Todd Harper, Director of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), CEO of Cancer Council Victoria, and Chair of NCD Alliance Grant Oversight Sub-Committee, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Why We Need Organisations Like VicHealth to Champion Prevention
It is a tragic irony that the Silver Review to identify how public spending can be more efficient, recommended the closing of an organisation that can do exactly that.
When Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) was established nearly four decades ago, it was the first of its kind, a dedicated agency focused on improving the long-term health of people and communities. That singular focus is just as critical today as it was in 1987.
Here’s why:
Prevention is undervalued and underfunded.
Despite strong evidence that prevention saves lives and money, Australian governments spend less than 2% of health budgets on prevention. This figure hasn’t changed in decades, even as chronic diseases rise and our population ages.
The cost of inaction is enormous.
Nearly 60% of Australians live with chronic disease. In 2018, up to 38% of the total burden of disease in Australia was estimated to be preventable by reducing exposure to 40 risk factors such as tobacco, overweight and obesity, diet and high blood pressure. These illnesses don’t just strain healthcare, they impact productivity, workforce participation, and the economy.
Prevention works and pays off.
Success stories are easy to find, including Quit and SunSmart, and the Productivity Commission recently recommended a new framework to support government investment in prevention. Stopping problems before they start leads to better outcomes and reduces demand for costly acute care.
Dedicated agencies make the difference.
When governments are faced with rising health costs and pressing demands, prevention is often deprioritised. Organisations like VicHealth ensure that long-term strategies, those that deliver benefits in 5, 10, or 20 years, stay on the agenda.
As we face rising rates of non-communicable disease, an ageing population and growing health inequities, the need for prevention has never been greater. We need to invest upstream, sustain proven programs, and treat prevention with the same rigor we apply to medicines and treatments.
Agencies like VicHealth, and similar organisations now established overseas and in South Australia and Queensland, help us to do just that.
Disclaimers: I was CEO of VicHealth 2007-11. Cancer Council Victoria receives funding from VicHealth.”
More posts featuring Todd Harper on OncoDaily.