Health is a major priority in the national development of all of our development
partners. Health projects form a fundamental component of the Australian
Government’s overseas aid program. This issue of Focus gives an insight into the
size and shape of Australia’s program of health activities in developing countries,
and tells the stories of just a few of the many Australians who work to improve
health conditions in needy countries in our region and further abroad.
Health in focus
Improving health standards and promoting
effective health service delivery in
developing countries are crucial elements
of poverty alleviation and sustainable
development.
In 1997 Mr Downer’s key aid policy
document, Better Aid for a Better Future,
emphasised that health would continue to
be a major priority for the aid program.
The Government decided that Australia’s
aid program should focus on simple,
cost-effective methods of prevention and
treatment, and target those most in
need—particularly women and children. The
Government also clearly indicated that the
program should have a strong focus on
primary health care and disease prevention
in developing countries.
In 1999–2000, the Government has
significantly bolstered its funding for the
development and health sector reform
The stories in this edition of Focus
aid program’s portfolio of health activities.
highlight how health projects administered
programs is only a small fraction of total
This year direct expenditure on the health
under the Australian aid program put these
private and public sector health expenditure
sector has increased to $140 million, an
priorities into action with our developing
in developing countries. However, aid
increase of almost $30 million over
country partners. See, for example, the
activities can help to direct assistance and
1998–99 levels.
photo essay on a new hospital in Buka,
The help provided through overseas aid
resources towards the most vulnerable and
disadvantaged groups.
Direct health benefits to these people are
at the heart of why the Australian
Within the health sector, aid priorities
Bougainville (page 11). And in countries
include:
such as China and Vietnam, iodine
• improving access to quality health care
deficiency—resulting in tragic intellectual
for vulnerable groups
and physical disabilities—is being
Government places such a priority on its
• targeting women’s and children’s health
successfully eliminated by a program that
health activities through the aid program. Aid
• preventing and controlling
includes education, iodisation technologies
projects can also provide specialist equipment
and skills that cannot otherwise be found
within the private and public health
frameworks of some developing countries.
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f o c u s December 1999
communicable and vector-borne diseases
• preventing non-communicable diseases
and injuries
• strengthening national policy
and regulatory arrangements (page 16).
Some of these stories also illustrate the
way in which the aid program helps the
international community in its efforts to
eradicate disease and other health problems
projects, such as providing access to
at the global level. The Australian
sufficient clean water, nutrition, sanitation
program’s varied activities together and
Government’s contribution to international
and basic education.
ensure that our approaches to the
health programs helps to reduce the
All these contribute both directly and
AusAID’s country strategies draw the
development needs of partner countries are
incidence of major global epidemics and
indirectly to health achievements in
coordinated and in line with priorities of
disease, which impact most heavily on
developing countries. Such activities also
the countries concerned.
people in the developing world. A good
promote broader sustainable development.
example of this is our support for the World
For example, in Flores, one of the poorest
sector in developing countries, Australia is
Health Organisation’s efforts to eradicate
islands of Indonesia, Australian and
doing its part to ensure a better quality of
polio worldwide by 2000—see ‘Polio on the
Indonesian water supply experts joined
life for those more needy than ourselves in
way out’, page 18.
forces with village people to install a new,
this region.
But development assistance in the
Through our support of the health
safe water supply system after a devastating
health sector is much broader than building
earthquake and tsunami destroyed the old
hospitals and running vaccination
one (see page 7). Not only has this reduced
programs. The successful promotion of
disease caused by contaminated water, but
health in developing countries requires a
having good water on hand has resulted in
Bruce Davis
broad approach. The Australian aid program
adults having more time to grow and sell
Acting Director General
includes a number of activities that run
vegetable crops, and their children having
alongside specifically health-related
more time for school.
f o c u s December 1999
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