Last month, the Federal Government announced their development of Australia’s first Rare Diseases Framework and Action Plan in support of those people battling rare conditions. The framework will receive $170,000 in funding as part of the Government’s Public Health and Chronic Disease Program.
The Government acknowledges that there are approximately 8,000 life-threatening or chronically debilitating rare diseases that affect an average of 5 in every 10,000 people.
The purpose of this new framework is to therefore provide more patients suffering from rare diseases with “a timely diagnosis, treatment and the best care possible”. The framework aims to achieve this by supporting medical research into new life saving medications and technologies that provide patients with more physical, emotional and financial relief.
Read the Department’s media release here.