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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued an official apology to those whose lives were impacted by the harmful drug thalidomide more than 60 years ago.
The drug was issued to pregnant women in the 1950s and early 1960s to treat a number of conditions, including morning sickness, insomnia and anxiety.
After nearly a decade of use, the drug was found to have caused miscarriages, early childhood deaths and significant birth defects in thousands of children.
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Today the federal government issued an apology to those affected by the drug's use and acknowledged how the lives of families, mothers and children were impacted forever by thalidomide.
"Today, on behalf of the people of Australia, our government and this parliament offers a full, unreserved and overdue apology to all thalidomide survivors, their families, loved ones and carers," he said.
"You have been survivors from the day you were born.
"This apology takes in one of the darkest chapters in Australia's medical history.
"When expectant mothers, through no fault of their own, were exposed to a drug with devastating effects that were realised far too late."
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The prime minister quoted a survivor in his apology to express the impact of the drug on its victims.
"A survivor named Patricia put it like this: thalidomide is like tossing a stone into the water, it causes a ripple effect," Albanese said.
"The drug didn't just destroy me; it rippled onto my parents, my siblings, my family, my ambitions, my relationships, my jobs, my earnings, my health – my everything."
Albanese said his government would reopen the Australian Thalidomide Survivors Support Program, which was established by the previous government.
"A lifetime support package which includes a one-off lump sum payment in recognition of pain and suffering, as well as ongoing annual payments," he said.
"To date, 148 survivors have received this support.
"Today, I can confirm our government is re-opening this program to ensure that anyone who may have missed the previous opportunity to apply does not miss out on the support they need and deserve."
Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler will dedicate a memorial for survivors at Kings Park in Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra tomorrow, Albanese said.
More than 10,000 babies were affected by the drug worldwide, according to the Thalidomide Trust.
