Review

The development of national injury prevention policy in the Australian health sector: and the unmet challenges of participation and implementation

Rebecca Mitchell¹ and Rod McClure²

¹  NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

²  School of Medicine, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 2006, 3:11doi:10.1186/1743-8462-3-11

Published:	23 October 2006

Abstract

For the last 20 years injury prevention policy in Australia has been hampered by poor consultation practices, limited stakeholder involvement, inadequate allocation of resources, poor implementation, and an absence of performance measures. This paper describes the development of injury prevention policy in Australia from its beginnings in 1981 to the current day and considers what measures should be undertaken to create an effective platform for the reduction of the burden of injury in Australia.

The National Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Plan 2004–2014, released in 2005, needs to be supported by a whole of government commitment to the reduction of injury. The Council of Australian Governments would be an ideal forum to monitor progress, supported by a cross-government Ministerial Council.