The Australian Government's intention to give the October Budget a "wellbeing" focus is a welcome opportunity to change how governments can improve the health of all people, the Public Health Association of Australia believes. To do so, the Budget will need to look beyond the economy's purely fiscal measures, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The peak body for public health's 2022-23 Budget submission, Better Health through an evidence informed Wellbeing Budget, outlines ways the government can generate revenue, as well as improve health and enrich livelihoods and lives.
"The past two years have, understandably, been dominated by the viral pandemic and the subsequent ability of our hospital systems to cope with it", PHAA CEO, Adj Prof Terry Slevin, said.
"But this Budget is the chance to take a longer view, and put the financial measures in place that will express and move towards what we want for our nation, to achieve what is important to us.
"Prosperity and well-being isn't measured just by economic growth or productivity metrics, but by having or keeping good health, cultural richness, feeling safe, having genuine opportunity for ourselves and our family, and feeling respected and valued.
"We've learned in the last two years that you can't have a healthy economy without having healthy people, so that means policies which prevent diseases and other threats to health.
"This budget can help prevent chronic diseases, which drives one quarter or more of every hospital admission. Many of these are made worse by consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, tobacco, and alcohol. Lifting the levies on those products will have two benefits.
"The first is reducing demand for these unhealthy products, and the second is raising government revenue which we estimate could exceed $16 Billion over the forward estimates, 2023-24 to 2026-27."
That money could then be spent on various social and environmental benefits like public housing, cleaner air and water, and addressing the serious, well-documented and growing physical and mental health harms of climate change. Things that create long term benefit.
The PHAA submission also outlines investments on a proposed National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ($705m over four years), a $213m National Public Health Officer Training Program aimed at building public health expertise for the future, and national campaigns to promote healthy habits, and shrink tobacco and alcohol use.
The PHAA also encourages the Australian Government to ensure its policies align with the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 and other existing and new initiatives to improve health and wellbeing.
"Never before have people been reminded the extent to which we rely on our health," Prof Slevin said.
"A true wellbeing budget will take a long-term view on how revenue measures – as well as spending measures – can protect, improve and advance the health of all people in Australia. And in so doing, we hope, also reduce demand for future health treatment services."
