In 2023 following extensive consultation and collaboration across the sector in 2022, SA Health developed the draft SA Cancer Plan 2023-2028 and released it for public consultation. Feedback was invited by 1 October 2023.
The Australian Health Promotion Association South Australian Branch collaborated with The Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF) within Torrens University Australia to develop a joint submission to the Draft SA Cancer Plan 2024-2028. Our joint submission focused on the ‘prevention’ domain of the cancer spectrum, which is priority area 1 in the draft plan.
Both AHPA and PHEHF are concerned with improving equity to promote health for all Australians. The submission highlights considerations and recommendations to ensure equity and priority populations are at the forefront of cancer prevention. One such critical public health problem is the risk of cancer from alcohol consumption; recognising the complex social and commercial determinants of health that result in inequity and make cancer prevention complicated for priority populations.
Broadly, AHPA and PHEHF called for:
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Focused efforts on the social determinants of health and health equity
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A stronger focus on systems as the context of prevention decisions, particularly prioritising alcohol as a modifiable risk factor for breast cancer
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Inclusion of prevention efforts to raise awareness and reduce disinformation in/contrast against public health messaging
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Partnership with cancer prevention organisations
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Detail on how improved cancer prevention will be addressed by the plan, specifically the community’s engagement to guide decision making at all stages
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Consideration of language used in alignment with the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 to ensure the Plan does not miss the critical health determinants to address among priority populations.
The submission was developed by AHPA members Dr Belinda Lunnay, Gabrielle Fisher, Kristen Foley and Professor Paul Ward.
Click here to read the submission.
