MOTIONS
Ms JORDAN-BAIRD (Gorton) (10:35): I'm the youngest of three daughters. Growing up, I was so lucky to have both my older sisters to look up to. They inspired me and they mentored me.
My sister Clara taught me about the world and that you should never be embarrassed about being excited about something that you're passionate about. She introduced me to politics, to the Labor Party and to her passion for improving Melbourne's western suburbs—my home, which I'm proud to represent in federal parliament. Nine years ago, and far too soon, Clara passed away very suddenly.
On World Heart Day and every day I think of Clara. Clara is not alone in her story and my family is not alone in our grief. We were left with many unanswered questions surrounding Clara's passing.
But one thing I know for sure is that heart health will always be something deeply personal for me. Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death among Australian women, with around one in four female deaths linked to cardiovascular disease—one in four. Many Australians will be surprised by this statistic because it's not something we talk about often.
For a long time, we've treated heart disease as a men's health issue when really it's one of the greatest health risks for Australian women. The statistics are sobering. Around 22,000 Australian women die from cardiovascular disease each year.
Tens of thousands experience a heart attack, stroke or unstable angina, and hundreds of thousands of women are hospitalised because of cardiovascular disease. Symptoms of cardiovascular disease present differently in women and men, and they often go underrecognised in women. It means delays in diagnosis and treatment, and serious consequences for health outcomes.
Meanwhile, women's heart health has also been underresearched, another barrier to early detection and prevention. Early diagnosis matters because early action can save lives. As women, we spend our lives caring for others, putting the needs of our families, kids and communities ahead of our own our own health often becomes the last priority.
But that's not the case with our Labor government. Women's health is a national priority, and we are treating it as such. I welcome the establishment of the ministerial expert panel on women's health.
It will look closely at how symptoms present in women, the barriers women face in getting diagnosed, and how we improve care. Hearing from women with lived experience and advice from experts will help make sure policy is informed by the latest clinical evidence, research and lived experience. I also welcome our government's continued investments in Medicare-funded heart health checks, which are helping Australians better understand their risk and act earlier.
Medicare heart health assessment items give Medicare-eligible patients aged 30 years and over access to an annual heart health check from their GP. It means GPs can assess cardiovascular disease risk factors and intervene early before serious illness occurs. It also means GPs can deliver significant prevention, intervention and treatment as part of their usual care of their patients.
Since the items were introduced in 2019, more than 1.3 million heart health checks have been provided to patients. It truly is saving lives. World Restart a Heart Day is on 16 October, a reminder that being prepared for a cardiac arrest can also save a life.
Each year, more than 32,000 Australians experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, yet only around one in 10 survive. I would also like to shout-out the work of the Australian Sudden Cardiac Arrest Alliance. I recently attended their event at parliament, where families of victims and survivors of sudden cardiac arrest had the opportunity to share their stories.
It was deeply moving and deeply personal. AuSCAA are advocating for a national strategy to prevent sudden cardiac arrest related deaths to advance research, improve clinical standards and raise awareness. I commend their work in this important area.
World Heart Day is an important reminder that heart disease does not discriminate. Heart health is women's health yet, for too long, it has not been treated with the attention it deserves. Every Australian should know the warning signs.
The message is simple: recognise cardiac arrest, call triple zero, start CPR and use a defibrillator. Every Australian should understand their risk factors and every Australian should make heart health a priority. For these reasons, I'm proud to speak on the motion moved by my friend the member for Bonner recognising World Heart Day and raising awareness of cardiovascular disease and the importance of prevention, early detection and intervention.
I commend this motion to the House.