This report presents key baseline data for monitoring mandatory folic acid and iodine fortification in Australia and New Zealand. Data are presented for each component of the fortification monitoring frameworks as follows: food composition; folic acid and iodine intake; folic acid and iodine status of the populations; and health outcomes.

Nutritious, safe, affordable and enjoyable food is a fundamental prerequisite for health. As a nation, Australia is currently classified as food secure with domestic production exceeding domestic consumption of most major food groups. However, the viability of the Australian food system sits counter to the continued presence of a stable and supportive climate. For Australia...

This paper analyses the issue of childhood obesity within an economic policy framework. It also reviews the evidence of trends in obesity in children and provides an overview of recent and planned childhood obesity preventative health programs.

An ageing population, population growth, technological advances and increasing expectations of the health system will continue to sharpen our focus on a system that delivers value for money. Pressure to deliver more with Australian health budgets will continue to grow. Ensuring our scarce health resources are directed to where they can be most effective in...

Health expenditure patterns, and the ratios between Indigenous and non-indigenous expenditure, vary by remoteness and by the type of health expenditure. For example, Medicare Benefits Schedule expenditure was lower for Indigenous Australians and decreased with remoteness, but the level of disparity actually decreased with remoteness, from a ratio of 0.58 in major cities to 0.77...