Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP - Text

A message from the Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP, Prime Minister of Australia on the World Health Summit.

Hon. Kevin Rudd, MP: "I would to extend a warm welcome to the Australian Session of the World Health summit on the evolution of medicine. This meeting is a rare opportunity for you to share crucial breakthroughs in medical research and identify the medical challenges of the future.

Preventing and curing disease, controlling pandemics and meeting the needs of aging populations are just some of the challenges facing our generation. Medical breakthroughs may seem to appear over-night, but this summit recognises that they are the result of many decades of training, research and dedication. The Australian Governments investment in medical research through our National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) directly supports around 8000 researchers across 88 institutes. By global standards Australia makes a real contribution. Among the most commonly sighted 1% of research papers in the world – 1 in 40 papers – come from Australia – we are proud of that fact – but there is more for us to do.

Cochlea ear implants, the first vaccine to protect against cervical cancer, and the rewriting of the text books of the cause of most stomach ulcers are all the result of Australian Research. And we are proud of our Researchers. But patience cannot benefit from advances in medicine without a good health care systems. Inherent in guaranteeing high standards of public health is universality of access to quality primary and acute care.

All Australians are entitled to access medical care and pharmaceutical benefits under our Medicare system. But our system faces multiple pressures. We have an aging population – 1.6 million Australians will be over 85 by the year 2047. This will make up 5.6% of the total Australian population. We like others face shortages of skilled health workers and the lack of access to comprehensive primary care puts pressure on our emergency departments. The Australian Government is in the midst of a national conversation about health reform for the long term and our major city hospitals, in rural and private hospitals and in community health standards. And we are already undertaking reform.

We have increased the National Health Care Agreement for hospital funding to 64 billion dollars – an increase of 50% over the next five years. For our Researchers the Australian government is investing 3.2 billion dollars for 36 Hosptials and medical research infrastructure projects across Australia.

We are in the process of creating 35 GP Super-clinics to take the pressure off our Emergency Departments and to extend the net of community medicine – again a much needed long term area of reform. Here in Australia, we will watch the world health summit closely. We have no doubt that your dynamic, innovative thinking, here, will produce important outcomes for public health world-wide. Idea's that we can all take forward. Idea's that only a meeting of the world's best Physicians and Researchers can provide.

I wish you well as you endeavour to forge the path that will lead us through the maze of medical challenges that await our world."