Building health equity through community health: insights from Victoria, Australia

Community health plays a vital role in Victoria's healthcare system, improving health and wellbeing outcomes, and advancing health and social equity. Despite the absence of a formal definition, community health services are recognised for applying the social model of health to deliver evidence-based approaches that foster positive outcomes for individuals, communities and the broader healthcare setting. This paper explores the strength and impact of the community health sector, including reach, outcomes and experiences. Through case studies of programs and initiatives delivered by Your Community Health, a community health service operating in Melbourne's north, the paper highlights the innovative application of evidence-based approaches to meet local need. The practice examples demonstrate how multi-disciplinary care, peer-led models, setting-based approaches, early intervention and capacity building are successfully implemented, and the positive impact they have on health and wellbeing outcomes. The paper concludes that community health services and approaches are integral in supporting health outcomes and achieving health equity, alleviating pressure on acute systems while delivering economic benefits. To sustain and enhance community health's role within the healthcare system, ongoing investment is essential.