Special Report

With our second Special Feature for 2010, Australian Medicine has gathered a range of opinions about a single word - prevention - that has significant meaning for people who work in the health system.

The Government made prevention one of its health reform priorities when it established the Preventative Health Taskforce in April 2008. The Taskforce's focus was initially on obesity, tobacco and excessive consumption of alcohol - three of the major contributors to poor health in the community, and all preventable.

The Taskforce's National Preventative Health Strategy was released in June 2009. It proposed a national strategic approach to prevention, a proposal that is supported by the AMA.

To help build momentum to a national strategic approach to prevention - and to highlight the subject in an election year at a time of major health reform - we have invited respected health opinion leaders to share with us their views on the way ahead for prevention.

The views expressed in this Special Feature are the views of the authors and their organisations, and not AMA policy except for the AMA contributions. We think it important that our readers know what other groups are thinking and proposing. We hope that it stimulates debate - healthy debate.

Australian Medicine hopes you enjoy this Special Feature and we encourage you to contact us to let us know what you think can and should be done to promote prevention in the Australian community.