Telethon Kids Institute extends its warmest congratulations to health consumer champion Mitch Messer, who won the Community category at the 2024 West Australian of the Year awards last night.
As a person with lived experience of cystic fibrosis (CF), and someone whose own quality of life has radically improved thanks to new CF modulator treatments made available following persistent advocacy, Mr Messer understands only too well how dramatically the game can change when consumer voices are heard.
He has spent more than 40 years working to bridge the gap between health consumers, the health system and policy makers – with strong results.
Mr Messer said as a teenager he was involved in a research project in which he asked a question and it couldn’t be answered, sparking his drive to improve research processes and protocols with a focus on the genuine need of the people affected by the condition.
“I was big on saying, the community should have a say, they should be partners in the care because the care is about them,” said Mr Messer.
“People living with a health condition are a valuable source of information in research, with an important voice in how they want to see clinical improvements implemented.”
At Telethon Kids Institute Mr Messer is part of the Community Engagement Team and mentors researchers and community members to work together, recruits and manages consumer reference groups, determines consumer priorities, and guides research projects to involve consumers at every stage, from bench to bedside and into the community.
Telethon Kids Institute Executive Director Jonathan Carapetis said the whole team at the Institute was very proud of Mr Messer’s achievement.
“Mitch is an integral part of the team at Telethon Kids Institute, giving an important voice to health consumers and reminding researchers why they do the work they do,” Professor Carapetis said.
“Mitch has been an incredible advocate for the CF community, as a representative at state and national level - including presenting to Federal politicians on the life-changing effects of new CF drugs - and in his capacity in multiple volunteer roles, including past President of Cystic Fibrosis Australia, founding member and past Chair of the Health Consumers’ Council of WA, past Chair of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia, and as a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee for close to a decade.
“I also want to extend my congratulations to our other Telethon Kids research leaders named as finalists Professor Desiree Silva, Professor Nick Gottardo and Dr Mara West.”