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.
In Victoria, the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 gives state and local government specific responsibilities to plan for and contribute to protecting and improving health and wellbeing. The Act requires a State public health and wellbeing plan and municipal public health and wellbeing plans to be prepared sequentially every four years. These plans inform each other and provide the basis for an integrated planning approach in our state.
Public health and wellbeing plan 2019–2023
The Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2019–2023 (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 provides continuity for the priorities of the previous plan, while recognising two leading threats to health and wellbeing globally: the health impacts of climate change and antimicrobial resistance (the ability to effectively treat infections in our community).
The plan gives additional focus to four priorities (focus areas) designed to drive coordinated action where we know we can make the greatest gains.
- Tackling climate change and its impact on health
- Reducing injury in the community
- Preventing all forms of violence
- Increasing healthy eating
- Decreasing the risk of drug-resistant infections in the community
- Increasing active living
- Improving mental wellbeing
- Improving sexual and reproductive health
- Reducing tobacco-related harm
- Reducing harmful alcohol and drug use
The plan recognises key links between a number of these priority areas, including recognition that many actions to increase active living and healthy eating can contribute to reducing climate change.
Using the guidance
Links are provided below to each of the focus areas and three other priorities -- improving mental wellbeing, reducing injury in the community and improving sexual and reproductive health. Guidance for all priorities of the plan will be provided over time.
Under each priority there are links to:
- Actions in early childhood settings and schools
- Actions in local government
- Actions in health and human services
- Actions in workplaces.
Download the Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2019–2023
Reviewed 28 October 2021