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Edition 89: September 2026
RESEARCH | Building equity into the machinery of policy
Most policy makers agree equity matters, but turning that commitment into routine practice can be challenging. A new Prevention Centre knowledge synthesis brings together research evidence, policy expertise and lived experience to identify seven practical concepts for embedding equity throughout the design of chronic disease prevention policy. Read more
PRACTICE | Putting systems thinking into practice
Systems thinking has moved into mainstream prevention, but awareness and training alone are not enough. Dr Mishel Shahid argues that the next challenge is creating organisational cultures that support experimentation, collaboration and learning, allowing systems thinking to become part of everyday practice. Read more
RESEARCH | What does it take to make prevention stick?
Keeping a prevention initiative in place is not the same as sustaining its impact. New research on healthier food retail practices shows that long-term success depends on ongoing adaptation, monitoring and support, with responsibility embedded within systems rather than resting on individual champions. Read more
PROFILE | Prevention Insider: Professor Luke Wolfenden
Professor Luke Wolfenden has spent his career asking how effective interventions can become routine practice. In this Prevention Insider, he reflects on the value of listening beyond academia, the role of learning health systems and why research only matters when it improves people’s lives. He shares why closing the gap between what we know works and what is consistently delivered remains one of prevention’s greatest challenges. Read more
RESEARCH | Why chronic disease prevention research matters
Chronic disease prevention research delivers significant value, yet remains underfunded and disconnected from decision-making. Associate Professor Jaithri Ananthapavan and Adjunct Associate Professor Nadia Mastersson argue that prevention delivers benefits beyond healthcare savings, including productivity, equity and healthier communities. Read more
SAX | Smarter mental health investment through modelling
A modelling tool developed by the Sax Institute for the Mental Health Commission of NSW is helping governments make smarter investment decisions. The Mental Health Investment Decision Tool enables decision-makers to test scenarios and assess potential health and economic impacts, supporting investment in effective community-based mental health initiatives. Read more
PRACTICE | Designing for scale
Effectiveness alone does not determine whether an intervention will succeed at scale. Developed through a Prevention Centre research partnership, the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (ISAT) helps researchers, policy makers and practitioners assess readiness, expose evidence gaps and bring different perspectives into decisions about scale-up. Read more
PUBLICATIONS I Prevention Centre funded research
- Lee K, Hall A, Bauman A, Wolfenden L, Crane M, Nathan N. Application of a typology for sustainment of public health interventions using real-world case studies. Implementation Science Communications
- Marks L, Rowbotham S, Smith BJ, Singh SK, Mitchell J, Laird Y. Understanding citizen science as a participatory approach in public health research and practice. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion
Phone 02 9188 9500 I Email preventioncentre@saxinstitute.org.au
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