$39.8 Million in Health and Medical Research to Help Close the Gap
The Australian Government will fund $39.8 million of health and medical research towards improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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17 October 2011
The Gillard Labor Government will fund $39.8 million of health and medical research towards improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler and the Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, today announced 53 National Health and Medical Research grants focused on Indigenous health.
“Closing the Gap in life expectancy and quality of life for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a core commitment of the Gillard Labor Government,” Mr Butler said.
“We know that the health issues facing our Indigenous population stretch from remote to urban communities, and across all stages of life. These research grants will provide valuable information to clinicians, policy makers and patients about how to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
“I welcome this investment in research which will cover a range of areas, including engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in accessing mental health treatment, interventions to reduce the 20 per cent of Indigenous children who will experience perforated eardrums and assist in the management of chronic lower back pain experienced by Aboriginal people in remote and regional areas of Western Australia,” Mr Snowdon said.
- Professor Elizabeth Elliott of the University of Sydney will receive $448,908 to establish the prevalence of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and help affected children and their carers in Fitzroy Valley's remote Aboriginal communities, WA.
- Professor Emily Banks of Australian National University will receive $1,727,460 to investigate health trajectories in urban Aboriginal children through the SEARCH Study. SEARCH is Australia’s largest prospective longitudinal study of urban Aboriginal children and will provide, for the first time, comprehensive information on the causes of health and illness in a large group of urban Aboriginal children. SEARCH is a partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. SEARCH will identify the factors that can be changed in early childhood to prevent later disease, to reduce the gap in Aboriginal health.
“This health research funding also adds to the Gillard Labor Government’s commitment of $805.5 million to improve the prevention, early detection and ongoing management of chronic disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,” Mr Snowdon said.
Further information on all NHMRC grants announced today can be found at the NHMRC website.
For more information, please contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7280
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