Department of Health

Key messages

  • Good health and wellbeing are important for everyone. We all contribute to making Victoria a great place to live and governments have primary legislative responsibility for leading the way in creating environments in which people can be healthy and well.
  • The Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2023-2027 sets out a comprehensive approach to deliver improved public health and wellbeing outcomes for all Victorians.
  • The plan includes 'tackling climate change and its impacts on health' as a key priority.

Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2023-2027

The Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2023-2027 (the plan) continues the Victorian Government's vision for the public health and wellbeing of Victorians:

A Victoria free of the avoidable burden of disease and injury so that all Victorians can enjoy the highest attainable standards of health, wellbeing and participation at every age.

The plan recognises that climate change is a leading threat to health and wellbeing, and tackling climate change and its impact on health is included as a key priority.

Climate is a key determinant of health that affects other determinants and health equity. Climate change affects health in many ways – both directly and indirectly. Direct impacts include morbidity and mortality associated with extreme events such as heatwaves, floods, drought and bushfires. Indirect impacts are associated with ecological and land-use change (including changes in the spread of infectious diseases), along with worsening air, food and water quality.

There are opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of Victorians at scale. Strategies to reduce emissions, mitigate the future impact of climate change and support adaptation are important in preventing the harms that climate change can have on people’s health.

The Department of Health has also developed guidance to support local government in addressing climate change and its impacts on health through municipal public health and wellbeing planning.

Visit Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2023–27 for more information.

Reviewed 17 January 2024

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