Australian Health Protection Principal Committee
Chief Medical Officer (chair) | |
Parent department | Governance: National Cabinet Secretariat: Department of Health and Aged Care |
---|---|
Website | www |
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) is the peak decision-making committee for public health emergency management and disease control in the
The AHPPC's stated function (according to website as of November 2020[update]) is to provide advice to the Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) "on health protection matters and national priorities",[3] and AHMAC formerly supported the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council.[4] However, since the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the AHPPC has provided advice directly to the National Cabinet.[5][6][7]
History and role
The AHPPC was established by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) on 2 July 2009 to provide expert advice on high-level and intergovernmental coordination of public health emergency management.
The AHPPC is also responsible for authorising the deployment of the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT).[9]
COVID-19 pandemic
In response to the
Membership
The AHPPC is chaired by the Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Government and as of November 2020[update] comprises the Chief Health Officers of the State and Territory Governments.[3] It previously included (as of at least 2017) nominated health disaster officials, the chairs of the AHPPC standing committees, a representative from Emergency Management Australia of the Department of Home Affairs, the Surgeon-General of the Australian Defence Force, a representative from the New Zealand Ministry of Health, and other public health and clinical experts.[12][13]
Jurisdiction | Position | Office holder |
---|---|---|
Commonwealth | Chief Medical Officer and Director of Human Biosecurity (Chair) | Paul Kelly |
New South Wales
|
Chief Health Officer and Deputy Secretary Population and Public Health | Kerry Chant[14] |
Victoria
|
Chief Health Officer | Clare Looker [14] |
Queensland | Chief Health Officer | John Gerrard[15] |
Western Australia
|
Chief Health Officer | Andrew Robertson[14] |
South Australia
|
Chief Public Health Officer | Nicola Spurrier[16] |
Tasmania | Director of Public Health | Mark Veitch[17] |
Australian Capital Territory | Chief Health Officer | Kerryn Coleman[18][19] |
Northern Territory | Chief Health Officer | Hugh Heggie[20][21] |
As of 2017 it also included:
Jurisdiction | Position | Office holder |
---|---|---|
Australian Defence Force | Surgeon-General and Commander Joint Health | Rear Admiral Sarah Sharkey |
Commonwealth | Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer | Alison McMillan |
Commonwealth | Deputy Chief Medical Officer | Jenny Firman |
Commonwealth | Deputy Chief Medical Officer | Michael Kidd |
Standing committee oversight
The AHPPC also provides strategic direction and support to five standing committees:[3][8]
- Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA)
- National Health Emergency Management Standing Committee (NHEMS)
- Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN)
- Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth)
- Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections Standing Committee (BBVSS)
As of November 2020[update] it also oversees one time-limited advisory group, the Aged Care Advisory Group.[3]
Secretariat
The Office of Health Protection of the Department of Health and Aged Care provides secretariat support functions for the AHPPC and its standing committees.[8]
See also
- National COVID-19 Coordination Commission
- National Cabinet of Australia
- Council of Australian Governments
- National Security Committee
- War Cabinet of Australia
References
- Department of Health
- ^ From plague to MERS: coordinating Australia’s response to emerging infectious diseases Firman J, Williams SA, Baggoley C. 2016 Public Health Research and Practice 26(5)
- ^ a b c d e "Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC)". Australian Government. Dept of Health.
- ^ AHMAC Principal Committees Council of Australian Governments Health Council
- ^ a b "Terms of Reference [National COVID-19 Coordination Commission (NCCC)]". Australian Government. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
The CMO and the medical expert panel he leads – the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) - will continue their role of advising the National Cabinet on Australia's health management and response to the virus.
- ^ a b "National Cabinet: Media Statement". Prime Minister of Australia. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "National Cabinet: Media Statement". Prime Minister of Australia. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Australian Health Protection Principal Committee". Directory. Australian Government. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.} Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.
- ^ Australian Government Response Plan for Overseas Mass Casualty Incidents Department of Home Affairs 2017
- ^ Advice on coronavirus Archived 8 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine Prime Minister's Office Media Release 13 March 2020
- ^ "National COVID-19 Health and Research Advisory Committee". NHMRC. 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Department of Health’s Coordination of Communicable Disease Emergencies Performance Audit Report Australian National Audit Office Auditor-General Report No. 57 22 June 2017
- Department of Health
- ^ a b c Farhart, Claudia (19 April 2020). "Who are the experts behind Australia's coronavirus response?". SBS News. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Queensland Health". Chief Health Officer. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Chief Public Health Officer". SA Health. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Who advises the man who advises the nation on COVID-19?". Crikey. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Kanapathippillai, Julia; Jervis-Bardy, Dan (3 August 2020). "Canberra coronavirus preparation: chief health officer says to be prepared, but don't stockpile". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ Hunt, Toby (5 July 2020). "ACT Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Updates". Coronavirus (COVID-19). Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Members of the NHMRC Council, 2015-2018 triennium". NHMRC. Retrieved 23 November 2020.