The Chau Chak Wing Foundation is delighted to announce the successful recipients of grants under the inaugural $200,000 funding round in the field of newborn health.
Four organisations were each awarded $50,000 to initiate or further vital research projects, enhance community support programs, or purchase lifesaving equipment in the areas of premature birth and newborn care and development in the community.
High-quality applications were received from dozens of organisations across the country that make a positive difference to newborn health. The successful applicants were:
· Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), Dr Prue Pereira-Fantini: MCRI is the largest child health institute in Australia, renowned worldwide for the quality and impact of its research. The grant will support Dr Prue Pereira-Fantini and her Neonatal Research group team to further research into the development of a simple blood test that will help clinicians to classify the lung disease risks for each preterm baby in the first few days after birth. This will give clinicians the tools to better target NICU treatments before lung damage occurs.
· Outback Futures: Outback Futures operates in remote and very remote regions only, providing relief from disadvantage and distress caused by extreme isolation and historically poor health outcomes. The grant will be used to employ a part-time peer worker for 12 months to assist expecting and new parents in the remote Queensland community of Julia Creek, as part of its Empower Program which focuses on a child’s first 1,000 days.
· Running for Premature Babies: Since its establishment in 2007, this organisation has been giving premature babies a better chance of survival by providing urgently needed neonatal equipment to hospitals around Australia. The grant funding will be used to purchase a neonatal ventilator for Fiona Stanley Hospital in Western Australia. These ventilators play a vital role in assisting premature babies who are unable to attain healthy oxygen levels.
· Barwon Health: Barwon Health provides care to over 500,000 people across 22 hospital and health service sites in Geelong, Victoria – one of Australia’s fastest growing regions. The grant will be used to purchase two new state-of-the-art birthing beds that will support the safe arrival of newborn babies across the Greater Geelong area.
The Chau Chak Wing Foundation congratulates each grant recipient and looks forward to the planning and delivery phase of these important projects and programs.
Premature birth is the single greatest cause of death and disability in children up to five years of age in the developed world, responsible for nearly 1 million deaths each year. More than 26,000 Australian babies are born pre-term each year.
The first 1000 days of a child's life, from conception to two years of age, is a critical period for shaping their development and wellbeing. Children thrive when provided with a supportive environment in these early months, which is why community support services can be life changing.
Comentarios