The Australian government is progressing its new Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC). 

Details have emerged in the wake of the government's review and response to an inquiry into long COVID and repeated COVID infections. This includes a commitment to integrate and enhance data collection related to COVID-19 incidences.

The government says it has a strategy to consolidate COVID-19 data across jurisdictions into a singular database, the COVID-19 Register. 

This initiative aims to amalgamate over 6 million cases from seven of eight jurisdictions, offering a comprehensive dataset that includes information on First Nations people, chronic conditions, and multiple infections. 

By leveraging hospitalisation data, the approach enables the identification of hospital-acquired infections, underscoring the government's dedication to data-driven health strategies.

Addressing challenges such as costs, participation, and data security, the response highlights ongoing efforts by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to unify separate linked datasets. 

These efforts allegedly align with the broader Australian National Data Integration Infrastructure (ANDII) project, aiming to optimise national data linkage and interoperability.

Health Minister Mark Butler has acknowledged the emerging health issue of long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), and outlined the federal government's multibillion-dollar investments to enhance Medicare. 

This investment is poised to support long COVID sufferers by improving access to treatments and healthcare services.

The government has embraced seven out of nine recommendations from the inquiry, focusing on multidisciplinary healthcare and the adoption of the World Health Organisation’s definition of long COVID in Australia. 

Among the accepted recommendations are the development of evidence-based guidelines for long COVID diagnosis and treatment, enhancement of the COVID-19 vaccination communication strategy, and the provision of mental health support for those affected by long COVID.

However, certain recommendations, including the establishment of a nationally coordinated research program for COVID-19 and long COVID, received a more cautious approach, with the government noting rather than outright accepting them.