The Children’s Hospital Foundation Queensland has boosted the Morrison Government’s Australian Brain Cancer Mission with a $10 million commitment that will give Queensland its own children’s brain cancer research centre.
The paediatric centre will boost the capacity of researchers and fund vital clinical research at the Centre for Children’s Health Research in Brisbane.
The foundation has been working wonders for sick kids in Queensland for over 30 years, and I am delighted they have now joined our vital national mission to tackle this devastating disease.
This partnership will have far reaching benefits for Queenslanders and Australian children living with brain cancer.
Brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for Australians under 25, tragically taking the equivalent of a classroom of children each year.
And sadly, only 20 per cent of patients of all ages survive the disease.
The Australian Brain Cancer Mission – coordinated by Cancer Australia – aims to double survival rates and improve the quality of life of people living with brain cancer over the next 10 years, with the longer term aim of defeating brain cancer.
The Mission is a true partnership between the Australian Government, philanthropists, researchers and clinicians, patients and their families.
Today’s announcement brings the total investment in the Mission to $105 million – $55m from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund, and significant donations including the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation ($20m), Minderoo Foundation's Eliminate Cancer Initiative ($10m), Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer ($5m) and the Mark Hughes Foundation ($3m).
Real progress to improve quality of life for children affected by brain cancer will be the result of coordinated efforts across Australia and throughout the world by valued partners such as the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The Australian Brain Cancer Mission seeks to coordinate national research, clinical and funding efforts to make a difference.
A key objective is to ensure every patient – adult and child – has the opportunity to participate in clinical trials. This will be achieved by investing in more clinical trials, ground-breaking research, further international collaborations, expanding research platforms and fostering the talents of researchers.