Australia’s health debt remains significant following the COVID-19 pandemic, with Australians’ cardiometabolic health yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, reveals the inaugural Wesfarmers Health: Australia’s Health Index. With cardiometabolic disease including stroke and heart attack the leading cause of death in Australia, the Index captures metrics for key cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, daily smoking and diabetes. Jointly launched at Parliament House in Canberra by Wesfarmers Health Managing Director Emily Amos and Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care the Hon Ged Kearney MP, the Index provides the most comprehensive, real-time view of Australia’s heart health driven by deidentified data collected from almost 500 SiSU Health Stations nationally. Key findings of the inaugural Wesfarmers Health: Australia’s Health Index include:
● Australia’s 2024 Index score is 92, indicating the odds of having two or more health risk factors is 8% higher than it was in 2018
● Nearly one in two Australians have an elevated risk of heart disease
● Nearly 3 in 5 Australians do not get their blood pressure checked regularly
● Gen Z (aged 16 – 24) have the highest daily smoking rates
● Health debt from the COVID pandemic remains significant
● Nearly 1 million Australians are at extreme risk of a heart attack or stroke, with men at greatest risk
● The number of Australians with diabetes may increase by 1 million over the next five years
● Australian Capital Territory is Australia’s healthiest state or territory, with Tasmania the most at risk
The Hon Ged Kearney MP said the findings of the Index highlight critical health challenges, “Accessible and actionable health data is key to driving positive change. The health issues highlighted in this report are multi-faceted, affecting millions of Australians.”
Wesfarmers Health Managing Director Emily Amos said the Index is more than just a health snapshot.
“Our Health system is at an inflection point with demand for health services growing at a faster rate than our ability to supply services, because of our ageing population and people who are living with more chronic disease. Wesfarmers Health sees an opportunity to support public health by providing free access to screening on SiSU Health Stations located throughout Australia. By producing this Index – the most comprehensive real-time data source on cardiometabolic health in Australia – we are also raising awareness and hope to support an effective public health response,” said Ms Amos.
The Index uses de-identified data from 3 million digital health checks on SiSU Health stations located throughout Australia to tracks changes in multiple cardiometabolic risk factor rates against a 2018, pre-COVID baseline of 100. Australia’s 2024 Index score is 92, with positive health outcomes still below the pre-COVD 2018 baseline. Reported annually, the Index will continue to track Australia’s health debt recovery back to pre-COVID level – as well as provide a score for each federal electorate against the national average.
Director Cardiology, Mater Hospital Brisbane Associate Professor Karam Kostner who attended the launch said the Index provides a sobering view of the current state and trajectory of cardiometabolic risk across the general Australian population.
“It confirms the urgent need for policy makers at State and Federal levels to commit to more scalable, holistic and effective cardiometabolic screening and prevention programs together to build a healthier tomorrow,” says Dr Kostner.
Directly aligned with Wesfarmers Health’s mission to make health, beauty and wellness experiences simpler, more affordable and easier to access, the data comes from SiSU Health Station checks, widely available at Priceline and Priceline Pharmacy stores across the country. The health checks are free, self-service and take as little as five minutes to complete. Wesfarmers Health: Australia’s Health Index can be found here: sisuhealthgroup.com/wesfarmers-health-index
