Nicolle Flint (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister please update the House on how the Morrison government is investing in Australian research to find a vaccine or treatment for COVID-19?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Boothby in particular for her work in helping to secure the funding of $30 million for the brain and spinal rehabilitation unit at the Repat Centre, which will make a real difference to both treatment and research on medical grounds in her own electorate. I also want to say to the people of South Australia well done: one case in seven days. There's one continuing case across the whole of the state that has not recovered so far. That's part of the Australian success story with regard to coronavirus. But the world will not be fully successful until we have a long-term solution. So, whilst Australia is making enormous progress, one of the things we have to do is work with our amazing research community on vaccines, antivirals, respiratory medicines—all of the different things that can assist with finding a way out of the general challenge provided by COVID-19. As part of that, the Prime Minister announced last week a total Australian contribution of $352 million to the international pledging conference, including $15 million for the work of CEPI, the international coalition for epidemic preparedness. Within Australia in particular there's $230 million for the CSIRO's Centre for Disease Preparedness, an important initiative which will equip Australia to be in an even stronger position going forwards.

Within the Medical Research Future Fund there's $36 million which is supporting cutting-edge Australian research. On vaccines in particular we can see that there are a number of Australian universities making progress. We have already sponsored the work of the University of Queensland, the Doherty institute and the CSIRO with $3 million on very promising vaccine work. Others are in an application process, including Flinders University which is within the member's own electorate—I believe the member for Boothby is a graduate of that university. The Burnet Institute, Monash and Westmead institute are great Australian medical research centres. The work on antivirus is being sponsored with $8 million, including $3 million towards the Walter and Eliza Hall institute—in my home city of Melbourne—where they are leading a national clinical trial on the preventative capabilities of hydroxychloroquine. Then there's the work on antivirals where $5 million is available. All of this is about long-term preparedness, giving Australia the path back, as well as building on our world-class health and medical research sector to, ultimately, save lives and protect lives.