Department of Health
A gateway to the strategies, policies, programs and services delivered by the Department of Health.
Healthy Tasmania is a Tasmanian Government and community partnership that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all Tasmanians. Healthy Tasmania supports successful community-led and evidence based preventive health activities
New Healthy Tasmania Plan coming soon
We are looking forward to the launch of the Healthy Tasmania Five-Year Strategic Plan 2022-2027 early next year.
We have consulted with the community and stakeholders to direct the actions and activities for the new Plan. Working with the community remains at the heart of Healthy Tasmania.
Over the next five years our action will focus on supporting Tasmanians and their communities to be more connected, have positive mental health and wellbeing, reduce harmful alcohol use, be smoke free, eat well and live more active lives.
There will also be a focus on priority populations and health literacy.
For updates on the next Healthy Tasmania Plan email ahealthytasmania@health.tas.gov.au or visit the Department of Health website.
Images left and above: Collating and summarising feedback from targeted consultations for the new Healthy Tasmania Plan.
Healthy Tasmania Fund
We are excited that $8 million has been committed over the next four years for community grants through the Healthy Tasmania Fund. In 2022, we will review the way the Fund is delivered to create a grant funding model that addresses state-wide topics while focusing on individual communities with diverse abilities, resources, and capacity. The next Round will be launched by June 2022.
Healthy Tasmania Five-Year Report
Take a look at the Healthy Tasmania Five-Year Report, showcasing the achievements of Healthy Tasmania from 2016-2021.
The Report features a wealth of inspiring success stories of community-based action and activities that supported Tasmanians to eat well, be more active, be smoke free and improve mental health and wellbeing.
Some highlights include:
We invested $5.6 million in community-led action via the Community Innovations and Healthy Tasmania Fund grant programs that delivered 101 projects across Tasmania to improve health and wellbeing.
The Student Health Initiative supported children in 68 schools to make healthy, safe and active choices. The School Canteen Accreditation Program doubled the levels of participation and accreditation, increasing healthy food options for children.
Over 2 000 people participated in the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Healthy Parks, Healthy People Program.
The Healthy Kids toolkit provided access to reliable and easy to understand health information for parents and carers.
New laws and regulations introduced around the sale, use and display of tobacco are helping to decrease the rate of tobacco smoking, including reducing the number of young people who start smoking.
Small grants for the Neighbour Day, Healthy Living Community Challenges enabled 120 projects to support stronger, better connected and more active communities.
Overall, there are some promising trends with more people becoming smoke-free, increases in physical activity rates and fruit and vegetable intake, and a greater emphasis on mental health and wellbeing.
However, we know continuing action is needed. Most Tasmanians still don’t eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables; almost one in two Tasmanians over 18 don’t do enough physical activity for good health; and more needs to be done to continue to reduce the high smoking rate.
Our next Plan will build on the strengths and successes of the first, creating environments, settings and services that support Tasmanians to live longer and healthier lives.
Healthy Tasmania Fund Networking Forums
The Healthy Tasmania Fund Networking Forums were held in Hobart and Launceston on 24 and 30 November. Forty-three attendees from 27 of our grant-funded organisations attended the days.
Participants had the chance to meet other organisations, hear about their projects and make connections for future opportunities. Video stories from Polish Welfare Office, Jordan River Service and Migrant Resource Centre showed how their projects are making a difference to the health and wellbeing of their communities. These videos will be available to view soon.
Organisations learnt more about the grant reporting and evaluation process, and heard some key findings from Public Health Services’ recent research on funding prevention (in partnership with the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre).
Rural Alive and Well (RAW) presented a session on improving mental health and wellbeing, which was a new focus area for the grants this year.
Attendees said the day was valuable, inspiring and a great chance to network and make new partnerships. We look forward to providing more opportunities for organisations to connect in 2022.
Images above: Attendees at the Launceston and Hobart Healthy Tasmania Fund Networking Forum.