Home About us What we do We aim to create a healthier, fairer Victoria Where everyone benefits from good health and has the opportunity to thrive. Scroll down It's all about health promotion And it has many elements We create and fund world-class interventions. We conduct vital research to advance Victoria’s population health. We produce and support public campaigns to promote a healthier Victoria. We provide expertise and insights to government and bring global best practice to Victoria. Above all, we work in partnership with people and communities to reshape the systems and environments around them that impact their daily lives. Also see: What we don't do About Health Promotion How we do it We work with a wide range of people, communities and organisations to reshape the systems that impact our health and wellbeing. This includes addressing many factors, including risky behaviours by individuals, the actions of some industries that promote harmful products and services, and the policy and legislation underpinning systemic and structural inequity. Browse programs & projects Browse research & publications Body Vision, purpose and aspirations? It's all in our strategy... VicHealth Strategy 2023-2033 Reshaping systems together for a healthier, fairer Victoria. Title How we're funded Body VicHealth receives core funding from the Department of Health to deliver its objectives as outlined in the Tobacco Act 1987. Additionally, VicHealth periodically receives special funding from various Government agencies to deliver specific programs. Our work reflects our obligations under the Tobacco Act of 1987. It also aligns with the Victorian Government policy and program directions, and national and international health promotion priorities and policies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) charters and declarations for Health Promotion. Previous funding model (before 1997) For its first 10 years (until 1997), VicHealth was funded by a dedicated (or ‘hypothecated’) tax. This kind of tax is one generated for a specific purpose and does not become part of a government’s general consolidated revenue. A hypothecated tax is rarely implemented. The Victorian State Government applied a levy of 5% on top of existing state tobacco fees (set out in the Victorian Tobacco Act 1987). This money was hypothecated to the Victorian Health Promotion Fund, and the Fund was administered by VicHealth. In health terms, such an approach created an incentive in its own right by increasing the price of something considered to be harmful to health (in this case smoking). There was evidence in Victoria before the Tobacco Act was introduced in 1987 that a price increase in cigarettes would reduce the smoking rates of people under 18. This was a powerful message to help the Victorian Government gain community support for a new tax to the community. The model created considerable interest in other parts of the world. Thailand, Korea, Finland and Portugal have all implemented some version of a hypothecated tax to fund health promotion. For more information, see The Story of VicHealth: A world first in health promotion Title What we don't do Title Is VicHealth the Department of Health? Body No, we are a separate government statutory authority that focuses on health promotion. VicHealth receives core funding from the Department of Health to deliver its objectives as outlined in the Tobacco Act 1987. Additionally, VicHealth periodically receives special funding from various Government agencies to deliver specific programs. Our work reflects our obligations under the Tobacco Act of 1987. Title Is VicHealth a support service? Body No, VicHealth is not a support service that you call to get help with health needs. Please contact the relevant service (e.g. for mental health support you could contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue). Body Find out more Who we are Organisational... Our history VicHealth is the world’s first health promotion foundation. We were established by the Victorian Parliament as part of the Tobacco Act of 1987. This Act set the standard for international best...
