The State Government has allocated $15.6 million for non-government organisations to undertake a range of health promotion campaigns over the next three years, Health Minister Jim McGinty has announced.
The State Government has allocated $15.6 million for non-government organisations to undertake a range of health promotion campaigns over the next three years, Health Minister Jim McGinty has announced.
The full text of an announcement from Mr McGinty's office is pasted below
Smoking, nutrition, physical activity and obesity will be targeted in programs to encourage Western Australians to adopt healthier lifestyles.
Health Minister Jim McGinty said the State Government had allocated $15.6 million for non-government organisations to undertake a range of health promotion campaigns and programs over the next three years.
"NGOs such as The Cancer Council WA, the National Heart Foundation and Diabetes WA have become experts in educating Western Australians on how to live a healthier lifestyle," Mr McGinty said.
"It makes sense for the Government to utilise these organisations' skills as part of its ongoing health promotion efforts to keep people healthy and out of hospital.
"The funding is the second instalment in a successful program which began last year when The Cancer Council WA, National Heart Foundation, Diabetes WA, Australian Red Cross, Foodbank, WA School Canteen Association and Goolari Media were each given a slice of $5.4million to promote healthy lifestyles."
Over the next three years, The Cancer Council WA had been allocated $4.46 million for anti-smoking campaigns. Some of the funds would go towards the successful 'Make Smoking History' campaign, which included mass media advertising to reduce the rate of smoking among WA adults and raise awareness of the dangers of smoking in homes and cars.
Other grants included:
- The National Heart Foundation - $3.25 million to implement a strategy to increase physical activity levels, including State-wide advertising campaigns;
- The National Heart Foundation, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia and Diabetes WA - $576,000 to develop the knowledge and skills of Aboriginal health workers so they can better promote healthy eating, physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight;
- A partnership of The Cancer Council WA and Diabetes WA - $3.47 million to deliver a healthy eating program, which would include a mass media campaign encouraging fruit and vegetable consumption and strategies for parents and children;
- $1.7 million distributed between Foodbank of Western Australia and the Australian Red Cross to conduct healthy eating and food budgeting programs;
- Diabetes WA - $413,600 to deliver community-based diabetes awareness programs and conduct consultation with Aboriginal communities across WA about culturally appropriate diabetes prevention messages; and
- A further $1.79 million for Kidsafe WA, Council on the Ageing WA and the Injury Control Council of WA to run injury prevention campaigns and programs.
Last year's funding saw The Cancer Council WA continue its successful 'Make Smoking History' campaign, while Diabetes WA conducted the 'Don't Ignore Diabetes' prevention program and a small grants scheme for localised diabetes prevention initiatives.
The National Heart Foundation continued the 'Find thirty®' physical activity campaign, while The Cancer Council WA delivered a comprehensive nutrition program.
The Australian Red Cross FOODcents Program helped participants eat more fruit and vegetables and choose healthier food options. Foodbank continued its Growing Healthy Children project to improve nutrition for vulnerable school children and families, while the WA School Canteen Association promoted nutritious foods in WA schools.
The WA Department of Health has recently commenced another tender process, which invited non-government organisations to submit proposals for two year programs that address the priority health issues of healthy weight for both adults and children, and Aboriginal healthy lifestyle programs. The Department has allocated $5.575million to this tender.
These contracted campaigns and programs form one component of the health promotion and illness and injury prevention work being funded by the State Government. In 2007-08, the Government has committed over $10 million to health promotion contracts and other initiatives, including the SunSmart skin cancer prevention program, Australian Better Health Initiative and additional injury prevention programs.
