The ‘compelling argument to be bold’ in preventative health, says Pfizer MD: Reimagining Healthcare senior leadership series

Pharma News: In the latest interview of the Reimagining Healthcare senior leadership series, Anne Harris, Managing Director for ANZ & Developed Asia at Pfizer, envisioned a transformative decade ahead where “meaningful” investment in prevention could fundamentally reshape Australia’s healthcare landscape.

“If we truly prioritise prevention and invest in it, it has multiplying effects at an individual and at a societal level,” she emphasised.

Addressing recent developments in health policy, Harris scrutinised the nation’s commitment to prevention under the National Preventative Health Strategy. Despite ambitious targets set during the 2022 election by the Albanese Labor Government, she noted a lack of bold fiscal move in the recent Federal Budget, contrasting Australia’s approach with more proactive strategies adopted by OECD peers.

“We have an absolute gap in healthcare expenditure being spent on public health and prevention. When you compare us to other advanced economies, we are sitting at 29 out of 36,” she said.

Drawing from Pfizer’s Breakthrough Nation report, released today, Harris highlighted that “treating a person once they are sick, especially when they require hospitalisation, is much more expensive than keeping them well. But our health system doesn’t prioritise prevention” despite the significant cost and workforce challenges it faces currently.

She pointed to barriers such as the “systematic undervaluing of vaccines” and called for “clear targets, transparent reporting and funding incentives” in adult vaccination as an example that can be implemented “fairly easily” in light of the declines in vaccination uptake since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In terms of actionable steps, Harris said “It’s a societal conversation. As an Australian, what do we expect from our government and partners to help us live healthier, longer lives?

“The investment in preventative health goes beyond the benefits to our healthcare system. It has secondary benefits to our society. When you look at it in its totality, there is a compelling argument for us to be bold about it right now,” she stated.

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