Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth)
Encyclopedia
The Victorian Health Promotion Foundation is a statutory authority
in the Australia
n state of Victoria, originally funded by hypothecated taxation raised by the Victorian Tobacco Act 1987. It was the first health promotion body in the world to be funded by a tax on tobacco.
Better known as VicHealth, the organisation has a mandate to promote good health for all Victorians. With a focus on health promotion and primary prevention of non-communicable diseases, it leads and advocates for excellence in health-promoting policies and programs. VicHealth’s activities include small grants funding for community-based projects to long-term multi-million dollar funding for programs such as Quit. VicHealth also invests heavily in public health research.
, Professor of Global Health at the Nossal Institute of Global Health; University of Melbourne
, and Rhonda Galbally
, currently CEO of Australian community sector resource directory Our Community
. Sir Gustav Nossal led VicHealth’s first Board, followed by Professor John Funder. VicHealth’s current Chair is Jane Fenton.
Statutory authority
A statutory authority is a body set up by law which is authorised to enforce legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state. They are typically found in countries which are governed by a British style of parliamentary democracy. They are common in the UK, Australia, New Zealand etc but...
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Victoria, originally funded by hypothecated taxation raised by the Victorian Tobacco Act 1987. It was the first health promotion body in the world to be funded by a tax on tobacco.
Better known as VicHealth, the organisation has a mandate to promote good health for all Victorians. With a focus on health promotion and primary prevention of non-communicable diseases, it leads and advocates for excellence in health-promoting policies and programs. VicHealth’s activities include small grants funding for community-based projects to long-term multi-million dollar funding for programs such as Quit. VicHealth also invests heavily in public health research.
Objectives
The objectives of VicHealth as mandated by the Tobacco Act 1987 are:- To fund activity related to the promotion of good health, safety or the prevention of disease;
- To increase awareness of programs for promoting good health in the community through the sponsorship of sports, the arts and popular culture;
- To encourage healthy lifestyles in the community and support activities involving participation in healthy pursuits; and
- To fund research and development activities in support of these activities.
Structure
VicHealth has a Board of Governance that is responsible to the Victorian Minister for Health. TThe current CEO is Jerril Rechter. Her predecessors were Todd Harper, now CEO of the Cancer Council Victoria; Rob MoodieRob Moodie
Rob Moodie has been a prominent New Zealand policeman and lawyer. He is also notable for his wearing of kaftans during the 1980s, and more obviously female clothing while Police Association secretary then and in the High Court in 2006.-First 60 years:Born in Dunedin, he entered foster care at...
, Professor of Global Health at the Nossal Institute of Global Health; University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, and Rhonda Galbally
Rhonda Galbally
Rhonda Galbally is an Australian working in health development and social and health policy in Australia. Galbally was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991, holds honorary degrees in health and social science from RMIT and La Trobe universities, and was awarded the Centenary Medal in...
, currently CEO of Australian community sector resource directory Our Community
Our Community
Our Community is an Australian social entrepreneurship body set up to build capacity in Australia’s 600,000 community groups. It has published a series of manuals on such issues as board management and charitable fundraising, has since 2004 organised annual policy conferences for the Australian...
. Sir Gustav Nossal led VicHealth’s first Board, followed by Professor John Funder. VicHealth’s current Chair is Jane Fenton.