Health Protection core capability

About the Health Protection core capability

Promotes and protects the public health of Victorians by monitoring notifiable diseases and responding to any disease outbreaks in order to control and minimise the risk of infection. This includes regulating the safety of food, drinking water and human environmental health hazards such as radiation, legionella and pesticides. Includes informing the community and health providers about public health risks and promoting behaviours and strategies to mitigate and avoid risk. It also includes the development of national policies, standards and strategies to promote improvements in public health generally and supports the health system to respond to national public health risks.

Critical Task Table 13: Agency roles mapped to the Victorian Preparedness Framework, by critical tasks within the Health Protection core capability

Critical Task 13.1: Maintain an ongoing state of preparedness to respond to a public health emergency.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
EPA	Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to provide advice and information services to recovery agencies, Municipal councils, duty holders and community on; the environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste, environmental clean-up methods and appropriate disposal of waste	4.5, 4.6, 13.2, 13.5
EPA	As a technical support agency, provide advice to the control agency and support agencies on risks to the environment and public health, and the practical measures to reduce environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste from the emergency and response activities	4.5, 4.6, 13.2
DH	Implement legislation, programs and monitoring procedures to minimize public health risk from: Extreme heat communicable and non-communicable diseases (e.g. epidemic thunderstorm asthma) contaminated retail food food contaminated with the potential to cause harm to human health contaminated drinking water supplies radiation	13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5
	Control agency for: incidents involving biological releases and radioactive materials human disease/epidemics (including mass, rapid onset of human disease from any cause), and food (including retail food)/drinking water contamination	3.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5
	Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) responsible to maintain community access to primary and acute health services through DH funded health care services and other primary and acute health services	13.3, 14.6, 14.8

Critical Task 13.2: Identify and characterise risks and commence enhanced arrangements.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
EPA	Provide a technical support agency role through approvals under the Environment Protection Act	4.6, 13.3
	As a technical support agency provide expert advice to the Chief Health Officer on the risks of pollution and waste on public health, as required	4.5, 4.6, 13.3
	in cooperation with the control agency, provide advice to the community on the harmful effects of pollution and waste and recommend actions to protect public health	2.1, 2.3, 13.5
	provide advice to the control agency and support agencies on risks to the environment and public health, and the practical measures to reduce environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste from the emergency and response activities	4.5, 4.6, 13.1
	Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to provide advice and information services to recovery agencies, Municipal councils, duty holders and community on; the environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste, environmental clean-up methods and appropriate disposal of waste	4.5, 4.6, 13.1, 13.5
DH	Implement legislation, programs and monitoring procedures to minimise public health risk from: Extreme heat communicable and non-communicable diseases (e.g. epidemic thunderstorm asthma) contaminated retail food food contaminated with the potential to cause harm to human health contaminated drinking water supplies radiation	13.1, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5
	Control agency for: incidents involving biological releases and radioactive materials human disease/epidemics (including mass, rapid onset of human disease from any cause), and food (including retail food)/drinking water contamination	3.1, 13.1, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5
	Reduce preventable death, illness and disability in all health emergencies and other emergencies with potential health impacts	13.3, 13.4, 13.5

Critical Task 13.3: Prepare and support public and private health entities to manage and control public health risks.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
DH	Promote awareness of safe practices, emergency procedures and implementing safety and warning systems for health services, such as extreme heat and epidemic thunderstorm asthma	2.1, 13.5
	Implement legislation, programs and monitoring procedures to minimize public health risk from: Extreme heat communicable and non-communicable diseases (e.g. epidemic thunderstorm asthma) contaminated retail food food contaminated with the potential to cause harm to human health contaminated drinking water supplies radiation	13.1, 13.2, 13.4, 13.5
	Control agency for: incidents involving biological releases and radioactive materials human disease/epidemics (including mass, rapid onset of human disease from any cause), and food (including retail food)/drinking water contamination	3.1, 13.1, 13.2, 13.4, 13.5
	Reduce preventable death, illness and disability in all health emergencies and other emergencies with potential health impacts	13.2, 13.4, 13.5
	Undertake a technical support role for blue green algae bloom event, providing expert public health advice to DELWP
	Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) responsible to maintain community access to primary and acute health services through DH funded health care services and other primary and acute health services	13.1, 14.6, 14.8
	provide public health (health protection) advice to councils, other agencies and the community on a range of topics including safe drinking water, safe food, safe onsite waste management, adequate washing/toilet facilities and communicable disease outbreaks	4.5, 13.4, 13.5
EPA	Provide a technical support agency role through approvals under the Environment Protection Act	4.6, 13.2
EPA	As a technical support agency provide expert advice to the Chief Health Officer on the risks of pollution and waste on public health, as required	4.5, 4.6, 13.2

Critical Task 13.4: Effectively communicate public health and clinical health management guidance to the health sector.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
DH	Implement legislation, programs and monitoring procedures to minimize public health risk from: Extreme heat communicable and non-communicable diseases (e.g. epidemic thunderstorm asthma) contaminated retail food food contaminated with the potential to cause harm to human health contaminated drinking water supplies radiation	13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.5
	Control agency for: incidents involving biological releases and radioactive materials human disease/epidemics (including mass, rapid onset of human disease from any cause), and food (including retail food)/drinking water contamination	3.1, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.5
	Reduce preventable death, illness and disability in all health emergencies and other emergencies with potential health impacts	13.2, 13.3, 13.5
	Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) responsible to: provide public health (health protection) advice to councils, other agencies and the community on a range of topics including safe drinking water, safe food, safe onsite waste management, adequate washing/toilet facilities and communicable disease outbreaks	4.5, 13.3, 13.5
ESTA	Provide clinical triage and pre-ambulance life support advice via the telephone and access to specialist referral services as required for medical emergencies	14.2, 14.4, 14.8

Critical Task 13.5: Effectively communicate the health risks, through public health promotion and prevention campaigns.

Agency	Activity	Additional alignment to critical tasks
DH	Promote awareness of safe practices, emergency procedures and implementing safety and warning systems for health services, such as extreme heat and epidemic thunderstorm asthma	2.1, 13.3
	Implement legislation, programs and monitoring procedures to minimize public health risk from: Extreme heat communicable and non-communicable diseases (e.g. epidemic thunderstorm asthma) contaminated retail food food contaminated with the potential to cause harm to human health contaminated drinking water supplies radiation	13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
	Control agency for: incidents involving biological releases and radioactive materials human disease/epidemics (including mass, rapid onset of human disease from any cause), and food (including retail food)/drinking water contamination	3.1, 13.1, 13.2, 13.3, 13.4
	Reduce preventable death, illness and disability in all health emergencies and other emergencies with potential health impacts	13.2, 13.3, 13.4
	Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) responsible to provide public health (health protection) advice to councils, other agencies and the community on a range of topics including safe drinking water, safe food, safe onsite waste management, adequate washing/toilet facilities and communicable disease outbreaks	4.5, 13.3, 13.4
EPA	Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to provide advice and information services to recovery agencies, Municipal councils, duty holders and community on; the environmental and public health impacts of pollution and waste, environmental clean-up methods and appropriate disposal of waste	4.5, 4.6, 13.1, 13.2
EPA	As a technical support agency in cooperation with the control agency, provide advice to the community on the harmful effects of pollution and waste and recommend actions to protect public health	2.1, 2.3, 13.2