Fiji launches National STEPS Survey to bolster fight against NCDs
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Anna Palagyi
Profile
Dr Anna Palagyi is a health systems scientist with expertise in co-design methodology and implementation studies with mixed-methods evaluation. She holds positions as Program Lead - Ageing & Health Systems in the Centre for Health Systems Science at The George Institute for Global Health and Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney.
Anna's research centres on the co-design of effective implementation strategies to strengthen primary health care services in resource-constrained settings of the Asia-Pacific region. She has a particular interest in the development of appropriate health system responses to population ageing: Anna previously implemented a national longitudinal study on aspects of healthy ageing in older Australians with cataract, and currently collaborates with governments, civil society organisations and academic institutions across several Pacific Island countries to identify national healthy ageing policy, program and service priorities.
Anna is committed to evidence-informed health policy and practice. She has a strong track record of partnering with government stakeholders in the design and implementation of policy-relevant research, has co-authored commissioned reports for government bodies and advocacy groups, and has produced policy briefs for government departments.
Sarah Bench
Profile
Sarah is Chief People Officer at The George Institute. She is an established executive People & Culture leader who has broad international experience and a successful track record of over 20 years spent in the corporate, professional and financial services sectors.
Sarah is skilled in articulating purpose and vision and in designing and executing strategies to improve organisational effectiveness. She is passionate about working at the leadership level to transform and realise the potential of an organisation through its people, purpose and vision.
Recognised as a change agent, Sarah is able to transform team and business performance within HR and across businesses. Her customer-centred approach is combined with a strong commitment to teamwork, integrity and respect.
Sarah holds a BA (Psychology & Social Policy) and Masters of Industrial Relations & HR Management. She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Stroke: Combination of abnormal physiological parameters and warfarin use is associated with poor outcomes in intracerebral hemorrhage
News / Media release
Surgery or therapy? The METEOR2 debate
Podcast
Acting together for health: the role of digital tools and inclusion practices
Event
Gender and NCDs: Moving from promises to progress
News / Opinion piece
The George Institute earns 2nd SAGE Cygnet Award for progressing gender pay equity
News
Women's health
50%greater likelihood of women being misdiagnosed after a heart attack than meni
18M+Women die from non-communicable diseases globally each yearii
80%more women affected by neurological disorders than meniii
44%higher stroke risk for diabetic women than meniv
* Read statistics sources
I. Wu, J, Gale CP, Hall M, et al. 2018. Impact of initial hospital diagnosis on mortalityfor acute myocardial infarction: A national cohort study. Eur Heart J Acute Cardiovasc Care. 2018;7(2):139-148 doi: 10.1177/2048872616661693.II. Hyun, K., et al., 2017. Gender inequalities in cardiovascular risk factor assessment and management in primary healthcare. Heart, 103, pp.492-498. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2016- 310216.III. World Health Organization. Mortality and global health estimates. [online] Available at: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates.IV. Peters, S.A.E., Huxley, R.R. and Woodward, M., 2014. Diabetes as a risk factor for stroke in women com
Using pregnancy to improve women’s lifelong health
By utilising a life-course approach to the prevention of non-communicable diseases, when women are screened during pregnancy.
The physiological changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy to support fetal growth and wellbeing and prepare for labour and birth have been compared to a nine-month marathon that finishes with a sprint. For some women, this pregnancy “stress test” will result in medical complications of pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes (“GDM”, affecting approximately 1 in 7 pregnancies globally), high blood pressure disorders (affecting up to 1 in 10 pregnancies globally) and anaemia (10-40%). Existing mental and physical health conditions may also worsen.
The course of a woman’s pregnancy also gives a window into a woman’s future health, as the effect of pregnancy complications on mother and child do not end with the pregnancy. For example, after hypertensive pregnancy there is at least doubled risk of cardiovascular disease (beginning within 5-10 years of
Improve outcomes for women specific conditions globally
Globally efforts to improve women’s health largely focus on maternal health, overlooking women’s health needs beyond pregnancy and childbirth. The weight given to the maternal health outcome neglects the full range of women’s health. Diseases that affect women are substantially under-studied and under resourced. Gynaecological cancers and conditions like endometriosis, uterine fibroids, poly cystic syndrome, and cervical cancers might have been better understood if they also affected men. Since these are women-specific health issues that affect a woman’s quality of life across her lifespan, there has been little investment, particularly in low-and middle-income countries, to improve early diagnosis and treatment. For example, approximately 180 women globally with endometriosis remain undiagnosed and suffer from its symptoms like pain and infertility for almost seven years before getting diagnosed. Hence, more research and concerted action is needed to improve women’s health and to ensure tha
Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine
The health of women and girls, people with variations in sex characteristics (intersex people) and trans and gender-diverse people has been understudied in health and medical research. An almost exclusive focus on male cells, male animals and men in health and medical research has led to poorer health outcomes and evidence gaps for women, intersex people, and trans and gender-diverse people, and inefficient health spending. Women’s health research often focuses only on their sexual, reproductive, and maternal health rather than the leading causes of death and disability for women. Research on intersex and gender-diverse people is even less developed and availability of health data remains a challenge. For some health conditions, we also have very little information on men and boys, given the conditions occur predominantly in women. The Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine is addressing these inequities through world-class research, advocacy for policy change, and capacity building