Fresh analysis launched in Canberra finds mission the best option, while new national pain alliance launches as funding gap exposed.
A new $100 million arthritis and musculoskeletal disease research mission released from existing MRFF funds would only just match the existing disease burden of these conditions, according to a Research Australia evaluation launched at Parliament House this week.
And on a busy morning in Canberra, Australia’s long-overlooked chronic pain crisis also moved onto the national policy agenda with the launch of a new National Pain Alliance.
New data reveal that some of the country’s most disabling conditions remain dramatically underfunded in medical research.
The Research Australia evaluation highlighted the profound mismatch between disease burden and research investment in arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, some of the most common drivers of chronic pain in Australia.
In 2023–24 these conditions accounted for just 5% of Medical Research Future Fund allocations and 1.6% of National Health and Medical Research Council funding, it noted.
Despite contributing about 13% of the national disease burden, third behind cancer (16%) and mental health (15%), the research investment remained far lower than in areas such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The report argued that a dedicated Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Medical Research Future Fund mission could significantly improve outcomes for Australians living with chronic pain while also delivering broader economic benefits.
Over a decade, such a mission could reduce health system and productivity costs by roughly twofold and generate a net economic return of around $361 million while supporting hundreds of research and clinical jobs.
Louise Hardy, chief executive of Arthritis Australia, said the findings pointed to a systemic failure to align research investment with population health needs.
“We have reached a crisis point with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions and the unprecedented strain they place on communities, hospitals and health budgets,” she said.
“We need to move urgently to give them the attention they deserve and finally address the long-term research underfunding.
“We have a fragmented, underfunded approach to arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions that’s driving low value care and leaving major gaps in prevention, diagnosis and service delivery.
“We need to act now and fund a dedicated AMSK research and implementation strategy that is focussed on the huge unmet community need and makes a cost-effective contribution to addressing the escalating burden.”
The report also warned that inadequate research investment was undermining Australia’s ability to develop and implement effective care models, leaving gaps in prevention, diagnosis and service delivery while contributing to low-value care.
Arthritis Australia’s medical director Dr David Liew said the funding shortfall was also threatening the future research workforce.
“There is a stark disconnect between the escalating burden of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in this country and our efforts to address them through sustainable research funding,” he said.
“Our sector has a strong track record of developing and implementing strategies to reduce health system costs and is putting cures in reach through world-leading immunology research.
“But the crucial early- to mid-career researcher workforce is being starved of funding.”
The proposed Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Medical Research Future Fund Mission Objectives include:
- enhancing foundational research infrastructure
- supporting a skilled workforce for AMSK research and care
- fostering innovation for transformative AMSK health solutions
- establishing excellence and addressing priority needs in AMSK health.
“We have a vital opportunity to transform the lives of millions of Australians, reduce the strain on our healthcare system and build greater productivity,” said Ms Hardy.
“We urge the Australian Government to align its research investment with the health and economic burden of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions by supporting and funding a critical MRFF Mission.”
Related
This policy push comes as a new coalition of organisations was launched to address the stark disparities that exist in chronic pain care in Australia.
The National Pain Alliance, unveiled at Parliament House in Canberra, brings together organisations representing Australians living with chronic pain in an effort to elevate pain as a national health priority and push for coordinated policy reform across health, disability and ageing systems.
Founding members include Chronic Pain Australia, Endometriosis Australia, MS Australia, Arthritis Australia, Musculoskeletal Health Australia, Wounds Australia, CRPS Awareness – The Purple Bucket Foundation and the Connective Tissue Disorders Network Australia.
The coalition will focus on three immediate priorities: recognition of chronic pain as a national health priority, improved national data and research visibility, and stronger policy coordination to support access to evidence-informed care.
The initiative comes as chronic pain continues to affect around one in five Australians, often requiring years to diagnose and manage. Beyond the clinical burden, pain frequently shapes patients’ ability to work, maintain relationships and participate in society.
Jenny Walters, head of corporate affairs at Haleon ANZ, a founding supporter of the Alliance, said the scale of the problem had long been under-recognised.
“It’s vital that people living in pain have access to the support they need to enable better everyday health,” she said.
“For millions of Australians, chronic pain plays a central role in their lives, often determining whether they can work, socialise with friends and even maintain romantic relationships, yet it remains widely under-recognised.”
Nicolette Ellis, chair of Chronic Pain Australia, said the new alliance was designed to close longstanding gaps and give it the policy attention it receives.
“Australia’s health system has long failed to recognise the scale and complexity of chronic pain,” she said.
“If we continue to overlook chronic pain as a national health priority, the cost will only grow – not just the personal costs to individuals and families, but for the economy and the health system.”
