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About the National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer

Our vision is zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035, underpinned by zero preventable deaths regardless of geography or background, through equitable access to best practice treatment and care for all Australians.

The National Strategic Action Plan for Blood Cancer is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reduce the impact of blood cancer.

As our State of the Nation: Blood Cancer in Australia report demonstrated, the economic and personal costs of not acting with urgency on blood cancer are too great to bear.

We have excellent health systems and services across Australia, which are achieving remarkable results in improving survival rates and treatment for people living with blood cancer. However, there are still barriers.

In Australia we have access to medicines and a world-class health system, but how do we break down barriers to reach that goal of zero lives lost?

National Action Plan recommendations

The National Action Plan includes recommendations across the entire blood cancer ecosystem: from research, clinical trials, precision medicines, treatment access and reimbursement, through to achieving best practice in diagnosis, treatment and supportive care.

It builds upon the great work already undertaken and redoubles focus on addressing the survival gaps which still exist for Australians dealing with a blood cancer.

It looks at access challenges for Australians living with blood cancer, including those living in regional or remote areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and people with diverse and varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

The recommendations seek to improve how a person is supported from the point of diagnosis, through their treatment and recovery and adjusting to life beyond treatment – wherever they live in Australia and whatever their background.

The recommendations will collectively achieve significant and lasting change for people living with blood cancer, their families, carers and the Australian community. These approaches could also be applicable to many other cancers and across the health system as a whole.

The fundamental principle of the National Action Plan is very simple: every Australian with a blood cancer should have equitable access to the best information, treatment and supportive care.

Who developed the National Action Plan?

The National Action Plan is an independent project developed by the Blood Cancer Taskforce with secretariat support provided by the Leukaemia Foundation. The Leukaemia Foundation was commissioned by the Federal Government in 2019 to form the Blood Cancer Taskforce and develop the National Action Plan with the blood cancer community.

We will use the National Action Plan as a guide for the entire blood cancer community to work towards the vision of zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035.

The National Action Plan identifies four major priorities to improve outcomes for people living with blood cancer and their families:Empower patients and their families, accelerate research, enable access to novel and specialised therapies, achieve best practice

 

We’re looking forward to working together with the Australian blood cancer community to break every barrier standing in the way of achieving zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035.

There are many milestones on that path – some we can deliver ourselves, some will need us to partner with the entire blood cancer community and others require us to advocate at a national level for change.


Last updated on October 24th, 2022

Developed by the Leukaemia Foundation in consultation with people living with a blood cancer, Leukaemia Foundation support staff, haematology nursing staff and/or Australian clinical haematologists. This content is provided for information purposes only and we urge you to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis, treatment and answers to your medical questions, including the suitability of a particular therapy, service, product or treatment in your circumstances. The Leukaemia Foundation shall not bear any liability for any person relying on the materials contained on this website.