Key Priorities
Independent, expert advice to tackle Australia’s most complex and pressing health challenges
Excellent health outcomes begin with well-informed policy. As the nation’s learned academy for health and medical sciences, we provide expert, independent advice to help shape a system that is future-ready, trustworthy, equitable, and grounded in evidence.
Our elected Fellows bring a wide range of professional expertise. Their collective understanding and knowledge equips us to analyse and synthesise the best available evidence on key policy issues in health, medicine, research and innovation.
The Academy undertakes proactive projects to provide evidence-based, expert advice and guidance to policy makers, governments and their agencies. Our influential network and esteemed Fellows are key sector leaders and play an essential role in setting the policy agenda on Australia’s most pressing health and research issues.
Key Priority Areas
Our policy work is organised around three strategic themes that reflect the most urgent challenges and enduring priorities in Australian health today:
- Building future-fit health systems through research and innovation
- Strengthening public trust in health and medical science
- Health equity through fair access to health and medical expertise and high-quality care
Each theme reflects our ambition to influence long-term policy reform that improves lives, strengthens health systems, and supports the scientific and health workforce Australia needs. Explore each of our strategic themes to learn more about how the Academy is driving policy change.
Trust in health and medical expertise
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Equity in and access to health and medical research
Find Out MoreStrategic direction
Provision of expert scientific health and medical policy advice:
The strategic direction of the Academy’s policy work is guided by the Policy Advice Committee, a group of Fellows working on the frontline of some of the sector’s key issues. This committee is chaired by Professor Paul Scuffham and plays a key role in overseeing the Academy’s policy activities and engagement.
AAHMS
Submissions and responsive work
The Academy is actively engaged in influencing national health and science policy in Australia. We engage with Australian and state/territory governments on a range of issues, including through pre-budget submissions, rapid research reports with Australia’s Chief Scientist, consultation responses and more.
Submissions/responsive work:
- The National Health and Medical Research Strategy
- Amendments to the MRFF and NHMRC
- Mis- and disinformation around the causes of autism
- Potential health impacts of forever chemicals such as PFAS
- The Strategic Examination of Research and Development
- Draft legislation for the Australian Centre for Disease Control
- Climate change and health
- Find more examples of our active areas of policy engagement in our newsfeed.
HIGHLIGHTS
Policy project highlights
Learn more
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If you would like to learn more about our past, current and active policy work, please contact policy@aahms.org.
To contribute to our healthcare policy projects, involvement and endeavours, please consider making a donation.