New Advisory Council to Boost Disease Prevention Efforts
Moves to prevent the lifestyle risks of chronic disease in Australia have been boosted with the creation of an expert Advisory Council for the Australian National Preventive Health Agency.
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18 July 2011
Moves to prevent the lifestyle risks of chronic disease in Australia have been boosted with the creation of an expert Advisory Council for the Australian National Preventive Health Agency.
Acting Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler today welcomed the appointment of 10 expert members to a new advisory council for the Agency in another significant step forward for national health reform.
“We know that prevention works, that’s why the Gillard Government is investing an historic $872 million into preventative health through national health reform, including establishing the Australian National Preventive Health Agency,” Mr Butler said.
“The Advisory Council will help the Agency tackle difficult public health issues focusing initially on obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and other substance abuse.
“The council will be headed by Professor Christine Bennett, Dean of Medicine, Sydney at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Chair of Research Australia and former Chair of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission.
“We are delighted Professor Bennett has agreed to take on this role – her experience in the health sector, her commitment to reform, and her passion for prevention makes her impeccably suited to this role. Along with the expertise of the other members of the Council, Professor Bennett will greatly assist the Agency in its establishment phase.
“The Advisory Council will provide advice and make recommendations to the Agency’s Chief Executive Officer.”
The Government set up the Agency in January this year to support the Council of Australian Governments and the Australian Health Ministers’ Conference in grappling with the increasingly complex challenges associated with preventing chronic disease.
It will drive Australia’s prevention agenda by providing evidence-based advice to the Australian Government and to all health ministers and developing national guidelines and standards to guide preventive health activities.
The Agency will take responsibility for a number of programs including national social marketing programs relating to tobacco use and obesity and managing a preventive health research fund.
“The expert advice now available to the Agency through this Council underlines the Government’s commitment to preventive health,” Mr Butler said.
“We want to encourage Australians to think about leading healthier lifestyles such as quitting smoking, eating well, getting active and to reduce harmful alcohol consumption.”
Members of the Advisory Council have been appointed until 6 July 2014.
For more information, please contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7280
Australian National Preventive Health Agency Advisory Council Members
Name | Current Position/s | S/T |
|---|---|---|
| Christine Bennett (Chair) | Currently Dean of Medicine, Sydney at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Dr Bennett is also Chair of Research Australia and was Chair of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. | NSW |
| Rob Moodie (Deputy Chair) | Currently Professor of Global Health, University of Melbourne. Professor Moodie was the Chair of the Preventative Health Taskforce and the Chair of its Alcohol Working Group. Professor Moodie was also previously CEO of VicHealth. | VIC |
| Michael Daube | Currently Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University and Director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA. Professor Daube was the Deputy Chair of the Preventative Health Taskforce and Chair of its Tobacco Working Group. | WA |
| Trish Worth | Currently Chair, Drinkwise. Previously, the Hon Trish Worth was a member of Parliament from 1993 to 2004 and was Parliamentary Secretary in the Health portfolio from 1997-98 and 2001-04. | SA |
| Jude Munro | Currently Chair of Queensland Urban Utilities. Ms Munro was previously CEO of the Brisbane City Council. Ms Munro is the first person to have served as the chief executive of two of Australia’s capital cities having previously been the CEO of the City of Adelaide. | QLD |
| Pat Turner | Ms Turner is an Arrernte and Gurdanji woman who was previously Deputy Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet; Deputy CEO of Centrelink; and the CEO of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. | NT |
| Lyn Roberts | Currently CEO of the National Heart Foundation of Australia. Dr Roberts was a member of the Preventative Health Taskforce and Chair of its Obesity Working Group. As CEO of one of the largest consumer-based health organisations in the country, Dr Roberts will also bring a consumer health perspective to the Council. | VIC |
| Tony Hobbs | Currently a Rural GP obstetrician in Cootamundra, NSW. Dr Hobbs chaired the external Reference Group developing Australia’s first National Primary Health Care Strategy and was previously Chair of the Australian General Practice Network. | NSW |
| Megan Morris | Acting Deputy Secretary, Department of Health and Ageing. Ms Morris is the Commonwealth representative. | ACT |
| Jeannette Young | Queensland Chief Health Officer Ms Young is the state and territory representative. | QLD |
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