MEDIA RELEASE
UNDER EMBARGO—strictly not for publication before
1.00am Friday 6 November 2009
Immunisations push public health spending up 21%
Australia’s spending on public health activities — those of a preventive, protective or health
promoting nature — grew by 21% in 2007-08, according to a report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report Public health expenditure in Australia 2007-08 shows total expenditure on public
health was $2,159 million in 2007-08, or $102 per person on average. This was an increase of
$444 million on what was spent in the previous year.
The growth was mainly due to a large increase in expenditure on organised immunisation,
specifically the implementation of the National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination
program and its initial catch-up phase for women aged between 12 and 26.
The HPV vaccination program is aimed at reducing the incidence of cervical cancer and
includes ongoing school-based immunisation programs for 12 to 13 year old females.
‘The National HPV program included an additional $235 million of Australian Government
funding for HPV vaccine. This was responsible for 53% of the $444 million increase in total
public health expenditure,’ said Mr John Goss, Principal Economist at the Institute of Health
and Welfare.
’The relatively large growth in public health expenditure in 2007-08 meant that public health
expenditure as a proportion of total recurrent health expenditure was 2.2% in 2007–08, after
being 1.8-1.9% for the previous eight years,’ Mr Goss said.
The public health activities that recorded the highest expenditure in 2007–08, were
immunisation ($704 million or 33% of total public health expenditure), selected health
promotion ($367 million or 17% of total expenditure) and cancer screening activities such as
breast, bowel and cervical screening ($290 million or 13%).
Other activities were communicable disease control ($257 million), prevention of hazardous
and harmful drug use ($254 million) and public health research ($154 million).
The Australian Government provided the largest share of funding for public health in
2007-08, contributing almost $1,400 million or 63.6% of the total funding.
In 2007–08, the highest average expenditure per person on public health activities occurred
in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Their average expenditure
was estimated at $373 and $140 per person, respectively, compared with the national average
of $102 per person.
Canberra, 4 November 2009
Further information: Mr John Goss, Principal Economist AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1151 mob.
0402 346 379
For media copies of the report: Publications Officer 02 6244 1032
UNDER EMBARGO
—strictly not for publication before 1.00am Friday 6 November 2009
NEWS 
