10 June 2026
Australians strongly value preventive health and are already taking active steps to stay well. Most consumers understand what prevention involves, from healthy lifestyles to early screening, and many regularly engage in these activities. However, this report shows that while motivation is high, the ability to act is not equally distributed. Cost, access, time pressures and system complexity limit what people can do, creating a clear gap between what consumers want to do and what is possible in practice.
Consumers want a system that makes it easier to act, not more messaging about prevention. This means embedding prevention into everyday care, tailoring support to individual needs and life stages, and reducing practical barriers to participation. The findings highlight a clear message: prevention in Australia is not limited by awareness, but by whether the system enables people to act on what they already know.
