Wounds Australia awarded $2m awareness campaign grant
Monday, 18 March 2024
Wounds Australia has been awarded a valuable Federal grant to run a long-term national wound awareness campaign.

Part of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care’s Chronic Wound Consumables Scheme that was announced in the Budget 2023-2024, the grant will fund a four-year public chronic wound awareness campaign run by Wounds Australia, the peak health body in the area.

Minister for Health and Aged Care the Hon Mark Butler MP said: “For hundreds of thousands of Australians, a simple accident can lead to a wound that just won’t heal, damaging their health and causing great pain and suffering. 

“These new initiatives are part of the Government’s scheme to dramatically improve wound management to ensure that Australians can heal as quickly and well as possible.”

Wounds Australia Chief Executive Officer Jeff Antcliff applauded the Government’s commitment to tackling Australia’s hidden wound epidemic, saying the grant would help “shift the needle” on public awareness.

“Our experience as Australia’s peak body in chronic wounds tells us that too many people do not receive the care they need to prevent their wound from becoming chronic,” Mr Antcliff said. “Our campaign is designed to achieve broad understanding of the wound warning signs, risk factors, the many sources of reliable wound care in the community, and the lifestyle factors that affect prevention and healing.

“In this way, we strive to help minimise the harm caused by wounds in Australia.”

The campaign will include multimedia content, digital and print resources, online training and telephone support designed to give practical expert advice to consumers in need. Advisory groups made up of care professionals and consumers will guide development of campaign content and direction and volunteers are currently being sought for both groups. 

At a Wound Awareness Week event at Canberra’s Parliament House in September, Minister Butler praised Wounds Australia’s advocacy for Australians living with chronic wounds.

More details about the Chronic Wound Consumables Scheme awareness campaign will be released in coming weeks.
 

A carer's perspective

Wound Awareness Week Champion Bella Fitzgibbon shared her story of caring for her grandmother Shirley's affecting mouth cancer wounds with The Herald Sun this week. Read it [subscriber only] or find out more in the Wound Awareness Week news centre.

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Notes to media:
  • Wounds Australia is the national peak body for wound prevention, diagnosis, treatment and healing, with nearly 18,000 members and supporters across the country, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, researchers, allied health and aged care professionals. 
  • Chronic wounds are wounds that have not progressed through normal healing stages within 30 days.  
  • They may heal very slowly, partially or recur. The warning signs of chronic wounds include pain and heat, odour, excess fluid and taking longer than a month to heal. Leg ulcers and pressure sores are common types of chronic wounds. 
  • Mr Antcliff joined Wounds Australia in January 2024 from the St Vincent de Paul Society, Victoria. 
Interviews: 
  • Wound Champion Bella Fitzgibbon, from Melbourne, Vic.
  • Wound Awareness Week Ambassador and Wounds Australia Board Director Professor Fiona Wood AO, from Perth, WA.
  • Ms Hayley Ryan: wound care nurse clinician and former Wounds Australia Board Chair, from Newcastle, NSW. 
Media contact: 
Emma Noble, Director of Communications, Wounds Australia emma.noble@woundsaustralia.org | 0432 899139