The Final Report of the independent inquiry into Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been released.
The inquiry aimed to identify lessons learned to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics. It looked at both health and non-health responses, including vaccinations, treatments, essential supplies, aged care, disability support, mental health services, supply chains, and financial aid for individuals and businesses.
The panel received over 2,000 submissions, including one from HCCA. They also held a series of more than 20 roundtable discussions in May-June to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different industries and groups.
The report emphasizes the need for stronger collaboration among governments to guide balanced policies and make informed decisions during crises. It includes nine key recommendations:
- Minimize harm: Consider health, economic, and social effects of a pandemic.
- Planning and preparedness: Create a tested national pandemic response.
- Leadership and coordination: Quickly establish a governance team for leaders to prioritize health, social, economic, and equity issues.
- Evidence and evaluation: Implement transparent and efficient processes for collecting and evaluating evidence.
- Agility and innovation: Be ready to adapt to change.
- Relationships: Strengthen connections between systems, organizations, and governments.
- Trust: Rebuild and maintain trust between the community and government.
- Equity: Ensure fairness in delivering public health measures.
- Communication: Maintain coordinated national public health communication.
The key outcome of the report is the proposal for a permanent Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to enhance national disaster preparedness, public health surveillance, and data collection.
The inquiry page can be found here. | 
