Strengthening Health Promotion Co-ordination and Activity

A vibrant, skilled and co-operative health promotion sector that works effectively with all groups and in all settings to reduce the incidence and impact of diabetes and health inequalities

Coordinated and targeted health promotion is integral to the success of Let’s Beat Diabetes (LBD) and its aims of preventing diabetes, slowing the disease progression and improving the quality of life for people with diabetes.

Significant progress has been made over the past year in co-ordinating and aligning groups and ideas, understanding barriers to performance and identifying priorities.

The Let's Beat Diabetes programme has worked to enhance and support the Health Promotion sector by:

• consolidating a leadership hub to guide and lead the action area and its work programme
• supporting aligned actions through better coordination of the funding environment
• coordinated planning
• improving communications resources within health promotion and primary care
• improving workforce capacity, and
• enhancing Maaori and Pacific programming and responsiveness.

Improving alignment and coordination of health promotion groups in Counties Manukau, increasing opportunities for physical activity and affordable healthy cooking, creating workable healthy food policies initiatives for outdoor events within Counties Manukau and extending the range of 'ready to eat' healthy choices available in Otara and Mangere town centres are some of the key Health Promotion Action Area initiatives. 

Health promotion initiatives that are being implemented within this action area are:

Leadership information sharing and planning through the Health Promotion Working Group.

Improving Workforce Capacity

Improving the provision of communications resources for health promotion and health education

Diabetes resources can be an important educational aid for our communities. There is a strong demand for resources to be available  in different languages to meet the needs of our community. A scoping exercise of diabetes prevention and education resources will be undertaken early 2009.

Counties Manukau Active Communities

CM Active is aimed at increasing physical activity opportunities and participation in Counties Manukau; and building the capacity of the physical activity workforce to encourage and support sustained physical activity.

The project is organised into two interrelated work streams: Community Activity Hubs and Physical Activity Workforce Development

Community Activity Hubs aim to increase physical activity opportunities and participation with a strong focus on communities which are currently "disengaged".

Physical Activity Workforce Development will build on the current workforce and facilitate sustained activity that is culturally, ability, age and language appropriate for participants.

Enhancing the Green Prescription Model

Green Prescriptions are prescriptions for exercise funded through SPARC. Within the Auckland region a modified version of the programme is being used, particularly with our Maaori and Pacific people. This model is different from the traditional model funded by SPARC.

The Let's Beat Diabetes Programme has funded an evaluation to compare the two models and provide costings for each.

SPARC are currently reviewing Green Prescription and is looking to increase the number of participants using the programme.

Let's Beat Diabetes is represented in the National Advisory Group for this enhancement and expansion. 

Healthy Kai

Healthy Kai is a programme that aims to extend the range of and sustainable supply of "ready to eat" healthy choices available at the Otara and Mangere town centres by working will local retailers, health providers and community.

Fruit and Vegetable Gardening