Progress by Design: Roundtable on Implementing Team-Based Primary Care
News
Professor David Peiris
Profile
Professor Peiris plays a lead role in developing and implementing the institute’s research strategy. He is a Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, and is a locum GP with Miwatj Health visiting Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island.
David is passionate about strengthening primary health care worldwide. He is focussed on overcoming the challenges of delivering affordable, high-quality health services and programs to communities across the globe. His research is underpinned by health systems science, a dynamic and emerging discipline that includes health services research, health policy and systems research, and implementation science.
David has published extensively and leads several grants testing innovative strategies to improve access to high-quality primary health care. He is a former Australian Harkness Fellow in Healthcare Policy, based at the Harvard School of Public Health, and was the elected co-chair of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases Committee for Hypertension Control from 2012 to 2015. He sits on several government, non-government and research advisory committees. He is a Lancet commissioner focussed on evidence-based implementation in global health and pandemic preparedness.
Professor Vivekanand Jha
Profile
Professor Jha is Executive Director at The George Institute for Global Health, India, Chair of Global Kidney Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, and the past President of the International Society of Nephrology.
He has wide-ranging research interests, including understanding the health and societal impact of kidney diseases around the world and the development of affordable, scalable and sustainable primary and secondary prevention tools.
He has worked with many organisations including the WHO to develop clinical practice guidelines and advocacy papers, has lectured extensively around the world, and is a prolific writer and editor.
Power in your hands: FoodSwitch, ecoSwitch and GlutenSwitch
The purpose of FoodSwitch is to bring transparency to the world’s food supply with a vision of an optimised food system for human health and the health of our planet.
There are many studies highlighting the link between diet, ill-health and disease. Globally, 1 in 5 deaths are associated with poor diet, with cardiovascular disease being the biggest contributor, followed by cancers and type 2 diabetes. In addition, it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) are attributable to the global food system.
To achieve our purpose, we collect and analyse information from packaged food labels to generate data and insights that can influence government policy and industry practice toward improved food environments. Additionally, we have several apps that allow consumers to make better food choices:
Our FoodSwitch App provides simple health and nutrition information on a scanned product and suggests healthier alternatives to 'switch' to, and
Added Sugar
Australians consume around 14 teaspoons of added sugar a day - two more than the 12 teaspoons limit recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Eating too many foods high in added sugars can lead to weight gain, an increased risk of obesity related diseases, and is a major risk factor in tooth decay.
What is sugar?
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that occurs naturally in foods such as milk and fruit and can also be added to foods and drinks in various forms by the manufacturer or the consumer.
Total sugars of a product refers to the combination of sugars that are naturally present and those that are added.Intrinsic and milk sugars occur in foods and drinks such as intact fruits and vegetables (i.e. fructose) and milk (i.e. lactose).Added sugars are all other sugars. It is these sugars that are associated with poor health outcomes and we should avoid. They are often added by manufacturers to give greater sweetness or other desired characteristics.
What is added sugar
Commercial Determinants of Health Program
Program Overview
Commercial determinants of health refer to the systems, structures, and strategies employed by commercial actors, such as corporations and industries, that influence health outcomes.
The Commercial Determinants of Health team at The George Institute works across Australia and internationally to reduce the burden of death and disease linked to harmful commercial practices. Through rigorous, independent research, we provide governments, NGOs, and public health organisations with the evidence needed to develop and implement effective solutions. Our team employs multi-disciplinary and multi-method approaches across key areas, including nutrition, alcohol, tobacco and vaping, and transport.
Nutrition: health and sustainabilityOur research examines food environments, focusing on unhealthy food marketing, ultra-processed foods, and the baby food market. We evaluate and support behaviour change tools like to help consumers make healthier choices. Planetary health is also a
Nutrition Science
Program overview
The Australian health system spends billions of dollars each year treating preventable diet-related chronic diseases - including type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. These key killers affect millions of Australians and disproportionately affect more vulnerable communities, including those with food insecurity.
The Nutrition Science research team is focused on reducing diet-related diseases through implementing innovative research techniques, with a commitment to reaching more vulnerable populations.
Together with healthcare partners, The George Institute for Global Health has established ‘Food is Medicine’ programs to provide fresh produce and medically tailored meals to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians experiencing food insecurity and chronic diseases. The team is currently conducting a series of world-class clinical trials to assess their effectiveness, alongside comprehensive program evaluations to inform future scale-up.
The N
How can nutrition labelling support large-scale food fortification?
What is the problem?
Malnutrition in all its forms – including nutritional deficiencies – is a leading cause of death and disability globally. Food fortification is a proven and cost-effective intervention to address nutritional deficiencies. Large-scale food fortification (LSFF) is the practice of adding minerals or vitamins to commonly consumed foods i.e., staple foods such as salt, flours, oil, and rice during industrial processing to increase their nutritional value and deliver potential health benefits to populations.
Nutrition labelling has the potential to help achieve public health goals by improving the transparency around food product contents, including the contents of fortified foods.
What did we do?
The George Institute for Global Health was commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study how nutrition labelling regulations act as a barrier or an enabler to fortification programs in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philipp
2025 FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Report: Planetary Health Edition
Enter your details to download the State of the Food Supply Report.
Food governance
Program overview
Law is a powerful tool to promote public health. Yet despite Australia’s leadership in areas like tobacco control and road safety, law remains underused as a tool to promote healthy and sustainable population diets. The Food Governance Program seeks to change this.
Our aim is to improve dietary intake at scale by monitoring the global food supply, assessing food policy impacts, and strategically strengthening food policies and regulations to promote health and sustainability.
Program objectives
Monitor and evaluate the performance of existing food policies and regulations by leveraging the Institute’s FoodSwitch dataset
Analyse regulatory innovation worldwide to develop recommendations on best-practice food regulation
Work closely with UN agencies, national and state governments, public health and consumer organisations and academic collaborators to translate evidence into effective law and policy change.
View projects
Food is Medicine Program
Program overview
The Nutrition Science Team at The George Institute for Global Health are leading an innovative research initiative centred on food-based interventions, known as ‘Food is Medicine’.
‘Food is Medicine’ programs aim to treat diet-related diseases and reduce food insecurity by providing people with the nutritious foods they need – prescribed just like medicine. These programs often include nutrition education and are subsidised by healthcare systems as part of treatment.
Depending on a person’s medical needs and preferences, they may receive:
Medically tailored meals, or
Produce prescriptions (e.g., fresh fruits and vegetables)
Australians do not eat enough fruits and vegetables with only 5% eating the recommended amount. And access to nutritious foods is a challenge faced by up to one in four low income Australian households who experience food insecurity. These challenges are major contributors to Australia’s growing burden of
COVID-19 vaccination in India: we need equity
News / Profile story