiatives; screening for hereditary diseases; and strategies to deal with community infectious diseases.