Wesfarmers will kick off Telethon 2013 with a $5 million donation over four years to establish the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.
The Wesfarmers Centre will be a game changer in its field, bringing together researchers and clinicians at the Telethon Institute, PMH and WA's universities to deliver new vaccines, diagnostic tests and devices.
Telethon Institute Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis said the philanthropic support from Wesfarmers would allow the teams to focus on major issues affecting WA, and Aboriginal children in particular.
"Serious infectious diseases are still the major reason that WA children are admitted to hospital and the most common cause of childhood deaths worldwide," Professor Carapetis said.
"Thanks to this very generous support from Wesfarmers, we believe we will make significant progress in reducing the number of infections and treat them more effectively. It enables us to bring together a critical mass of infectious disease specialist researchers and clinicians to do this very exciting work here in WA."
Wesfarmers Chairman Dr Bob Every AO said Wesfarmers was pleased to provide a foundation grant for the Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, renewing its longstanding relationship with the Telethon Institute.
"Wesfarmers firmly believes we need strong, vibrant communities in which to live and work and we are happy to invest in areas which contribute to that, particularly medical health and research," Dr Every said.
"As a West Australian based company, we feel a particular obligation to focus funding where it can make a real difference to the West Australian community."
Professor Carapetis said the Wesfarmers Centre will initially work on streptococcal infections, rheumatic heart disease, pneumonia, influenza, gastroenteritis and serious bloodstream infection which collectively account for around 2,000 children being admitted to hospital in WA each year.
There will be a focus on vaccine development and raising WA's immunisation rates.
The Wesfarmers Centre's projects would include the development of:
- a penicillin implant to treat rheumatic fever and other serious infections
- a vaccine to prevent Rheumatic Heart Disease and streptococcal infections
- a simple dip stick test to diagnose common life threatening infections in remote locations
- an Australian-first partnership between researchers, government, immunisation providers and the community to make WA the best state in Australia at immunisation of children within 5 years.
Telethon General Manager Steve Mummery said he was extremely happy that Wesfarmers is becoming a Telethon Million Dollar Partner.
"We are so proud that one of Australia's biggest companies Wesfarmers, based here in WA, is keen to join their iconic brand with WA's most popular charity."
The first annual instalment of the donation will be added to the tallyboard in the opening stages of Telethon on Saturday night.
Infectious Disease Background
Despite significant improvements in treatment with antibiotics, public health initiatives and vaccines, respiratory infections including pneumonia, whooping cough and influenza are the most common cause of death in children worldwide.
Aboriginal children are at particularly high risk of infections. Other disadvantaged groups -- such as refugees, low income earners, and people living in rural and remote areas settings - suffer high rates of these and other infections. Even in the more affluent parts of WA, infections are also the most common reason for hospital admission in children.
FACT FILE
- Infections are the most common reason for young children to be hospitalised in Western Australia
- One in five non-Aboriginal and one in two Aboriginal children are admitted to hospital in Western Australia with an infection within the first two years of life
- Aboriginal children are 3 to 5 times more likely to die from infectious diseases as non- Aboriginal children
- Aboriginal children have among the highest rates of rheumatic heart disease, ear infections, pneumonia, meningitis and serious bloodstream infections in the world
- Only 90% of WA children receive their recommended vaccines, the lowest of any jurisdiction in Australia
- Ear infections are the most common reason for GPs to prescribe antibiotics to children and for children to have surgery to prevent hearing loss
- Respiratory infections are the most common reason for children to develop asthma attacks
The threat from infectious diseases is growing. Emerging new infections including pandemic influenza, antibiotic resistant superbugs and dengue fever require a capacity to respond quickly as well as to develop new treatments and other approaches to prevention.
These concerns are likely to increase given the high mobility of people globally, limited funds for adequate surveillance in poorer neighbouring countries and changing patterns of bacterial and viral infections and immunisation policies.