The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, Alan Griffin, today announced Veterans’ Health Week will be held on 19–25 July, fulfilling a Government election commitment and building on the success of last year. Mr Griffin said the theme of this year’s Veterans’ Health Week is ‘nutrition’ to encourage the veteran community to learn more about healthy eating and take the opportunity to polish their culinary skills.

“Last year 96 events were held during Veterans’ Health Week around Australia and some 5000 people attended the activities. This year there will be more than 130 events, so there will be plenty of opportunity to get involved,” Mr Griffin said. “Veterans’ Health Week will be held from 19–25 July and veterans, war widows and their friends and families will have the chance to be a part of cooking competitions, see demonstrations of healthy cooking techniques by chefs, learn how to create their own kitchen garden or go on a bush walk and try ‘bush food’. I encourage the veteran community to note the dates, 19–25 July, in their diaries and get involved in the activities on offer during Veterans’ Health Week. Learning more about growing your own food and cooking can be a lot of fun. Another bonus of eating well is that a healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of illness and disease. As part of our ongoing commitment to veteran health care, Veterans’ Health Week aims to support and educate our older veterans and the entire veteran community,” Mr Griffin said.

“This financial year the Government will spend $5.2 billion on healthcare, providing essential support to our veteran community,” Mr Griffin said.

For more information about Veterans’ Health Week and activities in your area visit www.dva.gov.au