AHHA is Australia’s national peak body for public hospitals and healthcare providers. Our membership includes state and territory health departments, Local Hospital Networks and public hospitals, community health services, Primary Health Networks and primary healthcare providers, aged care providers, universities, individual health professionals, and medical colleges and academics. As such, we are uniquely placed to be an independent, national voice for universal high‐quality healthcare to benefit the whole community.
Infectious diseases have been identified as one of the greatest risks to public health over the next 10
years (WHO 2020). Globalisation, urbanisation and climate change are fuelling the increased incidence of epidemics such as COVID‐19 (WEF 2020). It is therefore essential that governments seek to prepare and implement strategies that ensure systems are appropriately resourced and prepared for such events.