Menu
Log in
  • PO Box 450 Mawson ACT, 2607 Australia

  • 02 6260 4022

Media Releases


  • 14 May 2019 2:00 PM | Deleted user

    Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) welcomes initiatives announced in the 2019 Federal Health Budget, handed down on 2 April 2019. CMA says the 2019 Budget contains a number of health-related measures that are welcomed. But the opportunity to significantly invest in preventive health to build a more sustainable health system longer-term for Australia has been missed. 


    The government is investing a record $104 billion in health in 2019-20 as part of a patient-focused investment of $435b over the next four years:

    • $737m over seven years for mental health and suicide prevention including
      $461m to address youth mental health and suicide prevention.
    • $448.5m investment over three years from 2020-21 for the primary care/chronic care funding model to support more flexible care models
    • $386m to encourage more Australians to participate in sport, upgrade sporting infrastructure and support elite sport
    • 1.1m of extended funding for the Health Star Rating (HSR) System food labelling scheme for an additional two years, with a review of the system to ensure it is meeting objectives. 
    • $20m for a national anti-smoking campaign
    • $6 billion over the forward estimates for medical research, including $160 million on the Indigenous Health Research Fund
    • $17.2m for the development of activities and strategies to address a range of specific chronic conditions such as the Public Health and Chronic Disease Grant Program that will fund activities aimed at preventing and managing specific chronic conditions or disease groups that have been recommended in National Strategic Action Plans
    • A further investment of $430m in genomics research.

    CMA Board President, Paul Mannion said: “While the budget contained a number of welcome initiatives in primary healthcare, it has not significantly invested in prevention and a more deep-seated health reform that will ensure the system is sustainable in the longer term. With an ageing population and half of all Australians already having at least one chronic disease, the need to place a stronger focus upon preventive health has never been more critical.”

    Paul Mannion added: “An older and unwell population can only foreshadow higher healthcare costs in the future unless there is a focus and shift towards early prevention, encouraging healthy and active ageing, and supporting individuals to take control of their health. While Australia has a good health system by international standards, rising health costs represent an obstacle to future reform.”

    Preventive health
    Globally, Australia has well-developed public health programs (such as immunisation) and good infrastructure (water supply, food quality). There are many positive attributes that contribute to the Australian system – world-class medical researchers, low smoking rates, a population that is generally accepting of health-promoting regulations, and the existence of political leadership and bipartisanship on major health issues. Our life expectancy at birth has increased greatly over the last century. This places us in the top third of member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for life expectancy with an age of 80.4 years for males and 84.6 for females. 

    Still, it is recognised that the Australian health system has room to improve. One in two Australians suffers from chronic disease and these conditions are responsible for most deaths. Treating chronic disease costs the Australian community an estimated $27 billion annually, accounting for more than a third of our national health budget. Australia is ranked in the worst third among OECD countries for obesity among people aged 15 and over, and our alcohol consumption is slightly above the OECD average.

    Yet Australia spends just 1.5% of health expenditure on preventative health.
    The amount is considerably less than other OECD countries - Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, indicating there are many missed opportunities. Opportunities such as evidence-based prevention measures for overweight and obesity, the growing cohort of older Australians, people with mental health issues and the needs of indigenous Australians.

    When looking at Australia’s spend on health prevention, it must be remembered that one-third of all chronic diseases are preventable and can be traced to four lifestyle risk factors:

    1. Alcohol use
    2. Tobacco use
    3. Physical inactivity
    4. Poor nutrition

    The key to determining the appropriate prevention spend is to compare the added value of an increase in spending on preventive health against the opportunity cost of doing so. A growing body of evidence indicates that selected complementary medicine preventive health initiatives are highly cost-effective, especially in the prevention and management of chronic conditions. This is not limited to, but certainly includes, the use of complementary medicines for primary and secondary prevention of illness and encouraging and empowering all Australians to take better care of their health.

    Complementary medicines are an important and culturally acceptable part of healthcare around the world, representing for many people an accessible, affordable way to actively contribute to their health. All indicators reflect that there is a real and immediate role for smarter preventive health.


  • 05 Apr 2019 8:16 AM | Anonymous

    The Complementary Medicines Industry today welcomed an announcement by the Australian Government, that when implemented, will provide greater clarity for companies using Country-of-origin representations and foster the continuation of the Australian Made logo for complementary medicines manufactured in Australia, under TGA-GMP licensed facilities.

    Read the media release here

  • 18 Feb 2019 11:15 AM | Anonymous

    Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) today welcomed the publication of the Government’s official export figures for complementary medicines, which shows that Australian exports have now nearly topped $1 billion for the first time.

    Read the media release here

  • 06 Feb 2019 3:38 PM | Anonymous

    Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) pre-Budget submission is calling for a health check on the implementation of the new therapeutic goods legislation.

    Read the media release here

  • 05 Dec 2018 1:22 PM | Anonymous

    The Federal Court has this week ruledi that the encapsulation in Australia of imported fish oil and vitamin D would no longer be able to be labelled as ‘Made in Australia’. In response, Mr Carl Gibson, CEO of Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA), has said: “The outcome of the court case underlines how Australian companies are being caught up as an unintended consequence of recent law reforms and being negatively impacted by the current application of the new ACCC Country of Origin Guideline for complementary healthcare products.” Read more here

  • 28 Nov 2018 11:20 AM | Anonymous

    Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has today welcomed news of a record $10 million donation to Southern Cross University by Marcus Blackmore AM and his wife, Caroline, which the university will use for the establishment of a National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine.

    Read the media release here

  • 22 Nov 2018 11:18 AM | Anonymous

    Chief executive of Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA), Mr Carl Gibson, has welcomed last night’s announcement by Chinese Premier, Li Ke Qiang, that China will replace the existing grace period for cross-border e-commerce with a stable policy going into the future, which will be of benefit to international firms.

    Read the media release here

  • 20 Nov 2018 11:24 AM | Anonymous

    Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has welcomed a new Cochrane Review, ‘Omega‐3 fatty acid addition during pregnancy’, which has found that increasing the intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) during pregnancy reduces the risk of premature births.

    Read the media release here

  • 06 Nov 2018 9:54 AM | Anonymous

    Speaking from the China International Import Expo (CIIE), chief executive of Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA), Mr Carl Gibson, has today welcomed the announcement that China will continue to expand the opening up of the market, for a shared future.

    Read the media release here

  • 29 Oct 2018 1:59 PM | Anonymous

    Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has welcomed news of the recently conducted Operation Pangea, an annually-occurring international initiative to tackle counterfeit and illegal medicines purchased over the internet. Earlier this month, Australia’s medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), teamed up with the Australian Border Force (ABF) to detect and stop the importation of counterfeit and illegal therapeutic goods.
    Read the media release here

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software