Australia’s planned Centre for Disease Control has a complex and tough task ahead to fulfil its mandate, but the real challenge will be its future funding, a public health expert says.
The centre is a key recommendation of a 670-page report on Australia’s COVID-19 response, which also found the disease exhausted the nation’s healthcare systems, public service and economy, and eroded public trust.
The Morrison government acted quickly to shut the border and introduce wage subsidies, but its delays in procuring vaccines cost lives and delivered a $31 billion hit to the economy. Also, the more than $210 billion in federal government stimulus has contributed to inflation that continues to drive up housing costs, the report found.
The federal government says it will spend $251 million over four years to establish the centre and has committed to funding it into the future, despite the looming election.
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The Public Health Association of Australia says the initial funding is modest but a good start.
“The report very much looks to the CDC to take a lead on a whole range of the big challenges,” chief executive Terry Slevin says.
This includes building infrastructure to collect accurate disease information in real time and hiring a team capable of communicating it in a clear and succinct manner.
The centre is also likely to be tasked with behavioural research and influencing the health choices people make.
“These are easy to say, not so easy to do, and so the challenge is to make sure that investment is very much for the long term and growing to match the level of responsibility the Centre for Disease Control can and should prosecute,” Adjunct Professor Slevin said.
AAP
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