Chronic diseases

Chronic diseases are some of the leading causes of potentially avoidable deaths, potentially avoidable hospitalisations and burden of disease in Western Australia (WA) [1]. Potentially avoidable deaths are deaths that could have been avoided with timely and effective health care, including screening, disease prevention, population health initiatives, or appropriate access to primary health or hospital care. Potentially avoidable hospitalisations are hospital admissions that could have been avoided by preventing the condition or by treating it in a primary health setting, such as seeing a general practitioner (GP).

Chronic disease are a substantial problem for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in WA [2]. Chronic conditions like respiratory diseases (including asthma), heart and circulatory diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney diseases and some cancers are more common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than among non-Indigenous people in WA. These conditions tend to occur at younger ages for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people than non-Indigenous people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are also more likely to die from chronic conditions than non-Indigenous people.