vic govt commit 100 mill prevntv. health care, page-4

MORE than 2.5 million Victorian workers will be screened for lifestyle diseases in world-first program announced this morning.

Premier John Brumby has just revealed the government will spend $218 million over five years to screen all Victorian workers for diseases such as diabetes and other preventable conditions.

Workers will also be tested for high blood pressure, Body Mass Index and other early indicators of so-called lifestyle diseases.
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Mr Brumby said money for the program would be generated by the interest earned on investing a $600 million WorkSafe surplus.

Sixty million dollars will be provided to allow health workers to visit regional centers and small and medium-sized business to assess workers, give diet and activity advice advice and conduct free screenings

A further $28 million will be provided to employers with $10 million-plus payrolls in a dollar-for-dollar matching program.

$130 million will be earmarked for prevention programs for workers most at risk. These will including lifestyle change programs to encourage workers to lose weight, increase their physical activity and imporve their diet.

``Work Health will be the first program in the word to target the connection between chronic disease and workplace injury across an entire work force,'' Mr Brumby said today.

``It will save lives and set a new international standards for workplace health and safety.''

The announcement comes as new research released today by the Department of Human Services found Victorian waistlines are set to balloon over the next 17 years, resulting in a 30 per cent jump in chronic disease.

Mr Brumby said the impacts would be felt across all Victorian workplaces and in almost every home, draining more than $1 billion from the health system and industry in lost productivity.

"The epidemic of chronic disease ranks as one of the biggest issues of our time," he said.

"Chronic disease threatens our economy, our quality of life and our longevity.

"Workers who are overweight and at risk of developing chronic disease like diabetes, stroke or heart disease are more likely to be injured at work.

"Every year diabetes and other chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease cost Victoria's health system over $600 million and industry over $400 million in lost productivity."

Mr Brumby said WorkHealth would reduce the risk of chronic disease in the workplace by 10 per cent and slash workplace injury and disease by five per cent.

Research shows that by 2025, 83 per cent of men and 75 per cent of women will be either overweight or obese and at risk of chronic disease.

That equates to about 4.2 million Victorians, up from 2.5 million today.