Stroke catastrophe looming Budget offers nothing for vital stroke work
May 15, 2013
Stroke has once again been overlooked for major program funding in the Federal Budget despite being Australia’s second biggest killer and most proportionally under-funded major disease.
National Stroke Foundation President, Professor Richard Larkins said, “420,000 Australians are currently living with stroke and if nothing is done, the number of survivors will almost double to over 700,000* within 20 years – representing a social and economic crisis of catastrophic proportions.
“In 2012, Australians had around 50,000 strokes. 12,000 Australians died and two-thirds of survivors require a carer to support their daily lives. Stroke is largely preventable and yet the Government has again chosen to ignore evidence-based initiatives that will help to tackle it.”
The National Stroke Foundation is now calling on both sides of politics to commit to a National Action Plan for Stroke at this year’s election.
“At $198m over three years, the National Action Plan is a modest investment that will save lives, reduce disability and deliver savings back to the federal budget,” Professor Larkins said.
“While stroke cost the economy $5b in 2012 economic analysis shows that investment in targeted stroke programs would reduce that economic burden. It will also ensure thousands of people do not have to live with avoidable disability.”
Professor Larkins said it wasn’t just the elderly being affected by stroke, but it was also a significant problem in people of working age.
“In addition to the heavy toll of human suffering caused by this largely preventable killer, stroke also has a devastating economic impact,” he said.
“Last year there were nearly 130,000 stroke survivors in the community who were of working age. This represents a massive loss of national productivity as a result of people dropping out of the workforce. But it also represents individual suffering for those who lose their income because they can no longer work.
* All figures sourced from “The economic impact of stroke in Australia”, Deloitte Access Economics, Commissioned by the National Stroke Foundation in 2012, unless otherwise specified
“The burden of disease of stroke in 2012 was close to $50 billion, on a par with the burden of disease of depression and anxiety.”
National Stroke Foundation President, Professor Richard Larkins said, “420,000 Australians are currently living with stroke and if nothing is done, the number of survivors will almost double to over 700,000* within 20 years – representing a social and economic crisis of catastrophic proportions.
“In 2012, Australians had around 50,000 strokes. 12,000 Australians died and two-thirds of survivors require a carer to support their daily lives. Stroke is largely preventable and yet the Government has again chosen to ignore evidence-based initiatives that will help to tackle it.”
The National Stroke Foundation is now calling on both sides of politics to commit to a National Action Plan for Stroke at this year’s election.
“At $198m over three years, the National Action Plan is a modest investment that will save lives, reduce disability and deliver savings back to the federal budget,” Professor Larkins said.
“While stroke cost the economy $5b in 2012 economic analysis shows that investment in targeted stroke programs would reduce that economic burden. It will also ensure thousands of people do not have to live with avoidable disability.”
Professor Larkins said it wasn’t just the elderly being affected by stroke, but it was also a significant problem in people of working age.
“In addition to the heavy toll of human suffering caused by this largely preventable killer, stroke also has a devastating economic impact,” he said.
“Last year there were nearly 130,000 stroke survivors in the community who were of working age. This represents a massive loss of national productivity as a result of people dropping out of the workforce. But it also represents individual suffering for those who lose their income because they can no longer work.
* All figures sourced from “The economic impact of stroke in Australia”, Deloitte Access Economics, Commissioned by the National Stroke Foundation in 2012, unless otherwise specified
“The burden of disease of stroke in 2012 was close to $50 billion, on a par with the burden of disease of depression and anxiety.”