A case for reorienting health systems and investing in primary health care in Australia
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Date
2009
Authors
Ward, Paul Russell
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australasian Medical Journal
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Abstract
In recent times, many developing countries have been going through a process of re-orienting health
policy and services towards early detection and prevention, rather than solely on the treatment and
on-going management, of illness and disease. For example, in the UK, the fundamental philosophy
underpinning the approach to funding primary healthcare is analogous to the adage ‘prevention is
better than cure’, with the NHS Improvement Plan stating that “If England is to secure world-class
standards of health, the enormous human, financial and physical resources available to the NHS need
to be focussed on the prevention of disease and not just its treatment”. Within Australia, there are
similar shifts in thinking and policy, with the development of the National Preventative Health
Taskforce, which has been tasked with developing a National Preventative Health Strategy.
Description
Keywords
Public health, Australia, Health care
Citation
Ward, P.R., 2009. A case for reorienting health systems and investing in primary health care in Australia. Australasian Medical Journal, 2(3), 1-21.