Monitoring Child Health During the Recession

In New Zealand, there are currently large disparities in child health status, with Maori and Pacific children and those living in less affluent areas experiencing a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality. Such disparities have persisted, despite one of the longest periods of economic growth in recent decades, as well as historically low unemployment rates.

During the past 18 months, New Zealand's macroeconomic environment has changed rapidly, with current projections being for a significant economic recession, followed by a slow and fragile recovery. Given that large disparities in health status are evident for socioeconomically vulnerable children, even during periods of economic prosperity, it is possible that as the recession progresses, and more families become reliant on Government assistance (e.g. unemployment benefits), some of the adaptations families make in order to meet their basic household needs (e.g. house downsizing / increasing the number of occupants to meet rent payments, deferring heating costs to pay for groceries) will result in unintended health consequences for children (e.g. increases in infectious and respiratory diseases, exposure to family conflict).

During early 2009, a working group made up of health professionals from a range of organisations came together to develop a suite of indicators to monitor the impact of the recession on child wellbeing. This indicator suite is currently under development, with the results of the first round of monitoring likely to be released to DHBs in early 2010.