New calls for Australia to adopt a National Strategy on Physical Activity

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre and members of the Australian Systems Approaches to Physical Activity (ASAPa) team have this week renewed calls for the Federal Government to develop a National Strategy on Physical Activity.

Described as an “urgent issue”, the development of a strategy was raised during an international webinar presenting the findings a four-year Prevention Centre project on employing physical activity to prevent chronic disease.

The event was held during the Global Week for Action on noncommunicable diseases as part of the Prevention Centre’s ongoing advocacy to ‘Act on NCDs’.

Prevention Centre Research Officer Tracy Nau said little has improved over the past 25 years on physical activity in Australia and a systems approach would offer the ability to further much needed action in order to meet the World Health Organization goal of reducing physical inactivity by 15% by 2030.

The project developed a number of practical resources including a conceptual systems map for physical activity, and a world-first comprehensive guide on systems approaches for physical activity Getting Australia Active III.

These resources offer models and frameworks that can help drive actions and cross-agency collaboration according to Lead Investigator and University of Sydney Professor Adrian Bauman AO who said Australia is one of the few high-income countries without any national strategy or plan.

Professor Bauman commented “we’ve been looking for a national strategy on physical activity for over a decade in Australia. It is difficult with several jurisdictions but we need national leadership in this area.”

The work of the ASAPa team through this project will help inform national action and the findings have been shared with policy makers to stimulate discussions across systems and governments.

Adjunct Professor Bill Bellew of the University of Sydney’s Prevention Research Collaboration, said the research had also highlighted the ongoing need for a national, and consistent, physical activity surveillance system to inform and drive policy.

Click here to view the final report, findings brief and related publications on the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre website.