Health Policy And Advocacy Assignment

Running head: HEALTH POLICY AND ADVOCACY 1
Health Policy and Advocacy
Name of Student
Institutional Affiliation

HEALTH POLICY AND ADVOCACY 2
Health Policy and Advocacy
Healthcare policies have been used across the globe as a blueprint of the change process.
Before a policy is enacted, there is a need for proper assessment of the stakeholders’ interests,
the existing healthcare problems, and the expected outcomes. In this case, the success of the
policy will depend on the extent to which the stakeholders were engaged as well as the degree to
which all the problems were captured in the policy. The success of a policy is determined by
comparing the anticipated change and the actual outcomes or milestones achieved by
implementing the policy framework. In healthcare, policies are designed with targeted
stakeholders and populations in mind to ensure that a positive change is achieved. The problem
of cancer in Australia has been a persistent issue that has attracted the attention of federal and
state governments (Cancer Council of Australia, 2018). Different preventive mechanisms have
been used to foster early diagnosis, prevention, and effective treatment. This policy analysis
paper is a critical evaluation of the National Cancer Prevention Policy in Australia.
The Problem and Context
Cancer is one of the critical healthcare problems in Australia. The National Cancer
Prevention Policy was designed to foster the prevention of cancer in the country to reduce the
prevalence rates (Cancer Council of Australia, 2018). A survey by the Australian Institute of
Health predicted that the country could witness a 31% increase in diagnosis if comprehensive
preventive measures are not enacted. Owing to the complexity of this healthcare problem, the
federal government initiated the development of intervention frameworks (Cancer Council of
Australia, 2018). The policy was established back in 2007 and was later updated after the 2009
estimated assessment period elapsed. Currently, the healthcare sector is working with the
updated version of the policy published in 2018. It is important to highlight that the policy is

HEALTH POLICY AND ADVOCACY 3
seeking to address the problem of increased cancer cases among Australians. The highlighted
problems in the policy include how lifestyle risk factors are contributing to increased diagnosis
of different types of cancer. Therefore, the policy addressed the following preventable risk
factors: Tobacco, Ultraviolent Radiation, Obesity and Overweight, Nutrition, Physical Activity,
and Alcohol. One of the areas that were not addressed in the policy is the impact of genetic
factors as part of the risks that impact cancer diagnosis. Scholarly pieces of literature have
ascertained that apart from lifestyle and behavioral factors, genetics also impact cancer diagnosis
(Theodoratou et al., 2017; Kamps et al., 2017).
The Frame of Reference or Dominant Discourse
The common frame of reference in the National Cancer Prevention Policy is the need for
cancer prevention in the country. Although the healthcare system is designed to foster preventive
mechanisms in line with the prevalence of different diseases, the issue of cancer proved to be a
burden in the country (Cancer Council of Australia, 2018). Specific and targeted policies
improve healthcare outcomes (Steenkamer et al., 2018). In this case, the government considered
the essence of having a special, targeted, and population-centered approach to cancer prevention.
By establishing this policy, the government could focus on groups, individuals, and populations
at risk for specific types of cancer. A critical review of the policy indicates that by outlining the
paths associated with cancer prevalence it is possible to undertake prevention measures (Cancer
Council of Australia, 2018). Therefore, the policy focused on two major aspects: the awareness
of risk factors and the mechanisms of prevention. The policy is equally founded on the
assumption that the reduction of exposure to risk factors subsequently leads to a decline in
cancer diagnosis. Additionally, the policy hypothesizes that early detection of cancer enhances
its management, treatment, and prevention of adverse experiences. The assumptions of the policy

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are extensively backed in clinical-based evidence and scholarly literature (Heitzer et al., 2017;
Uttley et al., 2016).
Targets, Stakeholders, and their Representation
National Cancer Prevention Policy targets individuals who are at a high risk of being
diagnosed with cancer. However, to achieve this paramount objective, the policy outlined the key
stakeholders in the healthcare sector and beyond who contribute to the achievement of the
outlined objectives. The Cancer Council resorted to building a strong collaboration with the
ministry of health because of the increasing evidence of the impact of partnership in meeting
healthcare goals. The policy incorporated the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and
Health designed by the WHO as part of the prevention mechanism (Cancer Council of Australia,
2018). In this global strategy, the institutions under the ministry of health at the federal and state
level formed part of the key stakeholders. Healthcare coordinators, ministries, departments, and
institutions across territories, states, and local governments are considered as key stakeholders in
the implementation of the policy. The healthcare system in Australia has thrived from the
advantages of coordinated and institutionalized implementation between government and non-
governmental agencies (Baugh et al., 2018). The healthcare workforce across different
specializations for part of the primary implementors of policy initiatives and activities. The
synergistic effect of the healthcare workforce has been considered as the backbone of the
preventive interventions for a specific population in Australia affected by the cancer menace.
It is essential to highlight how the policy defined and outlined the subjects in the policy.
In the policy, specific risk factors have been defined, which in turn mimic the representation of
the targeted subjects. The first risk factor identified in the policy is the use of tobacco, which is a
behavioral factor associated with a significant number of cancer diagnoses. Ultraviolet radiation