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There is no additional cost to attend workshops but registration is essential as space is limited. Please register for workshops by clicking on the button below.

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Please note, workshops are being held at the same time as concurrent session presentations. 

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Boosting skills in presenting policy arguments to political decision-makers

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Date: Tuesday 17 September 2024

Time: 1:30pm - 3:00pm AWST (Concurrent Session 1E)

Facilitated by: ​​

• Dr Leanne Coombe, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Public Health Association of Australia

• Mr Malcolm Baalman, Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, Public Health Association of Australia

• Ms Lily Pratt, Policy Officer, Public Health Association of Australia​

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​This workshop aims to expand knowledge and skills at translating public health science and policy into messages that impact on political decision makers. The first part of the workshop will begin with a conversation between three keynote guests, addressing the art of translating policy knowledge into politically impactful argument; workshop participants will be drawn into the conversation through questions. The second part will be a role-play of presenting a public health argument to members of a parliamentary committee. Volunteers from among the participants will be arranged in advance to make up the team presenting to the mock parliamentary committee. Keynote guests will be Dr Mike Freelander MP (federal member for Macarthur, NSW), Professor Catherine Bennett (Distinguished Professor and Chair in Epidemiology, Deakin University) and Professor Caroline Miller (Director of the Health Policy Centre at SAHMRI, South Australia).​

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Mastering media interviews

 

Date: Wednesday 18 September 2024

Time: 9:00am - 10:30am AWST (Concurrent Session 2E)

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Facilitated by:

• Professor Catherine Bennett, Deakin Distinguished Professor and Chair in Epidemiology, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University

• Mr Paris Lord, Media and Communications Manager, Public Health Association of Australia

• Ms Hollie Harwood, Strategic Communications Advisor,  Public Health Association of Australia

• Ms Jasmine Lykissas, Communications Officer, Public Health Association of Australia

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Join the PHAA Communications team to gain skills to help you share your public health expertise with the media. We'll hear from an epidemiologist with lots of media experience about how to prepare, and then practice interviews. You'll learn what media outlets are after, and how to present your insights in a succinct and engaging way.​

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Building bridges and collaborating in Public Health Planning

 

Date: Wednesday 18 September 2024

Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm AWST (Concurrent Session 3E)

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Facilitated by: 

• Chief Health Officer, Dr Andrew Robertson, WA Department of Health

• Matthew Lester, A/Executive Director Environmental Health Directorate, WA Department of Health

• Deputy Chief Health Officer, Dr Revle Bangor-Jones, WA Department of Health

• Medical Advisor, Dr Katharine Noonan, WA Department of Health​

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​This interactive workshop will explore the dynamic partnership between state and local governments in achieving the best public health outcomes for the community. Join experienced panelists who have successfully implemented public health plans at both state and local level as they share their insights and strategies, demonstrating how planning translates into tangible, on-the-ground actions. This session aims to foster a collaborative environment where participants can learn from each other and discuss how state governments can better understand and support local initiatives.

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Game Changer! Protecting WA’s youngest from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

 

Date: Thursday 19 September 2024

Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm AWST (Concurrent Session 4E)

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Facilitated by: 

• Dr Paul Armstrong, Director (CDCD) Department of Health

• Professor Paul Effler, Senior Medical Advisor (CDCD) Department of Health

• Jo-Anne Morgan, Immunisation Program Manager (CDCD) Department of Health

• Darren Westphal, Senior Programme Officer (CDCD) Department of Health Immunisation Team

• Dr Timothy Pugh, Senior Policy Officer (CDCD) Department of Health Immunisation Team
   

The WA Department of Health Communicable Disease Control Directorate (CDCD)

will host a 90-minute workshop on the 2024 WA Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Infant Immunisation Program.  An Australian first, the program offered nirsevimab (Beyfortus™) to all children entering their first RSV season and Aboriginal or medically at-risk children entering their second season.  The RSV Infant Immunisation Program was delivered through birthing hospitals, general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), and community health immunisation clinics across WA.

 

During this workshop you will hear about how the program started and progressed from people directly involved in the rollout.  The speakers will cover:

• Planning for statewide implementation with short notice

• Community and stakeholder engagement

• Perspectives from general practice, AMSs, maternity hospitals, and the major children’s hospital

• Challenges and successes

• Preliminary results on coverage, safety and effectiveness

 

The workshop will conclude with a short panel discussion with keynote speakers taking questions from the audience.

 

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Dementia: A Public Health Priority

 

Date: Thursday 19 September 2024

Time: 11:00am - 12:30pm AWST (Concurrent Session 5E)

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Facilitated by: 

• Prof Tanya Buchanan CEO Dementia Australia

• Prof Blossom Stephan Chair in Dementia Curtin University
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During National Dementia Action Week, Dementia Australia explores the importance of public health in dementia.

 

Surveys conducted during the past decade show that: 

• Australians find people living with dementia frightening

• 61% of people would rather not think about dementia

• The belief that dementia is a normal part of ageing has increased over the last decade. Dementia is not a normal part of ageing.  

• 83% of people agreed that they would like to know how to reduce their risk of developing dementia 

 

The AIHW estimates that around 40% of the burden of disease could be avoided by addressing modifiable risk factors for this chronic degenerative neurological condition. This is about the same avoidable burden as cancer. The number of people living with dementia is predicted to double in the next 30 years. Yet dementia is largely missing in our public health discussions. Current approaches to dementia risk reduction are predominately focused on individual (or personalised) strategies which are often difficult to execute, costly to implement and overall have shown minimal effects. Therefore, new population-level strategies, targeting whole communities, are urgently needed.

 

This workshop explores what acting now for to secure improved outcomes for dementia in the future would look like from a public health perspective and encourages us to think about dementia beyond an aged care issue.

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