Juvenile arthritis
Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (18:16): (524) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Health, and it is in relation to support for young people suffering from juvenile arthritis. A constituent of mine, a year 9 student from Caulfield Grammar, Isabella, contacted me and she told me of her story. It is a very well presented argument that she has given to me in relation to the lack of support that the government is providing for people such as her. In 2019 she was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis – a very, very debilitating condition. It is a serious autoimmune condition that affects around a thousand children here in Victoria. Isabella’s condition, thankfully, is now in remission, which is terrific. She has had quite serious treatments along the way, and she is in remission. But while she has had this favourable outcome, both the illness and the treatment have had a very debilitating impact on her health and wellbeing, including the side effects of strong medication. She believes that if they could have been avoided and there were alternative pathways she would have had a better outcome.
This issue was looked out recently by a Senate inquiry. Isabella said that she needed the care of a paediatric rheumatologist, specialist nurse, physiotherapist, pain management practitioner and self-care educators. That federal parliamentary inquiry confirmed the serious under-resourcing of paediatric rheumatology services in the states. The action I seek is for the government to provide details of what it is doing to improve rheumatology services in Victoria for those children who suffer from juvenile arthritis and what funding has been provided that will enable appropriate support for people like Isabella to get the treatment and management that they deserve and need.