Stoma Industry Association

For 50,000 Australians October 5 is the one day each year when they can be seen and heard. Most Australians would be completely unaware of the impact having a stoma has on a person’s quality of life. A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen to remove body waste, such as faeces and urine. Many conditions can lead to someone needing a stoma, including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, bladder cancer, injury trauma, and congenital defects. World Ostomy Day is about spreading awareness and advocating for those living with stomas. The Stoma Industry Association (SIA) knows the importance of speaking out against the silence and shining a light on this challenging and often stigmatised condition. We also want to acknowledge all the tremendous work done by Ostomy Associations and Stomal Therapy Nurses in supporting this neglected patient group. Appliances used to manage the stoma output are subsidised by the Commonwealth funded Stoma Appliance Scheme. The Government is reviewing it right now. There have been six reviews of the SAS. The only change to ever result from any of these was the 2012 freezing of the prices Government pays for stoma products. The current review must not become another missed opportunity to improve the lives of 50,000 Australian ostomates. On World Ostomy Day on 5 October 2024 we’re asking the Australian Government to increase investment in the products 50,000 Australian ostomates depend on. 

The Stoma Industry Association (SIA) is working to improve the quality of life for 50,000 Australian ostomates. On Thursday 12th September we launched a new Burden of Illness report that laid bare the dire situation for Australians living with a stoma.   Hosted by Mike Freelander MP, Chair of the Health Committee, the SIA were joined by parliamentarians from all sides, representatives from Mark Butler, the Minister of Health, Senator Anne Ruston, the Shadow Minister for Health, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, and a cross-section of health stakeholders, including Crohn’s & Colitis Australia, Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and the Australian Healthcare & Hospitals Association (AHHA). Thank you all for attending!   Everybody heard moving and courageous accounts from patients and stoma nurses. As they and our report confirms, having a stoma is a lot to stomach. Did you know that compared to other developed nations and the general population, Australian ostomates have a lower quality of life?   Despite this, compared to other developed countries Australia spends less on patients and the products they need. In the UK there are more than double the number of products available to ostomates, and expenditure on each ostomate is three times more as a percentage of GDP. In Canada, this figure rises to five times more!   The SIA wants to ensure the Australian Government invests more because studies show that access to newer, better, and more innovative products can increase the quality of life of ostomates by 14%. The Government’s Review of the Stoma Appliance Scheme is a crucial opportunity to improve the quality of life for these 50,000 Australians and their families. To read the review report and have your say, respond to the consultation here by 6th October: https://lnkd.in/gzbHeAqM   To learn more about the SIA and hear the stories of Australian ostomates, please go to https://lnkd.in/g_qrhrW8 and follow us on LinkedIn.

For 50,000 Australians, living with a stoma is a lot to stomach. A stoma is an opening in the abdomen that is used to remove bodily waste into a small bag. It can have a huge impact on quality of life.   The Stoma Industry Association (SIA) is the representative body for manufacturers and distributors of stoma products, including Ainscorp, Coloplast, Convatec, Dansac A/S, Hollister Incorporated and Omnigon.    We’re working to raise awareness for Australian ostomates and to ensure the Australian government invests more in newer and better products. In the days ahead, we'll have more information on our campaign to ensure Australia does better for stoma patients. Stay tuned.   To learn more about the SIA please go to https://lnkd.in/g_qrhrW8 and follow us on LinkedIn.