STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:01 AM, 28 November 2016

Health leaders unite on 10 national priorities including reducing salt and taxing alcohol responsibly
Leading public health and chronic disease scientists, researchers and clinicians meet today in
Parliament House, Canberra. Professor Tom Calma AO, Chancellor of the University of Canberra will
launch Getting Australias Health on Track a policy report (see attached) for a healthier Australia.
The event is hosted by the Australian Health Policy Collaboration (AHPC) together with the Public
Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA).
Also speaking are Ministers Gillespie, King and Senator Di Natale.
Getting Australias Health on Track was developed by a national collaboration of 70 leading chronic
disease experts and organisations who have also worked together on the related Australias Health
Tracker. Australias Health Tracker, a national chronic disease report card was launched in July this
year. Recently, the second phase of this work Australias Health Tracker by Area launched, providing
localised data and reports on chronic diseases.
Now this work enters its third phase - Getting Australias Health on Track which outlines a suite of
policies that will help address the problems revealed in the Tracker data sets.
Currently, less than 1.5% of spending is dedicated to prevention. One in two Australians are now
living with a chronic disease; we must take preventative actions now for a healthier future. These 10
priority policy actions are more than health policies and offer significant social and economic benefits
for Australia. Australias Health Tracker reveals some of the nations greatest health challenges
now here is a list of some of the best solutions - ROSEMARY CALDER (Director AHPC)
The priority policy actions listed in Getting Australias Health on Track are:
HEALTHIER DIETS: Implement a 20% health levy on sugar sweetened beverages;
HEALTHIER DIETS: Protect children and young people from unhealthy food and beverage tv marketing;
REDUCE SMOKING: Enhance media campaigns to reduce smoking;
REDUCE SMOKING: Reduce health and mortality disparities in disadvantaged populations caused by smoking;
INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Invest in active travel initiatives to and from school to kickstart a national
physical activity plan;
REDUCE HARM FROM ALCOHOL: Consistent volumetric tax on alcohol products and increase current tax rate;
IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH: Scale up supported vocational programs for people with a mental illness;
REDUCE BIOMEDICAL RISK: Reduce salt content in processed foods and meals to decrease the risks of high
blood pressure;
REDUCE BIOMEDICAL RISK: Scale up primary care capacity in primary and secondary prevention of
cardiovascular risks;
MONITOR HEALTH: Invest in comprehensive national measurement and monitoring of chronic diseases and
their risk factors in the population over time.

Taking action to invest in preventive health measures will assist in our response to the growing
burden of chronic disease. We can't afford not to respond proactively; the health of all Australians
depends on it. ALISON VERHOEVEN (CEO AHHA)
Australians deserve a better and healthier future. We can no long rely exclusively on personal
responsibility. Governments have a clear responsibility to deal with the environment in which
ordinary people make choices. The most obvious first steps are to deal with tobacco, the obesogenic
environment, responsible alcohol taxation and cost-effective salt reduction schemes. MICHAEL
MOORE (CEO PHAA)
Media release issued Nov 25 2016
Report under embargo to Nov 28 2016

Launch:
Getting Australias Health on Track launches Monday, November 28th, noon-2pm, Mural Hall,
Parliament House, Canberra.
Available for interview:
Rosemary Calder AM Director Australian Health Policy Collaboration at Victoria University.
Michael Moore CEO Public Health Association of Australia.
Alison Verhoeven CEO Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association.
Report co-authors and leading chronic disease experts:

Obesity Professor Anna Peeters, Deakin University

Diabetes Professor Stephen Colagiuri, University of Sydney
Tobacco Professor Mike Daube AO, Curtin University
Physical activity Professor Timothy Olds, University of South Australia
Alcohol Professor Kypros Kypri, University of Newcastle
Mental health Dr Philip Batterham, Australian National University
Salt Dr Bruce Bolam, VicHealth
Primary care/Cardiovascular health Dr Andrew Knight, Fairfield General Practice Unit

Media contact: Frances Atkinson, 03 9919 4061, 0435 960 793 or frances.atkinson@vu.edu.au

Media release issued Nov 25 2016

Report under embargo to Nov 28 2016