Victorian Health and Well Being Plan Assignment 2022

Running Head: VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019 1
VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019
Name of Student
Name of Professor
Course
Date

VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019 2
Introduction
The 2015-2019 health plan of Victoria is a comprehensive document that outlines the
priorities and visions of the Victorian government, on the improvement of health and the general
wellbeing of its people over a long period. The plan aims at addressing the various ways of
improving health by prioritizing on things such as mental and reproductive health, drug abuse
and harmful effects of smoking. It also aims at reducing impacts of chronic disease, like cancer,
those at, risk and determinants of health. This assignment focuses on the plan (Victorian Health
& Wellbeing, 2015-2019). The assignment will firstly provide an overview of the project, and
the detail on mental health problem as one of the factors prioritized in the document. Among
those at risk of acquiring health problem are young adults. The socioeconomic, biological and
environmental factors are the primary mental health determinants. The most vulnerable group
mentioned above and health determinants will be analyzed critically in this assignment.
The Plan
The Victorian Health and wellbeing 2015-2019 envision the improvement of health by
addressing the leading causes of diseases, the groups of people mainly at risk as well as the
determinants of health in victoria. The plan also addresses the inequalities in health and aims at
reducing it to ensure that proper standards of that are hygienical are met. The project gives
precedence to the important areas and groups that have been prioritized. Proper feeding and
addressing drug abuse are some of the priorities in the plan. Others are ensuring that there is a
reduction in violence, and the improving of health. These specific groups are the obese, mentally
challenged people, tobacco users and the general drug addicts. However, to reduce the risks and
to eradicate health issues, the health determinants are addressed in the plan.
Health determinants are factors that put somebody at high risk of getting sick.
According to the World Health Organization, determinants of health are a combination of factors
that determines one's health. These factors are categorized into socioeconomic, biological,
environmental and cultural factors. These determinants tend to be forgotten by policymakers
when they try to find solutions to health issues. For example, the poverty levels of some
members of the community may lead to a high-stress level, which could lead to drug abuse.
More often than not, drug abuse leads to mental problems. It is, therefore, of great importance to

VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019 3
consider these health determinants in the pursuit of a much healthier state. The effectiveness of
this plan will become thoroughly evaluated when the overall progress and outcome is measured.
This is done against the priorities in the health plan. The government will also hold a yearly
forum, to determine the health status of the state and report on the progress of the plan. The
secretaries’ board will also make reports on the government's contribution toward the success of
the plan.
Improving mental health
According to the 2015-2019 health plan of Victoria, many challenges contribute to low
health standards in Victoria. The priority and vision of the Victorian government have a state that
is free of the avoidable burden of poor health. The plan prioritizes the following as the proper
measures to undertake to highlight the well-being and the health of the state. These steps are
improving mental and reproductive health, addressing smoking and drug abuse, preventing
violence and injuries and promoting healthier eating and active living. The main reason for
prioritizing the above is because these factors are the major causes of poor health in the state of
Victoria.
Improving mental health is one of the priorities in the plan. According to statistics,
13% of Australia's health problems have to do with mental and behavioral disorders, with most
leading to disability (Institution of Health Metrics and Evaluation 2013). 16% of the student
population that experienced psychological distress were between 5, 8 and 11 years. From the
above statement, the mental disorder is more prevalent in young people; therefore, they are more
at risk than adults when it comes to a psychological disorder. The priority focuses on solving the
underlying reasons for the poor mental state of the general population. Non-communicable
diseases have replaced infectious diseases as the primary cause of death and disability in the
world, and sadly, mental disorders are number one causes of disability globally (Srinivasan,
Mazur, Mony, Whooley & Ekstrand, 2018). One way of improving mental health is by physical
exercises. For example, in the case of the children, physical activities can help release anxiety
and minor depressions; hence improve health (Alexandratos, Barnett & Thomas, 2012).
Determinants of Health

VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019 4
One of the significant factors that the 2015-2019 health plan of Victoria has attributed
to the falling in health standard is the determinants of health. The plan proposes that all health
stakeholders come together and find a means to address these factors. If left unaddressed, the
state may never achieve the desired vision. The plan points to four classifications of health
determinants is particularly prevalent within the state. These are socioeconomic, biological,
biological and cultural factors. This assignment will focus on the first three determinants of
health.
The socioeconomic determinants are factors that conditions in which people are
born, live, work and age, including health system and that can put one at health risk. These
conditions are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at a local, national or
international level, which is influenced by policy choices (Patil, 2013). Most of the
socioeconomic factors lead to health inequalities, which are a crucial reason as to why not
everyone leads a healthy life. One of the social determinant factors is social status and difference
in health (Furler, 2006). Some people are lucky enough to be rich and belong to a wealthy social
class. However, the majorities of the population are poor and are unable to make ends meet, let
alone afford healthcare. According to (Chapman, 2015), there should be a focus on social
inequalities also, rather than just focusing on health inequality alone. The at-risk group is mainly
adults as they are charged with providing for the children. Social status affects almost all of the
priorities outlined in the 2015-2019 health plan of Victoria
For example, the promotion of healthy eating habits and proper living is
important in improving health. Unfortunately, it is difficult to achieve that objective when most
of the population cannot afford a balanced diet or adequate food supply (Leng, Adan, Belot,
Brunstrom, De Graaf, Dickson & Reisch, 2017). Lack of essential food substances like sufficient
supply of proteins may lead to a disease such as kwashiorkor, especially in children. For the
wealthy, large intake of some food may lead to obesity or diabetes. Also, addressing the problem
of drug abuse could be difficult as poverty is a significant factor that causes it. Lack of money
causes stress levels to increase, which turn people into drug addicts as they try to find an escape
route to their financial situation.
Biological health determinants are aspects of living, for example, genetic
composition, sex and gender or age that play a role in determining the general health standard of

VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019 5
a community or state. This assignment is going to focus on sex and gender and its general effect
on the priorities of the plan (Victorian health and wellbeing plan 2015-2019). Sex and gender are
terms mostly used to mean the same thing. However, scientists have come up with a way to
differentiate the two. Sex is the biological distinction between males and females, while gender
is the socially constructed difference between men and women (Short, Yang & Jenkins, 2013).
This assignment will focus on gender. The at-risk group is mostly women. Feminine is
considered the weaker gender, and so women always find themselves answerable to men;
therefore, they are unable to make crucial decisions on their own. For example, during
intercourse, the woman has no say when it comes to an important decision such as the use of
protection (Davidson, Trudeau, Van Roosmalen, Stewart & Kirkland, 2006). This leaves her
exposed to health risks. This affects the priorities of the health plan, especially on improving
sexual and reproductive health and improving mental health as she is most stressed up by male
domination. Domestic violence is also rampant in homesteads, which primarily affect women. It
leads to injuries and ill health, which is contrary to the Victorian health plan 2015-2019.
Environmental determinants of health are the surrounding circumstances that
expose one to the risk of ill health. Neighbourhood, lifestyles, industrialization and urbanization
are some examples. Others are resources, for example, food, water, soil and housing (Garbossa,
Pía Buyayisqui, Geffner, López Arias, de la Fournière, Haedo & Bordoni, 2013). This
assignment will focus on lifestyle and its role as a health determinant. The lifestyle that one
leads, is mostly influenced by the environment they grow up in. If one is bred in a slum, for
instance, there is a massive chance that he may be exposed to poor behaviour. These, in turn,
may lead to drug abuse or contracting sexually transmitted infections. Poor lifestyle also may
lead to an unhealthy diet, which may cause increased cases of ill health (Graham & White,
2016). The priorities of the Victorian health and wellbeing 2015-2019 are unlikely to become a
reality if the issue of environmental determinants of health is not fully solved. This is because it
is impossible to promote healthier eating and active living or address the issue of drug abuse
among the people living in an unfriendly environment. According to (Kickbusch, 2001) an
unsustainable lifestyle need to be addressed first before health efforts can be achieved
Conclusion

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The 2015-2019 health plan of Victoria is an essential step in achieving exceptional
health standards in the Victorian state. It is something that should be replicated all over the
world. However, some of the goals and targets may never be achieved without accurately
identifying and finding solutions to the determinants of health. These factors tend to slow down
efforts made in the fight against ill-health in most countries in the world. It is up the governments
of respective states to find a proper mechanism to elevate the wellbeing and health, in spite of the
above challenges.

VICTORIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING PLAN 2015-2019 7
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