DR MARTIN KLUCKOW Professor of Neonatology, University of Sydney; Senior Staff Specialist Neonatology, Royal North Shore Hospital; Humpty board member and Medical Subcommittee Chair
KERREN HOSKING Director Medical Programs, Humpty Dumpty Foundation
Small gains translate into big differences How one charity helps public hospitals improve health equity for kids
In 2019, the Federal Government launched the
complex and often compounded, and as health
National Action Plan for the Health of Children and
care professionals we are exposed to this daily,
Young People: 2020—2030, outlining the ‘national
regardless of where we practise. Our goal is to treat
approach to improving health outcomes for all
and meet the individual needs of each patient,
children and young people, particularly those at
but there is often huge variation in the tools and
greatest risk of poor health’.
resources we have available to help us do this.
Priority area one of the national action plan
The crux of national plans like this is the need
highlights the importance of addressing health
for collective and collaborative efforts at all levels
inequity for children and young people — the social
of society. This is not easy to coordinate and
and other determinants that contribute to this are
operationalise, especially when trying to bring
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The Health Advocate • AUGUST 2021