Australian Medical Association

04/09/2025

The AMA was one of the first organisations to advocate for an Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and we're pleased to see progress being made on the new independent agency, with the introduction of legislation this week.

In our 2017 position statement we called for the immediate establishment of an Australian National Centre for Disease Control, with a national focus on current and emerging communicable disease threats, global health surveillance, health security, epidemiology and research.

The CDC will serve as a central hub for trusted public health information and advice to governments. With a January 2026 start date now confirmed Australia will finally have the agency needed to be better prepared for future pandemics and health emergencies.

The Australian Medical Association welcomes the introduction of legislation in the federal parliament that will formally create a stand-alone Centre for Disease Control (CDC). The AMA has been the flag bearer in calling for an Australian CDC, which will help ensure we are better prepared for the nex...

03/09/2025

We welcome the introduction of legislation in federal parliament today to establish an independent Australian Centre for Disease Control.

The CDC will be an independent statutory agency bringing together critical information and experts to provide high-quality analysis and advice on public health risks to the Australian community.

As one of the first organisations to advocate for the establishment of a CDC, we're pleased to see this critical health infrastructure finally becoming a reality.

The CDC will be operational from 1 January 2026, ensuring Australia is better prepared for future pandemics and health threats.

02/09/2025

Reducing to***co excise won't solve the illegal to***co trade and could reverse decades of public health progress.

The evidence shows cutting to***co taxes can lead to more smoking, especially among young people, while the illegal trade persists.

Australia's smoking rates are at historic lows (8.3%). Let's not undo this success with dangerous, simplistic and misguided solutions.

Reducing the to***co excise as a way of tackling the illegal to***co industry is a simplistic, misguided and ineffective solution to a complex problem, that could undo decades of effective public health policy, the Australian Medical Association said today.

01/09/2025

Vaccines save lives 💉

Queensland's RSV immunisation program is delivering real results — data shows more than 1000 hospitalisations in babies under 6 have been avoided since the program launched.

RSV can cause serious illness in infants and is one of the most common causes of hospitalisation for babies and children. Despite misinformation and vaccine hesitancy, the evidence is clear — immunisation works and is crucial to protect our most vulnerable.

Talk to your GP about immunisation.

01/09/2025

The hospital logjam crisis continues to lead to chaos in our public hospitals, claiming lives as the system buckles under pressure.

A senior doctor at one of WA's busiest hospitals has warned "we are killing people", with overcrowding in emergency departments and ambulance ramping causing preventable deaths.

With ambulance ramping hitting record highs of more than 7,000 hours in July and patients waiting 24+ hours in emergency departments, the situation is critical.

The AMA has a plan to clear the hospital logjam including increased funding to expand capacity and performance measures. More at hospitallogjam.com.au

30/08/2025

Whooping cough is surging across Australia with the most significant outbreak in decades.

We can't afford to be complacent. Vaccination helps you, your loved ones, and your community.

AMA media release: https://www.ama.com.au/media/act-now-protect-you-your-family-and-community-whooping-cough

28/08/2025

Cricketing legend Usman Khawaja has taken a brave stand today calling out the government for failing to protect our children from the scourge that are gambling ads.

AMA ACT President Dr Kerrie Aust was also present saying "We want kids and young people playing sport and having their heroes without a constant stream of gambling advertising."

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/28/usman-khawaja-says-labor-too-slow-banning-gambling-ads-protect-children

https://www.ama.com.au/media/two-years-government-inaction-leaves-australians-exposed-gambling-harm

Australian cricketer says the normalisation of gambling in sport for young people is ‘scary and dangerous’ as government continues to sit on reforms

28/08/2025

Congratulations to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on their engagement! We know a thing or two about being smitten. We love the idea of a tax on sugary drinks, improving immunisation rates, and a strong private health system authority to name a few!

27/08/2025

The AMA’s new podcast, hosted by Dr Omar Khorshid and Dr Chris Moy, is back with a new episode this week discussing preventive health and the AMA's campaign for a tax on sugar sweetened beverages.

We're also inviting you to submit questions for upcoming episodes. Do you have any questions about artificial intelligence in healthcare or the issue of va**ng? Drop your question in the comments below and we'll see if we can get them answered in coming weeks.

Have a suggestion for a topic that you would like covered in future podcasts? We're keen to hear your thoughts on this too!

Don't forget to like and subscribe to The Waiting Room, and share the podcast with your networks.

📻 Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/7mmGocsep8K75lmSjQYYGS?si=d9dc5988d17a4dab
📻 Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-waiting-room/id1829336924
📻 RSS
https://feeds.zencastr.com/f/HHhjvwIs.rss

27/08/2025

Experiences like this shine a light on the 'hidden' waitlist, or the years many patients wait to even see a specialist before joining the elective — really, essential — surgery waitlist. Years lost to pain and suffering.

Our solutions and more are at www.hospitallogjam.com.au

26/08/2025

The AMA’s new podcast, hosted by Dr Omar Khorshid and Dr Chris Moy, is back later this week. Subscribe to The Waiting Room to have each episode delivered to you as soon as it is released!

We're also inviting you to submit questions for upcoming episodes. Do you have any questions about artificial intelligence in healthcare or the issue of va**ng? Drop your question in the comments below and we'll see if we can get them answered in coming weeks.

Have a suggestion for a topic that you would like covered in future podcasts? We're keen to hear your thoughts on this too!

Don't forget to like and subscribe to The Waiting Room, and share the podcast with your networks.

📻 Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/7mmGocsep8K75lmSjQYYGS?si=d9dc5988d17a4dab
📻 Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-waiting-room/id1829336924
📻 RSS
https://feeds.zencastr.com/f/HHhjvwIs.rss

25/08/2025

6000 people waiting for so-called elective — really, essential — surgeries in SA as hospitals remain in a state of logjam. We need state and federal governments to fix the funding formula to help expand hospital capacity and improve performance.

Our solutions: www.hospitallogjam.com.au