Advocating and influencing health policy
Advocating for everyone in Australia to be less sick is central to what we do. This work can take various forms, such as this gathering above of PHAA staff and members in the Australian Parliament with ACT Senator David Pocock (white shirt) to discuss unhealthy marketing of products.
It's the result of collaborating with our members, branches, and special interest groups to produce evidence-based policy positions to improve the public's health.
We also regularly partner with allies and various organisations to amplify our collective voices, and increase the reach of our work.
The PHAA's priorities are to:
- Increase spending on health prevention to more than 5 percent of the health budget
- Protect children from unhealthy marketing including tobacco, alcohol and junk food advertising
- Prevent chronic disease through creating healthy environments and enabling healthy decisions: reduce tobacco, alcohol and junk food advertising and promote exercise and healthy food
- Close the Gap on Indigenous youth health
- Protect our natural environments which are the foundation for healthy communities
Our policy work is guided by our priorities and our national policy directions.
We provide policy advice through a variety of advocacy work including writing submissions and advocacy letters.
Members are encouraged to get involved with influencing public health policy development in ways including:
- Participating in branch activities and state/territory election campaigns
- Join a Special Interest Group
- Help us write submissions and letters
- Contribute to our annual policy reviews
- Share their expertise via essays in our Intouch Public Health blog
Resources for advocating public health issues
Public Health Advocacy Tool Kit produced by the Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA.
A Global Charter for the Public’s Health (summary by the World Federation of Public Health Associations)