Despite the challenges of the past week, I write to you today with gratitude. I was buoyed by the outpouring of support from our members and colleagues in the cancer sector right around Australia, after learning the alliance was allocated $7.5 million in the Victorian Government budget compared to $32 million for our last four-year program of work in our Strategic Program Plan 2020-2024.
The community seemed to share the sentiment with widespread media coverage of the reductions not only to our organisation but the reduction in medical research funding as a whole capturing a strong sentiment I’m not sure anyone anticipated. It dominated talkback radio and we received numerous calls from the public from those affected by cancer wanting to show their support.
I am humbled by the devotion to cancer research in particular but the hard work we started with the proposal that was submitted to state government must continue. To that end the leadership and Board of the alliance are throwing our efforts behind continued conversations with both state and federal levels of government as well as other alternative funding sources.
When the incidence of cancer is expected to increase in Victoria from 35,656 cases a year in 2022 to more than 50,000 cases a year by 2033, now is not the time to take the foot off the accelerator.
Every Victorian deserves to benefit from advances in cancer research, treatment and care. The alliance is the common denominator between all of our members and regional partners – the cog in the wheel that ensures these developments are delivered quickly to cancer patients everywhere in Victoria.
We remain optimistic our efforts will not be in vain and I certainly hope to be able to update you with more positive news over the coming weeks and months.
Well done to all our members and partners on successful grant applications via both the NHMRC and National Breast Cancer Foundation. I was heartened by the number of projects involving our alliance members and other Victorian researchers awarded NHMRC Investigator Grants, representing outstanding established and emerging cancer researchers, while nine out of 19 national projects funded by the NBCF $13.5 million investment was a great result for the VCCC Alliance members.
Victoria remains an engine room of medical and cancer research in Australia, making great contributions to the global efforts to reduce the burden of this disease.
