Australian Health Promotion Association

AHPA Advocacy and Research Officer Elliot Fishman chats with Rebecca Zosel, Update Editor

RZ: Welcome to the Australian Health Promotion Association Elliot. Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came to join AHPA in September.

 EF: I was a Podiatrist in a former life. After working for about 5 years in community health and a few hospitals, it became clear to me that many patients were in the clinic as a result of sedentary lifestyles and poor diet. Preventable diseases were the main reason for at least 80% of the problems I was seeing in the clinic and this sparked my interest in health promotion. I undertook post graduate studies in transport planning, with a focus on “healthy transport” (walking and cycling). Since graduating I have worked on sustainable transport projects and policy development across all three levels of government and the private sector.

RZ: What’s the main focus of the Advocacy and Research Officer role?

EF: This is not only a new position for me but also for AHPA, to extend the Association’s advocacy work, so there is room for the position to evolve and grow in the future. For now, my key task is to work at a national level with the National Management Committee on a range of projects, research, and to respond to relevant government draft policies and strategies. For example, I am currently assessing how the Ken Henry Tax Review might impact on health and what the AHPA can do to improve the way the tax system encourages healthy living. I will also be monitoring and investigating issues and trends both nationally and internationally so that we can be proactive in alerting relevant government agencies and other organisations to emerging issues and actions required. I’ll be working with the media, to highlight the work of AHPA and the importance of health promotion in tackling emerging population health challenges and developing ways to place these issues on the public policy agenda.

RZ: What do you think are the major challenges and opportunities for health promotion in Australia?

EF: As I am sure many readers will appreciate, there is a renewed interest and call for action on the social determinants of health – factors in our living and working conditions that are determined socially and influence population health. The best illustration perhaps is the call for action resulting from the World Health Organization’s Commission on the social determinants of health (CSDH 2008). There is very little public recognition of how these factors (affordable housing, transport, preschool, employment conditions and so on) influence people’s capacity to choose the healthier actions. So one of the challenges for my role in particular, and AHPA in general, is to communicate the emerging knowledge about the social determinants of health to our professional colleagues, our political representatives and very importantly, to the general public.

RZ: Considering your background in land use and transport planning, I bet that you’re an advocate for cycling – am I right?

EF: You’re spot on! I’ve lived car free for a number of years, using my bicycle and public transport instead. Rather than feeling deprived, I believe this decision has enhanced my quality of life, helped me to get the exercise I need, reduced my emissions and meant that I’ve avoided the pain at the pump. Like most of us however, I still love a trip down to the beach or a camping trip – and I’m happy to snaffle a seat in a friend’s car when the opportunity presents!

RZ: Elliot, thanks for talking with me.

EF: It’s been a pleasure.