Health promotion priorities for Victoria 2007–2012 - Department of ...

iv Health promotion priorities forVictoria 2007-12: Report of 2006 consultation process and next steps
Executive summary
The Rural and Regional Health and Aged Care Services
(RRHACS) Division, Department of Human Services, and
the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth)
together make a significant investment in supporting
quality health promotion programs and practice. This
report documents the process undertaken by RRHACS
Division and VicHealth to further strengthen health
promotion in Victoria, through the development of
statewide priorities for 2007–12. It also articulates early
plans for implementing these priorities.
The first stage of the priority setting process was the
development of a widely circulated discussion paper.
The paper introduced a preliminary list of priorities, based
on available population health data and supporting
evidence. It outlined questions to stimulate discussion
regarding the proposed priorities and provided readers with
references for further information.
The second stage comprised a statewide consultation,
held between February and May 2006. Ten consultation
forums were conducted across regional and metropolitan
Victoria. They were divided into two parts: the first
concerning health promotion priorities and the second
concerning the systems required to support them. A total
of 567 people participated in the sessions and an
additional 35 written responses addressing the
consultation questions were received.
Criteria used to prepare and finalise the priority issues
included:
• the significance of the issue’s impact and scale
• the degree of health inequalities
• evidence indicating that the issue is amenable to change
through health promotion and prevention action
• the strategic opportunities and capacity for RRHACS,
VicHealth and/or other key stakeholders, now and over
the next five years, to address these issues.
The consultation results established seven broad
priority issues.
The seven priorities are:
1. promoting physical activity and active communities
2. promoting accessible and nutritious food
3. promoting mental health and wellbeing
4. reducing tobacco-related harm
5. reducing and minimising harm from alcohol and
other drugs
6. safe environments to prevent unintentional injury
7. sexual and reproductive health.
The overarching aim of the health promotion
priorities is to improve overall health and reduce
health inequalities.
Neighbourhood Renewal sites were also confirmed as
one of the priority settings for health promotion
practice, from 2007–12.
A management group, comprising representatives from
program areas across the department and VicHealth, has
been established to oversee implementation and ensure
integration across the priorities. More information on
implementation planning will be published in 2007.