Recession death rate is in Government's hands

Media release
18 February 2008
For immediate release

The PHA tells the government: the recession death rate is in your hands

The Public Health Association today told the government that the choices it makes during the financial crisis will determine the health of individual New
Zealanders, including how likely it is that they will die.

The PHA was making a submission to the Finance and Expenditure Committee on the government’s 2009 Budget Policy Statement.

Its national executive officer, Dr Gay Keating, said while the PHA recognised the importance of a sound 2009 budget, it was also important the government acted to protect the lives of New Zealanders because there is an increase in illness and deaths during financial turmoil.

“However, governments can choose to limit the death toll by ensuring that the social impacts of economic changes are well managed,” Dr Keating said.

"The international evidence is clear. Countries that have social safety nets, that do not let the rich get richer while other families go under, that say genuinely "we are all in this together" are the countries whose citizens fare well. In other countries faced with the same situation life expectancy crashes.

“Health and wellbeing is an essential part of a nation’s infrastructure. People who are sick cannot work to their potential nor innovate to the extent they can when they are well. Ensuring that our workforce and children (the workforce of the future) are strong and healthy is a pre-requisite for a highly skilled workforce capable of increasing productivity.”

The PHA is particularly pleased to see in the Budget Policy Statement that the government intends that short term responses must also contribute to long term goals, and to provide security and opportunity for New Zealanders.

Dr Keating warned that the government will have to actively intervene to stop the economic recession having a disproportionate negative impact on Maori.

"We have seen in previous recessions that Maori life expectancy is driven down. We know that for the sake of the security of, and opportunity for, all New Zealanders, the government could take preventive actions to stop more Maori dying.

“It would be tragic and ironic, at a time when this country has been progressively healing the injuries of past government injustices toward Maori, if government inaction in 2009 was to lead to disproportionate death for Maori.”

ENDS

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