In November 2022, The Commonwealth Department of Health commenced a targeted consultation on the proposal to develop an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC). Research Australia participated in a consultation workshop on 24 November and was invited to make a submission in response to a consultation paper.
Most of the CDC’s functions will relate to provision of healthcare and prevention measures. Research Australia’s responses were directed towards areas where health and medical research and innovation is most relevant to the CDC and can provide the most support for its proposed functions. Key points include the:
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- CDC’s role in data collection and analysis and the value of providing access to these datasets to researchers;
- need to include reagents in the National Medicines Stockpile;
- scope for the CDC to identify essential medical items which should be manufactured domestically; and
- publication of all CDC recommendations and reports as a measure to enhance transparency and public confidence.