WESTERN Sydney will receive a funding grant of $500,000 from the Federal Government to combat diabetes in the region, Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced during a visit to Blacktown last week.
She said this at the opening of the new WentWest GP Learning Centre at Westpoint shopping centre in Blacktown on Thursday.
Ms Plibersek said Western Sydney Medicare Local, Western Sydney Local Health District and other partners had successfully applied for grant funding from the Australian National Preventive Health Agency.
‘‘ WSML and its partner WSLHD will add a further $500,000 in flexible funding to combat diabetes and put in place systems to reduce its impact on our community and on our health system,’’ she said.
‘‘The funding will enable lifestyle modification programs to be developed to encourage healthier eating, active living and increased social inclusion in at-risk individuals.’’
Ms Plibersek said the opening of the centre would mean more GPs and health professionals could be trained locally to deliver quality health care for Western Sydney.
WentWest CEO Walter Kmet was confident the funding would assist local authorities and diabetes experts in their ongoing efforts to fight the disease in Western Sydney.
‘‘Last month a Diabetes Prevention and Management Clinical Workshop was attended by the top endocrinologists in the region,’’ he said.
‘‘ They are working together to find ways to better integrate existing programs between WSLHD, WSML, GPs and allied health, and other multi-sector partners.’’