1.1: Public health development and programs

The 1997-1998 Portfolio Budget Statements, informs Senators and Members of Parliament of the proposed allocation of resources to portfolios outcomes and their objectives and targets including the agencies within the Health and Family Services portfolio.

In this section:

Budget Measures

Objective

A strong national public health capacity and effective national leadership.

Priority outcomes

Reduced incidence and severity of preventable diseases for population groups in agreed priority areas.
Improved access to a range of preventive and primary health care services, particularly for populations of highest need.
A cooperative, efficient and effective national approach to public health effort in Australia.
Contribution to the improvement of public health in the region and globally.
Stronger infrastructure to support effective national public health action.
Effective integration of public health within the wider Australian health system.
Effective working relationships with other sectors which have an important public health contribution in priority areas eg transport, environment, employment, education, housing and primary industry.
A population which is better informed about public health risks and opportunities for better health.
High quality advice to government on national priorities, related action plans and on specific public health issues.

Strategies

Through the National Public Health Partnership with States and Territories, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), build and maintain a strong infrastructure to support national public health action including:
- strengthening the workforce;
- improving capacity for planning, decision making and financing;
- harmonising and modernising the legislative and regulatory framework;
- improving capacity for research and development;
- developing the information base; and
- developing best practice guidelines.

In partnership with States, Territories and the Australian community, implement, monitor and report on national public health strategies. New priority public health initiatives are to:
- develop a National Diabetes Strategy by October 1997;
- implement Immunise Australia: the 7-point plan, including the introduction of 'Immunisation Days';
- develop a concerted national approach to reducing harm caused by the consumption of tobacco and alcohol;
- develop a national Injury Prevention Strategy;
- develop a National Cancer Control Initiative in cooperation with the Australian Cancer Society;
- implement national physical activity strategies, under the 'Active Australia' initiative;
- implement a Maternal and Child Health Strategy from December 1997; and
- develop a Rural Public Health Strategy.

Ensure inter-sectoral action in agreed priority areas at the national level.

Build and maintain an evidence-based national public health policy and planning capacity to guide future investment in national public health action.

Improve the efficiency of Public Health Division business by the implementation of a systematic approach to contestability of divisional business functions.

Exercise international public health obligations and provide public health expertise to domestic and international agencies.

In partnership with States, Territories and other stakeholders, work towards extending and applying a population health framework to the whole of health system planning and financing.

Together with States, Territories and other stakeholders, advocate the importance of public health to the Australian community.

Provide timely and accurate advice to Government on public health issues, priorities, action and outcomes.

Performance assessment: indicators and target

Effectiveness

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates in diseases or conditions in the areas covered by national strategies (Priority Outcome 1; Strategy 2)	Reduction in incidence,prevalence and mortality (specific targets are currently being developed)	Incidence Annual reporting of selected diseases and injuries from National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System; National Injury Surveillance Unit; AIHW; State and Territory data registries; Hospital separations Prevalence Household surveys Self-reported surveys selected small-sample surveys All annual information for selected diseases and conditions Mortality Australian Bureau of Statistics State and Territory Data Registries Annual
National Public Health Partnership work plan infrastructure initiatives are implemented and have improved national planning and monitoring capabilities (Priority Outcome 5; Strategies 1, 4, 7)	Timelines and milestones met	Monitoring against milestones as set down in Partnership work plans
Knowledge, attitudes, skills and (where possible) behaviours of specified target groups as a consequence of health promotion and disease prevention strategies (Priority Outcome 8; Strategy 2)	Not applicable	School surveys Commissioned tracking surveys
The adoption and effective use of nationally recommended screening and immunisation policies, best practice guidelines and targets (Priority Outcomes 1,2; Strategy 2)	Not applicable	State and Territory data registries
Evidence that national strategies are cost effective as measured by case examples (Priority Outcome 1; Strategy 2)	Framework for development of cost-effectiveness model by December 1997	Commissioned study
Evidence of involvement of other sectors (for example, transport, environment, employment and education, housing and primary industry) in national public health policy making (Priority Outcome 7; Strategies 3,8)	Not applicable	Internal assessment of national strategy development

Efficiency

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Extent to which a contestability framework for divisional business is implemented (Priority Outcomes 3,6; Strategy 5)	Finalisation of a contestability review and implementation of key information systems to support contestability framework	Commissioned research and internal review

Quality

Indicator	Target	Information source and reporting frequency
Information from key stakeholders that the Commonwealth's inputs have been of high standard and timely, and have contributed to effective results and responses (Priority Outcomes 4, 9; Strategies 6, 9)	Ongoing high level of satisfaction	Commissioned survey Annual reporting on key strategies State and Territory Office information

Equity

Indicator

Target

Information source and reporting frequency

Proportion of national public health strategies which effectively target specified high need groups

(Priority Outcome 2; Strategy 2)

Not applicable

Survey of selected public health strategies

Annual

State and Territory Office information

(Some figures can be reported by Aboriginality)

Performance assessment: evaluation

National Drug Strategy Research Centres funded under the auspices of the National Drug Strategy: Contractual agreements with the Centres require review before the current funding period ceases on 30 June 1998. The review will examine the progress of the Centres in relation to their terms of reference, including their effectiveness in meeting the criteria of academic excellence and policy relevance.
National HIV/AIDS Research Centres funded under the auspices of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy: Contractual agreements with the Centres require review before funding the current funding period ceases on 30 June 1998. The review will examine the progress of the Centres in relation to their terms of reference, including their effectiveness in meeting the criteria of academic excellence and policy relevance.
Public Health Legislation: The review is to be undertaken as a priority under the work plan for the Public Health Partnership, and will assist in the modernisation and harmonisation of national Public Health legislation. A scoping study will be finalised during the 1997-98 financial year and it is expected that the first stage of legislative review and reform will be completed by 2002.

How the program is resourced: reconciliation of appropriations to the program and summary of portfolio outlays (Excel 54 KB)

Variations to Program Outlays 1996-97 to 1997-98 (Excel 24 KB)