Improving care and research for motor neurone disease

Continuing the Labor Party’s core focus on public health in the 2016 election campaign, shadow health minister Catherine King today announced $5m to tackle motor neurone disease (MND).

MND destroys the nerve cells which control muscles, leading to a breakdown of movement, speech, swallowing and breathing.

While MND affects each person differently, the average life expectancy from diagnosis is just 2.5 years and half of the people diagnosed are aged under 65.

“MND has no known cause, no effective treatments and no cure,” said King.

“A Shorten Labor government will improve care for Australians with MND and boost research into the debilitating illness.

“We will invest $4m over four years in specialist multidisciplinary care for Australians with MND.

“Labor’s investment will allow MND Australia to fund up to 10 specialist MND clinic coordinators around Australia.

“Commit $1m to MND research through the Cure for MND Foundation.”

“The 2000 Australians who are living with MND deserve the best possible care, and a renewed effort to find better treatments — and hopefully one day a cure,” she added.

MND clinics provide integrated care to people living with MND. From diagnosis onwards, they help to manage symptoms, prevent crises and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

“Evidence shows that specialist MND clinics help improve access to evidence-based therapies and clinical trials, improves quality of life, and ultimately improves survival times,” the shadow minister said.

“The clinic coordinators also play an integral role in ensuring a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to health care,” added King.

Labor’s commitment will also provide much needed research funding in the search for a cure.

“Labor believes all Australians deserve world-class health care.”

“A Shorten Labor government will commit $1m to MND research through the Cure for MND Foundation,” King said.

“The foundation provides grants to researchers around Australia who are working on the causes, treatments and cure for MND.

“Labor’s investment will boost the capacity of the foundation to support this research.

“It will build on the money raised from the foundation’s generous donors — including through today’s ‘Big Freeze 2’ at the MCG.

“Labor’s commitment to MND care and research is further proof that Labor believes all Australians deserve world-class health care, regardless of what they earn or where they live,” the shadow minister added.

This article originally appeared in the Labor Herald.