❓ Mr Norberger asks about the status of the Telethon Perth Children's Hospital research fund for the current financial year. The Minister for Health provides details of past and future funding commitments from the state government and Telethon for children's health research.
AnsweredQoN 704Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TELETHON
PERTH CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL RESEARCH FUND
704. Mr J. NORBERGER to the
Minister for Health:
I understand the Telethon Perth Children's Hospital
research fund has been awarded to the first 17 recipients. Could the minister
please advise of the status of this fund for the current financial year?
PERTH CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL RESEARCH FUND
704. Mr J. NORBERGER to the
Minister for Health:
I understand the Telethon Perth Children's Hospital
research fund has been awarded to the first 17 recipients. Could the minister
please advise of the status of this fund for the current financial year?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I will start by
congratulating Telethon. I will wait for the member for Warnbro to finish, if
he likes. He is still going; he has no idea.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I have not even said anything!
I thank the member for the question
and I would like to start by congratulating Telethon on the fantastic effort it
made in raising $20.7 million, which is an amazing total. During that process,
the Premier made a donation on behalf of the state and also committed to some
funding for research, something we started last year. We started a program to
fund children's health research in this state. We committed $1 million
as a state and Telethon matched that. Subsequently, Telethon put in an extra $1
million, so we had $3 million last year going to research programs. We had 56
applications and 17 were judged by an independent panel to be recipients of
that money. There is some fantastic research being undertaken. Examples are
research to improve follow-up care for Aboriginal infants; research to develop
a long-acting penicillin G for treatment of rheumatic heart disease; and two
other projects looking at management and treatment of cystic fibrosis, which is
of critical importance. This year at Telethon, the Premier committed a further
$2 million on behalf the state—so an additional $1 million from the
previous year. Telethon will either match its first $1 million or in fact
provide $2 million, but that is yet to be decided. It means that at least $3 million
again will be provided for children's research.
Last night outside the Aboriginal
People's Gallery there was a function involving medical researchers
from Western Australia. There was a little confusion over invites and I thank
the members who made the effort to come along and join us. The researchers were
there to meet members of Parliament and to show the research work they were
doing. At that event there was some fantastic new research being shown. One
example is research being done in conjunction with Fiona Wood to have burns
leave no scars. That is done by altering the collagen. Normally there is an
alignment of collagen in a burn scar that causes all the contraction of the
skin; this process disaggregates that collagen and so makes the skin smooth and
without scar. That process needs to undergo a trial and the researchers will
certainly apply for these funds. There was a lot of research on the treatment
of Alzheimer's disease. We have already given funding for trials using
testosterone to treat Alzheimer's, but there is more research to be
undertaken. Another area of research was into the treatment of Crohn's
disease using stem cells. Members who have been here for a while will remember
that we had debates in this house over the use of stem cells. They used to be
embryonic stem cells, but now stem cells can be created without needing to use
that method of production. The researchers are using the stem cells as an infusion
to stop or significantly improve the outcome for people with Crohn's
disease, which is a fantastic new program. There is a fantastic amount of
research going on in this state. As members know we have committed to and
budgeted for $30 million funding over the next four years for research and we
look forward to the opportunities that brings to improve research in this
state.
congratulating Telethon. I will wait for the member for Warnbro to finish, if
he likes. He is still going; he has no idea.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Members!
Dr
K.D. HAMES : I have not even said anything!
I thank the member for the question
and I would like to start by congratulating Telethon on the fantastic effort it
made in raising $20.7 million, which is an amazing total. During that process,
the Premier made a donation on behalf of the state and also committed to some
funding for research, something we started last year. We started a program to
fund children's health research in this state. We committed $1 million
as a state and Telethon matched that. Subsequently, Telethon put in an extra $1
million, so we had $3 million last year going to research programs. We had 56
applications and 17 were judged by an independent panel to be recipients of
that money. There is some fantastic research being undertaken. Examples are
research to improve follow-up care for Aboriginal infants; research to develop
a long-acting penicillin G for treatment of rheumatic heart disease; and two
other projects looking at management and treatment of cystic fibrosis, which is
of critical importance. This year at Telethon, the Premier committed a further
$2 million on behalf the state—so an additional $1 million from the
previous year. Telethon will either match its first $1 million or in fact
provide $2 million, but that is yet to be decided. It means that at least $3 million
again will be provided for children's research.
Last night outside the Aboriginal
People's Gallery there was a function involving medical researchers
from Western Australia. There was a little confusion over invites and I thank
the members who made the effort to come along and join us. The researchers were
there to meet members of Parliament and to show the research work they were
doing. At that event there was some fantastic new research being shown. One
example is research being done in conjunction with Fiona Wood to have burns
leave no scars. That is done by altering the collagen. Normally there is an
alignment of collagen in a burn scar that causes all the contraction of the
skin; this process disaggregates that collagen and so makes the skin smooth and
without scar. That process needs to undergo a trial and the researchers will
certainly apply for these funds. There was a lot of research on the treatment
of Alzheimer's disease. We have already given funding for trials using
testosterone to treat Alzheimer's, but there is more research to be
undertaken. Another area of research was into the treatment of Crohn's
disease using stem cells. Members who have been here for a while will remember
that we had debates in this house over the use of stem cells. They used to be
embryonic stem cells, but now stem cells can be created without needing to use
that method of production. The researchers are using the stem cells as an infusion
to stop or significantly improve the outcome for people with Crohn's
disease, which is a fantastic new program. There is a fantastic amount of
research going on in this state. As members know we have committed to and
budgeted for $30 million funding over the next four years for research and we
look forward to the opportunities that brings to improve research in this
state.
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