Resilience and rapid response— boosting Australia’s health and medical research capabilities post COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an
and medical research community that can not
unprecedented global health challenge. It has
only respond rapidly, but facilitate any necessary
shone a spotlight on Australia’s health and medical
capacity-building to respond rapidly, to future public
research resilience and capacity, with publicly-
health threats and opportunities alike.
applauded innovations in areas such as mental health, screening and vaccine development. A recent report by Research Australia
It is clear that to inform evidence-based policy and practice requires agility and flexibility that does not reflect the natural rhythm of research, or research
demonstrated the depth and breadth of the
funding. While many individuals and organisations
Australian health and medical research sector
have managed to ‘pivot’ and re-purpose resources
response, showcasing over 150 projects that
and staff to forge new collaborations and research
featured: our understanding of COVID-19;
opportunities, many more have not.
development of therapies; testing and diagnostics;
The limitations of our health and medical research
health systems and workforce; and community
system have seen some missed opportunities, and
engagement.
a widening of existing inequalities—for example
However, significant gaps were also identified that need to be fixed to ensure a resilient health 54
The Health Advocate • AUGUST 2020
an under-representation of women in research productivity (see https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/7/