Prevention makes sense! But does it make economic sense? Are the recommendations from the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission and the National Preventative Health Strategy sound investments? Or are there other approaches/recommendations worth considering? Are there lessons to be learnt from the proposals for reform in the US?

These and other questions were explored in the seminar, Policy for enhanced prevention in the US and Australia: How much bang for the buck?, hosted by the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and the US Studies Centre.

Guest Speakers:

  • Dr Lesley Russell, Menzies Foundation Fellow and Research Associate, US Studies Centre, lead the discussion with an account of where prevention sits in the US proposals for reform, especially the three House Committee proposals. How does it compare with the commitment in Australia?
  • Dr Garry Egger, Director, Centre for Health Promotion and Research, then looked at health reform in Australia. Do the various reform platforms hit the mark or are they just fiddling around the edges? Is there a link between obesity, climate change and economic growth?
  • Professor Glenn Salkeld, Head of the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney then discussed whether prevention is a good investment, and how it should be evaluated.
  • Moderator: Professor Stephen Leeder, Director, Menzies Centre for Health Policy