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Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway)

Healthway (the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation) was established in 1991 under the Tobacco Control Act 1990 and later the Tobacco Products Control Act 2006 as a statutory body to operate as an independent organization. Now operating under the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation Act 2016, Healthway is funded through the state government’s general consolidated revenue. 

Healthway is the only dedicated health promotion agency in Western Australia. Reporting to the Minister of Health, Healthway aims to promote and facilitate good health and activities that encourage healthy lifestyles. This is achieved through funding activities that promote health, particularly that of young people, and providing grants to organizations engaged in health promotion programmes and research.  It also offers sports, arts and racing sectors a source of funding for health promoting activities. Healthway partners with government, health and non-health organizations, communities and other stakeholders in varied settings including sport and reareation, education, culture and the arts, racing, local government, transport and workplaces.

Healthway is governed by a Board. As the accountable authority of Healthway, the Board sets strategic goals and direction and decides on the allocation of funding grants. A Health Promotion Advisory Committee provides advice to the Board to ensure its work aligns with contemporary health promotion policies and practice. A Research Assessment Committee also supports Healthway’s research programme, ensuring applications are assessed for their scientific rigor and ability to contribute to new evidence in health promotion policy and practice.

The organizational structure is made up of a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Director Health Promotion that oversee two main grants programmes: health promotion and research, and partnerships. The health promotion and research area provide the Healthy Communities Programme and Healthy Research Programmes. The partnership area is responsible for Healthy Spaces and Healthy Partnerships Programmes. Healthway’s shared services are provided by Lotterywest including finance, organizational development, information management and technology, and risk management.

Between 2019 and 2022, Healthway received an estimation total annual budget of USD 14.83 million and USD 15.2 million. The fund supports various health promotion activities and research include communicating healthy messages, providing health promotion education, facilitating healthy environments and promoting participation in healthy activities. It also invests in capacity building within the health promotion sector through scholarships, fellowships and partnering with health organisations. Healthway also has extensive associations with ‘grass-roots’ organizations (more than 700 partners).

The key priorities for Healthway are outlined in its strategic plan, Active Healthy People 2018-2023 and include increasing healthy eating and physical activity, improving mental health, preventing harms from alcohol and creating a smoke-free Western Australia. 

References

Tobacco Control Act 1990.

Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation Act 2016.

Healthway. Healthway website: https://www.healthway.wa.gov.au/

Healthway. Strategic Plan, Active Healthy People: 2018 – 2023: Available at: https://www.healthway.wa.gov.au/our-priorities/active-healthy-people-2018-2023/.

Healthway. Annual report 2020/21. Available at:  https://www.healthway.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/Healthway-Annual-Report-2020-21.pdf

Related reports

World Health Organization. (2004). The establishment and use of dedicated taxes for health. World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific.

Vathesatogkit P, Yen Lian T, Ritthipakdee B. (2013). Health Promotion: Sustainable Financing and Governance. Bangkok, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth). 

World Health Organization. (2016). Earmarked tobacco taxes: lessons learnt from nine countries. Geneva, World Health Organization.

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