The Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC): Consultation on how the Australian CDC plans to use data

Overview

The Government has committed to establishing a centre for disease control (CDC) to make sure Australia is well prepared for public health emergencies

The Australian Government wants the CDC to:

• prepare and plan for potential public health emergencies, such as pandemics
• provide advice to support responses to emergencies that affect public health, such as natural disasters
• stay up to date with the latest evidence on diseases and emergencies
• advise federal, state, territory and local governments on public health issues
• inform the community on public health issues.

The Australian Government is planning to create the CDC as a standalone agency that provides independent advice to the government.

To do this, the CDC plans to:

• use current information from international, national and local sources
• base all its decisions and advice on good quality, transparent evidence
• communicate clearly  
• treat everyone fairly and equally
• use data well.

This consultation

The Interim CDC understands that people have concerns about the way governments use data, so they are asking the Australian public to share their concerns and expectations.

The CDC is still being established, so this is a good time to learn what the community thinks and wants. This will include seeking information about:

• any concerns the community has about how the CDC may use data
• what people want to know about how the CDC may use data
• what matters most to people
• how the CDC can continue to build trust with the Australian public.

During the consultation, a range of people in the Australian community from all states and territories will be spoken to, including:

• community members who have concerns about the use of their health data
• community groups or organisations that represent others, like consumer groups and peak bodies
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
• people from diverse communities
• people who work in organisations that may share data with the CDC. 

Everyone is welcome to take part in this consultation. The Interim CDC welcomes your input.

Why your views matter

Why take part?

This consultation is an opportunity for a wide range of people and representative organisations in our community to have a say about the way CDC uses data. The CDC will listen to what people think and respond to people’s concerns by developing a plan that reflects the expectations of the community.

Once consultation is complete, the plan will be shared with everyone who has taken part so they can provide feedback about it. This feedback will be taken into consideration in the final version.

How to take part

The Interim CDC has asked 2 independent organisations, ARTD Consultants and the Sax Institute, to talk to the Australian public about the way the CDC uses data. ARTD and the Sax Institute are not part of the government.

You can contribute by:

• answering the questions on the next page
• writing a submissions
• attending a workshops.

Click on the link below to either submit a response or express your interest in a workshop.