On the campaign trail, I meet many people who are keen to talk policy and find out what Labour intends to do for New Zealand.
I have talked at length about our economic and social policies and am heartened by the support that we are receiving.
I have discussed in previous articles how Labour plans to grow the economic pie.
I will explain here how we intend to share that pie such that all New Zealanders are benefited as a result of economic growth.
In this article, I focus on health.
Good healthcare
Labour believes that good healthcare is the right of all New Zealanders.
Our health policies will ensure that all New Zealanders are able to live longer, and are supported by an adequately funded public health system.
Health outcomes should not be predetermined by location, ethnicity or the ability to pay.
In addition to good health being a basic right, investing in prevention and early care for those with greater health needs makes more sense than merely investing in an ambulance-at-the-bottom-of-the-cliff approach to healthcare.
Integrated approach
Labour will ensure that the health impacts of other policies are considered and that policies are developed in order that they address the social determinants of poor health and health inequities.
For example, under our housing policy, we will require landlords to ensure that rental houses are warm and dry. There is significant evidence of the role of housing as a determinant of health.
According to the Health Research Council of New Zealand, a significant proportion of New Zealand houses are at 120 C or 130 C in winter – colder than the World Health Organisation recommendation of 180 C.
Preventable diseases
Poor insulation means that houses are colder and that infants and older people especially run the risk of hypothermia, and communicable diseases like meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis and childhood pneumonia.
These diseases are preventable.
However, investing in a good public health system alone is insufficient. We should make sure that people who are treated for these diseases are not sent back to environments that will make them sick again.
Free GP and Dental
At our campaign launch, Leader David Cunliffe announced that under a Labour-led government, visits to General Practitioners (GP) and prescriptions will be free for children aged up to 13, pregnant women and for those aged over 65.
In addition, pregnant women will also be eligible for free dental care.
When I first heard about Labour’s plan to provide free dental care to pregnant women, I must admit that I was slightly skeptical.
I did not understand the direct link between a mother’s oral health and birth outcomes for her child. Significant domestic and international literature on the issue tells us that gum diseases during pregnancy can be associated with major health implications for both mother and child including low birth-weight, preterm birth and preeclampsia.
Pregnant women are more likely experience bleeding gums and other gum infections as a result of morning sickness, dietary cravings and hormonal changes that aggravate gingivitis.
A 2009 New Zealand Study found that women are less likely to see a dentist when they are pregnant. The most common reasons for this were a lack of awareness of the link between the mother’s oral health and the health of her unborn child and the high cost of visiting a dentist.
I am thrilled that Labour’s health policy has initiated a conversation about the importance of good oral health for pregnant women and also enables those who cannot afford, to be able to give their child the best start in life.
Holistic Policy
As a policy analyst, I have learnt that addressing social issues (poor health for example) is not as straightforward as we may have once thought.
It is not enough to merely address our health system – to have more doctors, nurses and improve hospital care.
Those are important, but international research shows us that a society’s health is often linked to factors that have not traditionally been seen as part of health policy – income inequality, employment, housing and education.
Labour acknowledges this and has worked over years to develop policies that address the needs of all New Zealanders in a holistic manner based on the understanding that more equal societies do better economically and socially.
All our policies are detailed on our website (http://campaign.labour.org.nz/policies).
All publicly announced policies have been fully costed and accounted for in our alternative Budget.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan is Labour Party’s List Candidate in the general election scheduled to be held on September 20, 2014. Email: priyanca02@gmail.com
