About the Barwon South West Public Health Unit

History of the BSWPHU

LPHUs were established in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to manage local cases and outbreaks of COVID-19.

Nine Local Public Health Units (LPHUs) were established across Victoria, each hosted by a health service.

At the time, strong regional collaboration and community support resulted in high vaccination coverage across the region (higher than state and national averages).

The BSWPHU worked together with the regional partners for COVID positive pathways and supported preparedness planning within residential care settings.

This regional collaboration along with strong engagement with the Department of Health enabled sharing of data and intelligence to facilitate analysis and support where required across the Barwon South West.

Victoria’s Local Public Health Units (LPHUs) work with the Department of Health (the department) to keep their local communities healthy, safe and well. They use local knowledge, community-based relationships and direct engagement to effectively tailor and deliver public health initiatives and respond to incidents and issues within their local area.

From July 2022 LPHUs began undertaking additional public health responsibilities for various other notifiable conditions.

LPHUs administer programs for disease prevention and population health. This includes responding to COVID-19 and other infectious disease case investigations, outbreaks and public health programs that impact their region.

LPHUs work closely with their local health services, primary and community health services, other state government agencies and local government and local communities. This community work includes follow on from the Primary Care Partnerships (PCP) Program.

The transition of PCP health promotion functions to LPHUs in a renewed and contemporary public health system offered a unique opportunity to improve population health outcomes for local communities.

Our mission

To enable a sustainable public health ecosystem that works in partnership to achieve optimum health outcomes for communities across the region.

Our vision

Communities across Barwon South West are supported to achieve their best possible health and wellbeing.