The large state-wide after-action review (AAR) of the COVID-19 public health response by NSW Health revealed important practice points to support future operational responses. It identified the importance of collective and systematic reflection, enabling the workforce to learn from past experiences and improve future responses. This process highlighted the value of involving multidisciplinary teams and considering the psychological needs of the workforce, setting a precedent for better preparedness in public health emergencies.

Children from low-socioeconomic communities are more likely to have health and development problems when starting school for the first time. We analysed medical records of children from five schools in a rural, low-socioeconomic community of NSW to quantitatively describe their healthcare needs and to inform school entry health check programs and school-based healthcare. The prevalence of health and developmental concerns and challenges to accessing care indicates the need for school entry health check models that provide ongoing support to families.

Improving oral health has taken centre stage at a global level; but in Australia, the public voice has been absent from such discussions. Here, we quantify opinions of working-age Australians on the essentiality and affordability of oral health care and show that, although it is considered essential, there is a clear barrier to accessibility due to unaffordability, particularly for disadvantaged groups. Universal oral health coverage principles need to be implemented for all Australians to receive equitable oral health care.

The multidisciplinary public health workforce and its education have evolved over time, with government reforms driven by social initiatives. Recent polycrises – natural and man-made disasters and crises – shed light on the strengths and weakness of the Australian public health effort and therefore its workforce education. Multidisciplinary public health competencies must drive public health education and training with accredited degrees to ensure internationally transportable qualifications and a future-proofed workforce.

This article belongs to the collection: A Decade of Insight: 10th Anniversary Collection of Public Health Research & Practice.

The increasing use of e-cigarettes (vaping) among young people has sparked debate about their potential role in smoking initiation. Prospective cohort studies suggest that vaping increases the risk of starting cigarette smoking, while some repeated cross-sectional studies have argued that vaping might be reducing smoking rates, citing an increasing vaping trend coinciding with a decreasing smoking trend. Our 'perspectives article’ demonstrates how these coinciding trends may have been misinterpreted.

Artifical intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise healthcare and public health globally, but do its risks outweigh its potential? Here we outline the issues of AI and provide examples of where it could be successful. Advances in AI technologies must consider ethical implications and regulations while undergoing further research and experimentation to fulfil its potential; otherwise health inequalities will be exacerbated and advances in AI will fail to serve the best interests of individuals and communities worldwide.

This article belongs to the collection: A Decade of Insight: 10th Anniversary Collection of Public Health Research & Practice.

A strong public health workforce is crucial for protecting and promoting population health and responding to public health emergencies. Over 35 years, the New South Wales Public Health Training Program has trained more than 220 public health professionals, who have contributed to critical population health initiatives. This sustained investment demonstrates how strategic workforce development can build essential public health capacity, ensuring communities have skilled professionals ready to address complex public health challenges.

Rates of congenital syphilis are rising across Australia, particularly among non-Indigenous and Indigenous females, with the highest number of deaths ever recorded in Australia during 2023. We present a case report of congenital syphilis and note that, despite NSW, Qld, WA and SA newly recommending screening for syphilis multiple times in pregnancy, our case would not have benefitted from these recommendations. Broader public health interventions are required to reduce the prevalence of infectious syphilis in Australia.

Planetary health aims to achieve the highest attainable state of health for current and future generations by protecting the natural systems on which all health depends. Despite the increasing uptake of planetary health concepts within health systems, decision-making frameworks remain firmly and narrowly focused on best patient outcomes relative to financial cost. More action is needed to secure the adoption of planetary health within health systems. Public health professionals, working in collaboration with other disciplines, are important and influential agents for this change.

This article belongs to the collection: A Decade of Insight: 10th Anniversary Collection of Public Health Research & Practice.