Australian National Preventive Health Agency

The Australian National Preventive Health Agency (Promoting a Healthy Australia) was established to provide national capacity to drive preventive health policies and programs, and to strengthen Australia’s investment and infrastructure in preventive health. The Agency has provided policy leadership and established partnerships with Commonwealth, state, and territory governments, community health promotion organisations, industry, and primary health care providers. The need for a national preventive health agency to drive the preventive health agenda was identified by the Council of Australian Governments in 2008, and was further developed in the Government’s response to the National Preventative Health Taskforce’s report, and the report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission. The funding structure of the Agency was agreed with States and Territories through the National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health. In keeping with the Australian Government's commitment to reduce the size of government and to ensure that government services are as efficient and well-targeted as possible, the ANPHA ceased operations on 30 June 2014. Its key functions have transferred to the Department of Health. On 25 November 2014, the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (Abolition) Bill 2014 was voted down by the Senate. The Minister is considering introducing ANPHA repeal legislation to Parliament.