National preventive health monitoring dashboard

The National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030 (NPHS) (Department of Health and Aged Care 2021a) provides the principal, long-term approach to health prevention in Australia by building systemic change to ensure the best outcomes for all Australians. The vision of the NPHS is to improve the health and wellbeing of all Australians at all stages of life through prevention. 

The National Obesity Strategy 2022–2032 (NOS) (Department of Health and Aged Care 2022) is a framework for action to prevent, reduce and treat overweight and obesity in Australia. It recognises that the root causes of overweight and obesity are complex and embedded in the way we live. The vision of the NOS is for an Australia that encourages healthy weight and healthy living for all. 

To support these visions, the strategies identify areas of focus for priority action and outline key measurable targets that Australia should be striving for by 2030 (NPHS) and 2032 (NOS).

The 4 high-level Aims of the NPHS are: 

1. All Australians have the best start in life.
2. All Australians live in good health and wellbeing for as long as possible. 
3. Health equity is achieved for priority populations.
4. Investment in prevention is increased.

To help achieve these aims, the NPHS has also identified 7 Focus Areas which require surveillance and monitoring, some of which are aligned with the NOS. These areas include:

• Reducing tobacco use and nicotine addiction
• Improving access to and the consumption of a healthy diet 
• Increasing physical activity 
• Increasing cancer screening and prevention
• Improving immunisation coverage
• Reducing alcohol and other drug harm
• Promoting and protecting mental health.

For more information on the Aims and Focus Areas of the NPHS, see Appendix A of the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030.

For more information on the NOS, see the National Obesity Strategy 2022–2032.

What is being tracked?

This web report monitors the progress of the targets set out in the NPHS. It uses the latest available data to:

• provide a mid-point assessment of how the targets are tracking
• report on changes over time and variation by sociodemographic characteristics and population groups, to highlight inequalities in the Australian population.

The targets identified in the strategies focus on reducing health risk factors and improving health outcomes. A baseline level is identified for each target and progress is tracked against this baseline, using the latest available data.

The baseline level varies by indicator and is determined by the latest year of data that was available at the time the strategies were developed. Noting that there are earlier data before the baseline level in the strategies. Baseline level data for some indicators are also revised throughout the years and may be different to that included in the published strategies.

The latest available year of data for each target varies by indicator. Noting that current progress against many of the targets have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the provision of cancer screening and immunisation programs. 

To obtain a thorough understanding of preventive health impacts in Australia and to see if the targets set out in the strategies can be achieved over the longer term, ongoing collection and analyses of data is crucial for continual monitoring until the end of the strategies (2030 for the NPHS and 2032 for the NOS).