Monitoring the physical and mental health of Australian children and young people: a foundation for responsive and accountable actions.

This article discusses the importance of monitoring the physical and mental health of Australian children and young people. It emphasizes the need for accurate data on indicators such as overweight and obesity, mental health problems, and risk factors for these conditions. The article suggests integrating existing survey systems to provide a comprehensive and sustainable way of tracking the health of young populations. It also highlights the importance of addressing health inequities and prioritizing the needs of vulnerable groups. The article recommends connecting existing survey systems to create a national data system that provides continuous developmental data up to age 24, as well as more frequent surveys and the inclusion of measures for positive development indicators. It also emphasizes the need for a centralized data visualization platform to improve data utilization. These improvements aim to enhance the physical and mental health of young Australians. [Extracted from the article]