National expenditure on public health activities has remained
constant at about 1.8% of total health spending over the last 7
years, according to a report released today by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, National public health expenditure report
2005-06, shows that Australian health departments spent
approximately $1.5 billion or $71 per person on public health
activities in 2005-06.
John Goss, Head of the Expenditure and Economics Unit, said,
'The highest expenditure in 2005-06 was on Organised immunisation
($321 million or 22%), followed by Selected health promotion ($252
million or 17%) and Communicable disease control ($248 million or
17%).
'From 1999-00 to 2005-06, taking inflation into account, growth
in expenditure on public health activities was in line with growth
in overall health spending with an average increase of 4.5% per
year,' he said.
The public health activities with the highest average annual
growth rates were Organised immunisation (9.5%), Public health
research (7.4%) and Communicable disease control (4.8%).
Between 2004-05 and 2005-06 the amount spent on public health
fell by 2.3% after taking inflation into account.
'This decline is mainly attributable to reductions in
expenditure on Organised immunisation (down 9.1%) and Prevention of
hazardous and harmful drug use (down 12.8%),' Mr Goss said.
'The reduction in spending on Organised immunisation in 2005-06
reflects the typical trend in immunisation expenditure in years
following the introduction of new vaccines. In 2004-05 there was a
significant jump of 21.7% to fund the introduction of two new
pneumococcal vaccination programs,' he said.
The main reason for the decline in 2005-06 on spending for
Prevention of hazardous and harmful drug use was the fulfilment the
previous year of a four-year Australian Government grant given to
establish the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation.
The Australian Government provided $797 million or 54.3% of the
funding for public health activities in 2005-06. Of this, $439
million was funding for its own programs and $357 million was
provided to state and territory governments through specific
purpose payments to fund activities for which the states and
territories were responsible.
Wednesday 13 February 2008
Further information: Mr John Goss, tel. 02 6244
1151, mob. 0402 346 379.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the National public health
expenditure report 2005-06.