Better Access Australia is calling on Australian governments to fix newborn screening.

Australia's universal newborn screening program ONLY screens for 25 conditions - no new conditions added for 30+ years. California universally screens for 80 conditions - 76 have treatments.

You cannot access treatment and support services without a diagnosis.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

We call on the Australian Government to:

1. Conduct a six-month independent review before the end of 2022 of the clinical evidence of 50+ conditions already approved in the US and Europe to be added to Australia’s newborn screening program, with the goal of bringing the program into the 21st century.
2. Include the funding of the recommended testing in the federal-state Hospital Pricing Agreements. The buck passing between state and federal governments must stop. We need a shared commitment to the future health of babies born in Australia.
3. Include a timetable for inclusion of genetic testing of newborns in these same agreements at a population and individual level, starting with the babies who receive a positive result from a newborn screening test. Newborn screening is the gateway to more complex and expansive genetic screening and Australia must not allow another 30-year gap in its health system to be accepted.

Better Access Australia will use this show of community concern to advocate for governments across Australia to end the gaps in newborn screening.