Response to the MRFF Mission for Cardiovascular Health Roadmap

AAMRI has responded to the Department of Health’s consultation on the Roadmap for the 10 year $220M Mission for Cardiovascular Health, part of the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF). The Mission for Cardiovascular Health will support new and emerging research to improve health outcomes through prevention strategies and earlier detection for patients suffering a heart attack or stroke. The Roadmap will assist in the implementation of the Mission, including setting key priorities for funding.

AAMRI supports the Roadmap as a guide for MRFF investment in cardiovascular research, specifically:

  • Recognising the need to tackle inequalities in cardiovascular research and healthcare. We need to better understand the causes and risk factors of cardiovascular disease for all Australians irrespective of background, sex, circumstance or geography.
  • Recognising that not all causes and risk factors for cardiovascular disease are known and may vary among different groups
  • Stating the need for investing in research across the pipeline – discovery (basic), translational and implementation science – to address the unsolved problems in cardiovascular disease.
  • Recognising the important role of consumers and carers as partners in research, particularly the importance of research partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
  • Highlighting that the large-scale investment opportunity of this Mission can strategically support cross-disciplinary research teams to find the most innovative solutions to unsolved cardiovascular disease questions.

 

AAMRI has recommended strengthening the Roadmap in several areas to:

  • better communicate that the Mission is an investment in research to achieve better health outcomes, rather than an investment in healthcare or clinical services
  • better communicate the intended investment to support researchers as their talent is essential to the success of the Mission.
  • better emphasise that cardiovascular disease can develop from other health conditions such as a diabetes, kidney disease, cancer and eye conditions. Research in these areas should be eligible for funding under the Mission.
  • highlight the need for mechanistic studies in discovery (basic) research to understand risk factors and causes which will lead to better ways to prevent, treat and diagnose cardiovascular disease in all patient groups.