The George Institute for Global Health is a leading independent global medical research institute established and headquartered in Sydney, with additional major centres in China, India and the UK and an international network of experts and collaborators.

Vision and mission

The Institute’s mission is to improve the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly those living in disadvantaged circumstances, by challenging the status quo and using innovative approaches to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases and injury.

How The George Institute can help

The George Institute is focused on the global health challenges that cause the greatest loss of life, the greatest impairment of life quality and the most substantial economic burden, particularly in resource-poor settings.

Through a program of research, advocacy/thought leadership, and disruptive social entrepreneurship, they are driving global impact.

Their strategy focuses on three key research priorities:

• Better treatments: finding better treatments for the world’s biggest health problems
• Better care: transforming primary health care to deliver better health to more people
• Healthier societies: harnessing the power of governments, markets and communities to improve health.

If you are interested in getting involved in research to help to prevent, treat and find cures for disease, The George Institute, together with UNSW Sydney, has established Join Us — a national research register which matches people to studies that are relevant to them. Find out more at www.joinus.org.au.

Mandatory Health Star Ratings a must after 10 years of food industry inaction

Research conducted by The George Institute for Global Health has revealed that just 36 per cent of intended supermarket items carried a Health Star Rating, which provides consumers with a simple five-star scale to support healthier purchasing decisions — well short of this year’s 60 per cent target set by the federal government.

Gasping for air: staggering cost of breathlessness in Australia revealed

Breathlessness drains at least $12B from the Australian economy every year in direct health and productivity costs, and people living with the condition are more likely to be unemployed and have diminished quality of life, according to new research from The George Institute for Global Health published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Combining popular diabetes drugs offers complementary heart and kidney benefits

New research shows combined use of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) is likely to offer additional protection against heart and kidney disease in patients with diabetes.

Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine confirms leadership

Partners behind the Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Bronwyn Graham as national Director to steer the next phase of the landmark initiative. Prof Graham will be based at The George Institute for Global Health’s Sydney office for this position, which involves leading the establishment and growth of the Centre.

Australian teenagers say zero alcohol products are appealing and could act as a gateway to alcohol use

New research commissioned by Cancer Council, led by The George Institute for Global Health, and published today in Appetite, found that over half (56%) of Australian teenagers aged 15–17 surveyed agreed zero alcohol products looked appealing, and said the packaging was attractive (54%).

Making it compulsory to reduce salt in foods could save thousands of lives

Mandating stringent targets for sodium levels in Australian packaged foods in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations could prevent around 40,000 cardiovascular events (including heart attacks and strokes) and up to 3,000 deaths over a ten-year period, according to new research published by The George Institute in The Lancet Public Health.

Critical shortages of obstetric medicines put pregnant women at risk

Supplies of several crucial obstetric medicines are running short in Australia, putting the health of pregnant women at risk and highlighting systemic issues impacting reliable access to safe and effective treatment in pregnancy, according to a new assessment published in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Tooling up to save lives: Blood pressure trial launches in Bunnings NSW

An innovative approach to detecting hypertension (high blood pressure) from The George Institute for Global Health and UNSW Sydney in partnership with SiSU Health launches today, giving NSW residents a new way to conveniently check vital health measures at their local hardware store.

Choice of intravenous fluid therapy could improve survival in critically ill patients

Results of a new meta-analysis shows that intravenous fluid (IV) therapy using balanced solutions rather than commonly used saline can reduce the risk of in-hospital death of critically ill patients by four percent.

Study finds high prevalence of hidden brain changes in people with heart disease

A new analysis involving over 13,000 people has found changes to blood vessels in the brain that can increase the risk of stroke and dementia are common in people with a range of heart conditions, regardless of whether they have experienced a stroke.