Our ENCHANTED research study investigated the safety of a controversial clot busting drug used to treat the most common form of stroke. The results of the trial involving more than 3000 patients worldwide showed a modified dosage of intravenous rtPA (or alteplase) can reduce serious bleeding in the brain and improve survival rates.

This will change the way the most common form of stroke is treated globally and could save the lives of many tens of thousands of people.

ENCHANTED was rated in the top five clinical studies in Australia in 2016.

Its impact includes:

• A major influence on guidelines and practice, particularly in Asia where low dose rtPA is preferred
• The Royal College of Physicians (UK) national guidelines state the modified dose could ‘reduce the early risk  of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH)

More about this research here.

Ellen Medical Devices is developing the world’s first affordable dialysis to stop millions of people dying unnecessarily because they cannot access treatment for kidney failure.

The new dialysis system is a breakthrough in the treatment of kidney disease. Focused on underserved populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, the Ellen Medical Dialysis System will increase access to lifesaving treatment and improve dialysis management and patient outcomes.

The system is portable, affordable and patient-centred. Costing under $1,000 to build and $5 a day to run, the system radically reduces costs for patients and payers. It uses peritoneal dialysis, which is as safe and effective as the better known haemodialysis, and is recommended by the International Society of Nephrology as the preferred choice for patients with kidney failure.

We are working in partnership with Australia’s leading biomedical engineering product development companies, while we look for global partners to help get affordable dialysis to as many people as possible worldwide, and save millions of lives.

Clinical trials clinical trials of the system are scheduled to begin in July 2020.

Ellen Medical Devices was founded by The George Institute to build and market the Affordable Dialysis System.

Read the latest related media coverage here.

In June 2019, we received Global Alliance for Chronic Disease funding (through the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council) to work with governments to scale up our diabetes and hypertension projects in Indonesia, China and the Pacific region, which have the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives.  

More information here.

The number of new cancer cases is expected to rise by up by 70 per cent in South East Asia by 2030. Our ACTION study was the first of its kind to look at the human cost of cancer to help governments improve access to cancer care and reduce the burden of costs associated with the illness.

The ACTION study looked at the economic impact of cancer on households across eight countries in South East Asia. It found that 75% of patients either died or had suffered financial catastrophe a year after diagnosis, with people in low-income groups hit hardest.

Since the results were published in 2015, the study continues to improve cancer care in these countries. Most recently, in October 2018, the Senate in the Philippines passed a motion to establish a national cancer program citing the study. This includes improvements in health insurance benefits, and establishing a Philippines Cancer Centre for treating and accommodating patients, as well as research.

Read more here.

There are an estimated 100,000 cases of sepsis in Australia each year, and of those, at least 13,000 will result in death. Half of those who survive severe sepsis will be left with long-term physical, psychological or cognitive disability.

On World Sepsis Day – September 13, 2019 – the Federal Government announced $1.5 million in funding to help reduce the burden of sepsis in Australia.

This funding will allow The George Institute for Global Health and the Australian Sepsis Network (ASN) to work with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, to develop clinical guidance on sepsis management, and to support a targeted communication and awareness campaign to improve the identification, diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.

In early 2018, The George Institute and ASN released the ‘Stopping Sepsis: A National Action Plan’, a roadmap of key actions required to reduce the burden of sepsis in Australia. The action plan was developed in collaboration with policy, clinical, academic, research and survivor stakeholders.

More about this here.

More about our global sepsis advocacy here.

Our researchers, whose landmark clinical trials have transformed intensive care globally, are addressing the under-recognised burden of sepsis through research and advocacy. In October 2018, they were instrumental in establishing the Asia Pacific Sepsis Alliance and the Bangkok Declaration – a call to action for a regional alliance to reduce the burden of sepsis following the WHO resolution making sepsis a global health priority in 2017. 

Professor Simon Finfer, of The George Institute Australia is a member of the executive committee  of the Global Sepsis Alliance which initiated the push for the WHO resolution.

Read about more about our sepsis impact in Australia.

Read more about the WHA resolution here.

In November 2018, The George Institute was designated a WHO Collaborating Centre for Injury Prevention and Trauma Care, enabling us to develop and implement effective strategies for prevention, as well as deliver affordable and accessible care globally.

The George Institute has been working successfully with WHO for many years on a range of injury and trauma projects, including the synthesis of evidence, developing good practice guides, organising and hosting regional injury meetings and workshops, collaborating on falls, burns, drowning, and road safety projects, to supervising and mentoring injury researchers around the world.

More information here.

SMARThealth is a mobile device-based clinical decision support system developed by The George Institute for Global Health that allows community health workers to assess cardiovascular (CVD) risk using basic equipment and refer those at high risk to nurses or physicians for further consultation.

CVD is estimated to be the cause of one third of all deaths in Indonesia in 2016, but current data suggests that less than one third of those with moderate to high risk of CVD receive any preventive care.

A recent study involving rural villagers in Malang, Indonesia, who were identified as being at high risk of cardiovascular disease, was set up to evaluate how effective SMARThealth could be when used within a complex local health system.

SMARThealth resulted in a significant increase in the use of optimal combinations of preventive medications (a blood pressure lowering drug together with a statin and aspirin in those with previous CVD) among highrisk people. In particular, SMARThealth resulted in large increases in the use of blood pressure lowering drugs in the intervention villages compared to the control villages reductions in blood pressure. Following the success of this study, the Malang district government is now aiming to scale-up SMARThealth to around 400 villages over the next three years.

A consortium of researchers including the George Institute for Global Health, the University of Brawijaya and the University of Manchester have been funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council to provide technical assistance for, and to evaluate, this scale-up.

The Malang study was funded by Give2Asia on the recommendation of The Pfizer Foundation and NHMRC program grant APP1052555. The Pfizer Foundation is a charitable organisation established by Pfizer Inc. It is a separate legal entity from Pfizer Inc. with distinct legal restrictions.

Read more about this research here.

More about SMARThealth impact here.

Added sugars are a major contributor to unhealthy diets. Over half of Australians exceed recommended sugar intakes, increasing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay.

Food labels currently show total sugar content, but don’t distinguish between naturally occurring sugars (like in fruit), and sugars added by manufacturers.

Working with other partners, experts from The George have joined in a multi-pronged process of change around food labelling, transparency and awareness raising.

In August 2019, Food Ministers from Australia and New Zealand agreed to require manufacturers to quantify the amount of ‘added sugars’ in the nutrient panel.

The George will continue to press for transparent food labelling to help consumers make healthier choices, and encourage manufacturers to reduce added sugars.

Read our media coverage in the Sydney Morning Herald.

See our submission on added sugar labelling.