More than 100 health, prevention and community experts attended the South East Public Health Unit’s (SEPHU) inaugural Public Health Symposium in Springvale on 25 February to strengthen knowledge and capacity across Melbourne’s south-east.
“Our aim is to build collective capacity so we can maximise our impact and improve health outcomes for the people of the south-east irrespective of circumstance,” said SEPHU’s General Manager Sharyn Donald.
“It is important to understand the communities we serve. We are better together, stronger together and will have more impact together.”
The Symposium promoted health equity through the power of place, partnerships and evaluation by bringing together experts, thought leaders and innovators.
Keynote speakers included Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Dr Tarun Weeramanthri, Melbourne University’s Professor of Public Health Rob Moodie, the Victorian Department of Health’s Monica Kelly and Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation executive Dr Abe Ropitini.
“Improving collective knowledge and wisdom will help make a difference especially in populations where outcomes are not as good. Our vision is that Melbourne’s south-east is a place where every person can live their healthiest life.”
Key objectives of the Symposium were:
- Sharing knowledge by disseminating best practices and strategies to inform health promotion initiatives
- Capacity building by providing professional development opportunities to enhance skills in program design, implementation and evaluation
- Addressing inequities by developing practical approaches to reduce health disparities by addressing the drivers of health
- Improving evaluation practices by promoting effective data use and collection methods to inform policy and track regional health outcomes.
“Participants explored innovative approaches to enhancing health equity, building organisational and workforce capacity and improving evaluation practices through interactive workshops, discussions and case studies.”