The National Health and Medical Research Council has begun work on a new national health strategy for women.
The National Women’s Health Strategy 2020–2030 aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all women in Australia over the next decade, especially those at greatest risk of poor health.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said the Strategy was the first since 2010 and was expected to be completed in 2019.
“Women experience health challenges differently to men and we need to ensure that this is reflected in our health system,” Mr Hunt said.
“Maternal and infant health, chronic disease, healthy ageing and mental illness and other conditions affecting women will be a major focus of the new National Strategy.”
He said 28 new medical research projects into women’s health conditions were the first commitment of the Strategy.
“The projects will zero in on significant health challenges that affect Australian women, including breast cancer, maternal health, immunisation rates and cardiovascular disease — a leading cause of death in Australian women,” Mr Hunt said.
“Specific research will include ways to reduce the failure rate of IVF, improve immunisation uptake in under-immunised children and pregnant women, and seek new treatments for women with aggressive and metastatic breast cancer.”
He said that although females born in Australia in 2015 could expect to live to 84.5 years, women continued to face health challenges.
“More than half of all women have a chronic disease and almost one in two Australian women will experience a mental health problem over the course of their lives,” Mr Hunt said.
The Minister said a women’s forum held in Canberra last week was the first in a number of consultation opportunities for the development of the Strategy.
The meeting involved more than 50 groups from a wide range of organisations.
