COTA SA welcomes the release of South Australia’s new State Public Health Plan, which sets the direction for preventing illness and supporting the health and wellbeing of South Australians.

We are pleased to see several priorities raised in COTA SA’s submission reflected in the final Plan, including a stronger focus on older South Australians and recognition that good health is shaped by our housing, transport, social connections, environment and ability to access services.

Importantly, the Plan now explicitly includes brain health and dementia prevention, with a commitment to address modifiable dementia risk factors while supporting people with dementia to live well. This is an important step towards COTA SA’s call for a South Australian Action on Brain Health.

We also welcome the Plan’s application of an ageing lens, in particular a focus on falls and injury prevention, digital inclusion, climate-related health risks, and equity across the life course.

COTA SA looks forward to continuing to work with government and our community to ensure the Plan delivers healthier, more connected communities in which South Australians can live and age well.