The Fred Hollows Foundation welcomes international development budget

The Fred Hollows Foundation has welcomed the Albanese Government maintaining Australian international development assistance in yesterday's Federal budget. 

CEO Ross Piper said: "Holding the line on international support is very important against a backdrop of the largest global aid cuts since records began in the 1960s. After all, for every $100 of government spending, only 68 cents is spent on aid. 

“Morally, helping low-income countries is the right thing to do and as Australia is one of the wealthiest economies in the world and we have the ability to both assist Australians and our neighbors.  

“Strategically, it is also a smart thing to do as 24 out of 26 of our neighboring countries are low and middle-income countries. 

"We also welcome the Government’s $7 million increase in funding to Australian development organisations through the now $150 million Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).  

“The Government wants to be a ‘partner of choice’ in our region and our development program is a tool we have to maintain trusted relationships, demonstrate usefulness for partner needs, and sustain presence and peace in the region. 

“We know that aid can make a difference by providing health, education and life-saving services to the world’s most vulnerable communities. 

"The Foundation partners with Ministries of Health in more than 20 countries. We want to show case the benefits of Australian partnership and cooperation to the wider public at home and abroad. 

“The number of people living with vision impairment is predicted to increase by more than 50% by 2050, to an estimated 1.8 billion people. Today, more than a third of all people who are vision impaired live in our region.

“Given the enormous demand, we encourage the government to continue its efforts to rebuild the international development program to 1% of the Federal budget. Greater catch up against the rate of inflation is needed in future years and placing health investments at the heart of future development budgets”, Mr Piper said.