KEY POINTS:
District Health Boards (DHBs) around the country are making progress in their 10 annual health targets, particularly in tobacco control and reducing hospital admissions for toddlers, says the Health Ministry.
Ministry director-general of health Stephen McKernan said overall progress continued to be good in the third quarter.
"There have been slips in performance in some target areas like cancer waiting times, but the rebound has been quick."
The report covered the third quarter of the financial year, January to March 2008.
In tobacco control, target increases this year in the number of 14- to 15-year-old students who have never smoked and the number of homes with a no-smoking policy have been met.
"The steady progress we have achieved in the past nine months is clear evidence of how focused action by DHBs can make a difference," Mr McKernan said.
Hospital admissions for children aged under five dropped by almost 10 per cent across all ethnic groups in the 12 months ending September 2007, he added.
- NZPA
