“Healthcare costs have risen at twice the rate of inflation for more than a decade. Ten per cent - and rising - of our GDP pays for healthcare, the ninth highest percentage in the OECD.
If we keep this up, it's a recipe for social and economic disaster……….
But what if we turned our operating paradigm on its head? What if we viewed chronic disease as a social challenge with medical and cost consequences?
Most chronic illness is infectious. It spreads through maladaptive social, economic, and cultural systems. We are influenced by a cast of friends and strangers who socially, economically and culturally connect us. According to the African philosophy of Umbutu, you are who you are because of who we all are.” (Dominion Post, 9/5/2014)
This comment from Professor Paul McDonald, who is Pro Vice-Chancellor of Massey University’s College of Health, is key to what we need to do to improve, not only the health of our population, but the overall well-being.
We must work towards sharing our country’s wealth more evenly if we are to see improvements in housing, employment and mental and physical health.
All the evidence points to inequality as a significant factor in determining the health and well-being of nations and there is no reason why New Zealand should be an exception.
And it is not only a concern for chronic illness in adults. Children suffer more and their hospital admissions are unnecessarily high because of these social factors. If we changed our approach to look at all the background causes and improve them, we would save millions immediately in health costs and we would end up with fitter, healthier adults who do not suffer the consequences of their childhood illnesses.
When will our politicians and planners take this seriously? Or is it time to change them?