Shuttered by state government, VicHealth to close – outpouring of concern from experts across the nation for world’s first health promotion foundation

Cutting-edge, people-centred public health organisation, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth), is set to be absorbed into the State Department of Health. VicHealth launched 38 years ago as the world’s first health promotion foundation. What set it apart as an agent for change was its independence. A core theme of dismay and reaction by a host of leading academics, researchers and experts is the loss of an organisation that has had the welfare of the Australian people at its heart, without compromising relationships with big business or government. A coalition of leading voices have publicly spoken out against the government move to close the organisation, decrying the dangerous impact of removing a leading light in the education and messaging of preventative health for all demographics.

The end announced

Last week saw the Victorian government make public its decision to absorb VicHealth into the State Department of Health. Pointing to a review in June of the Victorian public service, the move comes as a component of plans to trim over a thousand public sector jobs to reduce the state budget deficit ahead of the upcoming state election in 2027.

The review states, “VicHealth was established to promote health and prevent chronic disease in Victoria through research, policy development, and community-based health initiatives – including Cancer Council Victoria programs and the QUIT helpline.”

“This is important work, but does not need to be conducted independently of a department; it can be absorbed into DH work without compromising service quality. This will also reduce current duplicative work across VicHealth and DH. The brand could be retained.”

Yet numerous leading academics and clinicians across Australia have refuted the severing of VicHealth’s efficacy and independence, pinpointing that it is due to its independence that public health was able to be pursued for young and old alike. Provider leadership too have long leveraged VicHealth’s resources as a guide in policy and practice formation in facilities.

Onus on prevention

Advocates and provider leadership have consistently called for preventative health measures and reform for decades. Proactive and preventative measures have been shown to not only benefit the seniors they support, but limit the strain on hospital and RAC systems. VicHealth has been a significant voice in health prevention research and messaging.

Sharing with Croakey Health media (CHM), Lucy Westerman of Melbourne’s School of Population and Global Health within the University of Melbourne shares, “Australians are living more of our lives with physical and mental illness that can be prevented.

“We urgently need stronger investment in health promotion and prevention to improve those lives. This is the time to build on and scale up VicHealth’s legacy, not wind it down.”

Experts are urging the government to see the role of preventative health organisations within the larger framework of directly tackling the monumental challenges of hospital and RAC strain.

The Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA) shared with CHM, “The Government has framed these changes, recommended by the Silver Review, as part of a broader efficiency drive to save $4 billion and protect frontline services.”

“However, abolishing VicHealth’s independence will undermine prevention, the very work that reduces demand on those frontline services in the first place.”

Continuing the group advocates, “For more than three decades, VicHealth has been a global leader in health promotion, driving innovation, research, and community partnerships that prevent chronic disease and reduce inequities. Its independence has insulated prevention efforts from short-term political and operational pressures, enabling bold, evidence-informed health promotion that address determinants of health.”

“Absorbing VicHealth into a department already under immense strain risks dismantling prevention and widening health inequities.”

Bigger picture reform

Switching to seeing preventative health measures as playing a critical part in mitigating ballooning costs of hospital and RAC care is central to meeting the needs of the future, this coalition of experts advise.

AHPA’s President, Glen Ramos shares, “Prevention saves lives and resources. Weakening VicHealth undermines decades of progress and will disproportionately impact communities already facing disadvantage.”

“At a time when chronic illness is on the rise here, we have a proposal to abolish the very mechanism that works to reduce this. Not only is it bad for people’s health, it’s bad economics. We urge the government to rethink this short-term approach and protect Victoria’s leadership in health promotion.”

Misaligned current policy

Speaking to CHA, Professor Rebecca Ivers AM, a professor of Public Health from the University of New South Wales has weighed in to support the work of the interstate VicHealth.

She points out the discrepancy of the state government’s decision when federal messaging has been to increase funding in preventative resources.

“At a time when the Productivity Commission has called for greater investment in prevention and development of A National Prevention Investment Framework, which would support investment in effective prevention programs and reduce preventable hospitalisations, it is devastating to see the Victorian Government close down VicHealth as a standalone agency.”

She affirms the leading work of VicHealth, not for Victorians but globally as well, “this agency is a global leader in prevention and health promotion, and its independence has been key to its success.”

Assessing the organisation’s results and the appropriate strategic allocation of funds, Ivers notes, “VicHealth has positioned Victoria as a global leader in health promotion for decades. If we want to reduce health service costs, greater investment in prevention is key, not less.”

Dr Sarah Manfield, speaking on behalf of the Victorian Greens has directly shared, “the Allan Labor government is putting short-term political interests ahead of health promotion and prevention, which ironically, will just end up costing our health system even more.”

Collective rallying

The outpouring of concern, frustration, confusion and calls for a reversal have been consistent and unified across a host of leading experts in health across Australia. CHA has sought to elevate and organise the collection of response.

Powerfully, Troy Walker, Principal First Nations Research Fellow from the Murnong Health Research Mob,  Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University shares his experience with VicHealth, “The fortune I’ve had – and by extension our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research team – through support to conduct valuable research with our communities across Victoria was in large part possible thanks to VicHealth.”

The importance of independent bodies is highlighted in Walker’s experience of dissent, and how VicHealth provided a place for supportive and healthy dissent.

“But perhaps more memorable than all of that was a time when myself and several colleagues following a presentation at VicHealth were invited into a room where we strongly disagreed with the ensuing conversations and purposes of the panel discussion. You might ask, what sounds healthy about that? The answer? Everything. VicHealth provided a platform to allow people to have dissenting opinions and everyone’s voice was still heard and respected.”

Defending role

For many seniors, loved ones and aged care sector personnel who have tirelessly and sincerely pursued holistic health measures for residents, VicHealth has been an invaluable resource.

Professor Rob Moodie, former CEO of VicHealth and now based out of the University of Melbourne clarifies VicHealth’s position.

Speaking to the ABC he says, “I don’t think there’s any reason to think that this is a case of swollen bureaucracy or duplication. This is where prevention is really needed,” he said.

“In this case, there’s actually not enough being done in government around prevention, and around public health. It’s interesting to hear people like the Productivity Commission…hard-headed economists… coming back now and saying constantly to us, we need to commit more and more to prevention.”

Jill Stark, a former health reporter for The Age frankly states, “let’s be very clear: this is not cost-saving – it’s cost-adding. Ripping money out of prevention might look good on a spreadsheet in the short-term, but it’s a false economy that only makes people sicker. More chronic disease, more hospital admissions, more unnecessary and costly treatment at the acute end.”