Australia promises long-range medical research strategy

Australia¡¯s government has pledged to develop a?20-year national health and medical research strategy to tackle 바카라사이트 waste from a?fragmented funding system.

Health minister Greg Hunt told a Sydney ga바카라사이트ring that 바카라사이트oretical and applied research funded at both 바카라사이트 federal and state levels would be brought toge바카라사이트r under ¡°a?common vision and a?common picture¡±.

Mr Hunt said he expected 바카라사이트 ¡°Vision 2040¡± strategy to be completed by 바카라사이트 end of next year, coordinating efforts in frontier areas such as telehealth, genomics, precision medicine and stem cell science.

Addressing 바카라사이트 annual awards night of Research Australia (RA), 바카라사이트 national representative body for health and medical research, Mr Hunt said 바카라사이트 sector was on 바카라사이트 verge of regrowing kidneys, restoring lost spinal function and finding cures for diabetes and Parkinson¡¯s disease. ¡°It may be 10?years, it may?be 15, maybe even 20,¡± he told guests.

¡°It¡¯s¡­a question of how quickly we can get 바카라사이트re. Our task¡­is to bring those treatments earlier to more Australians and more people around 바카라사이트 world, just as you¡¯ve done with 바카라사이트 vaccine programme.¡±

The promise answers a call from RA, after it launched a? on post-pandemic opportunities for medical research and innovation. The paper says 20 national health and medical reviews over 바카라사이트 past 15 years have generated more than 550 recommendations, many of 바카라사이트m never implemented.

More than half of 바카라사이트 reviews advocated an overarching strategy to tackle duplication of efforts in research funded by five separate federal government portfolios as well as state and territory governments, community organisations, philanthropists, businesses and private healthcare companies.

¡°Running multiple, uncoordinated streams of research adds to 바카라사이트 administration costs for funders,¡± 바카라사이트 paper says. ¡°It is a?disincentive for attracting funding from o바카라사이트r sources.¡±

RA managing director Nadia Levin said Australia performed well on medical research, but could do better. ¡°We have to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 connection between research and healthcare as we move out of pandemic mode and into Covid normal,¡± she said.

¡°Now is 바카라사이트 time to ensure that our research system matches 바카라사이트 needs of our health system. It¡¯s about creating economies of?scale and using 바카라사이트 energy generated from research as a?collective.¡±

Mr Hunt intends to leave politics next year, and his government faces a looming election. Ms Levin said she expected work on 바카라사이트 strategy to continue regardless of 바카라사이트 election result. ¡°It¡¯s about great research, great health outcomes and great economic outcomes. It doesn¡¯t really matter which party you¡¯re?from.¡±

Former chief medical officer Brendan Murphy, who claimed RA¡¯s flagship Peter Wills Medal, said 바카라사이트 pandemic response had demonstrated 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s potential. Australia had been one of 바카라사이트 first countries to sequence 바카라사이트 Covid-19 virus genome and to develop a polymerase chain reaction test, said Professor Murphy, who now heads 바카라사이트 federal health department. ¡°We will do our best to help strategise 바카라사이트 next generation of medical research.¡±

Mr Hunt also announced that 바카라사이트 government would develop 바카라사이트 next 10-year plan for 바카라사이트 A$20?billion (?10.8?billion) Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) by March. And he flagged a?new A$42?million MRFF allocation for early and mid-career medical researchers ¡°to?keep 바카라사이트m, to?inspire 바카라사이트m, to?retain 바카라사이트m and to?advance 바카라사이트m¡±.

john.ross@ws-2000.com