Boost for WA innovators to tackle sustainable health priorities

• $4 million for innovative projects to address WA’s sustainable health priorities
• Funding awarded to 10 successful locally based innovators
• Projects include a safe healthcare service for women and children who have experienced family and domestic violence and a specialist glaucoma care clinic

A community healthcare service for women and children who have experienced family and domestic violence is one of 10 successful projects to be funded through the Cook Government’s new Innovation Challenge – Sustainable Health Priorities Program.

Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said the Government was allocating $4 million towards tackling Western Australia’s sustainable health priorities being funded through the successful Future Health Research Innovation (FHRI) Fund. There is up to $450,000 in funding per project.

The new Innovation Challenge program will enable Western Australian health service providers, universities, not-for-profit organisations and industry to bring innovative health initiatives to life and ensure that local communities receive affordable and personal care closer to home.

Ruah Community Services – one of 10 successful recipients – was awarded $445,000 to develop a community healthcare service in Perth for women and children who have experienced family and domestic violence.

Known as Karlup, the new service will give affected women and children access to a nurse practitioner and mental health nurse to screen, assess, treat and provide referrals to appropriate health services.

Murdoch University’s ‘My Baby, My Culture, My Journey’ received $450,000 to develop a digital platform to provide culturally safe two-way communication and perinatal care between Aboriginal mothers in the Pilbara and clinicians.

The funding will help expand the pilot operating within Pilbara Aboriginal Medical Services and birthing hospitals and assess the potential to upscale State-wide.

The Lions Eye Institute received $276,000 to deliver the State’s first metropolitan collaborative eyecare model – providing timely specialist eye care to people in Midland.

Based on the Our Outback Vision model, the Midland clinic will be staffed by optometry school staff and students from The University of Western Australia – supervised by glaucoma consultants – to provide efficient, cost-effective triage and care for glaucoma patients.

The Cook Government established the productive FHRI Fund in 2020, which is backed by the State’s almost $1.8 billion sovereign wealth fund. This has resulted in nearly $250 million being available over the next four years to support health and medical research and innovation in Western Australia. For more information visit the FHRI website.

Comments attributed to Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:

“The Cook Government is providing targeted funding towards inspiring health innovation projects that will make a very real difference to people in our community while also addressing the State’s sustainable health priorities.

“The Innovation Challenge – Sustainable Health Priorities Program is another great example of how our successful Future Health Research Innovation Fund is helping to improve the lives of Western Australians.

“Congratulations to all the successful recipients – we look forward to following your innovation journey and seeing your projects translated into real benefits for the wider community.”

2024 Innovation Challenge – Sustainable Health Priorities recipients