NEWS
World Health Day 2023
Today is World Health Day, and this year marks 75 years of the World Health Organization. This year’s theme #HealthForAll underscores the need for universal access to quality health services to create a fairer and healthier world, where everyone has access to quality health services and can achieve their [...]
MEDIA RELEASE | Australian health investment package will build a stronger, more resilient Asia-Pacific
MEDIA RELEASE 23 February 2023 Australian health investment package will build a stronger, more resilient Asia-Pacific The Australian Global Health Alliance and Pacific Friends of Global Health have strongly endorsed Australia’s renewed effort to help build resilient and equitable health systems in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Under a [...]
Statement on Human Rights Violations in Iran
In light of recent events, The Australian Global Health Alliance holds grave concerns for the health and wellbeing of all Iranian people, particularly for the health, safety and rights of women and girls.The Alliance strongly condemns the ongoing violence and suppression of free speech in Iran and the limited access [...]
Alliance submission to inform the Roles and Function of an Australian Centre for Disease Control
The Alliance recently prepared a submission to inform the roles and function of a new Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC). Read the full submission here.
Alliance submission into DFAT’s new International Development Policy
The Alliance undertook a consultation with members in November 2022 to prepare a submission into DFAT's new international development policy. Key messages: Global Health is ultimately the health of all of us - not some of us and is affected by and in turn affects, social, legal, political, ecological, [...]
RESOURCE: Guidance on safely hosting in-person events during peak COVID-19 transmission periods
Guidance on safely hosting in-person events during peak COVID-19 transmission periods VIEW IN PDF The Australian Global Health Alliance acknowledges the value and importance of interacting in-person for the continuation of some of our work. As the peak body for global health organisations in Australia, we have a responsibility [...]
Federal Budget 2022-23: global health analysis
The Australian Global Health Alliance welcomes increased investment in overseas aid to address immediate COVID-19 and other global health challenges, and calls for a focus on health equity within a longer term vision to meet the growing challenges our region faces now and in the future.The 2022-23 Official Development Assistance [...]
MEDIA RELEASE: Aid increase welcome, but must go further to address growing global health challenges
Wednesday 30 March 2022 The Australian Global Health Alliance welcomes increased investment in overseas aid to address the immediate COVID-19 crisis and other global health battles, and calls for a focus on health equity with a longer term vision to meet the growing challenges our region faces now and [...]
Open Letter to Prime Minister on Global Vaccine Equity
Dear Prime Minister, We write to you out of our grave concern regarding the state of global vaccine inequity, and the opportunity we believe Australia has to help address this vital issue affecting us all....DOWNLOAD PDF OF LETTER
MEDIA RELEASE: Health, business and aid leaders call on PM to ramp up global vax efforts amid Omicron warning shot
Thursday, December 2, 2021 Australia’s leading epidemiologists, global health, business, development and aid organisations have united to call on the Federal Government to urgently ramp up its global vaccination efforts following the emergence of the Omicron variant. The coalition, brought together by End COVID For All, includes the Business [...]
MMV joins Alliance as new Bronze Sponsor
9 November 2021: The Australian Global Health Alliance is pleased to announce Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) as a new Bronze Sponsor. Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) is a leading product development partnership (PDP) in the field of antimalarial drug research and development. Its mission is to reduce the [...]
Vaccinate the world before virus mutates
Original post appeared on the Burnet Institute website. The Australian Government is being urged to commit to further action to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in poor countries before the virus mutates and renders current vaccines ineffective. A new report, A Shot of Hope – Australia’s role in vaccinating the World, [...]
Gavi, Unitaid and the Global Fund welcome WHO recommendation for world’s first malaria vaccine
06 October 2021 WHO recommendation for wider use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine is largely based on data gathered during malaria vaccine pilots which took place in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and global health agency Unitaid [...]
MEDIA RELEASE: A regional COVID response needs more from Australia
A REGIONAL COVID RESPONSE NEEDS MORE FROM AUSTRALIA Media Release | 23 September 2021 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 [...]
AUSTRALIAN GLOBAL HEALTH ALLIANCE STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN
The Australian Global Health Alliance holds grave concerns for the health and wellbeing of all Afghan people in light of recent events, particularly for the health, safety and rights of women and girls. Despite long-term conflict, there has been significant progress made to improve the health status and outcomes particularly [...]
ANNOUNCEMENT: New Alliance Chair, Professor Brendan Crabb AC
1 July 2021, Melbourne: The Australian Global Health Alliance has today announced Professor Brendan Crabb AC as its incoming Chair. The Australian Global Health Alliance is Australia’s pre-eminent peak body for global health organisations and fosters partnerships between these members which include universities, medical research institutes, WHO Collaborating Centres and [...]
USAID hack is ‘wakeup call’ for aid industry on cybersecurity
This article appeared on Devex: https://www.devex.com/news/usaid-hack-is-wakeup-call-for-aid-industry-on-cybersecurity-100028 By Adva Saldinger// 04 June 2021 A cyberattack that mimicked the U.S. Agency for International Development’s email marketing account to target development and humanitarian organizations last week could be a “watershed moment” for the sector to prioritize information security, experts told Devex. While aid groups [...]
MEDIA RELEASE: AUSTRALIA PLEDGES AN ADDITIONAL $50M FOR COVAX
MEDIA RELEASE2 June 2021The Australian Global Health Alliance and Pacific Friends of Global Health welcome the news that the Australian Government has pledged an additional $50 million to COVAX, the global mechanism to ensure access to safe and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for 92 of the world’s poorest countries.Today’s [...]
MEDIA RELEASE: CONCERN FOR A DECLINING AID BUDGET DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
11 May 2021: The Australian Global Health Alliance – Australia’s peak body for global health organisations – and Pacific Friends of Global Health are alarmed by the Australian Government’s decision to decrease its foreign aid budget during the worst global health and economic crisis in a century. Despite the [...]
MEDIA RELEASE: GHAA and Pacific Friends welcome Australian Government’s COVID19 support for PNG
MEDIA RELEASE 17 March 2021 Global Health Alliance Australia – Australia’s peak body for global health organisations – and Pacific Friends of Global Health congratulate the Australian Government’s announcement this morning of urgent COVID-19 support measures for Papua New Guinea. Australia will immediately send hundreds of thousands of [...]
Gavi welcomes final approval of U.S. support for global immunisation in Year-End Omnibus and COVID Supplemental Package
The United States has approved US$ 4 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to ensure lower-income economies have equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines on the same urgent timeline as wealthier countries. These funds will help end this acute phase of the pandemic. The United States also [...]
COVAX announces additional deals to access promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates; plans global rollout starting Q1 2021
COVAX now has agreements in place to access nearly two billion doses of several promising vaccine candidates, and laid the groundwork for further doses to be secured through contributions from donors These agreements mean that all COVAX’s 190 participating and eligible economies will be able to access doses to [...]
Wishing you a safe and happy holiday period!
What an extraordinary and challenging year it has been. As we begin to close the book on 2020, we wanted to take one last opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work of each and every one of our sponsors and member organisations this year. Our sector has worked tirelessly since [...]
Jane den Hollander awarded AFR Higher Education Lifetime Achievement Award
Congratulations to Jane den Hollander, Global Health Alliance Australia Advisory Board Chair, on being awarded the 2020 AFR Higher Education Lifetime Achievement Award. The prestigious award recognises a person who has significantly "advanced and improved practices in higher education and embodied the sector's values of innovation, reason, curiosity, humility and [...]
Australia can continue to pave the way for cervical cancer elimination
Australia can continue to pave the way for cervical cancer elimination On 17 November, following the close of the 73rd World Health Assembly, the World Health Organization will officially launch the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer. The adoption of the strategy was co-led by Australia, [...]
MEDIA RELEASE: Australian Government commits $500m for COVID19 immunisation across the region
MEDIA RELEASE Australian Government commits $500m for COVID19 immunisation across the region Global Health Alliance Australia and Pacific Friends of Global Health welcome the announcement from the Australian Government of a $500 million pledge to support the Pacific and South East Asia to safely and effectively roll out COVID19 [...]
Getting your eyes tested even more important in 2020: Fred Hollows Foundation
Getting your eyes tested even more important in 2020 With screen time and eye conditions on the rise, The Fred Hollows Foundation is urging people to get their eyes tested this World Sight Day (8 October). The Foundation’s CEO Ian Wishart said it’s important for people to be proactive [...]
Budget 2020-21: Key Facts and Figures
Budget 2020-21 Analysis 7th October 2020 With $4bn allocated to Official Development Assistance (ODA), plus an additional $304.7m COVID19 response package for the Pacific and Timor-Leste, we are pleased to see an effective increase in the aid budget for the first time since 2013-14. This additional funding is a [...]
Article: Childbirth and COVID19
Childbirth and COVID-19 By Lily Li, Lily Owens, Isobel Beasley, Kathy Zhang and Isabelle Stevenson (members of the Melbourne University Health Initiative (MUHI) and mentored by the Global Health Alliance) Introduction COVID-19 is the clinical syndrome caused when individuals become infected with SARS-CoV-2, and this pandemic has had a [...]
STATEMENT: Re Australian Government signatory to COVAX Facility
STATEMENT: Re Australian Government signatory to COVAX Facility Melbourne, 22 September, 2020: Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Chair of Pacific Friends of Global Health, commended Australia’s commitment to global vaccine access: “The COVAX Facility is our best shot at getting out the other side of this pandemic as quickly and [...]
Media Release: Australia to commit $80m to guarantee access to COVID vaccine for all
MEDIA RELEASE Australia to commit $80m to guarantee access to COVID vaccine for all Melbourne, 26 August, 2020: The Australian Government has announced today that it will contribute $80m to a global initiative that will guarantee fair access to safe and effective COVID vaccines for developing countries to ensure [...]
A community-based response to COVID-19 for trialling in Melbourne: Burnet Institute
Testing and contact tracing are here to stay – regardless of whether we can access a vaccine. The Burnet Institute, in collaboration with Melbourne based community health centres and local councils have designed a model that is sustainable, affordable, decentralised and which could reduce community transmission by 80%.Read the paper [...]
Media Release: Australia leads on elimination of global cervical cancer
MEDIA RELEASE 13 August 2020 Australia leads on elimination of global cervical cancer Australia has led the way by sponsoring a resolution at the most recent World Health Assembly calling for World Health Organization (WHO) Member States to adopt the WHO Global Strategy: Accelerating the Elimination of Cervical Cancer [...]
The humanitarian hole: Alliance featured in two-part series from Crikey
July 24, 2020 The Alliance's Executive Director, Misha Coleman, and Pacific Friends of Global Health Chair, Brendan Crabb, were featured in a two-part series published in Crikey on Australia’s international humanitarian response to the pandemic. Part 1: https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/07/24/foreign-aid-pacific-coronavirus/ Part 2: https://www.crikey.com.au/2020/07/28/covid-foreign-aid-china-australia/
Unitaid celebrates progress against hepatitis C through simpler medicines and tests
Geneva – On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, Unitaid celebrates the progress made in the fight against Hepatitis C in the past few years. Notably, thanks to quality medicines and tests that are simpler to administer, affordable and adapted to the needs of people in low- and middle-income countries. [...]
COVID19 Recommendations to Government
Report release date: 24th July 2020 Key recommendations from this week’s Burnet Institute Know C-19 analysis include: Decentralize the model of care for the public health response Targeted testing and establish surveillance In a residential aged care facility (RACF), when a resident tests positive, in addition to a clinical [...]
What is the COVAX Pillar, why do we need it and how will it work?
The COVAX pillar aims to ensure that the most viable COVID19 vaccine candidates get the support needed to succeed, and are then produced at scale to reach everyone, everywhere. Read this Q&A from Gavi CEO Dr Seth Berkley, where he explains why it is so important for countries to [...]
EOI: Driving equitable access to fit-for-purpose antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19
EOI closes July 24, 2020 - Unitaid and FIND are calling for expressions of interest (EOI) to accelerate the availability and manufacturing scale-up of rapid diagnostic tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens. This EOI is has been prepared in the context of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator Diagnostics Pillar. [...]
URGENT: Applications sought for the COVAX Independent Product Group
Application deadline extended: 17 July 2020 The COVAX Pillar - one of the four pillars of the Act-Accelerator - are seeking applications for its expert Independent Product Group. Objectives The Independent Product Group will be set up with the aim of establishing an independent process to advise the COVAX [...]
Media Release: WHO Collaborating Centres Respond to Trump
WHO Collaborating Centres Respond to Trump 22 Australian global health experts respond to USA defunding WHO ***16 April 2020, made on behalf of signatories following this statement*** The coronavirus (Covid19) pandemic is a huge threat to public health. This is predominantly because the virus knows no geographic or [...]
Media Release: Global health peak body supports Proposed Climate Change Bill 2020
Global health peak body supports Proposed Climate Change Bill 2020 Melbourne, 14 February, 2020: The beginning of 2020 has shown in quite a terrifying fashion that the changing climate and health are inextricably linked. The Executive of Australia’s peak global health body, representing 48 organisations, the Global Health [...]
Media Release: WHO collaboration to focus on mental health in Australia and the region
WHO collaboration to focus on mental health in Australia and the region 5 December 2019, Melbourne: Australia’s first meeting of its World Health Organization’s (WHO) Collaborating Centers (WHOCC) will bring together 65 experts from across Australia to tackle and respond to a range of issues including the preliminary [...]
Action Matrix for Parliamentary Friends of Climate Action
The 9 Point Plan of Implementable Actions Download the PDF of the plan.
Media Release: The Health Impacts of Climate Change
Major report from health peak body: health impacts of climate change in Australia and the Pacific needs whole-of-government attention 31 July 2019, Melbourne: Australia and neighbouring countries in our region are experiencing more deaths, illnesses and injuries from heatwaves, cyclones and other extreme weather events because of climate change.The Global [...]
From Townsville to Tuvalu
Health and Climate Change in Australia and the Asia Pacific Region From Townsville to Tuvalu From Townsville to Tuvalu, from Nillumbik to the Northern Territory, impacts of climate change on our health include potential for increased prevalence of many other conditions: heat illness, asthma, heart disease, anaemia, injuries, [...]
Militaries and global health: peace, conflict, and disaster response
GLHAM member, Security and Health Executive Leadership Institute (SAHELI) was part of the team who worked on the two papers in the Lancet Series on security and global health. The Series explores the relationship between the security and public health sectors by examining core capacities of militaries and police, [...]
GLHAM member VCS Foundation Partners with Malaysia in Revolutionary R.O.S.E. Solution to Accelerate Cervical Cancer Elimination
NEWS RELEASE: 17 January 2019 An innovation by Australia’s VCS Foundation (VCSF) and the University of Malaya (UM) is set to make a life-changing difference to Malaysian women by helping prevent cervical cancer – the third most common cancer among women in Malaysia claiming 6 lives every day. On [...]
New UN Report on Disability and Sustainable Development Goals
Find out more about the documents that were promoted on International Day of People with Disability: UN’s first flagship report on disability - review of disability and the SDGs across the UN system: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2018/12/UN-Flagship-Report-Disability.pdf UNFPA Guidelines for Providing Rights-Based and Gender-Responsive Services to Address Gender-Based Violence and Sexual [...]
Victorian Australian of the Year: Mark Sullivan recognised for his efforts to tackle river blindness
GLHAM member, Medicines Development for Global Health, is the first pharmaceutical company to receive US approval for the drug moxidectin, which treats river blindness. This is the only second new treatment for this debilitating disease in over 30 years. For all the hard work and sleepless nights, founder, Managing [...]
The Victorian health industry: a top economic priority for the State Election
GLHAM has joined 10 peak bodies and network partners including BioMelbourne Network and AAMRI, endorsing the Joint Industry Statement which is a call to all parties contesting the 2018 state election to adopt positions that recognise and develop the health industry as an economic priority for Victoria. [...]
Media release: Melbourne Consortium gears up to fight the big bugs and the big diseases
MEDIA RELEASE: 23rd August, 2018 New report: Melbourne Consortium gears up to fight the big bugs and the big diseases A report released today has demonstrated that Victoria’s global health sector is at the forefront in responding to the region’s most alarming diseases. The Global Health Alliance Melbourne [...]
Malaria Mapping Project
From abc.net.au On Pacific Beat with Catherine Graue.The world's first malaria digital mapping project aims to give health workers greater access to women and children, living in remote areas like in PNG. Visit the webpage here or listen to the audio story below. [...]
Media Release: Foreign Donations bill will make Victorians sick!
In Federal parliamentary hearings in Melbourne today, the Global Health Alliance – a partnership of organisations working in global health – warned that new foreign donation laws could compromise crucial international medical research partnerships and health promotion work. Executive Director, Mischa Coleman, told the Committee that the health of [...]
Health Research in Donations Crossfire
Sunday Times, Perth Health Research in Donations Crossfire Misha Coleman discusses the findings by Scientists researching flesh-eating bacteria and the risk it places on Australians in light of the Government's proposed crackdown on foreign donations.
The impact of foreign donations legislation
From The World Today Misha Coleman and Clive Hamilton discuss the new legislation surrounding foreign donations and its impact on Australian charities and research organisations. Listen to the audio file.
Government crackdown on foreign donations could have catastrophic impact, charities say
From abc.net.au by Thomas Oriti, The World Today: Australian charities and research organisations are calling for further clarity around the Federal Government's crackdown on foreign interference, saying it could have a catastrophic impact on their work. Read the full story at the ABC.
New plan concerns charities
Charities, NGOs and research groups are unhappy about the Federal Government’s proposed foreign donations crackdown. The Government says its new laws will help fight foreign espionage and interference. It wants to create a new offence that would make it illegal to covertly interfere with Australian politics on behalf of [...]
‘Chilling effect’: Charities slam foreign donations ban
From the Sydney Morning Herald by Nicole Hasham: Household-name charities receiving overseas funding would be prevented from advocating for social and environmental causes if their activity is deemed political, under a Turnbull government plan. The government on Tuesday announced a foreign influence and interference package to "strengthen our democracy and ... ensure that decisions are made [...]
Make a Submission
The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 Submissions close Thursday 25 January 2018 Inquiry website: https://www.aph.gov.au/efdr Information about the Bill is available here.
Media Release: New Donation Laws will Harm Advancement of Medicine and Could Cost Lives
A coalition of doctors and health experts from the Global Health Alliance are warning new foreign donation laws could compromise crucial international medical research partnerships that deliver positive health outcomes and save lives in developing countries. Global Health Alliance Members are calling on all Federal MPs to put in [...]
Towards 21st century approaches: a speech by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
2017 Mitchell Oration – Crawford School of Public Health, Development Policy Centre, Australian National University, Canberra. Opening remarks Thank you both very much, Harold (Mitchell) and Brian (Vice Chancellor, Prof Schmidt), for your kinds words, and for such a warm welcome. I am truly delighted to be here tonight [...]
GLHAM Q&A with Robin Davies
DFAT Centre for Regional Health Security: Centre Head Robin Davies answers all the tough questions at a Q&A in Melbourne on 3rd November 2017.
The Victorian International Health Economic Impact Study
The Victorian International Health Economic Impact Study has now commenced and will comprise of two parallel and interconnected pieces of work that will map and quantify the global health sector in Melbourne: The Baseline International Health Economic Impact Study for Victoria Mapping the capacity and showcasing the expertise of [...]
Water, sanitation and hygiene in remote Indigenous Australia: A scan of priorities
From the University of Queensland and Water Aid: In remote Australian Indigenous communities, the “familiar story” of poor water, sanitation and hygiene-related health challenges continues – despite documentation of this situation during the past 30 years. Research was conducted by the University of Queensland after being approached by WaterAid Australia. [...]
How Seattle became a world leader in Global Health and Development
SEATTLE, United States — In schools across India this week, schoolchildren are eating pasta disguised as rice kernels and boosted with extra nutrients. At a health clinic in Honduras, a nurse is sterilizing medical instruments with chlorine made from an easy-to-use portable kit. In Kenya, thirsty workers will come [...]
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
From the UN general Assembly: Despite clear evidence that there can be no health without mental health, nowhere in the world does mental health enjoy parity with physical health in national policies and budgets or in medical education and practice. Mental health and emotional well-being are priority areas of focus [...]
Uluru Statement from the heart
The following is a piece written by University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis. Colleagues, Each month I circulate a short reflection on issues for the university, trying to capture something about a short moment in the long life of our institution. Nothing I can write, however, [...]
Media Release: Alliance accepts Aboriginal health challenge
From the Health Victoria website: A new organisation in Melbourne aims to tackle the health and social inequalities between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. The Global Health Alliance Melbourne (GLHAM) hopes to capture Victoria’s health strengths and capabilities. Launched by former Premier John Brumby and Melbourne Mayor Robert Doyle GLHAM is the [...]
Media Release: Melbourne set to become the Global Health Epicentre of the Southern Hemisphere
Melbourne is set to become the centre for global health expertise for the Southern Hemisphere. Announced at the World Congress for Global Health in Melbourne today, the Regional Director from WHO, Dr SHIN Young-soo and the Parliamentary Secretary for Medical Research the Hon Frank Maguire, will launch a partnership between [...]
Media Release: Global Health Champions in Melbourne Accept Global Challenges
In 28 populations around the world, it’s been demonstrated that Indigenous people have poorer health and social outcomes in comparison with non-Indigenous peoples. A new organisation in Melbourne aims to address this: the Global Health Alliance Melbourne (GLHAM), a new platform that aims to capture Victoria’s health strengths and capabilities, [...]
Announcing the Local to Global Initiative
Indigenous people have poor health and social outcomes in comparison with non-Indigenous peoples – therefore efforts to improve this will contribute directly to the eradication of poverty worldwide. GLHAM believes that strengthening networks between people working in indigenous health – both in Australia and in overseas development contexts – [...]
Committee Member Helen Evans Awarded AO
Congratulations to our Foundation Committee member, Helen Evans, who has just been awarded an AO. Read and watch more about her stunning achievements here
Alliance Developments
A brief update on the progress of the Alliance since the roundtable in March. The objectives of the March roundtable were to hear from you as key thought leaders on what you saw as the value of the Alliance to your organisation or institution. The aim is to achieve [...]