ACDPA welcomes new Chair Chris Forbes
March 2022
ACDPA welcomes a new Chair this week, as Chris Forbes, CEO Kidney Health Australia, steps into the role.
Our outgoing Chair Sharon McGowan, CEO Stroke Foundation, welcomed Chris to the role after 3.5 years as ACDPA Chair.
Chris has been CEO at Kidney Health Australia since 2018, following a range of senior executive roles across commercial and not-for-profit sectors, including Chief Commercial Officer at Swimming Australia, and Chief Executive Officer at Ticketmaster Australasia.
Chris is looking forward to working together to help Australians achieve better health:
"Our opportunity is to harness the power of these five organisations to make change. We have a unique chance to change the course of health across Australia ... To shift the dial towards prevention."
With nearly 1 in 2 Australians affected by chronic disease, ACDPA plays a crucial role in drawing attention to the enormous burden of disease and enabling the chronic disease community to work together for change.
Chris highlights the long-term effects of COVID-19 and rural health as major challenges for chronic disease:
"The pandemic has tested the health system and there’s been a huge focus on preventing and detecting disease. But we’ll be dealing with the long-term effects for many years."
"There are also huge gaps in access to care and support across Australia ... Many people living with chronic conditions struggle to access the care they need at the right time."
Chris thanked outgoing Chair Sharon McGowan for her consistent leadership in chronic disease prevention over the past three years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out more about what motivates Chris Forbes in our 5 minute Q&A with the new Chair.
ACDPA brings together Cancer Council Australia, Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia, Stroke Foundation, and Kidney Health Australia to jointly promote prevention, risk assessment, early detection and the need for healthier environments to reduce risk factors.
