Posted by kathryn in Health News

The government announced a range of health and nutrition measures in last night’s budget, totalling almost $500 million dollars. The annoucement included:

• $11.7 million over four years for a national nutrition and physical activity survey to focus on adults. This will include grants to community organisations to fund walking groups and exercise equipment and the programme will involve up to 14,000 participants.
• the current after-school activity programme will continue to be subsidised for another three years.
• $200 million for a new diabetes awareness programme . This will include a simple “tick test” of patient risk factors and referral to lifestyle programmes, including group diet counselling and exercise, followed by monthly telephone check-ups.
• $3 million over two years to fund the CSIRO to develop a wellbeing plan for children and update the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents.
• Sydney medical research institutes will also receive $60 million, including Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (neuroscience research), Westmead Millenium Institute, Sydney Cancer Centre and the Brain&Mind Research Institute
• an increase in the Medicare rebate payments for chronically ill dental patients . $377.6 million has been allocated for private dental treatment and the maximum rebate has been increased from $240 to $2,125 per year. NB this is only for patients whose dental problems are exacerbating another health issue (like heart disease and diabetes) and patients will need a doctor’s referral to claim the rebates.

09 May, 2007