It’s no secret that research is key in the fight against Covid-19, in light of this, Minister for Health, The Hon Greg Hunt MP released a statement today (20 August 2020), saying that the Australian Government will be providing $25 million for health and medical researchers to find breakthroughs in new Covid-19 specific clinical trials.
This funding will be made available through the Government’s landmark Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) under the Clinical Trials Activity initiative, which focuses on addressing areas of health burden and unmet medical need, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The MRFF grants will fund crucial clinical trials to investigate effective mechanisms for the prevention and/or treatment of Covid-19 or its symptoms.
In addition to the grants, Australia is significantly contributing to vaccine development work both nationally and internationally.
The Government has also released Australia’s Covid-19 Vaccine and Treatment Strategy, guided by a group of medical and industry experts.
The Strategy sets out Australia’s approach to acquire doses of safe and effective Covid-19 vaccines, based on:
- Research and development.
- Purchase and manufacturing.
- International partnerships.
- Regulation and safety immunisation administration and monitoring.
For more information and to download the Strategy, visit: health.gov.au/resources/publications/australias-covid-19-vaccine-and-treatment-strategy
