$2 million to support the future health of children
Children's health recently received a massive boost, thanks to $14 million in funding awarded to the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute from the National Health & Medical Research Council.
A new drug to prevent thalassaemia, research to help doctors determine the maturity of their adolescent patients and a program to prevent streptococcal disease and influenza in indigenous populations, are just a few of the innovative projects which received funding.
"We congratulate the government on making this significant commitment to the health of children," said Professor Terry Dwyer, director of the Murdoch Childrens.
"This increased investment in medical research will allow our best and brightest researchers to continue their research at home to make major contributions to improve the health of Australian communities and future generations," said Professor Dwyer.
The government awarded $300,000 to support development of a drug to prevent thalassameia, an inherited disease that affects production of haemoglobin, the red pigment in blood that carries oxygen around the body. Around 300,000 children are born with thalassaemia each year world wide, but most die by the age of 10. Bone marrow transplantation is the only therapy currently available but it depends on finding a compatible donor, which is often not possible or may take years. It is hoped this new drug will be a safe, effective and cheap therapy for all patients.
One of the institute's bright young researchers, Dr Rony Duncan received a training fellowship to investigate how doctors decide whether teenagers with sexual health issues or unplanned pregnancies, are capable of making their own decisions or require parental guidance.
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute received a total of $14 million in the NHMRC's funding round for 2007. The Federal government has encouraged Australia's world class health and medical researchers to continue working in Australia by quadrupling health and medical research funding since 1996.