Outcome1: Population Health

Outcome 1 aims to reduce the occurrence of preventable mortality, illness and injury in the community through initiatives that promote the need to stay healthy and help people stay well.

During 2007–08, the Department worked to achieve this by managing programs under Outcome 1 which encouraged people to adopt healthy lifestyles, and provided the community with access to vaccines and advice on immunisation. The Department also delivered programs to help improve the early detection of cancer, and reduce and control the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDs and sexually transmissible infections. Focus was also on reducing the demand, supply and harm caused by illicit drug use. In addition, the Department regulated therapeutic goods, industrial chemicals and gene technology, and provided policy advice for radiation protection and nuclear safety.

This chapter reports on the major activities undertaken by the Department during the year, addressing each of the key strategic directions and performance indicators published in the Outcome 1 chapters of the 2007–08 Health and Ageing Portfolio Budget Statements and 2007–08 Health and Ageing Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Outcome 1 was managed in 2007–08 by the Population Health Division, the Regulatory Policy and Governance Division, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, the Office of Health Protection and the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator. The Department’s State and Territory Offices also contributed to the achievement of this outcome.