Picture the Future: Healthcare 2030

There are many aspects to healthcare and consequently a range of areas that can be targeted for improvements. Longterm planning is necessary to ensure the health of Australian's is not only maintained, but enhanced. New research from Siemens, indicates that prevention strategies and technology are critical to safeguarding ourselves against the biggest threats to Australia's future health.

Press Release
On Thursday 7 April, Global technology giant, Siemens, will be releasing new research suggesting obesity and chronic disease are costing Australians more than $58 billion every year – just over half of the country’s current healthcare budget. If current health trajectories continue, 75% of the population will be overweight or obese by 2030.

The report entitled Picture the Future: Healthcare 2030 examines the underlying challenges we face both with the epidemic of obesity and the resultant chronic diseases it causes – such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers – combined with a significant change in our population demographics.

Currently only 2% of the nation’s healthcare budget is spent on prevention and Professor Richard Head, Director of the Preventative Health National Research Flagship at the CSIRO – and a Siemens research partner – believes more attention must be paid to prevention as a way of addressing the huge burden our aging population will face with rising levels of obesity and chronic disease.

The report also reveals that technology has the potential to reduce the demands on our healthcare system, with the development of futuristic technology such as “lab on a chip” which can accurately detect via a drop of blood how many diseases may manifest themselves before they even start.

Source: BM Australia

Stay tuned for the full report. In the mean time what do you think about the future of health in Australia?

Health News Image Adapted from photo by Dowlesan.