Vision

Taranaki Together, A Healthy Community
Taranaki Whanui He Rohe Oranga

Mission (Te Kaupapa)
Improving, promoting, protecting and caring for the health and wellbeing of the people of Taranaki.

 

In 10 years...

(We have developed a series of icons that reflect our vision for the next 10 years)

 

People will be smoking less

Tobacco smoking is a key lifestyle risk factor, leading to deaths that could have been avoided. It is responsible for about 15% of deaths in New Zealand. On average, people who die from smoking-related illness will die 14 years earlier than if they had not smoked. Illness and disease caused by smoking can greatly reduce our quality of life. Diseases caused by smoking include cardiovascular disease and cancer. Second-hand cigarette smoke is harmful to people close to smokers.

 

People will be eating more healthily

When we do not eat well or do enough exercise, we are more likely to become overweight or obese and suffer conditions such as diabetes. The World Health Organisation has described this as an epidemic. In New Zealand, two out of every five deaths (about 11,000 annually) are due to nutrition-related risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, being overweight or obese and inadequate vegetable and fruit intake. Of these deaths, up to 9000 are likely to be due to diet alone.

 

People will be more physically active

Regular physical activity, along with good nutrition, can reduce the risk of a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, mental illness, cancer and falls in older people. The more we are able to influence our behaviors and treat diseases early on, the better chance we have of living longer.

 

The impact of disease will be less

While healthy lifestyles are the foundation of good health and wellbeing, some groups suffer more ill health than others due to a range of social, economic and environmental factors. These groups are more likely to experience risk factors associated with certain diseases, experience the burden of disease longer and die earlier. Although caring and treating people when they are ill remains a top focus of Taranaki DHB, we recognise that there needs to be a greater emphasis on keeping people healthy and well. One of the best ways of preventing illness is having a healthy lifestyle – a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking and regular health checks.

 

We will have a skilled workforce and the right infrastructure, with people working together

We will only be able to improve the health of the Taranaki community if we have the right people with the right skills. We also need to have the infrastructure, such as information systems, equipment and facilities, to support services. Taranaki has an aging health workforce and if we do not address this there will be gaps and skill shortages people retire. Addressing this is a challenge as New Zealand is losing many of its health professionals overseas.

 

Measuring our success

Each year we will be able to measure how far we have travelled towards achieving our vision through the outcomes listed above, and those outlined in each strategic focus area. Every three years, we will review the strategic plan, and take into account any new or future development that will affect us in achieving our vision of "Taranaki Together, a Healthy Community”

 

 

Last updated: Wednesday, May 15, 2024