In the last episode of Contain This this season, we are joined by Australia’s Ambassador for Global Health, Dr Lucas de Toca PSM, and his predecessor, the former Ambassador for Regional Health Security, Dr Stephanie Williams, to reflect on how Australia delivers assistance for health in our region and what they see as the key challenges and priorities. They discuss how Australia’s role in supporting our region to build resilient, equitable health systems has changed over the COVID-19 pandemic, the new International Development Policy and other recent changes, and how this will be reflected und ..read more

In today’s episode of Contain This, we feature the Field Epidemiology in Action (FEiA) program, which trains field epidemiologists in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to strengthen outbreak detection and response through partnership and workforce development. The FEiA program, supported by the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security, is currently training up to 42 staff in PNG and Solomon Islands to conduct surveillance and implement public health interventions to help health authorities respond more quickly and effectively to disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. Our guests on this episode ..read more

The Australian Volunteers Program is an Australian Government-funded initiative that supports global volunteering across the Pacific, Asia, and Africa to achieve locally led change and the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this episode of Contain This, we bring you a story of how one Australian volunteer helped to support health outcomes in Vanuatu, working with the Ministry of Health in Port Vila, supported by the Australian Volunteers Program.  Chris Coles has recently wrapped up his assignment in Vanuatu, which he commenced in January 2022. Speaking while on assign ..read more

Launched earlier this year, the sixth Global Health 50/50 report focussed for the first time on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the workplace ranging from menstruation, abortion and menopause, to antenatal care and caring responsibilities.  Our guests on this episode are the founders of Global Health 50/50, Professor Sarah Hawkes and Professor Kent Buse. In this episode, we discuss the latest Global Health 50/50 report, its findings, and where Sarah and Kent have seen a shift over the past six years in commitments to equality and the gender responsiveness of global he ..read more

"I want to know what to do when I get my first period and what changes to expect during puberty, so I feel prepared, assured and confident to manage them.” – Oky user  Girls have important questions about their health, and often they don’t know where to turn to find trusted, culturally sensitive information about their menstrual, sexual and reproductive health. UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific Regional Office saw a need to close this gender digital divide and set forth to develop Oky – the world’s first period tracker app for girls and created with girls. In today’s episode, we speak to Ge ..read more

Our guest this week is Sir Jeremy Farrar, the World Health Organization’s new Chief Scientist, who took up the role earlier this year.   As Chief Scientist, Dr Farrar oversees WHO’s science division, bringing together the best brains in science and innovation from around the world.  Prior to joining WHO, Dr Farrar was the director of the Wellcome Trust, and prior to that he served as the director of the Oxford Clinical Research Unit at the hospital for tropical diseases in Vietnam for 17 years. In this episode, we discuss: Dr Farrar’s priorities for the science division at WHO over ..read more

Our guest this week is Carolyn Reynolds, Co-founder of the Pandemic Action Network (PAN).  In this episode we discuss how Carolyn’s involvement in the response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa led her to co-found PAN; and what PAN works to achieve, particularly in the lead up to the high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response later this year.  We also discuss: Some of PAN’s accomplishments responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and preventing future pandemics.  The role PAN has played in the creation of The Pandemic Fund.  What it means to have a c ..read more

Welcome to the second part of our insights from the Global Health Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Climate, Health and International Development Seminar. The seminar explored the impacts of climate change and health, its relevance to health policy and programming in the Australian aid program, and how to build climate adaptation into health programs throughout the aid cycle, from concept and design, to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It was supported by the Specialist Health Service (SHS). In Part One of this two-part series, we heard from Professor Kathry ..read more

The Global Health Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently presented the second of its Health and Development Seminar Series: Climate Change, Health and International Development, supported by the Specialist Health Service (SHS).  The seminar explored the impacts of climate change and health, its relevance to health policy and programming in the Australian aid program, and how to build climate adaptation into health programs throughout the aid cycle, from concept and design, to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In this episode we bring you insights from ..read more

In this week’s episode, we bring you a panel discussion on how the vaccine champions programme has empowered community leaders to advocate for COVID-19 vaccines in Australia, Vietnam, and Fiji.  You will hear from three vaccination experts and leaders who are all involved in an innovative behavioural change programme known as Vaccine Champions, which was developed in Victoria, Australia and has recently been rolled out in Fiji and Vietnam. On the panel: Sr Litiana Volavola, National Program Manager for the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and Supply Chain and Fiji COVID-19 Vaccina ..read more