On 30 October 2024, AHPA NSW-ACT Branch President Dr Josephine Chau and Dr Dimitri Batras AHPA Board Director participated in an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) consultation about the use of health data.
AHPA, as the peak body for health promotion in Australia, was invited by the interim Australian CDC to participate in the consultation and share any issues, concerns or principles that apply to the use of data and provide advice and perspectives on what the Australian CDC can do to build trust with the Australian public.
ARTD Consultants and the Sax Institute conducted the consultations on behalf of the Interim Australian CDC; Sharon Marra-Brown and Maia Grange from ARTD Consultants hosted the consultation with AHPA.
During the 1-hour online interview, Dr Chau and Dr Batras provided insights into the work of AHPA and the core competencies and professional standards for health promotion that underpin health promotion practice and reflect the essential knowledge, abilities, skills and values necessary for the ethical and effective practice of health promotion.
During the discussion issues related to data storage, usage, access, security, and trust were explored. Some key messages shared by AHPA include:
- Health promotion is central to the establishment of the Australian CDC; read more in this 2023 Health Promotion Journal of Australia Editorial.
- Involving diverse consumer perspectives in the establishment of the CDC and its priorities is essential, with meaningful co-design involving intended beneficiaries. These principles of consumer engagement are highlighted in AHPA’s submission to the Australian Government’s consultation on the draft National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing, September 2023.
- Building and maintaining community trust in the ethical and secure use of data for the public good will be critical to the Australian CDC's ability to effectively achieve its goals.
- Ensuring equitable access to data while respecting and upholding the data sovereignty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is essential.
- It is crucial to align key CDC actions with the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 and the National Health Literacy Strategy to ensure cohesive and effective public health outcomes.
The consultations will guide the development of a new framework by the Interim CDC, outlining how the CDC will use and manage data to uphold and protect community trust. The final version of the Framework will be shared with the Australian community.
Further information: