October news from the Alliance: What's new this month?
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October reflections from the Alliance
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The 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly concluded late last month in New York. World leaders announced new commitments to meet climate change goals and address vaccine inequities and humanitarian crises in multiple countries. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, first addressed all 193 member states with the dire words that “we are on the edge of an abyss” and that the only way out of disaster is to “wake up” and realise that solidarity is the answer. Indeed.
Yet, in this globally challenged time there are possibly two self-preservation techniques to stay steadfast to any mission to strengthen daily resolve, existing networks and action. First is to regularly recognise and celebrate all wins - small and large. Second is to collaborate harder and better, and if we can, measure and report this. There is no other time in modern history when global health has been so tested as a sector and when demands of it to rise faster are needed. We as a sector have a critical role and voice to share in all of our diversity and complexity.
So first to celebrations. Of all the activities in the Australian global health world this month, much of which is reported well by members and the wider global community, a few stand out for reasons of great hope and inspiration.
A few days ago the world’s first malaria vaccine, Mosquirix, was approved by WHO for routine rollout for children at risk in Africa. This is a historic moment in the history of a disease of high mortality and morbidity burden and which many of us in the global health community have made considerable effort to fight.
Another more localised reason for hope is that the UK NHS has, in spite of all odds fighting the pandemic and having committed to being the world’s first health service to reach net zero emissions, has met its first twelve month target. The service reduced emissions equivalent to powering 1.1 million homes with electricity for a year.
In Australia, at a time when cross sector collaboration was sorely needed, a new report from the End COVID for All campaign will be launched on Monday, as a model of rapid work by many. Thank you to all our members and partners, particularly Micah Australia, who drove this amazing effort to fruition. Certain reports are potentially more than words and data, but living documents of an effort in solidarity to act. This is just one recent close to home example.
Second, to hard collaboration opportunities…
At the end of this month, COP26 begins on 31 October. Australia moves closer too to our summer months of heat and risk to health. Although Australia has all the technology to decarbonise multiple sectors to act, solidarity in action is needed to make this happen. World attention will remain on us in this regard and particularly how we protect and mitigate the effect of climate change and health security on populations in vulnerable situations within and outside national borders. The Alliance will be promoting and disseminating climate change and health related events leading up to and including COP26 on our social media channels and in collaboration with members who retain a focus on this thematic. Please contact us if you have events or news to report.
Aligned with a commitment to grow our future global health leadership, some secretariat news is that we are delighted to have the commitment until the end of this year of an amazing new Global Health intern, Carmen Tan, from Monash University. We are also proud to announce that Piyali Somaia the brilliant coordinator of the Australian Network of WHO Collaborating Centres, an initiative of the Alliance, has been successfully nominated as a committee member of the Australian chapter of Women in Global Health.
Finally, please save the date - 17 November, 2pm - for the Alliance annual congress which is part of our Annual General Meeting. This will be an open free event with some incredible speakers confirmed to inspire and inform. Our theme this year is Global Health Leadership.
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Statement: A regional COVID reponse needs more from Australia
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Pacific Friends of Global Health welcomes the news that the Australian Government has pledged an additional 40 million COVID-19 vaccines for the Indo-Pacific region. Australia has now promised a total of 60 million vaccines by the end of 2022.
The announcement was made at a virtual COVID19 Leaders’ Summit, convened by President Biden, as part of a push from the US to see 70% of the world’s population vaccinated within a year.
Chair of Pacific Friends, Prof Brendan Crabb AC said:
“The Biden Leaders’ Summit signalled that the world is perhaps finally beginning to fully appreciate the importance and urgency of ending COVID for every country, not just the most wealthy.
“In this spirit, Australia has taken another hugely welcome and important step to ensure that our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific will get access to a safe, and effective COVID19 vaccine.
“But ‘vaccines’ is not the same as ‘vaccination’. Getting vaccines delivered into the arms of those who need them will require just as big of a support effort as supplying the vaccines themselves.
“PNG is a strong case in point where delivery is turning out to be an even bigger barrier than supply. While Australia has made strong regional commitments to help in this regard there is much more to do here.
“We also know that, especially with the Delta variant, vaccines are crucial but not enough. They are one of multiple lines of defence that are needed to fight this virus.
Read the full statement.
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A Shot of Hope: A new expert-led report from the End COVID For All campaign
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We're excited to share that a new expert-led report Shot of Hope: Australia's role in vaccinating the world against COVID-19, will be launched on Monday 11 October. The Alliance has supported the development of the report as a member of the End COVID For All coalition.
Once launched, the coalition will use the report & its recommendations, to advocate for specific outcomes at the G20, MYEFO, and the next Federal Election.
Keep an eye out for the report in your inboxes on Monday morning - and for information on how you can lend your support to the campaign!
By implementing the proposals in this report, Australia will help to limit the possibility of further COVID-19 mutations, protect our health systems, our way of life, and our economy.
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WHO recommends widespread use of malaria vaccine for children at risk
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In momentous news this week, the World Health Orgnanization (WHO) is recommending widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission.
After the success of pilot immunisation programmes in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, WHO says the vaccine should be rolled out across sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high malaria transmission.
Pacific Friends of Global Health partners, Gavi, The Global Fund and Unitaid welcome the announcement, after committing nearly US$ 70 million to fund the pilot project:
“Today marks a historic achievement in our fight against malaria,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “Malaria still kills over 250,000 children every year. The vaccine is an important additional tool to help control this disease alongside other interventions, such as bed nets, and especially when delivered seasonally in combination with antimalarial medication. I applaud the countries and communities who participated in the trials and pilots to provide this critical new tool for African countries.”
“We welcome this new tool in the fight against malaria,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “In countries where the Global Fund invests, we have reduced malaria deaths by 45% since 2002 with testing, treatment and prevention tools such as mosquito nets. In the vaccine pilots, the RTS,S vaccine was most effective when used together with these existing tools. Significant additional resources will be necessary to enable wide deployment of the vaccine alongside other innovations, and as part of a sustained and comprehensive response in the countries that need it the most.”
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, progress against malaria was stalling,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid. “This vaccine is a welcome new tool that, when used in combination with existing interventions like bed nets, has the potential to drive down malaria and extend protection to children across Africa. Pilot implementation has demonstrated how we can equitably reach children with this life-saving vaccine – now we need to ensure adequate and affordable supply to truly reignite the fight against malaria.”
Read more:
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Medicines for Malaria Venture and Novartis report positive results for Phase IIb study of novel ganaplacide/lumefantrine combination in children with malaria
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As the threat of resistance to current malaria treatment grows, Novartis and MMV have reported positive results of a new non-artemisinin combination in a Phase 2b study.
The study tested ganaplacide, a novel agent with an entirely new mechanism of action, in combination with a new formulation of lumefantrine that is optimised for once daily dosing. This combination has the potential not only to clear malaria infection, including artemisinin-resistant strains, but also to block the transmission of the malaria parasite.
“This is a truly exciting step forward in the development of next-generation antimalarials,” said Dr David Reddy, CEO of MMV. “With this Phase IIb data we remain cautiously optimistic that ganaplacide/lumefantrine could one day be saving the lives of those at greatest risk of malaria – young children.
Photo: Emmanuel Museruka/ MMV
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Nossal's asking you to #MatchMyJab
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As the COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues across Australia, the time is now to #MatchMyJab.
Everyone across the world deserves and must have a shot. It also makes public health sense – by allowing the virus to thrive unabated in some countries, COVID-19 will keep mutating and migrating, compromising the effectiveness of the vaccines we have and prolonging the pandemic for everyone.
If you’ve already had your free COVID-19 vaccination, or at least have the assurance of knowing it is on its way, please #MatchMyJab by matching the cost of your vaccination with a donation.
Clare Strachan and Dr Tori Oliver from the Nossal Institute for Global Health discuss Why you should #MatchMyJab
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Unitaid statement on molnupiravir as a treatment for mild and moderate COVID-19
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Unitaid, on behalf of partners in the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator has welcomed the announcement on molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral medicine for treatment of mild and moderate COVID-19. Interim Phase 3 clinical trial results show that molnupiravir significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by approximately 50 percent when given in the early stages of infection.
“Effective, simple to use, oral treatments that can avert the progression to severe illness are exactly the kind of breakthroughs we need to get the pandemic under control. Deployed alongside vaccines, such medicines could drive down hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19,” said Dr Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.
Such a treatment could fundamentally change the response to the pandemic, enabling integrated test-and-care strategies when deployed together with appropriate diagnostic tests.
Anticipating the possibility of a recommendation supporting use, Unitaid and ACT Accelerator partners are working to secure volumes of oral, outpatient treatment to ensure rapid access for people in low- and middle-income countries. Read more.
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Frontiers in Microbiology inviting contributions for special issue on Evolution of SARS-COV-2: CSIRO
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Frontiers in Microbiology (Scopus CiteScore 7.3; JCR Impact Factor 4.076), the 3rd most cited microbiology journal, has spun-out Frontiers in Virology and is inviting contributions for a special issue on Evolution of SARS-CoV-2: impact of variants on hosts, COVID-19 diagnostics, vaccines and therapies, edited by Professor S.S. Vasan (CSIRO & University of York), Professor Martin H. Groschup (Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute), Dr Sharon M. Brookes (UK Animal and Plant Health Agency), and Dr Hang Xie (US FDA).
Learn more. Interested in submitting a manuscript? Contact:
vasan.vasan@csiro.au, martin.groschup@fli.de, sharon.brookes@apha.gov.uk, or hang.xie@fda.hhs.gov and cc in sarah.coxon@frontiersin.org
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Institute for Health Transformation's 2020 Annual Report is now live
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The Institute for Health Transformation is delighted to announce the release of its 2020 Impact Report in an exciting new digital format. Highlights include:
- The significant impact we’ve made in contributing to the public debate and assisting our partners throughout the COVID 19 pandemic
- New Strategy Refresh
- The establishment of our Advisory Board
- 75 new externally funded research projects
- Research income of $6.7M
- 445 original publications
- A snapshot of new projects designed to meet today’s most complex and compelling health challenges
These and other achievements detailed in the Impact Report have helped IPAN to fulfill our purpose to deliver excellence in collaborative research that transforms how we design and deliver prevention and care.
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Papua New Guinea is battling the world's oldest pandemic: malaria. How can it get back on track?
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Malaria – the world’s oldest pandemic – continues to be a disease of poverty & inequity which disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and nations like Papua New Guinea. How can we help PNG get back on track? Infrastructure, funding and leadership structures are paramount for eliminating malaria, says Dr Sarthak Das, CEO of APLMA-APMEN
We also recommend this video: Getting Malaria Elimination Back on Track in Papua New Guinea
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Photo credit: Youth With A Mission YWAM Ships Australia Hannah Peart conducts a precautionary malaria test on a young patient at the Baimaru Health Centre
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Today’s one-year-olds will live through up to 24 times as many climate-induced extreme weather events: Save the Children report
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Astonishing new research into the frequency of climate-induced disasters reveals children worldwide will experience up to 24 times more extreme weather events in their lifetimes, compared to older generations, unless drastic action to curb emissions is taken.
Launched ahead of global climate talks in Glasgow, Save the Children’s Born into The Climate Crisis report, reveals the devastating impact the climate crisis will have on children and their rights if nations do not work together to limit warming to 1.5C as a matter of the greatest urgency.
This major report is based on new modelling led by researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel which reveals that under Paris Agreement pledges, a child born in 2020 will experience on average: twice as many bushfires; almost three times as many crop failures; two and half times as many droughts; three times as many river floods; and seven times more heatwaves in their lifetime compared to Baby Boomers born in the 60s. Read Save the Children's full release.
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VCS Foundation launches new bowel cancer screening campaign, 'Every Kit Counts'
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On Friday, 17 September 2021, VCS Pathology launched its “Every Kit Counts” campaign for Health Care Professionals, including GPs and Nurses to encourage their patients to complete the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program home test kit.
Research on the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program predicts increasing screening participation to 60% will save up to 84,000 lives by 2040.
The campaign also encourages Health Care Professionals to use the National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) to identify eligible and under screened patients aged 50-74, and order the National Bowel Cancer Screening (NBCSP) test kit together with their patient in an appointment.
Read more about Every Kit Counts here.
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The little-known condition costing hospitals more than breast and lung cancer combined: The George Institute
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A new report commissioned by The George Institute for Global Health estimates that the total annual cost of sepsis in Australia is $4.8bn with direct hospital costs accounting for $700m a year. This compares to direct hospital costs of $642m for breast and lung cancer combined, according to the latest figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Read more.
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Results Australia shines a light on Myanmar crisis
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Myanmar is in a major humanitarian crisis and demands a global response. Results Australia has been able to shine a light on some of the issues facing the country in mainstream media outlets in Australia. Watch the interview with Results Australia CEO, Negaya Chorley, on ABC national news live here. Read the full article featuring Results Australia in The Australian here, and read Results' media release here.
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Fred Hollows joins vaccination campaign
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Professor Fred Hollows is one of several iconic Australians fronting a vaccination campaign led by the Advertising Council of Australia, Premium Content Alliance and ad agency The Monkeys. The inspiring campaign started running on Monday 27 September, encouraging the nation to get vaccinated so we can stay healthy and move back to a new normal.
The Foundation’s CEO Ian Wishart said: “Fred was a staunch advocate of modern medicine and improving people’s living standards. We know he would have been encouraging Australians to get vaccinated. He cared not just about eye health, but also the impact of good vision on lifting the poorest people out of poverty and giving them access to opportunities like work and education. As an iconic Australian and a man of science who made this country so special, we are proud to lend his image to this important campaign.” View the campaign here.
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Children are contracting COVID-19 faster than ever before in Indonesia: ChildFund
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The Delta strain of COVID-19 is rapidly spreading across Indonesia and with as many as 125,000 cases per week being recorded in June, the country has been forced into stricter lockdowns. Alarmingly, children are contracting the virus at higher rates than ever before.
In August 2021, the total number of children who have been infected with the virus in Indonesia is around 250,000 – accounting for 12.6% of the total cases. Sadly, 676 children have died from the virus, and around half of these were children under the age of five.
ChildFund Indonesia is working with local partners to raise awareness about the virus and prevention methods, and to distribute hygiene kits to vulnerable children and their families. ChildFund is also advocating the Indonesian Government to prioritise the vaccination of children aged between 12-17.
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Issues in Global Health: A series of discussions from the Nossal Institute
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Professor Barbara McPake, Director, Nossal Institute for Global Health, has penned a series on issues related to global health. Recent reflections include:
Sign up to Issues in Global Health to receive regular thought pieces on current issues in Global Health delivered straight to your inbox.
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New research funding to benefit both people and the planet: The George Institute
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A new research collaboration led by The George Institute has received $2.5 million in government funding over five years to help transform the food system, improving the health of both people and the planet.
Lead investigator Professor Simone Pettigrew said that food was the single biggest issue for health on the planet, both in terms of human nutrition and environmental impact. Read more.
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World Scabies Program partners with Mediaplanet UK to launch new NTDs campaign: MCRI
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The World Scabies Program partnered with Mediaplanet UK and other organisations to bring together the NTDs campaign – aiming to highlight how we can successfully achieve the WHO’s 2030 road map and ensure the elimination of NTDs.
You can check out an interview with WSP Director Prof. Andrew Steer and WSP Program Manager Sarah Andersson here.
The Neglected Tropical Diseases campaign looks at what is needed to make sure we achieve the WHO’s 2030 road map, the role of innovation and what novel tools are available as well as the major economic impact of investing in NTDs and features insightful content from the World Scabies Program, the WHO, CDC, Uniting to Combat NTDs, The World Bank, The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the IFPMA.
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From siloes to synergies: Ensuring everyone living with chronic diseases has access to essential healthcare | The George Institute
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COVID-19 has intensified the need to ensure people in low- and middle-income countries can more easily access simultaneous services that prevent and treat both infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, and noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, and diabetes, finds a new report by The George Institute for Global Health.
Read more.
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Did you miss the latest APMEN newsletter?
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Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN)'s latest newsletter was published on 14 September. The newsletter has a focus on malaria and surveillance response in Asia Pacific and also features some malaria elimination updates, stories, toolkit and upcoming events.
Read it here.
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Shout out to health innovators: take part in the first WHO Western Pacific Innovation Challenge
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The World Health Organization in the Western Pacific has launched the first WHO Western Pacific Innovation Challenge: Innovation for the Future of Public Health. The Innovation Challenge is calling for innovators to submit their solutions to better the health and well-being of people in the Western Pacific Region.
Read here for more details on the challenge and how to apply. Submission deadline 31 October.
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Celebrating the work of this year's Alliance mentees
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For the past few years, the Alliance Executive Director and Deputy Director have participated in the Melbourne University Health Initiative (MUHI) as volunteer mentors. Under the initiative, we are joined by a small group of mentees who are studying in the population and global health space, and we host monthly sessions to discuss global health careers, topics of interest and more.
This year, we were joined by Belle Power and Ashleigh Lovell, who are undertaking their Masters in Public Health at the University of Melbourne. As part of their MUHI experience, the students are tasked with writing an opinion article on a topic of interest, and then presenting it to an audience of their peers and mentors at a dedicated Article Night, which was held on 4 October 2021.
We've so enjoyed getting to know Belle and Ashleigh this year, and we are really pleased to share their final articles with our network!
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WHAT'S ON IN GLOBAL HEALTH?
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- 2 October: Intenational Day of Non-Violence
- 11 October: International Day of the Girl Child
- 16 October: World Food Day
- 17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
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- 24 October: United Nations Day
- 29-30 October: G20 Joint Finance and Health Ministers’ Meeting
- 30-31 October: G20 Rome
- 31 October-12 November: UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow
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Melbourne Children’s Global Health Forum: Focus on Scabies | Melbourne Children's Global Health | Monday 18 October 2021 | 12:30-1:30pm AEDT | Register
Guest speakers:
Daniel Engelman is a Clinician-Scientist Fellow at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Team Leader of the Tropical Leader research group. He is also a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Daniel is the chair of the International Alliance for the Control of Scabies.
Susanna Lake is a PhD candidate in the MCRI Tropical Diseases group and study coordinator for the RISE trial in Solomon Islands. She is a pharmacist with experience working in Pacific island countries.
Li Jun Thean is a PhD candidate with the MCRI Tropical Diseases Group and Principal Research Coordinator for the Big SHIFT trial in Fiji. She is currently a paediatric infectious diseases fellow at the Queensland Children's Hospital.
Sarah Andersson is the Program Manager for the World Scabies Program. She oversees all aspects of the program and supports WSP local teams in Fiji and Solomon Islands to reach their objectives. Sarah has been working in Global Health for over a decade and has a Master of Public Health, specialising in International Health, from Monash University.
APMEN TechTalks webinar "Appropriate surveillance: Early detection and granular understanding" | APMEN Vector Control Working Group | 12 October, 2pm AEDT | Register
Malaria control and elimination is largely based on an understanding of where malaria is occurring, and what are the factors contributing to transmission, so that transmission can be interrupted. In this webinar we will cover several of the aspects that are important in detecting transmission risk, and the interplay between human behaviour and transmission vulnerability.
Beyond 2021: Geopolitical opportunities for the Australia & India relationship
| Thursday 14 October, 2PM - 3PM AEDT | Register
The Australia-India bilateral relationship has never been stronger. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year has raised the profile of both countries’ common interests and commitment to work together in various areas of political and economic significance.
But with common concerns over the ever-changing geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific and the need to safeguard national interests, how can the potential in this new partnership be realised into 2022 and beyond? Will the resurgence of the Quad provide the anchor for a free and open Indo-Pacific region for both nations? And how can these stronger bilateral ties help shape a new regional order?
As part of the AII Fellows' Series, join AII Director Lisa Singh in conversation with Former Australian Ambassador and Distinguished Fellow of the AII John McCarthy as they unpack the geopolitical opportunities and challenges for the Australia-India relationship beyond 2021.
COVID-19: balancing priority groups and vaccine equity | The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Nossal Institute for Global Health | 11 October, 12pm | Register
The discussion and Q&A will centre on how Australia as a country, and member of the global community, can best contribute to issues of vaccine equity both locally and globally. The speakers will discuss issues of global vaccine access and equity; the role of vaccine boosters or third doses and vaccination strategies in remote Indigenous communities. This is a joint initiative between The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and The Nossal Institute for Global Health.
Launch of the 2021 Report of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change | 22 October, 12:00AM to Oct 24, 9:59AM AEDT | Register
The 2021 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change is being published in the Lancet at 23.30 GMT on 20 October 2021.
Climate change is undermining progress made in reducing inequalities – from access to healthcare, to vulnerability to extreme weather. More frequent and intensifying heatwaves and extreme weather events like floods and drought are altering the spread of infectious diseases, and exacerbating poverty and mental ill-health, disproportionately affecting those that contribute the least to global emissions. An urgent response to climate change and meaningful commitments and policy change at COP26 to reduce emissions will bring huge benefits for human health, with cleaner air, healthier diets, and more liveable cities for everyone.
The virtual global launch of the 2021 Report of The Lancet Countdown is at 2pm GMT on 21 October and will bring together a globally representative and diverse group of inspiring speakers and guests including young activists and those experiencing first-hand the effects of our heating world.
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...and for the night owls (international events)
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Protecting Access to Health for Women in Girls in Afghanistan | ACTION Global Health Advocacy Partnership | 8 October, 1am AEDT | Register here
Advancing gender equality for malaria elimination | Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Speak Up Africa and UN Women | October 12, 12am AEDT | Register
Seventh Future of Malaria Research Symposium | Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute | 12 November 2021, 11.30pm AEDT | Register here
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What's trending: Good reads, videos and podcasts
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📖Unloved, but a life-saver – we must value PPE: The Global Fund
No item has come to signal the era of COVID-19 like the face-mask. Now a common sight and a necessity for daily life, this simple yet effective device is the unsung hero of the COVID-19 response, playing a crucial role in helping protect health workers and reducing community transmission, writes Jeremy Farrar and Peter Sands.
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📖COVID in PNG: The Silent Dead
Although only 65,000 suspect COVID-19 cases have been reported in Papua New Guinea over the last year, PNG’s own administrative health data show 2.6 million cases of flu- and pneumonia-like symptoms over the same period. Clearly, the pandemic is much more widespread than the official data suggests. Win Nicholas was a former student of Devpol Director Stephen Howes at the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University. He now lives and works in Port Moresby. Stephen spoke with him by phone last week.
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🎧 The Burnet's How Science Matters Podcast: Lost Voice – COVID's impact on eliminating malaria
The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to derail global efforts against killer infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, leading to more deaths. In this episode, you’ll meet Burnet Institute’s Deputy Director, Professor James Beeson, a malaria vaccine specialist who also works on maternal and child health. Find out how our environment shapes our immune system and why it was possible to develop multiple vaccines for COVID-19, but the only malaria vaccine has a protection level as low as 30 per cent.
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📖Protecting children from COVID-19 and making schools and childcare safer | OZSAGE
During this pandemic, nearly all unvaccinated individuals will eventually be infected. Most children in Australia are currently unvaccinated, and only children 12 and over are eligible for vaccination presently. If they are not protected, 1-3% of unvaccinated Australian children may become hospitalised with COVID-19, and more may suffer from ongoing symptoms lasting for a year or more. We still do not know enough about the long-term risks posed by COVID-19 to children, but given what is currently known, and based on the precautionary principle, we should do what we can to protect children.
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📺 Actions on HIV and health security are mutually reinforcing: A call for better integration | AFAO
Celebrating the launch of Occasional Paper 3, 'Actions on HIV and health security are mutually reinforcing: A call for better integration', developed by AFAO and UNAIDS. Chaired by Dr Selina Lo, Executive Director, Australian Global Health Alliance, hear reflections on the paper in the current context of regional health security, and a panel discussion with domestic and international HIV and health security experts. Full report here.
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📖Australia’s Foreign Aid is Shaped by Domestic Politics | Australian Institute of International Affairs
The Pacific Step-up is billed as one of the “highest foreign policy priorities” of Australia. However, unfavourable domestic political forces have shaped Australia’s foreign aid budget, shrinking its overall size for the past decade.
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🎧 Doherty Instutute Podcast | Infection and Immunity - evidence explained
"Optimise Study: vaccination knowledge, attitudes and beliefs". Australians are now coming out in droves to get their COVID-19 vaccines as we strive towards the double dose targets that will allow us more freedoms according to the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID Response. For this episode of our series all about COVID-19 – the virus, variants and vaccines, we're joined by Chief Investigators for the Optimise Study, Professor Margaret Hellard and Dr Katherine Gibney.
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📖The Lancet Commission on diagnostics: transforming access to diagnostics
Diagnostics are an essential part of a well functioning and high-quality health system. Yet, almost half of the global population has little or no access to diagnostics. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown acutely that diagnostic capacity in a country is directly linked to the ability to respond to the pandemic with appropriate public health measures and to monitor emerging variants. There is an urgent need to strengthen diagnostics for future pandemic preparedness but also beyond pandemics. The Commission puts forward recommendations to accelerate and transform access to diagnostics globally.
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📖OECD assessment reinforces the benefits of rapid climate action for Australia.
In a wide-ranging review of Australia’s economic policies and position by the OECD, climate change action was one of the four priority sets of recommendations. Australia can return to sustained growth, future-proof the economy and benefit from global decarbonisation – but it will take urgent action underpinned by a sustained and coordinated national strategy.
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Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University
The Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) within Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation has two exciting PhD scholarship opportunities available for commencement in 2022: Communicating about pain assessment, management and evaluation decisions with older people in aged care facilities and Communicating about antimicrobial prescribing, administration and evaluation between aged care providers, residents and families in aged care facilities. Both projects will be jointly supervised by Professor Elizabeth Manias and Professor Alison Hutchinson. Learn more.
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Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University
The Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) within Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation has two exciting PhD scholarship opportunities available for commencement in 2022: Communicating about pain assessment, management and evaluation decisions with older people in aged care facilities and Communicating about antimicrobial prescribing, administration and evaluation between aged care providers, residents and families in aged care facilities. Both projects will be jointly supervised by Professor Elizabeth Manias and Professor Alison Hutchinson. Learn more.
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