Outcome 14: Biosecurity and Emergency Response

Outcome 14 aims to protect the health and wellbeing of all Australians by coordinating arrangements that are capable of responding effectively to national emergencies.

To help achieve this in 2007–08, the Department managed programs under Outcome 14 to prepare for and, where necessary, respond to national health emergencies, including communicable disease outbreaks, environmental health threats, terrorism, or natural disasters. The Department also delivered surveillance programs to inform the Australian Government on the burden of communicable diseases and of ways to protect Australians.

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 14 chapters of the 2007–08 Health and Ageing Portfolio Budget Statements and 2007–08 Health and Ageing Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements.

Outcome 14 was managed in 2007–08 by the Office of Health Protection.