Endometriosis research institute to be set up in Sydney after record-breaking $50m donation
The donation of $50 million to the University of New South Wales (UNSW) will establish the national Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute, with the goal of accelerating breakthroughs in diagnosis and creating precision-based treatments.
Endometriosis is a chronic disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the organ, often resulting in severe pain or inflammation and can also affect fertility.
It is estimated one in seven Australian women have the medical condition by the age of 44, but there are still major delays in diagnosis and treatment.
The average time to get diagnosed is about seven years.
UNSW said the donation — which will be spread over a decade — was also the biggest donation to women's health ever in Australia.
"This major partnership positions Australia as a global leader in endometriosis research and women's health, aiming to fast-track diagnosis, improve treatments and change outcomes for the estimated 200 million people living with the disease globally," a spokesperson said.
The university said the institute will work with scientists, clinicians and philanthropists from around the globe — including England, Canada, Denmark, India and the USA.
The donor, the Ainsworth family, made its fortune from poker machines, with businessman Len Ainsworth founding the second-largest gaming company in the world, Aristocrat Leisure.
The Endometriosis Coalition welcomed the announcement and said it would help efforts to better understand, diagnose and treat the condition.
"Endometriosis … costs the Australian economy an estimated $9.7 billion annually," the peak body said.
"Yet until now, investment in understanding the condition has been fragmented and underfunded."
This year, the World Economic Forum named the condition one of the nine diseases most affecting the lives of women, their communities and the global economy.
Many advocates and experts have said research funding has historically lagged behind other chronic conditions, ultimately limiting understanding of the disease and slowing down progress in diagnosis and treatment.
Those experiencing symptoms have also reported facing years of stigma and dismissal by healthcare providers.
Coalition chair Jessica Taylor said the announcement was a pivotal moment for the sector.
"We have always said if we want a cure, we must first understand the disease," Ms Taylor said.
"Today's announcement answers that call and backs it with a dedicated research institute."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
Calls for better warning labels on alcohol
Andy Park: The WHO classified alcohol as a carcinogen back in the 1990s, even saying there's no safe level of consumption. Now Australian researchers are calling for bright coloured labels to be added to alcoholic drinks, warning consumers that alcohol causes cancer, not unlike the warnings on tobacco. Experts say many Australians don't know there's strong evidence that alcohol is directly linked to seven types of cancer. Joanna Crothers reports. Joanna Crothers: Alcohol's links to cancer aren't top of mind for these Perth workers at knock-off time. Perth worker 1: I'm not entirely sure that I know that there's a direct link. I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that. Joanna Crothers: But the general health risks were more familiar. Perth worker 2: Yeah, I'm quite aware if you're a heavy drinker it can lead to issues. Joanna Crothers: As well as illnesses like heart and liver disease, the World Health Organisation warns alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including bowel and breast cancer. UNSW's Dr Claire Wilkinson is on the WHO's advisory group for alcohol labelling. Claire Wilkinson: I think people are not aware that alcohol causes cancer. So liver cirrhosis, people are more aware of that link. But other types of cancers such as breast cancer, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, people are less aware of the causal link. We think that as a product, consumers have the right to know. Joanna Crothers: Dr Wilkinson is calling on Australia to adopt the WHO's recommendations for cancer warnings on alcohol. She says a trial in Canada proved cancer warnings, improved awareness and encouraged people to rethink their drinking habits. Claire Wilkinson: The label was about, I'd say, two centimetres tall. It was in a very strong contrast of bright red and bright yellow. And it had the message, alcohol can cause cancer in black bold font. And then it went on to say, including breast, colon and stomach cancer. Joanna Crothers: Canada also leads the way on alcohol consumption guidelines, recommending no more than two drinks a week, while Australia recommends no more than four drinks on any one day and a maximum of 10 a week. But Alcohol Beverages Australia's Executive Director Alistair Coe says further restrictions are not needed, including cancer warnings on bottles and cans. Alistair Coe: The industry does not support these warning labels. Of course we promote a culture of drinking in moderation, but simply putting another label on a container is not going to bring about change. Joanna Crothers: Mr Coe says the majority of Australians drink responsibly. Alistair Coe: So we need to make sure we're taking a holistic and very well evidence based position. Joanna Crothers: In a statement, the Health Department says the National Alcohol Strategy identifies reforms and aims to prevent alcohol related harm, and the department will monitor the impact of Ireland's warning labels. Last week, Ireland postponed the rollout of these labels until 2028. Back in Perth, these people had mixed views on warning labels. Perth local 1: I think there's enough advertising and awareness of that sort of thing. And at the end of the day, people need to take responsibility for their own actions. So we're not two year olds. I think we're governed enough as it is in this state. Perth local 2: Yeah, I think it is probably something that people should be warned about, because in Australia, most people drink every night. So it would be a bit more in your face. Perth local 3: I don't think it's going to make any difference. If somebody's going to drink, they're going to drink. Andy Park: Perth drinkers. Ending that report by Joanna Crothers.
7NEWS
13 hours ago
- 7NEWS
7NEWS The Issue Podcast: Meet the giants of parliament Dan Repacholi and Matt Smith as they raise awareness of men's health
For many Australian men their health is an awkward, sensitive topic they'd rather ignore. But the cost of ignoring their wellbeing includes jobs, relationships, marriages and lives. This issue can no longer be ignored in the halls of parliament in Canberra because the tallest men in Australian politics are taking a stand. During the recent federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed $32 million in funding and announced Hunter MP Dan Repacholi would become the Special Envoy for Men's Health. Repacholi, 43, loves his competitive pistol shooting, winning multiple Commonwealth Games Golds and competing at the Olympic Games. The 203cm tall MP cuts an imposing figure in the nation's capital, but his record as the tallest man in parliament has been taken by 210cm Matt Smith, who is a former NBL player and the new member for the seat of Leichhardt in far north Queensland. The pair have become overnight best mates and share much in common, including careers as elite athletes, down to earth personas, work in unions and are both the subject of much admiration from the prime minister after winning and holding key regional seats for Labor in the 2025 election. But what's driving them now is the crisis men face in Australia. Most men take a week to see their doctor when they are sick. Rates of obesity are on the rise. One in four Australia women have suffered domestic violence at the hands of a man. Three thousand lives are lost each year to suicide, 75 per cent are men. Young boys are falling into the trap of listening to dark, misogynist influencers like Andrew Tate. The Issue, a podcast by 7NEWS, has sat down with the tall timber of Australian politics. Repacholi and Smith were vulnerable during the 40-minute podcast shoot which took place on parliament house's basketball court, a place where they feel more at home compared to the chambers where they have to wear stuffy suits and make long winded speeches. Repacholi is undergoing a major weight loss transformation after the stress and disappointment of missing the Paris Olympics saw him tip the scales at 150kg. Matt Smith went into a dark place of serious depression after being cut from the Cairns Taipans NBL team. Repacholi driven by his daughters The highlight of Repacholi's sporting career was embracing his daughters after winning a gold medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. The Special Envoy for Men's Health says his daughters Zoe and Ava are his driving force for taking up the role. 'I am here for them to be honest,' Repacholi said while appearing on The Issue podcast. 'All I want is for them to be treated as equals and then we are in a great place in this country. 'We can show the right pathway and be better, we just have to make sure we are all better.' Repacholi runs his own podcast Dan and The Doctor, promoting men's health and trying to lead young guys away from negative influences. 'A big thing about this role is the right amount of masculinity and how to treat people with respect,' he says. 'It doesn't matter if it is male or female, we need to treat people with respect, that is unfortunately what a bloke like him (Andrew Tate) isn't doing. 'They have a platform now to go out on, groups like that, and I just hope there is common sense and people realise they are not the people who should be role models because they are utterly disgusting if you ask me.' The Hunter MP says positive sites include the Man Cave, Top Blokes, Movember and the Healthy Male. Not alone in his crusade The prime minister has Repacholi and Smith sitting together in the House of Representatives, but it is more than just symbolism as the pair are uniting to help men. Smith, Cairns resident and now the local MP, used his first speech to call on Australian men to take a stand against domestic violence. 'The far north has a real domestic violence issue, as we represent 10 per cent of call outs in Queensland which is horrific,' Smith told The Issue. 'Men need to help other men step away from that behaviour. 'For domestic violence to get sorted men need to play a massive role in this to get other blokes to stop it.' If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.
Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Capital cities prepare for bridge marches as fears raised over emergency services impact
Premier Chris Minns also refused to grant the group permission to march across the bridge, and said police were not given enough time to safely organise resources for the protest, prompting organisers to launch a last-ditch attempt to save the Sydney protest after NSW Police filed Supreme Court action seeking an order to block the protest. Justice Belinda Rigg on Saturday found any inconvenience caused by the march to commuters across the Sydney Harbour Bridge was not a reason to refuse it on legal grounds. 'The application by the commissioner should be refused,' Rigg said in her judgment on Saturday. 'It is in the very nature of the right of peaceful protest that disruption will be caused to others. If matters such as this were to be determinative, no assembly involving inconvenience to others would be permitted.' The court's decision means protesters will now have the legal right to occupy the bridge and streets surrounding the route of the march from the streets surrounding Wynyard Station in the Sydney CBD to North Sydney. NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the public should prepare for 'massive, massive disruption'. Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees said the iconic bridge was essential to the planned march as it would send 'an urgent and massive response' to the crisis in Gaza. The Israeli government has denied claims of genocide and says the war in Gaza is an act of self-defence. Loading It has also denied claims that there is starvation in Gaza after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused it of breaching international law by stopping food from being delivered into the 13-kilometre-wide strip, which has 2.1 million people squeezed into an area half the size of Canberra. The World Health Organisation said there had been 63 malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza last month, including 24 children under the age of five – up from 11 deaths total the previous six months of the year. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims 82 people died last month of malnutrition-related causes, including 24 children and 58 adults, taking Gaza's death toll from the war, which began in 2023 after Hamas militants killed more than 700 civilians in southern Israel, to more than 60,000. Albanese has also called on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages taken as part of the attacks on October 7, as Jewish-Australian leaders raise fears the protests will fuel antisemitism. In Melbourne on Friday, Victoria Police warned the Melbourne demonstration – which plans to shut down the busy King Street Bridge – would require hundreds of its officers to be redeployed from other policing duties across the state. Rally organisers have vowed to let emergency services vehicles through, but police warned it was not enough to mitigate the risk.
