Position Statement: The role of public health in meeting local and global challenges

CAPHIA has released a new Position Statement outlining the critical role of public health in responding to the increasingly complex local and global challenges facing communities across Australasia and beyond.

From climate change, pandemics and chronic disease to mental health, food insecurity, conflict, misinformation and widening inequities, the pressures on health systems and communities are intensifying. This Position Statement makes clear that public health – and a strong, well-supported public health workforce – is central to preventing harm, building resilience and creating the conditions for societies to thrive.

Public health professionals work across prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. They partner with communities, translate evidence into action, and address the social, environmental and commercial determinants of health. Their work spans local, national and global settings, yet too often it is undervalued, under-recognised or taken for granted.

The statement highlights that public health has never been more critical. Governments across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific consistently identify prevention, equity and population wellbeing as priorities – but these ambitions cannot be realised without sustained investment in public health education, workforce development and research. Recent global and regional experiences have reinforced a clear lesson: without strong public health capacity, health systems, economies and communities are left vulnerable.

This Position Statement is part of CAPHIA’s ongoing advocacy to protect and strengthen public health education and workforce capability as essential public infrastructure. It calls on governments, universities and communities to commit to safeguarding and expanding public health capacity, including through dedicated investment and the meaningful integration of Indigenous and Pacific Nations knowledges.

CAPHIA sincerely thanks the Advocacy and Engagement Committee for authoring this Position Statement, with special recognition to Alexandra Bhatti, Dr John Oldroyd, Professor Lisa Hall and Holly Donaldson for their leadership and stewardship of this work.

Public health underpins prevention, preparedness and equity. Strengthening its role is not only vital to addressing today’s challenges, but to securing healthier, more resilient futures for communities across Australasia.