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Child, Youth And Mothers' Health

The National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children 2005-2008

• Who is supporting the National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children?
• Preliminary papers for the development ofthe Strategic Framework
• The National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children 2005-2008
• How the Strategic Framework articulates with other strategies?  
• Actioning the Framework
• Who can you contact for more information?

Who is supporting the National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children?

The National Public Health Partnership Group (NPHP) is a subcommittee of the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) that provides an opportunity to coordinate public health activity around Australia. It also ensures a continuing emphasis on public health priorities and the promotion of public health agendas.

One of the public health priorities of the NPHP is child health, which is being addressed through the National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children. As with all work of the NPHP, the development of the Strategic Framework has considered the cross cutting priorities agreed by AHMAC. These include:

• The health of Indigenous Australians
• Addressing health inequalities
• Capacity building

Preliminary papers for the development of the Strategic Framework

A series of background papers brought together the national context, issues and gaps to help determine what priorities might be included in the preparation of the Strategic Framework. The background papers include:

• A Scoping Study and Review of the Child Health Literature, Promoting the Development of Children’s Health in Australia: a population health perspective. A Scoping Study and Review of the Child Health Literature. July 2003 (Word 772KB)
• An Audit of Child Public Health Related Policies in Australia, Background Paper to the Development of a National Public Health Action Plan for Children 2005-2008: An Audit of Child Public Health Related Policies in Australia (Word, 290KB)
• A compilation of Child-related Data Sources, which brings together a list of significant data collections and data sources related to children in Australia. The report was prepared by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and is available on the AIHW website located on the list of links to child and youth health websites.
• Healthy Children – Strengthening Promotion and Prevention Across Australia. Developing a National Public Health Action Plan for Children 2005-2008, Consultation Paper, June 2004 (PDF 377KB).
• Healthy Children - Strengthening Promotion and Prevention Across Australia. Development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander component of the National Public Health Action Plan for Children 2005-2008, September 2004 [PDF 1,088KB].

The National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children 2005-2008

The Strategic Framework, Healthy Children – Strengthening Promotion and Prevention across Australia. National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children 2005–2008 [PDF 306KB]:  

• Seeks to strengthen the capacity of the health sector and the wider community to respond to a range of public health issues identified in national strategies for children aged 0–12 years, including maternal health and wellbeing during the antenatal period.

• Is based on health promotion and illness prevention, including early intervention approaches.

• Emphasises opportunities to address health inequalities.

• Provides a response framework for emerging child public health issues.

• Serves to link strategic effort across the various settings and systems involved in the health and wellbeing of children.

• Focuses on strengthening the capacity of systems to support communities, families, parents and professionals to support the health of children.

• Provides a focus on the role of health services.

The Strategic Framework strengthens engagement across disciplines, sectors, national groups and projects. It also identifies key areas for development, new health gain & capacity building.

The five strategic directions of the Framework are framed within overarching guiding principles concerned with:

• Promoting health and wellbeing
• Closing the health gap
• Tackling the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
• Empowering children, parents, families and communities
• Strengthening partnerships
• Ensuring health sector responsibility.

The five directions are:

• Strengthen the capacity of parents, families and communities
• Improve the knowledge and skills of key workers
• Develop partnerships and mobilise resources
• Build evidence and track progress for policy, programs and practice
• Transform health systems and environments.

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How the Strategic Framework articulates with the development of strategies?

The National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children 2005-2008 builds on existing state/territory strategies, supports related national agendas, in particular public health strategies and articulates with other NPHP work programs that are relevant to child health, such as physical activity, nutrition and injury prevention.

Some of the major areas of national activity that the Framework complements are:

• The Australian Government’s Child Health and Wellbeing Reform project, which is developing strategies for long-term strategic reform in child health and wellbeing.
• The National Agenda for Early Childhood (NAEC) being developed by the Australian Government Taskforce on Child Development, Health and Wellbeing. The NAEC will provide a framework for coordinating a wide range of activity related to the health and development of children (0-5 years) and families. The Strategic Framework for children provides a framework for expanding on the health aspects of the NAEC.
• The National Obesity Taskforce, which has released a national plan Healthy Weight 2008 for tackling overweight and obesity that has children and families as a key target group.
• The establishment of the Australian Research Alliance for Children & Youth under the leadership of Professor Fiona Stanley AC.
• The National Collaboration on Maternity Services Policy

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Actioning the Framework

The NPHP will oversee the implementation of the priorities addressed in the Strategic Framework. Initially the implementation efforts will align with the work of the Health Minister’s Child Health and Wellbeing Reform project and will centre around maternal and infant health, emphasising primary prevention and the importance of maternal health and the early years of life on future child and adult health.

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Who can you contact for more information?

Information regarding the National Public Health Strategic Framework for Children 2005-2008, can be obtained from:

The NPHP Secretariat:

Phone: (03) 9603 8338

Email: nphp@dhs.vic.gov.au