Investing in human health is crucial for creating prosperous, sustainable, and equitable societies where all individuals can thrive and fulfill their potential. Human health enhances quality of life and leads to higher productivity, while healthy individuals are more likely to participate in the workforce and drive innovation and creativity. Good health practices can help reduce healthcare costs and fosters social cohesion.
The Federal Government has various policies and initiatives aimed at promoting and protecting human health, including programs to support the health and well-being of older Australians; investment in healthcare infrastructure to ensure that communities have access to high-quality healthcare facilities and services; and addressing the health disparities experienced by Indigenous Australians. Some of Australia’s top health system challenges include an ageing population and increasing demand on health services, increasing rates of chronic disease, costs of medical research and innovations, making the best use of emerging health technologies and making better use of health data.
The Federal Government is investing in a range of digital health and AI opportunities to help address these human health issues, including a move towards health prevention and personalised medicine with the assistance of AI.
Australia is also a major contributor to human health and MedTech Research & Development both locally and globally. According to the Medtech and Pharma Growth Centre (MTP Connect), Australia ranks in the top five for biotech innovation. The NSW Government is investing heavily in human health and MedTech innovation through its $8.2 million per annum Medical Devices Fund and the Single Digital Patient Record project.
Why smart sensing is part of the solution
From wearable sensors that constantly monitor health and wellbeing to handheld biomedical devices that accurately diagnose and track a range of diseases, the way humans manage their health is rapidly changing. At the same time, smart homes equipped with automated appliances and passive vital sign monitoring will lead to healthier, safer ageing both at home and in care settings. At the heart of it all are data-collecting smart sensors and our nine member universities are at the forefront of smart sensing research, discovering and fabricating next-generation sensors that are bio-compatible and nanoscale. Sensors that are non-invasive, cost-effective and will ultimately lead to enhanced quality of life.
The NSSN Human Health priority responds to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
With the support of the NSW Government, the NSSN is your one-stop shop for multi-disciplinary expertise and technology. Some of our existing Human Health projects include:
Helping older Australians stay at home longer
The Healthy at Home program is testing and developing the idea that existing and emerging technology can help the increasing number of older Australians who are choosing to stay in their own homes. This increased demand will place a strain an already-stretched home-care workforce. Devices for monitoring activity/biometrics combined with smart data-processing technology can help to address this issue and significantly increase people’s quality of life when ageing at home. The Healthy@Home initiative was co-created by the University of Newcastle FASTLab, the Central Coast Research Institute (CCRI), UNSW Tyree Foundation Institute of Health Engineering and the NSSN. Healthy@Home involves a number of projects. Read more.
Cutting-edge research for connected health
The NSSN is part of a group of 37 university and industry partners behind the establishment of a $24 million Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Hub for Connected Sensors for Health. The Hub is developing, manufacturing and exporting high-tech, cyber-secure IoT sensors to global health markets. The goal of the HUB is to co-design, verify, and certify sensor technology to transform health care in Australia by enabling new approaches to diagnosis, monitoring, predictive treatment and prevention of disease. Learn more.
Predicting the risk of overexposure to the sun
The Sun Sensors project by researchers at UNSW resulted in the development of a paper-based sun exposure sensor that gradually changes colour in response to an
increase in UV radiation from the sun. These sensors are made of benign materials such as food dye and readily produced using ink-jet printing. The colour change can be tuned to individual skin types, providing users a visual indication when they are at risk of overexposure. These sensors can play an effective role in reducing the high rate of skin cancer in Australia, by protecting people, especially children, from frequent sunburn.
Working with the NSSN simplifies the process of engaging with universities by creating a one-stop shop for the leading research-intensive universities across NSW & the ACT, providing access to cutting-edge facilities and world-class researchers.
To find out how the NSSN can help solve your Human Health challenges, please contact Catherine Oates-Smith at catherine.oatessmith@nssn.org.au.
