The $90m allocated in tonight's Budget for the forthcoming Australian Centre for Disease Control (ACDC) is a welcome first step, but the most significant Public Health infrastructure in Australia this century will need proper funding so it can achieve its best possible start in life, the country's public health peak body said.
This investment in current and future generations' health is a tangible step toward Labor fulfilling its pre-election promise to establish the ACDC by early 2024, the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) said.
"We know that this government has been in office for almost 12 months, and that the success of the ACDC depends on all states and territories working in coordination with the Commonwealth," PHAA CEO, Adjunct Prof Terry Slevin, said.
"We've seen clear signals of that with the reaction to the very strong vaping and tobacco control measures announced last week, to which all jurisdictional Health Ministers have committed their support.
"We appreciate these collective efforts, and note they could potentially be expanded to tackle other areas of public health.
"The inclusion of preventive health in the announced scope of the ACDC, in addition to the focus on preparing for and managing future pandemics, also sends the message that stopping people getting sick, is a priority of this young Government."
Adjunct Prof Slevin encouraged the Australian Government to announce long-term funding arrangements for the ACDC, to ensure its sustainability to protect the health of future generations.
"The $90 million dollar announcement is an encouraging start, but it is just that – a start," he said.
"The Government will need to look beyond the horizon and put sustainable funding in place to ensure the ACDC is doing leading public health work for decades to come.
"It needs to be a well-established, long-term leading agency if it is to create enduring health improvements for current and future generations."
Adjunct Professor Slevin also encouraged the Government to announce the implementation and evaluation plan for the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030.
"The National Preventive Health Strategy was announced in 2021, but there is limited detail on how the federal government plans to move it from paper to action," he continued.
"The National Tobacco Strategy 2023-2030 and increased funding for the Tackling Indigenous Smoking Program announced last week are steps towards the strategy's goals, but other areas such as obesity and healthy diets are yet to see meaningful action.
"Compared to previous years, this budget is a substantial improvement for the public's health. But we will be seeking more detail on the implementation of the National Preventive Health Strategy, how exactly this $90 million will be invested in the ACDC, and its long-term funding arrangements."
"This is the most important change for public health this decade, potentially this century, and we have to make sure we get it right."
We commend the announcements of investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, which is crucial for equity, but we leave it to our colleagues in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector to assess whether this is meaningful addition to their work.
Increases to income support payments are small and should be raised for everyone to better support health for priority populations.
