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In this issue of the MJA, Smithers‐Sheedy and colleagues report that rates of cerebral palsy in Australia are declining in a sustained and significant manner, and are among the lowest in the world. During 1995–2016, the overall cerebral palsy incidence rate declined by about 40%. This change was accompanied by a reduction in the severity of the condition; the incidence of children who required assistive mobility equipment declined from 0.8 per 1000 live births in 1997–1998 to 0.5 per 1000 live births in 2015–2016. Not only is this incredibly exciting, but the major improvements in the rates and severity of cerebral palsy will have a substantial economic benefit: in 2018, the financial costs of cerebral palsy in Australia were $3.03 billion, not including $2.15 billion in lost wellbeing.

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Authors: Rod W Hunt

Article Type: Editorial