We prioritise working with partners and addressing key areas within public health and wellbeing where little is being done, or where advocacy has the greatest potential to increase awareness and influence policy.
Our commitment to prioritising advocacy training and support to build a robust public health advocacy workforce is also a priority.
Our advocacy target areas include:
First Nation
People’s Health
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have significantly poorer health and lower life expectancy than other Australians.
PHAI has a focus on advocating for healthy homes for good health and promotes the house as a social determinant of health.
Food Security
Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”[1] It also means that people have a functional kitchen to support food storage, food safety and cooking. However, it can be challenging for some people to have guaranteed physical, social, and economic access to healthy and affordable food – this is food security.
[1] World Food Summit 1996, Rome Declaration on World Food Security
Child Health
Childhood is a period of rapid development and is formative for health and well-being and health behaviours throughout the life course (License 2004; Graham & Power 2004).
Industry Strategies
and Tactics
If you are working in public health advocacy it is important to understand who your opponents are and what tactics they are using to gridlock advancement in public health.
Public Health Planning
Local government plays a key role in creating the environment for communities to prosper and enjoy improved health and wellbeing. Many states have legislation that require local governments to develop a public or municipal health plan.
These are strategic plans that establish the overall aims and priorities for the local council in protecting, improving and promoting the public health and wellbeing of the people in the municipality. PHAI has developed a Public Health Planning Guide that can be accessed here.
Mental Wellbeing
Good mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. It means you are in a state of wellbeing and can cope with stress or other difficult emotions in daily life.
Mental health affects how we think, feel and act, and affects our everyday life, such as work, relationships and study.