We’re calling on the next Australian Government to complete the establishment of the independent statutory Centre for Disease Control (CDC) by the end of 2025. Find out more on the Public Health Association of Australia’s Federal Election priorities site.
Jasmine Lykissas
Public health professionals have been advocating for an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for nearly forty years.
Many of the reasons for wanting a CDC in 1987 persist today – including weaknesses in surveillance and data coordination between jurisdictions. The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) has been a part of this call for a CDC throughout the years, together with organisations like the Australian Medical Association and the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine.
The idea was neglected by politicians for decades – until COVID-19. The pandemic revealed the value that an independent, national authoritative body could offer, by delivering consistent, unified, and evidence-based advice during health emergencies.
But we didn’t have a CDC – so our states and territories struggled to present a united front, as restrictions, health advice, and penalties differed depending on where you lived.
More than five years since the World Health Organisation first declared a pandemic, the need for an Australian CDC is more urgent than ever. We aren’t prepared for the next health emergency. One in two of us has a chronic condition. Health programs and funding are dependent on the political whims of the party in power. And communicable disease prevention measures like childhood vaccinations, while still at high rates, are declining in Australia.
As we witness the erosion and defunding of global public health, the Australian Government’s focus should be on equipping Australia with independent capabilities to manage future emergencies and combat both infectious and noncommunicable diseases.
In 2022, the Albanese Government made a pre-election commitment to establish an Australian CDC in the first term of government. This deadline was not met, and there was no good reason to miss the target.
We welcomed the Albanese Government’s establishment of an interim CDC, and its announcement in October 2024 of $251 million in ‘base’ funding over four years to establish a permanent body in 2026. However, this is not a complete fulfilment of the original promise.
The original pre-2022 election commitment made clear the agency would address communicable and chronic diseases – while the 2024 announcement only referred to protecting against communicable diseases.
Additionally, the base funding does not appear to include anything for public health workforce education, enhancement, or expansion.
It is welcome that to date, the announced mission of the CDC appears to recognise the social determinants of health, regularly mentions the need for a ‘one health’ framing of multi-faceted drivers of disease and recognises the role of the climate in health outcomes.
But it isn’t enough. It is absolutely essential that the CDC have a mission to cover chronic as well as infectious diseases, since conditions like heart disease and dementia are the leading causes of death and disease burden in Australia.
With the federal election looming, we are seeking commitments from all sides of politics to establish this vital public health body by the end of 2025.
“Now is the time to establish a CDC that will become a legacy which benefits the health of everyone in Australia,” says PHAA CEO, Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin.
“So far, we have no public statement from the Coalition as to its intentions relating to the CDC. We urge the Liberal and National Parties to make clear: will they or will they not support the establishment of a CDC? And if not, how will they ensure Australia is prepared for any future pandemic? How will they reduce the growing burden of chronic disease?
“The Australian CDC is perhaps the most important change in the public health landscape for a generation. It is vital it has a sound base, clarity of purpose and the funds to take a leadership role, joining all other members of the OECD who have established a Centre for Disease Control.”
It is crucial that the CDC operates as an independent body with an appropriate level of independence from political influence. This will ensure that no matter who is in power, everyone in Australia can benefit from non-partisan, national expertise on disease prevention and control.
We also want to see clear plans from the next Government on how the mission of the CDC will expand to include chronic disease prevention and public health workforce expansion.
The establishment of this body is essential to protect the future of public health and the health of everyone in Australia.
Jasmine Lykissas is PHAA’s Communications Officer.
Image: Yoav Aziz / Unsplash
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