Drivers of Crime: Health services vital to changing lives

Focused, early health care for vulnerable children and their families makes a real difference to their lives.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says the public health service is providing a significant contribution to three of the four priority areas in the Drivers of Crime Initiative, updated today in a progress report Addressing the Drivers of Crime.

"Health professionals are improving maternity and early parenting support, particularly for vulnerable and hard to reach populations, addressing behavioural problems in young children and working towards reducing the harm caused by alcohol," says Mr Ryall.

"As part of the Government's Maternity Initiatives to improve safety and quality for mothers and their babies, we're funding an extra 54,000 WellChild visits by health professionals to around 18,000 new mothers who need this additional help.

"It is important children get the best start in life and the Ministry is also working to encourage expectant mothers who wouldn't usually do so, to register themselves with a lead maternity carer, breast feed their babies, and visit a GP when they need to.

"Immunisation rates for under two year olds at 90% of all eligible children are at an all time high, across all socio economic and ethnic groups. In some parts of the country, the Maori immunisation rate is higher than the general immunisation rate."

Mr Ryall says 100 primary care practitioners are also training to give positive parenting programme assistance to parents who need it. By the end of 2011 these practitioners will be offering parenting support to up to 1500 families and whanau of 3-7 year olds.

"Health services are also key in helping reduce the harm from alcohol. For example, we've doubled the number of alcohol and drug treatments offered to offenders with community sentences since 2006 to 12,271 last year and the Ministry is currently training 20 Police Youth Aid officers to assist in screening for alcohol problems and early referral."