Episode 2: “You can’t over-invest in public health”: A conversation with Professor Brett Sutton, Chief Health Officer of Victoria

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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, not many Australians could tell you who the state’s Chief Health Officer was. In this episode we talk to Professor Brett Sutton, the Chief Health Officer of Victoria, who in the last two years has become one of the most recognisable figures in Australian public health.

We ask Professor Sutton about how the Victorian government has worked with marginalised populations and diverse subgroups during the pandemic, and what they have learnt along the way.

Professor Sutton describes how the Department’s community engagement team scaled from 1 person to over 100 people during the pandemic, as they recognised the importance of a diverse team with the ability to connect and engage with individual communities.

While he recognises that starting this process in the middle of a pandemic was not ideal, Professor Sutton talks about what he and his team have taken from the experience, and how it has fed into the vaccine rollout and broader public health policy in the state.

It’s a fascinating discussion and we hope you join the conversation @CentreHealthSec