In today’s talking points, Australia pushes for mandatory health insurance for prospective travellers, The George Institute Re-explores Health Communication – a critical area for sustainable healthcare reforms, and Australia seeks aid from the US to help reduce diabetes in China.
Australia pushes for mandatory health insurance for prospective travellers
There has been a push by the NSW health minister to make taking out health insurance prior to travelling to Australia mandatory. Injured and sick tourists in NSW alone costs the Australian taxpayer approximately $30 million each year.
Some Australian insurance branches have started offering travellers insurance or inbound travel insurance to international travellers coming to Australia. These brands insurances are perceived to be more reliable and therefore inbound travellers are forgoing buying insurance in their home countries.
The push has seen many insurance companies receiving calls from Chinese, Indian, Lebanese, British and New Zealander travellers seeking visitor coverage for their trips to Australia.
Although mandatory predeparture travel insurance is yet to be adopted into law, travellers are advised to act as if it were.
Source: News.com.au
The George Institute re-explores Health Communication – A critical area for sustainable Healthcare reforms
On the 18th of November, Peking University and the George Institute co-hosted the academic discussion “Healthcare, People and Media – Healthy China Initiative and the Multiple Approaches to Health Communication”. Attended by some 100 individuals, the forum aimed to promote dialogue on a diverse range of prevalent issues currently faced by China’s health sector.
The keynote address was presented by Dr. Tian Maoyi, a Senior Research Fellow at the George Institute, whom stressed the importance of mitigating the currently high incidence of chronic diseases within the Chinese population. The ever increasing need to combat such diseases was presented by Maoyi as a holistic challenge for China’s domestic population moving forward, requiring the continued co-operation of stakeholders such as the Chinese government, universities, media and hospitals among others.
Overall, the event was fundamental in promoting greater discussion and awareness on the topic of health communication, an area that requires continuing investment and discussion to ensure positive outcomes for China’s health sector.
The George Institute for Global Health is a member of Austcham Beijing
Source: George Institute for Global Health
Australia seeks aid from the US to help reduce diabetes in China
Australia is looking to the US for monetary support
Australian company IQnovate is confident the biotechnology company can crack the China market despite the ongoing US-China trade tensions (IQnovate is backed by US Capital).
IQ Group has developed a biosensor that can measure glucose levels in diabetes through saliva. This method was developed by the University of Newcastle and is cheaper than blood tests.
George Syrmalis, the chief executive of Sydney-based IQ Group Global spoke in Shanghai at a biotechnology conference last month stating that China is the natural place to launch the biosensor because it has the world’s largest diabetic population – over 110 million people are estimated to suffer from the condition.
Source: Australian Financial Review