Australian Centre For Disease and Control Poised to Launch in 2024

In November 2022, AMN reported that the Australian federal government was planning to establish its own Australian Centre for Disease Control (AUCDC). The reason for the new department is "to improve Australia's ongoing response to current and emerging public health emergencies."

The idea for a federal coordinating body for disease prevention and control was first planted during a 1987 meeting of epidemiology experts in Australia. This is not the first time a department of this type has been proposed. Over a decade ago, the Australian National Preventive Health Agency (AHPHA) was established to provide national capacity to drive preventive health policies and programs.

However, the ANPHA ceased operations on June 30, 2014, in line with the Australian Government's pledge at the time to shrink the size of government and make sure that government services are as effective and well-targeted as possible. The Department of Health now carries out its primary duties.

Fast forward to 2023, where the current trend is toward building BIG government and centralised control over healthcare. The Australian Government have allocated $3.2 million (October 2022-23, budget paper 2, p.117) toward designing the new entity. In addition, they have commenced initial consultations with various stakeholders (invitation only), including the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA). The government also indicated that the CDC may become operational by 2024.

The Australian Medical Association, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, and PHAA are just a few of the organisations that have praised the federal government's efforts and welcome the idea of Australia having its own CDC.

Based on case studies in its recent discussion paper the Australian CDC may have an annual budget between 500 million and 1 billion. Most of these funds will come from private sector grants.

AMN invites you to register your interest in being part of a committee to provide a submission to the Federal Health Minister.

Highlights and main concerns over the proposed Oz CDC include:

• The narrow definition of key stakeholders and whose ‘expert’ opinion will be ultimately considered
• The senate select committee for COVID-19 are all government officials
• The plan is to centralise Australia’s public health system. Meaning CDC will have the right, can overreach and interfere in an individual's health decisions for the good of public health. The CDC's powers will account for interactions between humans, animals and the environment. This department will be granted extraordinary powers beyond human centred health care. For example, should a weather-related event become a threat, the Australian CDC will have the power to act and brand it as a threat to life and be able to place restrictions on movement, interactions, access to services and many more areas of life, work, worship and play.
• Which ‘experts’ will be selected to lead this new entity and how much will it cost to fund.
• Which stakeholders, government officials and bureaucrats have conflicts of interests
• What will happen to ATAGI?
• The proposed CDC will take instructions and liaise with unelected foreign organisations, which poses a threat to Australian laws and bodily integrity.
• The Australian government who is a top 10 funder of the WHO and is aligning its policies in preparation for the WHO pandemic treaty (2024) to be adopted globally. Do you remember voting for this also?
• How can Australians place their 'confidence' in yet another faction of the federal health department when a minority stakeholder group are given such power to make significant health decisions for the entire country.

Please share this widely and contact - the Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) planning team for more information about the Australian CDC and Federal Minister for Health.

CDCplanning@health.gov.au

Mark.Butler.MP@aph.gov.au