Stroke Foundation

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:47): Earlier this month I had the pleasure of joining the Minister for Health at an event he hosted here in parliament for the Stroke Foundation, and the opening address was given by Dr Lisa Murphy, CEO of that foundation. So struck was I by what she shared with us that day that I asked her if I could refer to it in this place.

She enlightened us that the Stroke Foundation is the voice of stroke in Australia. It is a charity that partners with government and the community to prevent strokes, save lives and enhance recovery. She said:

We stand alongside survivors of stroke, their families and carers, healthcare professionals and researchers to build community awareness and foster new thinking and innovative treatments. We support survivors on their journey to live the best possible life after stroke.

To help inform our work, every four or so years, we commission an independent study into the economic impact of stroke, which leads me to why we're here today—to share with you the cost of stroke to South Australia. In doing this I acknowledge the huge personal cost of stroke survivors, their families and carers and the communities they live in.

As part of that speech, Dr Murphy referred to prevention factors and statistics that apply here in South Australia. Indeed, there are nearly 370,000 South Australian residents living with high blood pressure, and many do not know it; over 150,000 are still daily smokers; over 173,000 have high cholesterol; one in eight are physically inactive; almost a million are overweight or obese; and almost 110,000 have diabetes. All of this is putting them at an increased risk of stroke.

The 2024 report that Dr Murphy spoke of demonstrates the health and economic savings that can be made through focusing on just one of these risk factors, namely high blood pressure. In acute stroke treatment, the Australian stroke sector has developed a set of new 30/60/90 national stroke targets to provide best practice, time critical stroke care for their patients to reduce avoidable stroke-related deaths and disability. The South Australian government has endorsed these targets, and work on initiatives to reach these targets is already underway.

The 2024 report demonstrates that if we reach these targets not only will we reduce millions in health system spending but also save thousands of lives and prevent years of disability for patients. The 2024 report also shows that we have absolutely no time to waste when it comes to stroke. Last year, 3,700 South Australian residents experienced stroke, and there are now 35,000 survivors of stroke living in our community, many with an ongoing disability. Unless we take urgent action, by 2050 figures will continue to grow to an estimated 5,000-plus first strokes annually and more than 55,000 survivors in South Australia alone. Multiply that by the rest of the nation, and I think we all get the gist.

One stroke occurs every 11 minutes in our country. While we have been talking today, one person will have already had a stroke. What many people do not know is that stroke is one of Australia's biggest killers—that was a surprise to me. It kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer. Stroke can happen to anyone at any age. It does not discriminate by gender or age, with a quarter of strokes happening in working-age Australians, people just like you and me.

Nationally, strokes cost the Australian economy an astounding $9 billion per year, including the health system, lost productivity and unpaid care costs. Yearly stroke-related expenditure by the NDIS is $1.3 billion, and annual stroke-related healthcare costs have now reached $1.8 billion. These are alarming figures, to say the least, and there are a number of recommendations that have been made in the report on community-based post-stroke rehabilitation therapies, providing the best recovery outcomes for survivors.

If we pair initiatives detailed in the report with best evidence programs, which foundations like the Stroke Foundation are already developing and have developed, then we can absolutely change the trajectory of stroke and make a difference. I am doing my bit today on behalf of the Stroke Foundation to raise awareness of these issues. Hopefully—and at the request of the Stroke Foundation, I am sure—we can all do our best to promote this important cause in this parliament.