Vitamins for kids urged
October 28, 2013
The Complementary Healthcare
Council of Australia says the
country needs to be “more
ambitious about giving every
kid the best start in life,” with
complementary medicines
currently absent from Australia’s
preventive health agenda.
CHC ceo Carl Gibson was
responding to a UK report which
suggested the extension of an
existing scheme, which provides
free vitamins A, C and D to children
aged six months to four years from
low-income families.
The Our Children Deserve Better,
Prevention Pays report from
England’s Chief Medical Officer,
Dame Sally Davies, urges the UK
National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence to look at the
cost effectiveness of giving these
three basic vitamins to all children
aged under five years.
Davies said extending the scheme
would protect more children and
save the health system money.
Gibson echoed the sentiments,
saying the CHC is heartened by
the UK report and its “recognition
of the enormous potential for
complementary medicines to
demonstrate savings from disease
prevention and health promotion.
“Preventive health is an essential
move towards improving the
cost-effectiveness of the Australian
healthcare system and alleviating
pressure on the government’s
health budget,” he added.
A key step would be research and
education on the cost-effectiveness
of consumer and government
spending on complementary
medicines, which Gibson said
“must be a priority for Australia”
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