Motor Neurone Disease becomes notifiable, fulfilling Illawarra advocate's final wish

A campaign by a former Illawarra man to make Motor Neurone Disease a notifiable disease has finally succeeded, even though he did not live to see the achievement. His daughter said he would be 'over the moon' at the outcome, according to the Illawarra Mercury.

The designation means MND cases will now be tracked and reported systematically, improving medical understanding of the disease's prevalence and progression. For Wollongong residents and the Illawarra health community, notifiable disease status creates a clearer picture of MND's impact locally and may drive research and support service development. The University of Wollongong's Yerbury Lab researchers are among those actively involved in MND research, stepping out of the laboratory this week to participate in fundraising for FightMND, demonstrating the Illawarra's emerging role as a centre of investigation into the disease.

Sources: illawarramercury.com.au, uow.edu.au.

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