Australia to enhance healthcare for intellectually challenged

The Australian government has released the landmark national roadmap for improving the health of people with intellectual disabilities y, which aims to address the serious health inequities faced by people with intellectual disabilities y. Compared with the general population, people with intellectual disability are likely to experience more than twice the rate of avoidable deaths, twice the rate of emergency department and hospital admissions, substantially higher rates of physical and mental health conditions, and significantly lower rates of preventive healthcare. The key objectives of the roadmap are to improve support for people with intellectual disability, their families and carers; develop better models of care for people with intellectual disability; provide support for health professionals to help them deliver quality care for people with intellectual disability; improve the oral health of people with intellectual disability, as a key requirement for improving their general health and overall wellbeing; and strengthen research, data and measurement to monitor the health outcomes of people with intellectual disability. The government is investing $19.26 million in initial funding for a number of key priority actions identified in the roadmap.