Four new innovative approaches to health care for testing, diagnosis and treatment of patients with a range of health conditions have been announced by the Minister for Medical Research Stephen Dawson.
Mr Dawson said the program with Translation Fellowships was funded from the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund which supported health and medical research as well as innovation and commercialisation.
Mr Dawson said the program supported translational research in two streams: Aboriginal health and country and regional WA health.
“It’s exciting to see the vision of these researchers and their passion to improve health care for Western Australians living in regional and remote areas of our vast State,” Mr Dawson said.
“A key feature of these projects is relationship-building within various Aboriginal communities to support healthy lifestyles.”
He said the four initiatives funded to Translation Fellowships had the potential to result in new approaches to health promotion and health care.
The Minister said the three-year projects were to work on Aboriginal children skin infections, Aboriginal people life expectancy, Infectious diseases in the country and regions, and Aboriginal women with prediabetes in pregnancy.
“The significant investment …. underlines the McGowan Government’s commitment to Western Australia’s Aboriginal Empowerment Strategy and the National Agreement on Closing the Gap,” Mr Dawson said.
“The enthusiasm from all involved to improve health care for those living in rural and remote areas is admirable, and I’m looking forward to the results of this research making a difference in our communities.”
Chair of the WA Country Health Service Board, Dr Neale Fong said the fellowships were a unique way to entice researchers to develop new strategies and see them in practise to further develop quality care in the health system.
“WA Country Health Service welcomes these new approaches to improve Indigenous health care and engage new ways of addressing health challenges in remote areas,” Dr Fong said.
