As health care professionals, it is interesting to note that on the 17th November 2010 Parliament passed the historic Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2010. You can read more at the Department of Health and Aging
The agency is being established to lead Australia’s fight against preventable diseases through campaigns targeting obesity, alcohol, tobacco and other substance abuse.The Government has allocated $17.6 million to establish and operate the Agency which is to open from early 2011 and will be responsible for three specific programs under the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health:
- National social marketing programs relating to tobacco and obesity ($102 million over four years);
- A preventive health research fund focusing on translational research ($13.1 million over four years); and
- A preventive workforce audit and strategy ($0.5 million over two years).
Potentially avoidable diseases account for around 20 per cent of Australia’s total health care expenditure. The media release has highlighted that;
More than 60 per cent of Australians aged over 18 are overweight or obese.More than 813,000 Australians aged 15 years and older were hospitalised for alcohol-related injury and disease between 1996 and 2005.
Currently, smoking kills about 15,000 Australians each year and costs Australia $31.5 billion each year.
Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon has said the agency will be critical in combating preventable diseases, which affects the lives of millions of Australians.
"We know that preventative health measures work and that’s why we sought to establish the Agency so for the first time in Australia, we will have one independent body to coordinate prevention campaigns across the country."
We will continue to observe with interest the role out and practical implementation of this agency and its associated programs.
