Total spending on public health activities in Australia grew by
12.5% in 2006-07, with immunisation activities responsible for most
of the increase, according to a report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Public health expenditure in Australia
2006-07, shows that organised immunisation programs accounted
for $436 million or 25% of the $1.7 billion spent on public health
activities by Commonwealth and state and territory health
departments in 2006-07.
'Of all the areas of public health activity, immunisation showed
the highest real growth at 31%,' said Gail Brien of the Institute's
Expenditure and Economics Unit.
'This increase was mostly due to the introduction from April
2007 of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program, which
vaccinates against the main cause of cervical cancer,' she
said.
'Another important area of expenditure was screening programs
for cervical, breast and bowel cancer which accounted for $262
million or 15% of the total amount spent on public health
activities.'
'The increase in expenditure on public health activities over
the 7 years from 1999-00 to 2005-06 was similar to growth in total
recurrent spending on health in Australia for those 7 years.
'So, we expect that spending on public health activities in
2006-07, as a proportion of total recurrent health expenditure,
will remain at the level of previous years at just under 2%,' Ms
Brien explained.
The Australian Government provided $1,001 million or 58% of the
funding for public health activities in 2006-07.
Of this, $508 million was funding for its own programs and $493
million was provided to state and territory governments to fund
activities for which the states and territories were
responsible.
State and territory governments provided $714 million or 42% of
the funding for public health activities in 2006-07.
The Northern Territory had the highest average per person
expenditure on public health at $316, nearly four times the
national average of $82 per person.
Wednesday 3 September 2008
Further information: Ms Gail Brien, AIHW, 02
6244 1050, mob. 0409 593 433, or Mr John Goss, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244
1151, mob. 0402 346 379.
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Public health
expenditure in Australia 2006-07.