Annual Women’s Health Week

The 6^th annual Women’s Health Week took place over 3-7 September 2018, an event which raises awareness of both health maintenance and prevention of future health problems for all Australian women. Raising the profile of women’s health issues, this week involves a number of events throughout the country and different electorates.

Women’s Health Week serves as a reminder of the Coalition Government’s continual investment in women’s health initiatives, which I hope have been able to benefit the women of both the Sturt electorate and Australia as a whole.

In addition to ongoing services, the Government has announced a range of initiatives to support women’s health in 2018, including:

• The creation of the first ever National Action Plan for Endometriosis, supported with an initial Commonwealth investment of $4.7 million for greater awareness, clinical care and research into this common menstrual health disorder
• $703.6 million to list Kisqali on the Pharamceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), to provide subsidised access to treatment for breast cancer from 1 July 2018
• $39.5 million is list Boostrix and Adacel on the PBS to immunise pregnant women and their unborn children from whooping cough
• $9 million for the Butterfly Foundation to provide novel treatment and to coordinate a national system of care for people with diagnosed eating disorders, which prominently affect women
• $18.6 million through the National Health and Medical Research Council for 29 new women’s health research projects, including for breast cancer research, sexual and reproductive health, and non-communicable disease prevention and detection
• 17.5 million through the Medical Research Future Fund for the Women’s Health Research, Maternal Health, and First 2,000 Days Initiative
• The current development of an Australian Breastfeeding Strategy
• The current development of a National Women’s Health strategy to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in Australia over the coming decades.

Women’s Health Week has served as a great reminder about the importance of women’s health and the significant initiatives that are being created to support this important aspect of our community.