NEW DIRECTIONS FOR IMPROVING WOMEN’S HEALTH

Ensuring women have access to the right health care at the right time is a key objective of the Gillard Government’s National Women’s Health Policy 2010 released today.

Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon and Minister for the Status of Women Kate Ellis said that the National Women’s Health Policy provides a comprehensive approach to the health needs of women and acknowledges that health needs vary across the population.

"This policy will prioritise preventing chronic disease among women and has a clear focus on maintaining and developing health services and prevention programs that target the greatest challenges to women’s health over the next two decades," Ms Roxon said.

"It is twenty years since the first national women’s healthy policy and there have been significant changes in the way women live their lives."

"Never before have we seen such enormous growth in chronic disease. Nearly half of all women are overweight and 27 per cent of women aged over 25 have high blood pressure. Sadly, large gaps in health outcomes for women from low socioeconomic groups, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women still remain," Ms Ellis said.

"This policy is about ensuring women have the information and support to take control of their immediate and longer term health."

Ms Roxon and Ms Ellis also announced an additional $5.3 million in funding to support the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health that will help continue to build the evidence base on women’s health.

"Knowing more about the key issues that impact on women’s health is fundamental to improving health outcomes for all Australian women", Ms Roxon said.

The additional funding will enable a new younger cohort of women to be added to the study, providing valuable information on the changes and challenges to women’s health over time across a broader range of age groups.