Health promotion
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 2022-23 (PDF 3MB).
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.