Health agencies collaborating to promote common health messages

The Tasmanian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (TCDPA) is made up informal and formal member organisations who aim to reduce the incidence of chronic disease. The alliance work together by coordinating, promoting and advocating consistent health messages around nutrition, physical activity, smoking, maintaining normal blood pressure levels, limiting alcohol intake and having regular checkups with General Practitioners.

Physical activity is a common link for the prevention and management of a number of chronic health conditions and that’s why members of the TCDPA support the Premier’s Physical Activity Council and promote regular participation in physical activity. The TCDPA recommend adults participate in 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on at least five days of the week and that children and young people participate in at least 60 minutes and up to several hours of vigorous activity every day for the following heath benefits:

• reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
• reduce the risk of colon cancer
• lower the risk of diabetes
• lower the risk of osteoporosis
• lower blood pressure
• achieve and maintain a healthy weight
• improve your feeling of wellbeing
• prevent falls
• manage asthma
• reduce the risk of kidney disease.

Members of the TCDPA are the Heart Foundation, Diabetes Tasmania, Kidney Health Australia, the Asthma Foundation, Arthritis Tasmania and the Cancer Council. Informal members of the TCDPA are General Practice Tasmania and the Stroke Foundation.