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Nossal Newsletter | November 2020
In this edition:
A word from the Director

Barbara McPake, Director, Nossal Institute of Global Health2020 has been a year in which we have all been tested as never before.  

Despite the COVID pandemic, funding agencies still need our help. They still have a job to do and budgets to spend.  While our core focus areas have not changed, our delivery has had to adjust to this disrupted environment and, like many, we have been delivering programs remotely via videoconferencing, pre-recorded teaching materials and phone calls.  

Restricted travel has meant we have been able to develop presence and visibility here in Australia; and have been able to offer our public health expertise to domestic agencies. We have worked with The Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, Youth Advisory Council VIC, Family Planning Victoria and Gippsland Women’s Health. Global partners continue to seek our expertise in Global Health for key projects including Asian Development Bank, Humanitarian Innovation Fund, WHO, UNICEF, World Bank and ACIAR. We continue to deliver programmes in Indonesia, India, PNG, Fiji, Cambodia and Laos.

There has never been a more pressing time for specialist health organisations to collaborate and share skills, resources and knowledge. In 2020 we have strengthened our relationships and collaborations with key epidemiological research and management Institutes including the Doherty and Burnet.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated more clearly than before the connections between physical infrastructure, key utilities and services, and economic and social function. Health status is a key indicator and product of this interaction, particularly the health of vulnerable community members. The challenges in health systems, in disability and social inclusion, in non-communicable disease and maternal and reproductive health have not stopped because of it.  

As we are coming to the end of a year like to no other, we look forward to a 2021 where the new normal is not yet understood but our commitment to health equity will not be diminished.

Stay well

Barbara

COVID-19 Research: How Are You Going?

We are conducting an online survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall well-being, health and economic circumstances of individuals and households across the globe. Take our online survey. Already completed? You can repeat the survey and let us know if  things have changed for you over time. Learn more about the survey

One Health approach to improving health security

Approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases are diseases that can transmit from animals to humans. The COHERES Project is looking at opportunities to improve collaboration between human and animal health sectors. Read more

How COVID-19 has amplified health care inequalities

The world over we are becoming increasingly aware of the need to understand and respond to the wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19 beyond a focus on incidence and mortality of the disease. Read more

Global study identifies key health challenge in China

Multimorbidity, such as stroke and cancer, has become a major challenge for the health system in China. It increases the complexity of diagnosis and treatment of non communicable diseases, reduces a patient's quality of life, and is associated with an increase in risk of death. Read more

Lessons from the COVID-19 online learning experience

Less than ten percent of the Nossal Institute's annual Education and Learning program had been delivered, when COVID-19 began impacting. What have we learnt from the rapid transition to online learning. Read more

Inclusive research

Working collaboratively with people with disabilities will transform the research process; both mainstream and disability-specific initiatives will benefit. In collaboration with RDI Network and CBM Australia, we  recently published guidance to make research inclusive of people with disabilities. Read more

Upskilling for mobile data collection in Myanmar 

With international travel being limited by COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, scientists in Australia and Myanmar have collaborated to design tailored data collection training program for remote delivery. Read more

Snow Leopards, goats and mountain shepherds

How does vaccinating a goat keep a snow leopard happy? One Health considers humans, animals and the environment as intimately connected. Making changes in one can have major and sometimes unforeseen impacts in another.  Read more

Supporting early childhood intervention in the Pacific

While globally progress has been made in improving child health and reducing under 5 mortality, less attention has been given to what happens for those children who survive with, or at risk of, disability. Read more

Cultural adaptation of Mental Health First Aid guidelines

Many people who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of a mental illness in China do not receive treatment. While the reasons for lack of treatment are complex, family and friends who could play a role in recognising the signs of depression often lack the knowledge and skills to support their loved one. Read more

Psychological Insights for Understanding Covid-19 and Health

Dr Dominika Kwasnicka is publishing a book bringings together insights into issues surrounding psychology, health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Intern insights into the global health sector

Eshana Pussegoda reflects on her recently completed internship at the Nossal Institute, and why it has influenced her decision to pursue a Masters of Public Health. Read more

International trainees learning from Nossal experts

As an expert in Global Health, it is of no surprise the Nossal Institute is in high demand with Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) of the University of Colombo trainees looking for exposure to international research experts on public health. Nossal Is currently hosting Dr Chamila Thilakarathne and Dr Shilanthi Seneviratne. Read More

New additions to the Nossal Team

Christianne O'Donnell

Christianne O'Donnell has joined our Programs team. Christianne has significant experienced in managing strategic collaborative research projects and programs across public health, science, technology, engineering to the humanities. Read more

D'anne Ladzinski

D'anne Ladzinski has joined the Health Systems Governance and Financing team. D'anne has a wealth of experience working in public financial management projects in the Pacific. Most recently she has been working as a Public Financial Management Consultant with the World Bank in Vanuatu. Read more

Justin McKinley

Justin McKinley has joined the One Health team. Justin is an agricultural and development economist who has diverse interests within agricultural and development research. Read more

Dr Reihana Mohideen

Dr Reihana Mohideen has joined the Nossal team as a Principal Advisor. Reihana is an international development specialist with previous experience in the NFP sector at Oxfam, UNDP, Action Aid and 10 years at the Asian Development Bank.  Read more

Dr Tori Oliver

Dr Tori Oliver has joined the Maternal Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit. Dr Oliver played a central role in developing community level insights into the acceptability and feasibility of inhaled oxytocin in high need settings. Read more

Recent publications of our academics and researchers

Asefa A, Morgan A, Gebremedhin S, et al Mitigating the mistreatment of childbearing women: evaluation of respectful maternity care intervention in Ethiopian hospitals BMJ Open 2020 Read paper 

Knittle, K., Kwasnicka, D., Potthoff, S., Cross, A., Olson, J., and ten Hoor, G., (2020) Using Practical Health Psychology Approaches in your Rheumatology Practice, Rheumatology Advances in Practice. Read paper

Kwasnicka, D., Ntoumanis, N., & Sniehotta, F. F. (2020). Setting Performance and Learning Goals is Useful for Active and Inactive Individuals, if Goals are Personalised and Flexible: Commentary on Swann et al. (2020). Health Psychology Review, 1-12. Read paper

Kwasnicka, D., Ntoumanis, N., Hunt, K., Gray, C. M., Newton, R. U., Gucciardi, D. F., ... & Wyke, S. (2020). A gender-sensitised weight-loss and healthy living program for men with overweight and obesity in Australian Football League settings (Aussie-FIT): A pilot randomised controlled trial. PLoS Medicine, 17(8), e1003136. Read paper

Robinson. A, Marella. M, Logam. L (2020) Gap Analysis: the Inclusion of People with Disability and Older People in Humanitarian Response’. Elrha: London. Read paper

Sumit Kane, Hong Jiang, Yuan Tian, Maitrayee Mukhopadhyay, Xu Qian, Making effective referrals happen: a theory-informed policy analysis, Health Policy and Planning, czaa09. Read paper

Wallbank G, Sherrington C, Hassett L. Kwasnicka D, Chau JY, Martin F, Phongsavan P, Grunseit A, Canning C, Baird M, Shepherd R, and Tiedemann A. Active Women over 50 online information and support to promote physical activity behaviour change: Study protocol for a pilot trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 2020;6(91). Read paper

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