HEALTH Minister Lawrence Springborg will today reinstate almost $15 million in funding for preventive health programs after federal cuts.
More than 10 programs will have their funding guaranteed for this year, including the Get Healthy program to give obese people diet assistance, the Good Start Program to boost the health and wellbeing of Pacific Islander and Maori children, and Workplaces for Wellness to create healthy office environments.
The programs were all to be funded by the Federal Government until June 2015 under the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health; however, funding was scrapped in the Budget.
The Queensland Government will meet the $14.2 million shortfall in 2014-15.
“Without Commonwealth support, Queensland will be hard-placed to meet our aim of making Queensland the healthiest state,” Mr Springborg said. “These programs were particularly important in creating healthy behaviours in children, setting them up for a lifetime of good health and wellbeing, and also addressing people in the workplace where many of us spend two-thirds or more of our time.”
Mr Springborg said he would “campaign strongly” for Canberra to reverse the cuts.
Good Start is a statewide program providing nutrition and physical activity education to seven Queensland communities – Cook Islander, Fijian, Fiji Indian, Maori, Papua New Guinean, Samoan and Tongan.
Other programs to have their funding reinstated in 2014-15 include the Parenting, Eating & Activity for Child Health program, Food for Sport, and Learning Eating Active Play Sleep.
The 2014-15 funding will be provided to projects co-ordinated by:
Queensland Children’s Activities Network
Queensland University of Technology
Local Government Association of Queensland
Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service
UrbanTrans ANZ Pty Ltd
LaTrobe University
Queensland Association of School Tuckshops
Central Queensland University
Diabetic Association of Queensland
Playgroup Association of Queensland
Source: Courier Mail