Population Health

The Population Health Division is headed by the Chief Health Officer (CHO) who is appointed under the Public Health Act 1997. They fulfil a range of statutory responsibilities and delegations under various public health legislation.

The division is also responsible in exercising statutory responsibilities on behalf of the CHO to prevent and manage risks to the health of the ACT population. This includes planning and management of public health incidents and emergencies.

The ACT Chief Health Officer (CHO) is Dr Kerryn Coleman who holds responsibilities and delegations under various public health legislation.

Improving the health of the ACT

The division provides a range of services and programs aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the ACT population.

We do this by:

• developing preventive, population and public health legislation, policy and strategy
• intervening to promote behaviour changes to reduce susceptibility to illness
• altering the ACT environment to promote the health of the population
• promoting interventions that remove or mitigate population health hazards.

Protecting the health of the ACT

We manage risks and implement strategies for the prevention of, and timely response to, public health risks. We do this through engagement, education, compliance, and enforcement in relation to:

• food safety
• substances of concern to human health
• communicable diseases
• pharmaceutical safety
• radiation safety
• infection control.

Our Regulatory Accountability Framework guides the work we do to protect the health of the community.

Health research and analytical services

The division manages health research in the ACT.  We also undertake scientific laboratory testing in the areas of microbiology, forensic chemistry, forensic toxicology and environmental chemistry. For more information visit ACT Government Analytical Laboratory.

Monitoring and reporting

We actively monitor and report on environment factors that can impact on people's health in the ACT.  We also report on the health status of the ACT population through our surveillance and survey programs, and various epidemiological reports.

Information about the health of Canberrans and our environment is available at:

• Healthy Canberra: ACT Chief Health Officer’s Report
• HealthStats
• Current air quality readings in the ACT
• How water quality is monitored

Health topics

Find out more:

• ACT Preventive Health Plan
• health promotion programs 
• immunisation program 
• seasonal wellness plans:
  • winter
  • summer
• analytic laboratory
  • toxicology and forensic chemistry
  • environmental chemistry
  • microbiology testing
• communicable disease control
  • disease surveillance
  • immunisation
• environmental health
  • food safety
  • water quality
  • air quality
  • death cap mushrooms
  • substances of public health concern.
• health and medical research
• health facilities licensing
• health promotion programs and grants
• infection control
• pharmaceutical services
• radiation safety
• serving kava
• controlled substances

Contact

Office of the Chief Health Officer

Phone 02 5124 9442

Email ACTHealthOCHO@act.gov.au

The on-call ACT Chief Health Officer can be contacted on 02 5124 0000 (after hours only).

Health Protection Service

Phone 02 5124 9700

Fax 02 5124 5554

Email hps@act.gov.au

For after-hours emergencies, call 02 5124 9700.

Address

Howard Florey Centenary House

25 Mulley Street,

Holder ACT 2611

Postal address

Locked Bag 5005,

Weston Creek ACT 2611