Public health emergencies can be caused by events which impact on public health or events that can potentially overwhelm the health-system.

For example, a highly infectious disease spreading through the community, health impacts arising from emergencies (for example smoke from a major fire or waterborne diseases during a flood), and any mass casualty situations or weather-related events such as thunderstorm asthma.

Examples of significant public health emergencies include the Victoria’s thunderstorm asthma event of 21–22 November 2016, and the current worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Publish year Assurance activity Summary Organisation
2021 Inquiry into the Victorian Government's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Report (External link) The second report reflecting the impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the responses taken by the Victorian Government up until the end of December 2020. The report finds a number of issues—pandemic preparedness, infection rates, contact tracing, economic consequences and increased pressure on the Victorian community services sector. Parliament of Victoria
2021 Management of International Travel Restrictions during COVID-19 (External link) An audit conducted to provide independent assurance that Australia’s COVID-19 international travel restrictions have been managed effectively.
The Auditor-General made six recommendations relating to: clearly communicating border clearance processes; planning for future travel restrictions; updating the response plan; obtaining data on quarantine; and better managing travel exemption refusal processes. 		Australian National Audit Office
2021 Public reporting on the Victorian Ombudsman investigation into the lockdown of 33 Alfred Street (External link) In July 2020, the Victorian Ombudsman announced an investigation into the detention and treatment of public housing residents at 33 Alfred St North Melbourne due to significant COVID-19 infection at the estate. A final report was tabled in Victorian Parliament on 17 December 2020 and made 10 recommendations with recommendation 10 requiring the Victorian Government to report publicly on steps taken to implement recommendations 3-9 on or before 30 June 2021. Department of Fairness, Families and Housing
2022 Review of Victoria's preparedness for major public health emergencies, including pandemics (External link) A review of Victoria's preparedness for a range of events which might have wide-ranging public health impacts, it considers six different cases to contextualise Victoria's preparedness for major public health emergencies which will test the emergency management sector’s capability and capacity to respond. Inspector-General for Emergency Management
2022 Ombudsman's recommendations - fourth report (External link) A summary of the outcomes and improvements following 11 Ombudsman reports and recommendations tabled in Parliament in between May 2020 and December 2021. The reports span two years when the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to inequality, disadvantage and vulnerability. Victorian Ombudsman
2022 2021 report on the operation of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (External link) A report that examines how the Charter was applied in 2021, it focuses on the impact of COVID-19 and issues that emerged in relation to additional measures the Victorian Government took to protect Victorians. It identifies 5 key lessons to ensure that human rights continue to be safeguarded in the pandemic recovery. Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
2022 Antimicrobial resistance: the silent global pandemic (External link) Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most serious global health threats of the 21st century, linking the interests, concerns and efforts of human, animal and environmental health. The report proposes solutions to position Australia as a global leader and support a coordinated, sustained, and unified health approach to addressing antimicrobial resistance and other health threats. Independent
2022 Navigating the crisis: how governments used intelligence for decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic (External link) An examination of how governments — and the societies around them — mobilised intelligence to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, it makes recommendations that could improve the ability to organise intelligence for future challenges of all kinds, from pandemics to climate change. Independent
2022 Review of the Pandemic (Visitors to Hospitals and Care Facilities) Orders (External link) A review of the Pandemic (Visitors to Hospitals and Care Facilities) Orders undertaken due to the considerable impact visitor restrictions have had on patients, residents of care facilities, and their loved ones. Restrictions on visiting a care facility were in place until June 2022, and it was only in April 2022 that restrictions under the pandemic orders were relaxed for hospital visitors. The review also considered the issues caused by the pandemic orders more generally finding that the way Victorian Government communicates pandemic orders and changes to orders should be improved. Parliament of Victoria
2022 Review of COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Orders in Victoria (External link) An assessment of vaccine mandates imposed on workers through pandemic orders, the report found that while the benefits of vaccine mandates protected essential services and supply chains, reduced economic disruptions and protected the health system, the decision-making process for why classes of workers were included in pandemic orders was not clearly communicated. Parliament of Victoria