Australian and New Zealand Atlas of Avoidable Mortality

Australian and New Zealand Atlas of Avoidable Mortality
Date of publication: September 2006

ISBN 0 7308 9569 6

Citation: Page A, Tobias M, Glover J et al. 2006. Australian and New Zealand Atlas of Avoidable Mortality. Adelaide: PHIDU, University of Adelaide.

Summary

This atlas, a joint project between the Public Health Information Development Unit, Australia and Public Health Intelligence, New Zealand Ministry of Health, describes avoidable and amenable mortality in the two countries over the period 1981 – 2001. Rates are decomposed by age, sex, ethnicity and small area deprivation, as well as geographically (district health boards for New Zealand).

Avoidable and amenable causes of death are defined as causes that are potentially avoidable at the present time, given current knowledge of social and economic policy impacts, health behaviours, and health care (the latter relating to the subset of amenable causes). Only deaths <75 years of age are included. Thus avoidable deaths are unnecessary, untimely deaths and the subset of amenable deaths provides an overall indicator of health care system performance.

Publication availability

The publication is available to download from the Public Health Information Development website.