The Public Health Association is Australia's peak body for public health. We advocate for the health and well-being of everyone in Australia.

We lead the conversation in public health policy across Australia. Our campaigns cover a wide range of public health issues including Indigenous health, alcohol pregnancy warning labels, and sick leave for all workers. Our campaigns are based on evidence-based policy statements which are developed collaboratively with our members, branches and Special Interest Groups.

Our 2,000+ individual members represent over 40 professional groups interested in the promotion of public health. We have branches in every State and Territory. The branches work with the National Office to provide policy advice, organise events and mentor young public health professionals. We also have 18 Special Interest Groups which focus on developing policy on a wide range of public health issues.

We are a lead provider of public health professional development, and host several major national and international conferences every year.

We publish the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health which is a peer reviewed, multidisciplinary, open access journal.

Our organisation is headed by Terry Slevin, our CEO. Our team is dispersed among the National Office located in Canberra and also other capital cities. Our work is governed by a Board of Directors and a constitution.

All public health professionals are invited to become members.

Our policy priorities

  • Increase preventive health investment to more than 5 percent of the health budget

  • Protect children from tobacco, alcohol and junk food advertising

  • Prevent chronic disease: reduce tobacco, alcohol and junk food advertising and promote exercise and healthy food

  • Close the gap on indigenous youth health

  • Protect our natural environment which is the foundation for healthy communities

Our policy work is guided by the above priorities and our national policy directions.

We provide policy advice through a variety of advocacy work including writing submissions and advocacy letters.

What is public health? 

Public health is an interdisciplinary approach to health which focuses on population-wide programs to prevent rather than cure disease and illness. Public health is wide ranging and may include:

  • pandemic control

  • sexual and reproductive health such as breast feeding

  • Indigenous health

  • health education including promotion of exercise and health foods

  • mental health such as suicide prevention

  • tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and junk food labelling and advertising

  • environmental health such as the impact of bush fire smoke on health

  • immunisation programs