2018 – 2028
During 2017 the Australian Government Department of Health undertook a range of consultations Australia wide to inform the development of the National FASD Strategic Action Plan 2018 – 2028. The Strategic Action Plan was launched by Minister for Health Greg Hunt at the 2nd Australasian FASD Conference in Perth on the 21st November 2018. Read more here.
The Strategy provides a national approach for all levels of government, organisations and individuals on strategies that target the reduction of alcohol related harms relating to FASD, reducing the prevalence of FASD in Australia and providing advice and linkages on the support which is available for those affected by the disorder. Access the National FASD Strategic Action Plan here.
The objectives of the Strategic Action Plan 2018 – 2028 are:
- Reduce the prevalence of FASD
- Reduce the associated impact of FASD
- Improve the quality of life for people living with FASD
The strategic action plan seeks to deliver on these aims by taking action across four national priorities:
- Prevention
- Screening and diagnosis
- Support and management
- Priority groups and populations at increased risk
Historical context behind the National FASD Strategy
A federal parliamentary inquiry into FASD (2011) lead to
- (the publication of FASD: The Hidden Harm (Nov 2012) by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs
- the subsequent release of the Commonwealth Action Plan to reduce the Impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) 2013-14 to 2016-17
- government funding to progress the plan and appoint a National FASD Technical Network to provide advice to the Australian Government on how Australia could achieve a strategic coordinated approach to FASD.
