Joint Media Release: Public Health Association of Australia / Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) / Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) / Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA)

Leading Australian health experts have joined together today to call for the Government to urgently commit funds to establish a permanent Australian Centre for Disease Control (Australian CDC), saying that the Government’s election promise to create the organisation is now more pressing than ever.

The call comes in the lead-up to the revised deadline for the delivery of the COVID-19 Inquiry Response Report (now due October 25), which the Government has said will help determine the Australian CDC’s future structure and function. It also comes in the wake of the retirement of the Interim CDC’s Head, Professor Paul Kelly.

Experts from the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) and the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) say that delay of the COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report means that the Government will now need to act very quickly in the coming weeks to fulfil its’ election promise and protect Australian’s health.

Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, PHAA’s CEO, is concerned about the lack of progress in setting up an Australian Centre for Disease Control to date.

“During the 2022 federal election campaign, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed to establishing an Australian CDC in their first term of Government. This promise is yet to be fulfilled. Currently we have an Interim CDC, with funding that expires on June 30, 2025.

“The COVID-19 Response Inquiry has been a very important and complex undertaking, and we fully-support the Government’s decision to grant an extension to the Inquiry panel. However, as soon as the report is delivered, we expect to see the Government act very swiftly to fulfil its’ election promise before a Federal Election is called.

“The retirement of Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly this week also raises questions about the future leadership of the Australian CDC. Professor Kelly had been serving as the Head of the Interim CDC and has been a driving force for its establishment. We now need strong leadership for the agency in this vital stage in the development of the agency.”

Professor Joseph Doyle, President of the ASID, adds that the threat of pandemics is ongoing, and that there are other health challenges that urgently need national leadership from a Centre for Disease Control.

“We urgently need an established CDC with secure resources and clear governance. It needs to be well resourced, science-led and accountable to best protect Australians from new and emerging health threats including avian influenza and mpox.”

President of the RACP, Professor Jennifer Martin says that the Government also promised to deliver an Australian CDC with a focus on chronic disease prevention.

“The burden of preventable disease in our country is driven by modifiable factors such as tobacco use and vaping, unhealthy working and living environments, obesity and diabetes, underpinned by commercial determinants of health.

“If the Australian CDC is successful, fewer Australians will get sick or die from preventable diseases. It will also help us understand the best way to reduce the impact of some of Australia’s most common preventable killers and the impact of social and commercial determinants that drive inequality, climate change and poor health outcomes for some Australians. There are strong health and economic reasons to invest in disease prevention.”

“Climate change is the greatest threat to human health, increasing the burden of disease and disrupting our response to public health issues. The Australian CDC will play an integral role in planning for and responding to our greatest health challenges. The health sector and communities need certainty around the CDC’s future,” said Michelle Isles, CEO of Climate and Health Alliance.

PHAA’s Terry Slevin says that the Government has a unique opportunity to learn from COVID-19 and establish a national body that will help protect future generations.

“Australia is the only country in the OECD who doesn’t have a Centre for Disease Control.

“The Australian CDC could be the most important and impactful change in the Australian public health landscape in our lifetime. It is critical it is set up effectively from the start with the right legislation and funding to deliver on its potential.

“We are looking forward to a definitive and substantial financial commitment to the establishment of the permanent CDC before the end of 2024, before an election is called.”