- Challenge finalists to tour Pilbara communities and health facilities
- Opportunity for local insights as finalists develop their healthcare solutions
- Finalist teams vying for $5 million prize
Finalists in the Cook Government's Challenge to enhance healthcare across the Pilbara will this week tour the region's communities to gather further insights for their concepts.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said the Government's Challenge sought world-leading medical research and innovations to improve the delivery of healthcare services across the Pilbara.
The road trip will give the Challenge finalists the opportunity to see firsthand how health care is delivered in remote and regional areas of the State.
The Pilbara fact finding tour follows an industry event where the finalists - who entered the 12-month proof-of-concept stage in August - had the opportunity to pitch their solutions to an audience of health, medical, business, and innovation leaders.
The finalists are working to deliver their proof-of-concept solutions on the ground in the Pilbara by August 2024. The best solution will take home a $5 million prize supported bythe Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, Rio Tinto, and BHP.
For more information, visit The Challenge website.
Comments attributed to Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
"The Cook Government is committed to supporting and developing innovative health and medical research outcomes for regional Western Australia.
"The Challenge is all about improving the health of people living in rural and remote areas to reduce disease and injury in the community particularly for remote Aboriginal communities.
"We challenged researchers, innovators, and disruptors to reimagine what it means to deliver regional and remote health care.
"It's exciting to watch the progress of the finalists as they work to plan, develop, and implement their solutions to enhance healthcare across the Pilbara and prove their concepts are viable.
"Better health care starts with an idea, but it doesn't stop there, and the Challenge is helping to turn good ideas into better care for Western Australians."
Comments attributed to Rio Tinto Vice President, Health, Safety, Environment and Communities, Cecile Thaxter:
"The Challenge presents a fantastic opportunity for some of the best medical researchers in the world to find innovative ways to improve health outcomes for people living in the Pilbara.
"Finding better ways to support the communities in which we operate is important to our business.
"We are proud to be partnering with the Cook Government to support the finalists and their ideas."
As stated by BHP Asset President Western Australia Iron Ore, Brandon Craig:
"BHP has proudly supported health and wellbeing initiatives in the Pilbara for more than 50 years.
"The Challenge is all about thinking outside the square, and it's great to see the progress being made by the finalists as their concepts develop through first-hand experience in the region.
"Improved access to high-quality health care for people living in remote and regional WA communities will be a great outcome and something we are very pleased to support."
