Policy and regulation are critical to establishing enabling environments for cancer prevention and to embed evidence-based prevention activities. This action builds on Action 1.2.3 Promote translational research on the impact of social, cultural, commercial and environmental determinants on cancer outcomes for priority populations to inform policy and practice and Action 1.2.2 Strengthen cancer prevention in broader health strategies and public health partnerships. This 5-year action expands on cancer prevention research and evidence translation to influence Commonwealth, State and Territory government policy and regulation to enable national cancer control efforts and other societal-level interventions. Cross-sector public health partnerships and strategies will be critical to drive change across policy and regulation, involving stakeholders at all levels—local, state, and national.

Successful Australian preventive health initiatives have shown the positive influence of policy and regulation on delivering better health outcomes for consumers. Such initiatives include tobacco control and sun exposure reduction initiatives. Future consideration may include whole of system approaches to addressing obesity, alcohol and other drugs consumption, tobacco control, and vaping; promoting physical activity; and building upon successful approaches undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Alignment to the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021–2030[18] as well as broader health strategies including the National Tobacco Strategy 2023–2030[109] and the National Obesity Strategy 2022–2032[110] is critical to ensuring national coordination.

The opportunity exists to strengthen the policy and regulatory environment to address known lifestyle behaviours and determinants of health that contribute to increased risk of cancer. Consideration should also extend to the wider determinants of health beyond the social, cultural, commercial, and environmental determinants, to include structural, economic, biomedical and digital environments. One consideration could include development of a regulatory framework to address obesity such as reducing cost of healthy foods to increase accessibility, particularly in lower socioeconomic areas, and limiting fast food advertising and marketing to children.

Implementation of policy and regulatory change should involve engagement with priority population groups, ensuring a strengths-based approach and considering the impacts of social, cultural, commercial and environmental determinants of health on different populations. It is important to also consider the historical impact of government interventions and regulations on many marginalised, vulnerable population groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and LGBTIQA+ communities. Policy and regulatory change should be co-designed and community-led so that barriers and risk factors unique to the priority population group can be addressed with a tailored approach.