The Australian Government is developing a 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy, and this Consultation Paper sets out what the Strategy will aim to achieve and conceptually how this might be done.
In general, the Strategy is a good start and reasonably comprehensive. The overall goals are commendable, but some clearer targets are needed.
Importantly health inequities and the social determinants of health are acknowledged in the Paper. However, it is these social and environmental determinants of health, and the systems and structures that undermine them, which should be the key focus of the Strategy. This means there should be a much greater emphasis on the social and environmental determinants of health, such as steps to address health literacy, economic and housing security, education, employment, and climate change.
The Strategy is also focused on physical health issues, with minimal mention of mental health. This is despite the fact that the same principles that prevent many physical health conditions also address mental health. The APS recommends that it would be strategic to embed mental health into this Strategy.
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