What was the submission about?
The Australian Government is establishing an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to improve Australia’s ongoing response to current and emerging public health emergencies.
They released a discussion paper to guide the development of the purpose, scope and functions of the CDC as part of a targeted consultation process. This discussion paper was for information only, with submissions sought through a separate process, which concluded in December 2022.
Excerpt from our submission
Why do we need a CDC?
A coordinated and national approach to public health
1. How can the CDC best support national coordination of the Australian public health sector?
- How can the CDC ensure effective collaboration and exchange of information with relevant stakeholders, including engagement with the private sector?
The CDC needs to operate with systems approaches to health monitoring, prevention and response. This necessitates a sophisticated collaboration framework to bring stakeholders together. Most public health interventions will require the understanding and good will of the general public, industry and governments at all levels. The research and research synthesis required to inform these interventions must be produced under the same conditions.
Consultations on complex issues need to strive for balanced representation of experts in the field and private sector/consumer representatives.
The federal, state and territory health departments are key partners who will often be the holders of data, or the agents of data collection.
Engagement with industry (including peak bodies and advocacy groups) is critical for effective collaboration and information exchange, for example prevention of and response to disease outbreaks such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Q-Fever.
The CDC is about making the public health expertise in research institutes and universities more readily available, and just as with all exemplary research translation, it works best when cocreated with stakeholders. This would also foster cross disciplinary collaboration which will assist innovation, feasibility and help avoid unintended consequences. By connecting the CDC with research funding mechanisms, such as informing MRFF targeted calls, the CDC can help further drive the alignment of research to address collective priorities. This will become more possible as the CDC grows through each phase. It will be critical that there is also additional research funding allocated to rapid research for CDC priorities so that current funding pools are not depleted.
Download the full Deakin submission
Feedback from the consultation process has been independently summarised into a CDC stakeholder consultation report.
