Milestones in injury prevention 1986-2000

1986 Better Health Commission report generates first national focus on the need for an all-cause injury prevention strategy.

1988 Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council establishes a Health Targets and Implementation Committee which develops goals and targets to reduce health inequalities with respect to injury.

1993 Goals and targets revised.

1994 Australian Health Ministers list injury as one of four focus areas of major public health importance.

1996 National agenda has limited success. Gains in injury prevention outcomes continue to come mainly from the specific activities of multiple local, state-based and issue specific groups, e.g. Royal Life Saving Society Australia, Australian College of Road Safety, Kidsafe.

1996 Australian Injury Prevention Network is formed to establish a framework for collaboration between injury researchers, practitioners and policymakers.

1997 The Federal government sets up the National Injury Prevention Advisory Council to develop a National Injury Strategic Plan.

1998 National Health and Medical Research Council conducts review of future directions for the funding of injury research nationally.

2000 The Strategic Injury Prevention Partnership is formed as an inter-governmental group convened under the auspices of the National Public Health Partnership ‘as a forum for national leadership in injury prevention in Australia.’

2000 A National Injury Prevention Action Plan is developed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, with advice from the National Injury Prevention Advisory Council and Strategic Injury Prevention Partnership. The Action Plan focuses on four topics requiring immediate action by the health sector: Falls by Older Persons, Falls by Children, Child Poisoning, and Drowning.