The Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP announced in June 2019 that the Australian Government would develop a National Preventive Health Strategy (the Strategy). The Strategy forms part of the third pillar for mental health and preventive health as outlined in Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan.
The Strategy will be a long-term 10-year plan and will build on other strategic work that has already been developed, or is currently being drafted. This includes the National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions, the National Obesity Strategy and the National Tobacco Strategy.
The Strategy aims to help Australians improve their health at all stages of life, through early intervention, better information, and targeting risk factors and the broader causes of health and wellbeing.
Public Consultation
Draft Strategy
Following previous consultation activities, a draft version of the Strategy has now been developed. The purpose of this consultation process is to seek stakeholder and community feedback on the draft Strategy. The diverse perspectives, experience and knowledge of all stakeholders and interested members of the community are valued and will be considered in finalising the Strategy.
The draft is now available on the department's Consultation Hub for comment.
Opening date: 5 March 2021
Closing date: 19 April 2021
Consultation Paper
A Consultation Paper was developed which outlined the key themes from consultations held to date, as well as what the Strategy will aim to achieve and conceptually, how this might be done. Feedback received on the Consultation Paper will be used to inform the development of the Strategy. The Consultation Paper was open for public consultation on the Department’s Consultation Hub.
Opening date: 28 August 2020
Closing date: 28 September 2020
Living Well for Longer – National Preventive Health Strategy Survey
The first phase of public consultation included a national consumer survey that was open to all Australians of all ages. Results from the Living Well for Longer Survey will be used to assist in the development of the Strategy.
Opening date: 19 December 2019
Closing date: 14 February 2020
Expert Steering Committee
An Expert Steering Committee (the Committee) has been appointed to provide advice on the development of the Strategy. The Committee is composed of experts from across the public health, research, health promotion, medical, allied health and nursing fields.
The Committee plans to meet every few months.
Representatives of the Expert Steering Committee
- Public Health Association of Australia
- Co-Chairs of Canberra Health Summit
- Consumers Health Forum of Australia
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
- Australian Health Policy Collaboration
- Australian National Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drugs
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
- Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Healthy Male Australia
- Jean Hailes for Women’s Health
- Cancer Australia
- The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre
- National Rural Health Alliance
- Cancer Council Australia
- Australian National University
- Drug and alcohol expert
- Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation
- Allied Health Professions Australia
- Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Independent public health expert
- Health Issues Centre
- Australian College of Nursing
- Australian Medical Association
- The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
Roundtable
A Roundtable meeting was held on 26 September in Melbourne and was attended by the Expert Steering Committee, as well as the Minister.
For a summary of what was discussed at the Roundtable, please see the below communique:
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, October 2019 (PDF 72 KB)
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, October 2019 (Word 28 KB)
Expert Steering Committee Meetings
For a summary of what has been discussed at subsequent Expert Steering Committee meetings, please see the below communiques:
6 November 2020
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, November 2020 (PDF 87 KB)
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, November 2020 (Word 28 KB)
16 March 2020
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, March 2020 (PDF 99 KB)
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, March 2020 (Word 18 KB)
28 November 2019
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, November 2019 (PDF 88 KB)
- Communique – National Preventive Health Strategy, November 2019 (Word 28 KB)
Consultation
Consultation will be integral to the development of the Strategy and we want to ensure that the views of public health experts, key stakeholder groups, and the public are well represented in the Strategy.
All stakeholders will be provided with an opportunity to contribute to the development of the Strategy, either through topic-specific consultation workshops or via public consultation.
For a summary of what was discussed at the topic-specific consultation workshops, please see the below communique for each workshop:
- Communique – Education Workshop, January 2020 (PDF 202 KB)
- Communique – Education Workshop, January 2020 (Word 23 KB)
- Communique – Rural and Remote Roundtable, December 2019 (PDF 84 KB)
- Communique – Rural and Remote Roundtable, December 2019 (Word 17 KB)
- Communique – Tobacco Workshop, November 2019 (PDF 284 KB)
- Communique – Tobacco Workshop, November 2019 (Word 25 KB)
- Communique – Research Workshop, November 2019(PDF 280 KB)
- Communique – Research Workshop, November 2019 (Word 24 KB)
- Communique – Prevention Workshops, November 2019 (PDF 279 KB)
- Communique – Prevention Workshops, November 2019 (Word 26 KB)
- Communique – Physical Activity and Nutrition Workshop, October 2019 (PDF 26 KB)
- Communique – Physical Activity and Nutrition Workshop, October 2019 (Word 278 KB)
- Communique – Cancer Screening Consultation Workshop, October 2019 (PDF 93 KB)
- Communique – Cancer Screening Consultation Workshop, October 2019 (Word 28 KB)
Relevant Materials
Please find below a list of documents relevant to the Strategy:
- Minister Hunt’s Speech – National Press Club address — Long Term National Health Plan
- Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the Strategy, please feel free to contact [email protected] for further information