JCU research exposes gaps in Australia’s pandemic readiness

New research from James Cook University (JCU) has pointed out significant shortcomings in Australia’s approach to managing disease outbreaks, calling for a strategic shift to improve the country’s pandemic readiness further. 
Led by Prof Stephanie Topp, the study by JCU’s Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine and the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences focused on four disease categories in Northern Queensland (NQ).
Situated in the tropics and bordering Papua New Guinea, NQ faces heightened disease outbreak risks. The region’s remote location from key policy centres in Brisbane and Canberra complicates disease control efforts. Over an 18-month period, the team assessed responses to Covid-19, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and arboviruses.
As the study identified three recurring challenges in NQ’s disease response framework, Prof Topp highlighted: “There is weak coordination within and between sectors, making the systems vulnerable, especially under pressure. Additionally, funding shifts have eroded the resources essential for maintaining and adapting surveillance and response mechanisms. Lastly, public health units often lack the staffing needed to function effectively outside crisis periods.”
These insights underline the need to strengthen public health unit resources within Queensland’s Hospital and Health Services (HHS) to enhance surveillance and quick response measures. Prof Topp also urged increased accountability and refined public health metrics at the state level to better track HHS performance.
She pointed out that health system decisions are frequently influenced by electoral cycles, leading to prioritisation of high-visibility projects over preventive measures. 
Investing in public health initiatives, she argued, would be more cost-effective and beneficial for long-term community health outcomes.