AIDH has hosted its inaugural Members-only Policy and Advocacy Forum, launching a new space for members to hear directly from AIDH CEO Anja Nikolic and from the policy and advocacy team.
The forum was an opportunity for members to join together in an open conversation and a look behind the scenes at how AIDH represents and amplifies the collective voice of the digital health sector. Anja Nikolic opened the session by reflecting on the importance of policy and advocacy in advancing digitally enabled health transformation, and the value of creating a regular forum where members can engage with this work directly, ask questions, and share their perspective.
During the session, the policy and advocacy team walked members through the different ways AIDH engages with government, departments, agencies and sector stakeholders. This includes responding to public consultations, developing proactive policy positions, working in partnership with other organisations, and drawing on the expertise of AIDH’s subject matter expert panels.
Members also heard about current areas of focus, including submissions underway, the funding models for app-enabled preventative primary care project, and the importance of ensuring health is part of broader national digital policy reform.
A key focus of the evening was a debrief on the 2026/27 Federal Budget and the implications for digital health. The discussion explored the budget process, how funding decisions are made, and the signals AIDH is watching closely, including investment in infrastructure, interoperability, shared-by-default mechanisms, and the future of workforce capability initiatives.
The conversation also explored AIDH’s broader advocacy priorities for the sector, including workforce advancement, data and infrastructure, regulatory and standards frameworks, and sustainable funding and resourcing. Members contributed thoughtful questions about state-based advocacy, relationships with government, allied health, and opportunities to engage across health portfolio agencies.
Thank you to all members who joined and contributed to such a valuable discussion. This first forum marks the beginning of what AIDH hopes will become a regular members-only opportunity to connect, ask questions and help influence the policy agenda for digital health.
Members are encouraged to keep an eye on the AIDH newsletter for details of the next forum.