Murray MP Helen Dalton spoke with Premier Chris Minns about the high rates of Motor Neurone Disease around Lake Wyangan. Photo: Supplied.
The NSW Government has finally delivered long-overdue funding for research into motor neurone disease (MND); an illness that impacts parts of the Riverina at much higher rates than the national average.
Two million dollars will be divided among three researchers working to better understand the causes of MND and why rates are so high in some areas.
Minister for Health Ryan Park said the grant program delivers on a 2023 election commitment to support research in NSW, including the Riverina.
“I want to congratulate the recipients of the Motor Neurone Disease Research Grants, who work incredibly hard to improve our understanding of this debilitating condition, so the health system can continue to provide care and support to the people in NSW suffering with the disease,” he said.
There is no cure for the progressive neurological disorder that causes rapid degeneration of muscle activity and can impair walking, talking and breathing.
A 2015 Macquarie University study indicated Wagga, Griffith and Leeton had MND rates seven times higher than those in cities.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton said this issue had been causing concern in her electorate for more than a decade.
“Rates of motor neurone disease are up to seven times higher around Lake Wyangan, located near Griffith, than in other areas of Australia and this allocation of funds is great news for communities in the Riverina,” she said.
“I’m pleased the Minns Government has listened to our community and delivered on their election commitment to continue this vital research, because ultimately it’s our lives that are at stake here.”
Advocates for MND research gathered on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra earlier this year. Photo: Supplied.
MND affects approximately eight in every 100,000 Australians, and 90 per cent of cases occur sporadically, without any apparent reason or family link.
Overseas studies have suggested that exposure to blue-green algae bacteria in waterways over a long period could be a triggering factor however a link has not been conclusively proven.
A previous investigation into the high rates of MND in the Riverina had to be abandoned in 2020 due to a lack of funding.
The MND Grants will fund research to help with well-being and health outcomes and to improve diagnostic tools.
They will also see a resumption of research into why MND is more prevalent in parts of NSW by exploring environmental and occupational factors.
The MND Researcher Grant recipients are:
- Professor Dominic Rowe AM, Macquarie University. Awarded $997,808 to undertake systematic identification of sporadic MND patients in NSW to try and better predict random occurrences of the disease and improve delivery of care and therapy.
- Dr Rachel Tan, University of Sydney. Awarded $485,515 to identify blood measures of brain changes to improve diagnosis, prognosis and accelerate targeted intervention.
- Professor Steve Vucic, Sydney Local health District. Awarded $500,000 to develop a new multimodal diagnostic approach for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – a MND of the nervous system.
More information on the Motor Neurone Disease Research Grants is available here.
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