COVID-19 may soon become a memory for many, but Australia's political response to the pandemic has only recently been evaluated. The independent inquiry, which started in September 2023, has now released its findings and recommendations for future pandemic preparedness and response strategies.
Key Findings From the Inquiry
The entire report is 868 pages long and full of fluffy words that politicians love to use. However, it outlines nine guiding recommendations and 26 actions, including 19 for implementation over the next 12 to 18 months.
The nine guiding recommendations are minimising harm, planning and preparedness, leadership and coordination, evidence and evaluation, agility and innovation, relationships, trust, equity, and communication. As you can see, these are rather broad ideas, but a few key developments will make the greatest impact on Australia's health system as a whole. Perhaps the biggest change will be the creation of a Centre for Disease Control (CDC), similar to the CDC in America and Europe.
To create this new federal agency, which will be based in Canberra, the government has set aside $251.7 million. However, money alone is not enough to create a strong CDC; the government will have to hire many experts with qualifications like an online Masters of Public Health.
The Role of a Permanent CDC in Pandemic Preparedness
As the name suggests, the Australian CDC could well function in a similar way to its American counterpart. The US CDC is renowned for its response to pandemics, including Ebola, the Zika virus, and, of course, COVID-19. It has a board mandate to protect America from local and global health threats, addressing leading causes of death and disability, including heart disease and cancer, fostering healthy communities, promoting best health practices, and building a skilled public health workforce. All the while conducting cutting-edge research with the stated aim of improving health outcomes for all.
Australia is not America; our system of government alone means that the CDC will coexist with state/territory health agencies that are legally responsible for public health protection. A new national agency needs to fill the gap when states need it and simultaneously model, research, and identify and work to minimise the broader threats pandemics pose. Action 7 of the inquiry aims to “Finalise establishment of the Australian CDC and give priority to the following functions for systemic preparedness to become trusted and authoritative on risk assessment and communication, and a national repository of communicable disease intelligence capability and advice”.
This emphasis on data and intelligence shows how an Australian CDC could unify public health responses, ensuring consistency across states and territories. By centralising expertise, it would enable rapid, informed decision-making and clearer communication during crises. Ultimately, a trusted, national CDC that works as it should would better prepare Australia for future pandemics and strengthen public health outcomes.
Improving Upon Current CDCs
Australia might be relatively late to the game, but creating a CDC when there are plenty of others to model ours off should mean fewer mistakes and a more efficient agency overall. The tricky part for any CDC lies in creating robust partnerships between federal, state, and NGO sectors to ensure a coordinated national response when the time comes. The CDC would act as a hub for health intelligence, integrating data across jurisdictions for real-time monitoring and faster response times. This kind of collaboration will make sure help gets where it is needed while unifying public messaging and building public trust, aiming for an effective and authoritative response to health crises.
Improving Public Health
Good public health systems are not easy to come by, but luckily, Australia has the best public health system in the world–Medicare, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Although Medicare functions across the country to fund treatment, medicine, hospital services, and more, its head offices are in Canberra. This means that, in the future, the CDC and Medicare can maintain a close relationship at the federal level, coordinating with state health agencies as and when they need to.
Even the best healthcare system in the world has its limits. As we saw during the pandemic, the government prioritised care in real-time. A centralised CDC with all the data it needs to channel resources to where they need to be is crucial.
A Positive Change for Healthcare
According to the minister for health and aged care, Mark Butler, before his government came to power, Australia was the only country in the OECD without a CDC (or equivalent). The minister emphasised the need for centralised public health expertise and rapid response capability. This initiative aims to strengthen Australia’s healthcare infrastructure by addressing pandemic response gaps highlighted in the recent COVID-19 inquiry.
A national CDC will facilitate expert-led planning, improved crisis response, and intergovernmental coordination, ensuring Australia is better prepared for future health threats. This shift marks a big step toward a more resilient healthcare system capable of managing both routine and unexpected public health challenges effectively.
The CDC Moving Forward
As of date, an interim CDC has been established while the agency is in development. The interim CDC will be staffed with experts such as epidemiologists, statisticians, public health practitioners, infectious disease physicians, specialist microbiologists, and many more. A wide range of experts will be needed to make it run smoothly, and the agency is actively recruiting.
The interim CDC will continue to operate until January 1st, 2026, under the Department of Health and Aged Care. Thereafter, it will be an agency in its own right, guiding pandemic preparedness and modelling the next potential crises.
This is a big step for the government, and there will always be critics on both sides. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has proven that the unexpected is quite possible, so we must be prepared. In the meantime, a centralised agency focused on modelling smaller outbreaks, controlling infectious diseases, and preventing their entry could greatly enhance Australia's response capabilities and safeguard public health. This proactive approach would strengthen the nation's resilience to future health threats, ensuring a more robust system for monitoring and mitigating risks before they escalate into larger crises.
This article is part of the HealthManagement.org Point-of-View Programme.
