Month: August 2021

Funding from the Federal Coalition Government will develop a culturally appropriate screening tool to deliver better mental health outcomes for young people in the East Arnhem region.
Senator for the Northern Territory, Dr Sam McMahon said the new tool would enable Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation to better step out and schedule mental health and social and emotional wellbeing care plans for their young clients.
The new platform will house a mental health screening tool and a workforce allocation tool, which will assign clients to a ‘step’ within the stepped-care model. This type of model helps people to move easily between programs as their support needs change.
“This grant is enabling the Menzies School of Rural Health Research to partner with the local community to co-design a model that is fit-for-purpose, and has local community support, which is chiefly important,” Dr McMahon said.
“Consultation and design through yarning sessions, focus groups, interviews and activity workshops are part of the co-design process.”
Federal Regional Health Minister, Dr David Gillespie said the Coalition Government is investing in innovative projects across the country aimed at improving primary care services for local communities.
“This project will contribute to addressing health workforce shortages and maldistribution in East Arnhem, by building on and better integrating existing resources to deliver services more effectively for locals,” Dr Gillespie said.
“I congratulate this community for looking at ways to develop innovative solutions to primary health challenges, that will be ready to trial in the East Arnhem community.”
The grant is one of the first made under the Primary care Rural Innovative Multidisciplinary Models (PRIMM) grants program. The program supports the development, in consultation with communities, of ‘trial ready’ care models that address local primary care challenges.
National Rural Health Commissioner, Professor Ruth Stewart said the PRIMM program was an effective part of the Government’s commitment to improving rural health.
“The program recognises that people in regional, rural and remote Australia have poorer access to quality health care than the cities and looks at ways of addressing that,” Professor Stewart said.
“This project will enable the development of community-supported models of care to a point where they are ready to trial.
“One of the outcomes will be the sharing of findings and lessons with other Australian rural and remote communities, to help them design their own primary health care solutions.”
PRIMM grants provide funding of up to $400,000 over two years. They will be available for six sub-regions across Australia. Round two of the PRIMM grant opportunity will open to applicants later this year.
The PRIMM program is part of the Health Workforce Program, which aims to deliver improved health workforce outcomes and support rural outreach health services.

The first evacuees from Australia’s latest operation in Afghanistan are set to arrive in Perth to commence their quarantine.
My government is working closely with the Western Australian Government to ensure the evacuees receive the medical and mental health support they need when they arrive.
We will work together to support our people with whatever they need.
This has been a difficult and distressing ordeal for many of the evacuees and we will help them through completing the mandatory 14 day quarantine.
I thank the Premier for agreeing to take the evacuees above WA’s weekly quarantine arrivals cap.
In times like this, all levels of government need to step up to do their bit.
The Commonwealth is in discussions with state governments about future arrangements to accommodate further evacuees above weekly arrivals caps.

The Morrison Government is investing $79 million in medical research and innovation projects to develop new medical devices, medicines, and digital health technologies, which will benefit Australians who need them.
Australia’s researchers are world leading, however many of their great ideas do not always receive the support needed to make the transition into practice.
The Medical Research Future Fund’s Medical Research Commercialisation initiative addresses this gap to help great ideas become products, which benefit patients in Australia and around the world.
The $79 million will be shared among four companies with established track records in identifying and nurturing exciting new biomed tech ideas. The companies will work with Australian small and medium-sized businesses to progress commercial application of the research.
Two of the grants have been awarded to the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF), a collaboration of leading medical research institutes, hospitals, superannuation funds, CSL, and other leading research organisations here and in New Zealand.
MRCF chief executive, Dr Chris Nave, said the company had already helped commercialise numerous great Australian research findings, using investment capital.
“For every 100 opportunities brought to us, only four pass the risk assessment for commercial investment. This doesn’t mean the remaining 96 are bad ideas and in many cases, it is simply because they are too early in their development and haven’t yet generated key supporting data,” Dr Nave said.
“This funding will allow us to support many more ideas, earlier and we will provide both capital and commercial expertise to guide them through to the point where they are ready to be translated into clinical development and commercialisation, creating jobs and income and ultimately benefitting patients.”
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the new grants would build on early successes from the Medical Research Future Fund’s Medical Research Commercialisation initiative.
“The initiative has already supported implementation of new products that are changing clinical practice and improving lives,” Minister Hunt said.
“They include a novel device that improves the success rate of breast cancer surgery and an implant that promises to treat glaucoma for six months from a single injection, removing the need for daily drop therapy.”
The Morrison Government is investing $6.7 billion in medical research over the next four years, as part of the 2021-22 Budget.
Minister Hunt has also announced two fellowships under the Medical Research Future Fund’s Researcher Exchange and Development within Industry initiative.
Dr Ewan Millar from NSW Health Pathology will undertake a 24 month part time project with New York-based digital diagnostics company Paige, working with worldwide project teams spread across three continents to develop skills in application of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Dr Miller will focus on the application of deep learning AI to breast cancer biomarker development to improve behaviour predications and treatment response.
Dr Cindy Chia-Fan Shu from Kolling Institute, University of Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital will undertake a 12 month project with Regeneus Ltd, to increase her skills in the translation of science.
Dr Shu will focus on developing assays and models for pre-clinical trials for osteoarthritis treatments and progressing clinical trials and preparing regulatory submissions.
The Morrison Government’s $20 billion MRFF, is a long-term, sustainable investment in Australian health and medical research, helping to improve lives, build the economy and contribute to the sustainability of the health system.
Further information about the MRFF is available at www.health.gov.au/mrff

Australians with COVID-19 who are at risk of hospitalisation will now have access to an additional antibody treatment, as the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced today it has granted provisional approval for sotrovimab to be used in Australia.
Earlier this month, the Australian Government secured an initial allocation of over 7,700 doses of the novel monoclonal antibody treatment sotrovimab and a first shipment is already in the country and ready to be deployed through the National Medical Stockpile from next week.
The sotrovimab treatment requires a single dose to be administered through an intravenous (IV) infusion in a health care facility and has been shown to reduce hospitalisation or death by 79 per cent in adults with mild to moderate COVID-19, who are at risk of developing severe COVID-19.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said sotrovimab will provide an important new way to treat the disease and reduce hospitalisations for people who are most at risk from COVID-19.
“Vaccination remains the most important and safest way for Australians to protect themselves and their loved ones from COVID-19 – and I continue to thank Australians for their take up of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Minister Hunt said.
“This treatment will provide another tool in the ongoing challenge against COVID-19, in addition to the COVID-19 vaccines, which are being rolled out in record numbers across the country.”
Sotrovimab will provide further options to protect vulnerable Australians at risk of developing severe COVID-19, however, not all Australians with COVID-19 will need to access the treatment.
It is expected that sotrovimab will be targeted for the treatment of Australians over 55 years old who have COVID-19 and also have one or more of the following risk factors for disease progression – diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, lung disease and moderate to severe asthma.
The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce is finalising its recommendation for use. People who are asymptomatic or who are not at risk of developing severe COVID-19 will not require access to sotrovimab.
Medical experts estimate that eight to 15 per cent of adults with COVID-19 will be recommended for treatment with sotrovimab and this treatment must be given within five days of symptoms onset.
Where a doctor prescribes this treatment for their patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, who are at risk of developing severe COVID-19, it will be made available free of charge through the public health system.
The TGA has given approval to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Australia Pty Ltd to make sotrovimab available for use in Australia. It is the second COVID-19 treatment to receive regulatory approval in Australia, following the TGA’s approval of Remdesivir.
Sotrovimab is approved for emergency use in the US, Singapore and Canada, however Australia is the first OECD country to issue a formal regulatory approval for sotrovimab.
As with all products procured for the Stockpile, this treatment will be provided to states and territories as needed.
Australia’s purchase of sotrovimab has been supported by the Science and Industry Technical Advisory Group (SITAG), which is the Australian Government’s expert group advising on COVID-19 vaccine and treatment purchases.

The National Cabinet met today for the 52nd time to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, recent outbreaks of COVID-19 and the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions for the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 42,228 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 974 people have died. More than 28.9 million tests have been undertaken. Testing has increased nationally over recent days with 1,410,219 tests reported in the past 7 days.
Globally there have been over 209.9 million cases and sadly over 4.4 million deaths, with 665,241 new cases and 9,554 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues to expand. To date 16.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 303,304 in the previous 24 hours.
In the previous 7 days, more than 1.7 million vaccines have been administered in Australia. More than 51 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 74.1 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 84.5 per cent of over 70 year olds.
More than 28.8 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated including more than 42.2 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 55.8 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on current outbreaks of COVID-19. The Chief Medical Officer has announced a number of hotspots across Australia including Greater Sydney and rural NSW, Greater Melbourne and the Australian Capital Territory.
Leaders noted the health system capacity in place is able to support the current outbreaks.
Lieutenant General John Frewen, Coordinator-General of Operation COVID Shield, provided an update on the vaccine roll out.
All leaders reiterated the importance of Australians, especially those in vulnerable groups, to get a COVID-19 vaccination. Both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are registered for use in Australia and are proven to be effective in preventing serious illness and death, as well as limiting transmission.
National Cabinet noted the work underway through the COVID-19 Risk Analysis and Response Taskforce report and the Doherty modelling for the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID Response.
National Cabinet further noted work of the Data and Digital Ministers Meeting around incorporating the proof of vaccination status into existing state and territory check-in apps to assist with contact tracing, noting that it will be optional for individuals to include their vaccination status.
National Cabinet agreed to meet next on Friday, 27 August 2021.
Afghanistan – Evacuees
National Cabinet noted the efforts underway to evacuate Australian citizens and permanent residents and their families, and humanitarian visa holders, including Afghan locally engaged employees, from Afghanistan given the rapidly changing situation.
The situation on the ground in Afghanistan necessitates urgent action and that securing the safe and orderly departure of Australians and humanitarian visa holders was a high priority.
The Prime Minister noted that jurisdictions were working very closely together to support the evacuation efforts and thanked them for providing 935 quarantine places, above caps, to returned travellers from Afghanistan.
The Commonwealth will provide resettlement services for humanitarian visa holders in each Australian jurisdiction, which will include specialist physical and mental health services for vulnerable travellers requiring extra support.
National Freight Movement Protocol and Code
National Cabinet noted that Transport Ministers have agreed to an updated Freight Movement Protocol and Code that delivers a streamlined and more consistent approach to COVID-19 testing in line with recent advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.

Statement from Greens Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, following today’s announcement of 633 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases in NSW:
“Today’s COVID-19 numbers are just devastating.
“But simply telling people to ‘stay home’ is not going to cut it when people aren’t getting the financial support they need to do so. The vast majority of people are doing the right thing, and have been for weeks. Blame-shifting onto individuals is very unhelpful.
“We know people are having to go to work in areas with high transmission because the alternative is that their families go hungry. Workplaces are some of the most common areas of viral transmission. That has been the reality throughout this pandemic. People pick the virus up at work and bring it home to their families.
“Telling people off and high-profile police operations might be a cheaper strategy than proper, widely-available wage subsidies and income support payments, but it won’t get this virus under control.
“It’s crushing to watch NSW authorities lean on public shaming and so-called ‘compliance theatre’ here. It’s completely nonsensical and dangerous.
“Shifting the blame for government failures onto individuals and multicultural communities needs to stop.”