Leukaemia Foundation congratulates newly appointed Health Minister and welcomes collaboration to ensure no Australian loses their life to blood cancer by 2035

Thursday June 2, 2022

The Leukaemia Foundation has congratulated the Hon Mark Butler MP on his appointment as Minister for Health and Aged Care and acknowledges his previous hard work and dedication in advocating for people with blood cancer as the Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing.

The Leukaemia Foundation also welcomes the appointment of Hon Ged Kearney MP as the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Emma McBride MP as the Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, and Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy as the Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health.

Leukaemia Foundation CEO, Chris Tanti said with blood cancers combined now the second most diagnosed cancer and second most common cause of cancer death in Australia, urgent collaboration is needed to support the growing number of Australians living with the disease.

“1,375 people will die unnecessarily from their blood cancer every year because they face barriers to accessing the best treatment available across the country. We look forward to working closely with Minister Butler and other Ministers to address this inequity, ensure patients receive the best quality care, no matter where they live, and ultimately, to save Australian lives,” Mr Tanti said.

“The Leukaemia Foundation is proud to stand beside Australians living with blood cancer to be their voice and fight to ensure they have access to the best therapies and care to treat their specific disease, wherever they live. Together with Australia’s leading blood cancer experts, clinicians and researchers, we support the ambitious goal to see zero lives lost to blood cancer by 2035, and with the Government and blood cancer community all working collaboratively, we believe it is an achievable vision.”

“The blood cancer community has come a long way in supporting the 110,000 Australians diagnosed with blood cancer each year. However, this is just the beginning. With incidence of blood cancer on the rise and no screening tests or ways to prevent the disease, we look to the Government’s leadership and working together to continue to transform treatment and care for this growing community, today and into the future”, Mr Tanti said.

“We look forward to continuing this important work with Minister Butler to tackle the key issues in blood cancer and implement recommendations through reforms aimed at improving the consistent implementation of best practice nationally.”

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