Over recent years, Australia has responded to significant public health emergencies, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government is establishing an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to improve ongoing response to these emergencies.
In 2020, LHA undertook consultation with older LGBT people about their experiences with COVID. Recommendations included the need to promote equitable access to healthcare and to ensure health promotion resources are inclusive of the needs of LGBTI people, including appropriate use of images.
LGBTIQ+ people experience higher rates of chronic health conditions and can be at serious risk in a pandemic. LHA’s submission on the new CDC calls for the needs and perspectives of LGBTIQ+ people to be explicitly considered with specific strategies.
LGBTIQ+ community-controlled organisations are well placed to guide and support health responses, particularly through peer-based approaches that can access communities where engagement can be challenging.
LHA’s submission recommends an explicit focus on prevention, as has occurred in many international jurisdictions. We support the principle that the CDC be an independent ‘one-stop shop’ for trusted public health information.
Further information on the Australian Government’s proposal are available at https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/Australian-CDC.