OUR PLAN TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH OF AUSTRALIAN WOMEN

The Morrison Government is supporting Australian women through a suite of new measures for women’s health services, including a new Maternity to Home and Wellbeing Program and support for the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasinsaid the new $55 million women’s health package will deliver:

• $36 million for a new ‘Mums, Dads and Bubs Check’ to boost perinatal support
• $10 million to ensure patients with lymphoedema can access subsidised specialist compression garments, largely benefitting women who have had cancer,
• $4 million for the Australian Breastfeeding Association to ensure this valuable service can best support mothers, bringing our support to $8.2 million and building on $2 million in funding to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service to ensure all premature babies born in Australia can access human milk
• $5 million for a new National Women’s Health Research Translation and Impact Network through the Medical Research Future Fund focused on priority areas including preconception, pregnancy, postpartum and intrapartum health of women and babies, mental and reproductive health

This new support builds on the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030 announced in April which invested over $50 million to improve women’s health including in:

• $20 million for ovarian cancer research with a focus on early detection
• Over $10 million for endometriosis, including improved treatment, research and understanding
• $5 million to Jean Hailes for Women’s Health for the continuation of its National Women’s Health Initiative
• $1.3 million for an intensive support service to support families following stillbirth, delivering an intensive support service that begins in the hospital and continues once a family has returned home

Mr Pasinwelcomed the additional investment into women’s health.

“Our National Women’s Health Strategy and our years of support for subsidising new medicines and treatments for women’s health issues demonstrates we are a government serious about investing in the health of Australian women,” saidMr Pasin. 

We are the first government to seriously tackle endometriosis to raise awareness, invest in improved clinical care and research.

We are investing $70.2 million to establish six residential eating disorders centres and provide national coordination for eating disorders treatment, and extend treatments covered by Medicare.

The Morrison Government is also supporting women with Type 1 diabetes, expanding free access to glucose monitoring devices for pregnant women, children and more adults with type 1 diabetes, saving Australians up to $7,000 a year.

Mr Pasin said these announcements build on our support for women with cancer in the 2019-20 Budget.

• $32.6 million to make Medicare available for MRI and PET scans for 15,000 breast cancer patients.
• Listing of Ibrance® and Kisqali® for advanced and metastatic breast cancer on the PBS, which would otherwise cost up to $70,000 per year without subsidy
• Extension of free mammograms for women between the age of 50 and 74 through BreastScreen and $27 million for more McGrath Foundation Nurses for breast cancer, particularly for rural and regional patients

“These investments in the health and welfare of Australian women are backed by the strong economy the Coalition Government is creating,” saidMr Pasin.

Media contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466