Australia's spending on public health activities - those of a
preventive, protective or health promoting nature - grew by 21% in
2007-08, according to a report released today by the Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report Public health expenditure in Australia
2007-08 shows total expenditure on public health was $2,159
million in 2007-08, or $102 per person on average. This was an
increase of $444 million on what was spent in the previous
year.
The growth was mainly due to a large increase in expenditure on
organised immunisation, specifically the implementation of the
National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program and its
initial catch-up phase for women aged between 12 and 26.
The HPV vaccination program is aimed at reducing the incidence
of cervical cancer and includes ongoing school-based immunisation
programs for 12 to 13 year old females.
'The National HPV program included an additional $235 million of
Australian Government funding for HPV vaccine. This was responsible
for 53% of the $444 million increase in total public health
expenditure,' said Mr John Goss, Principal Economist at the
Institute of Health and Welfare.
'The relatively large growth in public health expenditure in
2007-08 meant that public health expenditure as a proportion of
total recurrent health expenditure was 2.2% in 2007-08, after being
1.8-1.9% for the previous eight years,' Mr Goss said.
The public health activities that recorded the highest
expenditure in 2007-08, were immunisation ($704 million or 33% of
total public health expenditure), selected health promotion ($367
million or 17% of total expenditure) and cancer screening
activities such as breast, bowel and cervical screening ($290
million or 13%).
Other activities were communicable disease control ($257
million), prevention of hazardous and harmful drug use ($254
million) and public health research ($154 million).
The Australian Government provided the largest share of funding
for public health in 2007 08, contributing almost $1,400 million or
63.6% of the total funding.
In 2007-08, the highest average expenditure per person on public
health activities occurred in the Northern Territory and the
Australian Capital Territory. Their average expenditure was
estimated at $373 and $140 per person, respectively, compared with
the national average of $102 per person.
Friday 6 November 2009
Further information: Mr John Goss, Principal
Economist AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1151 mob. 0402 346 379
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. (02) 6244 1032.
Public health expenditure in Australia 2007-08 .
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