Fact sheet 4: Health and ageing
The 2005-06 Budget delivers on the Government's election commitments relating to cancer care, national health priorities, health care, health threats, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, dementia, carers and aged care reforms.
The Health budget delivers:
- $189.4 million over five years for the Strengthening Cancer Care initiative
- $34.0 million is being committed over five years for increased research and development in the treatment and prevention of diabetes
- $151.2 million over five years promoting better mental health
- $17.8 million over five years for practice nurses in rural areas
- $25 million over four years in a new anti-smoking campaign targeting young people
- $100,000 to the Dorset Shire Council towards the cost of building an accommodation unit for visiting health professionals at Scottsdale Hospital
- $500,000 over two years commencing in 2005-06 to the Gippsland Lakes Community Health Centre (formerly Lakes Entrance Community Health) to extend and upgrade existing facilities
- $171.1 million over four years for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
Funding boost for immunisation includes:
- $12.8 million over the next four years to the Immunise Australia program to improved immunisation policy advisory structures and infrastructure
- $77.2 million over the five years from 2004-05 for free varicella (chickenpox) vaccine for children 18 months of age
- $61.6 million over four years from 2005-06 to replace oral polio vaccine with inactivated polio vaccine
The Ageing budget delivers:
- $320.6 million over five years to make dementia an Australian Government national health priority
- $207.6 million over four years to provide carers with more access to respite services
- $1.3 million to support a consultation process with the community and the aged care sector about the long-term future of aged care
The government has also provided $15 million over 3 years for the Rural Mediacl Infrastructure Fund (RMIF).
See Fact sheet 6: Regional development for more information.
