Health Priorities in Australia examines Australia’s health care system and the health status of Australians. It begins by introducing epidemiology and its use to identify the priority issues for Australia’s health. This includes asking questions such as, what are the limitations of epidemiology and what role do the principals of social justice play.

It then moves onto the actual health priority issues in Australia. These include looking at groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who suffer developing world health statistics, as well as major diseases or health conditions in Australia, such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

We then examine the role of health care in achieving better health. It looks at the range and types of health care facilities and services available in Australia.We consider issues such as the equity of access to this health care as well as describing the advantages and disadvantages of Medicare and the increase in alternative and complementary medicine is also explored.

The final topic is the application of the Ottawa Charter for health promotion in Australia. We examine particular health promotion initiatives and relate them to the principals of social justice as well as the Ottawa Charter.