Public Health Association of Australia

What Public Health Association of Australia does

PHAA is the non-government, non-party-political peak body for public health in Australia. Incorporated under Victorian law and headquartered in Curtin (Canberra), ACT, it was founded in 1968 (originally as ASERCH) and now represents approximately 2,000 individual members drawn from more than 40 professional disciplines, supported by branches in every Australian state and territory and 18 Special Interest Groups that co-develop evidence-based policy position statements. Its primary external stakeholders are public health professionals (researchers, practitioners, policymakers, students), government and parliamentary bodies (PHAA submits to inquiries and consultations across tobacco, obesity, vaccination, gambling harm, climate-and-health, and Indigenous health), and a smaller set of organisational members whose staff access discounted conference registration.

The association's core products are non-software service lines: the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH), a peer-reviewed open-access journal published in partnership with Elsevier and distributed globally via ScienceDirect with a 2.9 Impact Factor and over one million annual downloads; The Pump, a members-only weekly digital newsletter; InTouch Public Health, a member-contributed blog; the National Mentoring Program pairing student and early-career members with senior practitioners over a nine-month cycle; and a calendar of conferences and SIG events. There is no proprietary technology stack; the underlying platforms are Elsevier/ScienceDirect for journal distribution and standard web/social infrastructure (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky) for outreach.

PHAA's revenue model is a recurring subscription stack built on individual membership fees, organisational membership fees, journal article processing charges (with discounts for members), and conference/event registration. Pricing tiers and exact fee amounts are not publicly disclosed. Governance is exercised by a 12-member elected Board under a 2025 constitutional amendment that established an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice (First Nations Collective Co-Design Project). Operational staff headcount is in the 11-50 range, with the CEO (Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin) and President (Professor Caroline Miller) leading the association.

Name

Public Health Association of Australia

Legal name

Public Health Association of Australia Inc

Website

https://phaa.net.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PHAA is Australia's non-government peak body for public health, representing about 2,000 professionals across 40+ disciplines, with branches in every state and territory, 18 Special Interest Groups, and the ANZJPH peer-reviewed journal. It earns revenue through membership fees, journal publishing, and conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Governance, Interagency Coordination & Partnerships (HLAJAMAD)

Keywords

• Public health advocacy
• Professional membership association
• Health policy development
• Peer-reviewed journal publishing
• Public health conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: PHAA generates revenue through individual membership fees, offering benefits including professional development, networking, conferences, journal access, and policy development participation.
2. Organizational Membership: Up to two staff members from organizational members may attend PHAA Annual Conference and special interest conferences at reduced member registration rates.
3. Journal Publishing: The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH) is published by PHAA. Accepted articles incur an open access publishing fee, with discounts available for PHAA individual members or Public Health Association of New Zealand members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PHAA is a non-profit, membership-based professional association that serves as Australia's peak body for public health. It offers individual and organizational memberships, a peer-reviewed open access journal (ANZJPH), conferences and events, a national mentoring program, weekly newsletters, and coordinates evidence-based policy advocacy across 18 Special Interest Groups and branches in every Australian state and territory.

Product overview

The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) is a membership-based advocacy organization, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of public health services including membership programs, publications, events, and professional development. The core products include the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH) - a peer-reviewed open access journal, The Pump weekly newsletter, the InTouch Public Health blog, the National Mentoring Program for students and early career professionals, and conferences and events. The organization also manages 18 Special Interest Groups covering various public health disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH) A peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, open access journal covering public health issues, published by PHAA through Elsevier on ScienceDirect. Articles incur an open access publishing fee with discounts for PHAA and Public Health Association of New Zealand members.
• The Pump Newsletter Members-only weekly digital newsletter delivering public health news, research updates, job vacancies, and PHAA updates.
• InTouch Public Health Blog Member-contributed blog featuring articles on public health topics.
• National Mentoring Program Nine-month mentoring program pairing student and early career public health professionals with senior mentors for teaching, training, networking, and career development.
• PHAA Conferences and Events Annual conference and special interest conferences, workshops, and seminars on public health topics, with significant registration discounts for members.
• PHAA Individual Membership Annual individual membership providing professional development, networking through branches and SIGs, journal access, mentoring, weekly newsletter, and policy advocacy participation rights.
• PHAA Organizational Membership Annual organizational membership enabling up to two staff members to access member benefits including discounted conference registration rates.

Quantifiable outcome

• PHAA has branches in every Australian state and territory
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2025Joint submission with CAHA to the Senate Inquiry into Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025.
• Illicit Tobacco National Disruption GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2025New national body aimed at curtailing illicit tobacco. Assoc. Prof Raglan Maddox from ANU, Co-Convenor of PHAA's Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Special Interest Group, was interviewed about the new body.
• Cancer Council NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2023Joint campaign calling for removal of junk food marketing on NSW government property. Both organizations advocate for public health protection from unhealthy food advertising.
• ElseviercoreTechnology or IntegrationElsevier publishes the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (ANZJPH) on behalf of PHAA. The journal has an Impact Factor of 2.9 and CiteScore of 4.6, averaging over one million downloads annually.
• World Federation of Public Health AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHAA is a member of this international federation. Dr. Alana Gall serves as Vice Chair of the World Federation of Public Health Associations Indigenous Working Group.
• Murdoch Children's Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the National Vaccination Insights project, along with NCIRS and University of Sydney, researching childhood vaccination barriers and strategies.
• National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on National Vaccination Insights project to understand barriers to childhood vaccination and inform evidence-based strategies.
• University of Sydney - Social and Behavioural Insights in Immunisation (SABII)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in National Vaccination Insights project collaborating on childhood vaccination research.
• Alannah & Madeline FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint submission on Queensland firearms reform legislation, supported by PHAA.
• Alliance for Gambling ReformminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHAA is a proud member of the Alliance for Gambling Reform, advocating for gambling harm prevention policies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Public Health Association: The US national peak body for public health professionals, directly comparable to PHAA in mission, structure, and advocacy focus. Operates a similar membership model, publishes the American Journal of Public Health, and runs state/regional affiliates.
• Canadian Public Health Association: Canada's national public health association, directly comparable to PHAA in its role as a membership-based advocacy body for public health professionals. Operates the Canadian Journal of Public Health and pursues similar evidence-based policy advocacy.
• Public Health Association of New Zealand: The closest direct peer given PHAA's co-publishing relationship on the ANZJPH journal. Operates as a similar membership-based public health advocacy body in New Zealand, addressing many of the same policy issues as PHAA.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Medical Association: Australia's peak professional body for doctors. While broader in scope than PHAA, it is a comparable Australian professional health association with a similar membership-based advocacy model and policy submission activity.
• World Federation of Public Health Associations: The international federation of national public health associations of which PHAA is a member. Provides a global umbrella and convening function; PHAA's leaders serve on its working groups.
• European Public Health Association (EUPHA): The umbrella organization for public health associations in Europe. Comparable to PHAA in mission to strengthen public health through knowledge exchange, policy advocacy, and member-based professional development, but operating at a regional rather than national level.

Regional players

• Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association: Australia's peak body representing the public hospital and healthcare sector. Comparable to PHAA as a similarly structured Australian health advocacy association, though focused on health system delivery rather than public health policy.
• Royal Society for Public Health: UK-based independent public health body with a similar membership and professional development model to PHAA. Operates in the UK health policy landscape, making it a relevant regional peer in mission and structure.
• UK Faculty of Public Health: The UK professional body for public health practitioners, comparable to PHAA in its professional standards, advocacy, and policy advisory role. Operates primarily in the UK with a similar focus on workforce development and evidence-based policy.

Others

• National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC): Australia's primary public funder of health and medical research. Relevant as an adjacent organization in the Australian public health ecosystem that PHAA engages with on research and policy matters, though NHMRC is a government agency rather than a membership association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_PHAA_
• Facebookfacebook.com/PublicHealthAssociationofAustralia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/public-health-association-of-australia
• Instagraminstagram.com/publichealthassocaus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Public Health Association of Australia