What policymakers are reading – and why it matters

At the Sax Institute, we’re focused on ensuring research informs real-world policy decisions. One way to understand where policy attention is heading is through the evidence shaping those decisions. 

Australian Policy Online (APO) is an open-access evidence platform that connects policymakers, researchers and practitioners with high-quality public policy research, ensuring evidence is visible, discoverable and usable. Established in 2002, APO now hosts more than 45,000 reports and resources, with new content added daily and free weekly newsletters that highlight the latest and most influential policy research added to the platform. Through curated subject collections, open publishing and services such as APOgov, APO supports governments to access timely, trusted research and strengthen evidence-based policymaking across Australia. 

APO’s annual Top Content lists and dynamic subject collections provide a window into the themes shaping health policy, including key Sax Institute areas: preventative health, mental health and First Nations’ health. 

Prevention: shifting upstream 

Preventative health remains a consistently active subject area within APO’s collections, reflecting sustained interest in systems-level approaches to reducing disease burden and addressing health inequities. Recent additions include the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030 itself and discussion papers such as Building an effective and enduring prevention system, which explore how evidence can guide a stronger prevention system in Australia. 

The prominence of prevention-focused content signals policy momentum toward upstream reform – a shift that mirrors the work of the Sax Institute’s Australian Partnership Prevention Centre, which supports systems modelling, economic evaluation and evidence synthesis to inform smarter prevention investment and priority-setting. 

Mental health: stronger data for reform 

Mental health remains one of the most active health subject areas within APO’s collections, reflecting sustained policy focus on workforce sustainability, service system reform, youth wellbeing, suicide prevention and community-based models of care. 

Visitors to APO can access major evaluations such as the National report card 2024: monitoring the performance of Australia’s mental health system, alongside commentary and analysis connected to frameworks including the Fifth National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan and the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement. Perspective pieces such as Building mentally healthy futures: a call to action further highlight how evidence is shaping system-wide reform conversations. 

This sustained engagement reflects both the scale and complexity of reform. It also underscores the need for robust, longitudinal data to inform policy decisions. The Sax Institute’s upcoming 18 and Up Study aims to generate new insights into mental health and wellbeing across generations – evidence that will be increasingly important as policymakers navigate large-scale system change. 

First Nations’ health: centring Aboriginal-led solutions 

APO’s subject collection dedicated to First Nations’ health and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) includes more than 800 resources, showcasing research and policy analysis relating to culturally informed health improvement, community-led systems and equity-focused service delivery. 

Papers such as Aboriginal community controlled health organisations address health equity through action on the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia and SARRAH and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations explore how ACCHOs contribute to holistic wellbeing and inform policy discussions. APO also hosts foundational context on sector leadership, such as the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation key facts, and reports on health outcomes like the Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status 2024. 

The visibility of this work within APO reflects increasing recognition that sustainable improvements in health outcomes must be grounded in Aboriginal self-determination and leadership. The Sax Institute’s Aboriginal Health Division supports Aboriginal-led organisations and communities to strengthen evidence use in ways that respect cultural authority and partnership. 

Strengthening the evidence ecosystem 

APO describes its mission as improving the visibility and impact of public policy research. For researchers, APO’s collections offer insight into where policy momentum is building. For policymakers, they provide timely access to trusted research.

Together, platforms like APO and organisations such as the Sax Institute strengthen the evidence ecosystem – ensuring research informs the policies shaping Australia’s future.