On Tuesday 9th April, 2019, the Federal Minister for Health, Mr Greg Hunt, launched the new National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030. We are thrilled to share with our supporters the priorities outlined in the strategy, including $20 million dollars to support ovarian cancer research. While the specific parameters for research funding are yet to be set, Minister Hunt was very clear around research priorities.
Early detection and finding a cure for ovarian cancer is a priority"
Mr Greg Hunt
Federal Minister for Health
As our supporters are well aware, we have been advocating for greater funding for early detection since our inception. Now, our researchers will be able to apply for funding from the Medical Research Future Fund’s $20 million funding pool, with the priority given to early detection and cure research proposals. This will delight our wonderful research community who have struggled over many years to obtain funding for their innovative and promising research around early detection.
The OCRF is grateful to the Federal Government in allowing us to advocate not only for an increase in funding for ovarian cancer research, but for a changed focus in what is funded. To facilitate this, our Chairperson, Julie Toop, attended the National Women’s Health Forum last year to input into the direction and action of this new strategy. We were also invited to participate in the Medical Research Future Fund Priorities Round Table after we made a submission to MRFF on current funding gaps.
The OCRF wants to save as many women’s lives as possible, and to do this, research must focus on prevention, cure, and early detection. These key areas of focus were uppermost not only in the words of Minister Hunt but also in the Strategy’s priorities and we are excited for the progress that will now be made in ovarian cancer research.
We will keep you all posted as we have further discussions with the Minister’s office on how best to save women’s lives.
You can find out more about how ovarian cancer will be tackled as part of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030 in Minister Hunt’s full announcement.
Lucinda Nolan, CEO, OCRF