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C&C DHB Population Health Strategy is coming!
C&C DHB wishes to work with stakeholders in our District to develop a Population Health Strategy (the Strategy) for the District, which is one of the tasks in the 07/08 District Annual Plan.
Why we need a population health strategy for C&C DHB
Up until now C&C DHB’s population health approach has been implicit in its work, guided by the population health approach articulated in the New Zealand Health Strategy and the New Zealand Disability Strategy. Our existing strategies and plans are consistent with a population health approach to improve health and reduce inequalities.
We see this in the implementation of the Primary Health Care Strategy including the developing role of PHOs in health promotion, HEHA, Te Plan I & II, Promoting Participation, Smokefree Hospitals, Family Violence prevention initiatives, and the increasing involvement of the DHB with other agencies on inter-sectoral projects.
A range of C&C DHB’s population health interventions have emerged and are delivered by different health and social services, for example physical activity programmes, healthy housing, and homelessness prevention. Many of the activities are a direct response to needs identified by the community.
Additionally, a great deal of work has already been done outside C&C DHB (much since before 2000) in the primary care and NGO sector, where providers and communities have developed services to meet their needs.
While this organic and community-driven evolution is consistent with supporting and encouraging community development, there is potential for an umbrella strategy to link community and DHB activities together. It is timely to bring together these strategies and actions so that there is an overarching approach to moving forward.
Developing the Strategy will make a population health approach explicit to the DHB’s work; it will build on and support existing work, and guide investment strategies in the future. Currently, there are multiple activities that are funded from multiple sources. We can make the most of our combined efforts, by ensuring that our services are coordinated, and that we work together so that we create synergies.
What is population health?
Population health recognises that the population’s health status is influenced by social, economic, and physical environments, personal health practices, individual capacity and coping skills, human biology, early childhood development and health services. Consequently, a population health approach addresses the entire range of individual and collective factors that determine health.
Population health strategies are designed to affect whole groups or populations of people, with the overarching goals to improve the health status of the entire population and reduce inequalities in health status between population groups.
The Strategy will focus on identifying the population health priority areas for C&C DHB, aligning and linking the numerous strategies and services that we have in the District, and looking for ways to increase the impact of our services in the District. It will provide an overarching framework designed to integrate the range of health protection, health promotion, and illness prevention activity that is delivered across our District.
Timeframes
Strategy development will be led by the Population Health Team, based at the Planning and Funding Directorate. By the end of March 2008 we hope to have a discussion document for your feedback.
Feedback?
For clarification or additional information contact Johanna.Reidy@ccdhb.org.nz
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