SMHS Health Promotion delivers important local health promotion and community-based services to keep people within the SMHS catchment (PDF 2MB) living longer and stronger lives by:

• raising public awareness and engagement about health lifestyles and behaviours
• working with organisations to develop public policy to support healthy lifestyle practices.

The team implements and evaluates health promotion programs aimed at preventing long term chronic disease by targeting both:

• people who are currently well
• vulnerable communities at risk of developing disease or experiencing injury by engaging in risky lifestyle behaviours.

Read about our health promotion priorities and see a summary of our health promotion achievements in 2023-24 (PDF 6MB).

Our Health Promotion team partners and fosters collaborative partnerships with community groups, workplaces, schools and 9 Local Government Areas (LGAs):

• Cities of Cockburn, Fremantle, Kwinana, Mandurah, Melville and Rockingham
• Shires of Murray and Waroona
• Town of East Fremantle. 

Read about our role in public health planning.

Understanding chronic disease

Chronic diseases (also known as non-communicable diseases) usually have a number of contributing factors, develop gradually, and have long-lasting effects. They include:

• cardiovascular disease
• type 2 diabetes
• respiratory diseases
• musculoskeletal conditions (including back problems, arthritis and osteoporosis)
• mental and substance use disorders
• some cancers
• oral diseases.

Some of these diseases may lead to many years of disability requiring long-term management, while others can cause premature death. They have a profound impact on a person’s health and wellbeing and place an enormous burden on families, carers and the healthcare system, particularly because of our ageing population.

While these conditions develop over a long period of time they can often be modified by changes in lifestyle.

See a snapshot of health and wellbeing data for the SMHS population.