Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas. Photo by Paul Jeffers
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas has released the Allan Labor Government’s new vision for a healthier Victoria.
The Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2023–2027 outlines the key priorities over the next four years to improve the health and wellbeing of all Victorians. It identifies ten priority areas for action:
- Improving sexual health and reproductive health
- Reducing harm from tobacco and e-cigarette use
- Improving wellbeing
- Increasing healthy eating
- Increasing active living
- Reducing harm from alcohol and drug use
- Tackling climate change and its impacts on health
- Preventing all forms of violence
- Reducing injury
- Decreasing antimicrobial resistance across human and animal health.
As nurses and midwives, our members see the impacts of preventable illness and disease every day. ANMF (Vic Branch) therefore welcomes the focus on addressing risk factors for preventable illness and disease, improving health equity and removing the barriers that some populations experience in accessing health and wellbeing services.
The Branch looks forward to receiving more details about the plan, and will aim to work with the government to ensure that nurses and midwives are a part of the solutions.
This is Victoria’s fourth legislated public health and wellbeing plan under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. Under the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, a statewide public health and wellbeing plan is required every four years.
For more information, the plan is available at health.vic.gov.au/victorian-public-health-and-wellbeing-plan.
