Global health shield
Pandemic preparedness and healthcare for all Australians
Protecting Australians through global collaboration
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains, procurement, preparedness plans and health systems worldwide, including Australia’s. This pandemic greatly disrupted our way of living and we are still paying the cost for the pandemic today (including inflation driven from job seeker / job keeper payments). We should ensure, we are never left in this situation again.
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We deserve to have the confidence that our systems are robust enough to support the continuous delivery of high-quality healthcare, even during global shocks. It is imperative that we dissect the learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic response plan, evaluate our current preparedness and create a new robust framework to confidently prepare for new biological threats, whether from natural pathogens or genetically engineered. By combining global collaboration with domestic reforms, we can protect lives, strengthen the economy, and build a healthcare system that leaves no one behind.
Why should we build a pandemic proof healthcare system?
1. Global threats, local impacts: Pandemics know no borders. A lack of preparation anywhere puts Australia at risk.
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2. Strain on healthcare systems: Overwhelmed hospitals during crises highlight the need for expanded capacity and preventative care.
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3. Australia’s role in global health: As a leader in medical research and innovation, Australia can set the standard for pandemic preparedness and healthcare access.
My action plan
Strengthen pandemic preparedness
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Strengthening stockpiles and rapid response teams: Australia must prepare today to ensure we are ready for the next pandemic. As part of a revised national preparedness framework, I advocate for a comprehensive audit of our national medication stockpiles to ensure we hold sufficient quantities of critical medications and critical primary and secondary care resources (including PPE). Building on this foundation, expanding stockpiles to include advanced resources like mRNA vaccines and establishing additional regional rapid response units will ensure faster containment of outbreaks.
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Improving pathogen surveillance: Australia's genomic surveillance systems, such as AusTrakka, should be built upon. Further investment in early-warning testing programs like for livestock and farm animals, front-line testing of animals seized at customs/quarantine, farmer reporting channels and AI-based tools will be critical in our fight to detect diseases and outbreaks early, detect concerning variants and actively monitor for novel zoonotic diseases, improving our preparedness and ability to quickly and effectiveness manage threats.
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Enhancing global pandemic coordination: Collaboration with the WHO and regional partners has been critical. Strengthening joint response plans in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on vaccine distribution, data sharing, and resource alignment, will fortify Australia’s role in global health security. Support a global pandemic treaty to ensure equitable access to vaccines and resources, while strengthening Australia’s partnerships in the Indo-Pacific for coordinated outbreak responses.
Expand healthcare access
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Upgrade Medicare coverage: Advocate for extending Medicare coverage to include essential out-of-pocket expenses, such as mental health support, GP visits, and diagnostic tests. This ensures affordable preventative care for all Australians, reducing long-term healthcare costs while promoting better public health outcomes.
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Invest in mental health services: Expand mental health funding to address the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and improve nationwide mental health outcomes.
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Position Australia as a global leader in health innovation
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Global vaccine development hub: Strengthen Australia’s vaccine R&D capabilities by investing in cutting-edge labs, expanding commercial partnerships with global institutions and Australian leaders in this industry (e.g. CSL), and unlocking growth capital for promising life sciences startups. Australia has proven expertise in areas like mRNA technology and is geographically positioned to support the Indo-Pacific region during health crises.
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Biomanufacturing capacity: Build domestic facilities to produce vaccines, therapeutics, and medical supplies, reducing reliance on imports during crises and creating jobs in advanced manufacturing.
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Data-driven public health: Develop AI-powered tools for real-time resource allocation, outbreak prediction, and healthcare system optimisation, ensuring smarter and faster responses to health emergencies.
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The next pandemic isn’t a question of if, but when. Let’s be ready.
Let’s work together
Get in touch so we can start working together.
