Gov scopes architecture for public health surveillance platform

The federal government is developing a blueprint for a new data analytics platform to track and manage diseases across Australia.

The Department of Health is currently putting together an architectural strategy and design for what’s known as the National Public Health Surveillance System (NPHSS), with the aim of completing “a minimum viable product” by FY2028-29.

According to a BuyICT request for consultants to review the proposed strategy, the platform will use “advanced data and analytics to provide near real-time disease surveillance, enabling rapid health risk detection and scenario modelling.”

In a statement to iTnews, a Health spokesperson said the proposed platform will “address limitations” identified in its existing National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), including “fragmented data systems across jurisdictions and sectors of government”.

“The intention is for the NPHSS to capture Australian-specific surveillance data, covering various health and environmental factors,” the spokesperson added.

“The NPHSS will initially focus on improving communicable disease surveillance and linking data with other relevant datasets.

“This approach will provide early warnings and support better decision-making.”

The NPHSS’ development follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledging $251.7 million to build a new Centre for Disease Control in October.

“The Australian CDC will adopt modern surveillance and data analytics tools to act as a frontline defence against diseases,” Health told iTnews.

“The NPHSS project will inform further data and surveillance system investment decisions for the Australian CDC.”

Limitations in the existing National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System platform were highlighted in the Covid-19 response inquiry report [pdf] released in October.

This urged the government to “build foundations for a national communicable disease data integration system, enabled for equity and high-priority population identification and data interrogation.”

Health told iTnews that specific datasets for integration into a new system have yet to be determined.