Legendary actor Michael Caton has issued an emotional plea to Australians and their governments, speaking exclusively to 7NEWS about the need to tackle one of the nation’s deadliest and most neglected health crises: falls among older people.

He joins a major new push from experts and community leaders to launch Australia’s first national falls prevention alliance.

Every day, 17 Australians die and 400 are hospitalised because of falls, costing the health system $3 billion a year.

Despite decades of world-leading research, Australia has no national plan to prevent these injuries and deaths.

Caton, 82, who starred in Packed to the Rafters and The Castle, told 7NEWS he joined the campaign after suffering falls himself.

“My first fall was about 18 months ago ... it came as a bit of a sh

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