Venu Menon
Wellington, February 22,2024
Health New Zealand has published its report on the state of the nation’s health.
The NZ Health Status Report 2023, released on February 20, highlights some of the challenges that face the health sector, including the health inequities faced by some population groups.
The overall health status of New Zealand’s population is “good and improving.”
Life expectancy
The report finds New Zealanders “enjoy high life expectancy compared to many other countries.”
New Zealand ranks 16th in the world at 82 years, 2.4 years less than Japan and one year less than Australia.
Life expectancy varies across ethnic groups in Aotearoa New Zealand, the report notes.
Māori women die on average seven years earlier than European/Other women, and Māori men eight years earlier than European/Other men, as per the report. The life expectancy gap for Pacific women and men is six years compared to European/ Other people. Asian women live three years longer than European/Other women and Asian men four years longer than European/Other men. New Zealand is one of very few countries in the world that did not experience a dip in life expectancy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Risk assessment
Smoking rates have continued to decline every year. Mortality due to cancer, respiratory conditions and cardiovascular disease has also steadily dropped with falling tobacco consumption and reductions in other risk factors, the report finds.
Covid-19
The pandemic impacted “both population health outcomes and healthcare provision around the world,” the report notes.
But New Zealand has recorded improvements in life expectancy despite the pandemic, which the report puts down to the “outstanding public health response” during that period.
Health inequities
However, there are significant differences in health outcomes, particularly for Maori and Pacific communities.
“Although it is reducing over time, the gap in life expectancy remains largest for Maori nationally, followed closely by Pacific people, when compared to other populations,” the report observes.
Unhealthy weight is a problem for New Zealanders across the board, leading to an increase in preventable illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the report finds.
Māori develop lung cancer 6-8 years earlier than non-Māori on average and at lower exposure to smoking.
Total mortality
In New Zealand, about 33,000 people die each year, with 80% of those people being 65 or older. For Māori, 53% of people who die are 65 or older, for Pacific people 58% of people who die are 65 or older and for European/Other people, 86% of people who die are 65 or older, according to the report.
Causes of mortality
The most common causes of death in 2020 were cancers (32%), ischaemic heart diseases (12%), cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) (5%) and chronic lower respiratory disease (4%).The leading causes of avoidable mortality were injuries (2,064 including 620 due to suicide and self-harm), ischaemic heart disease (1,411), lung cancer (1,011), colorectal cancer (550), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (536), other heart disease (481), stroke (480), and diabetes (432). For women, breast cancer (403) is also important the report points out.
Child and Youth
There is increasing recognition of the importance of the early years on life trajectories and the positive impact supporting healthy child development has on long-term outcomes across a range of health and wellbeing measures, the report states.
Ensuring the health and wellbeing of babies, children and young people living in New Zealand is important both for children and young people in the present as well as to ensure the health of the population as they grow into adults.
There are significant health inequities across a range of health outcomes for Māori, with health services less accessible for Māori.
Youth mortality rates and causes of death vary considerably by age.
In the five years between 2015 and 2019, there were 1,012 deaths of Māori children and young people. Overall, Māori children and young people had higher mortality rates compared with non-Māori/non-Pacific children and young people.
Mental distress, illness and addictions
Mental illness and addictions are leading causes of disability and overall health loss both globally and nationally, and it is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic is further impacting this burden. In New Zealand growing levels of mental distress and need observed prior to the pandemic led to a Governmental Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, undertaken in 2018 (He Ara Oranga Report).
Prison health services
In the year to December 2022 there were 14,000 people sent to New Zealand prisons on remand and 7,200 following sentencing.
The prison population is a vulnerable group, often with complex health needs, particularly mental health and addiction issues, and history of traumatic brain injury, the report notes.
Older people
The population is ageing.
There are more than 850,000 people aged 65 years or older in New Zealand and of these, 93,000 are aged 85 years and older (Stats NZ, 2022). The number of people aged 65 years or older doubled between 1994 and 2020 and is projected to again double by 2063. Within this age group, the proportion aged 85 years or older is expected to significantly increase (Stats NZ, 2022).
The older population is predominantly made up of European/Other people, with 12% of those aged 85 years and older being Māori (4.0%), Pacific (1.5%) and Asian people (5.7%), the report notes.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
