In April, a delegation of Australian hearing health leaders, researchers, clinicians, and support staff from the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) Expert Working Group visited China.
The UNHS Expert Working Group is a joint initiative of the Australian Hearing Hub at Macquarie University and the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee.
Under Newborn Hearing Screening Programs operating in Australia’s states and territories, over 97 per cent of babies are now screened at, or soon after, after birth, with diagnosis occurring by three months and early intervention by six months of age, in line with the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) 1-3-6 guidelines.
The expert working group is now sharing Australia’s experience and knowledge with neighbouring countries.
The visit to China was made by possible by a grant from the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations to promote communication and cooperation between the two countries on newborn hearing screening.
The delegation included representatives from Macquarie University, NextSense , Hearing Australia, The Shepherd Centre, Cochlear Limited, Aussie Deaf Kids, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and Queensland Health. All the delegates are members of either the Australian Hearing Hub, the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee, or both.
Arriving on 21 April, the group spent a week visiting hospitals, clinical centres, universities and research institutes in Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing. The itinerary included a series of clinical workshops, research seminars and educational roundtables, and evening receptions with attendees welcomed by the Australian Consul-General in Chengdu, the Deputy Consul-General in Shanghai, and the Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.
From 22-24 July, the Australian Hearing Hub and the Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee will host a return visit from a Chinese delegation for a UNHS Sydney Showcase.
The event will include a series of seminars, workshops, clinical demonstrations, and site visits to share knowledge and evidence-based best practices in newborn hearing screening.
For more information, please contact Louise Dodd louise.dodd@mq.edu.au or Zirui Peng zirui.peng@mq.edu.au
Australian delegation:
Prof. Patrick McNeil Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Medicine and Health), Macquarie University
Prof. Catherine McMahon, Head, Department of Linguistics, Macquarie University; Chair, Education and Practice Committee, Australian Hearing Hub
Prof. Greg Leigh, Director, NextSense Institute; Chair, Australasian Newborn Hearing Screening Committee
Dr. Zeffie Poulakis, Director of Psychology & Inaugural Director Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne
Dr. Rachael Beswick, Director and First 2000 Days program lead, Reform Office, Queensland Health
Ms. Ann Porter, CEO, Aussie Deaf Kids
Ms. Patricia Van Buynder, Principal Audiologist, Hearing Australia
Associate Prof. Valerie Sung, Paediatrician, The Royal Children’s Hospital; Senior Research Fellow, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Ms. Yetta Abrahams, Director of Education and Professional Engagement, Cochlear Limited (Asia Pacific)
Ms. Trudy Smith, Manager Continuing Professional Education, NextSense Institute
Ms. Danielle Lam, Principal Growth and Development Team, The Shepherd Centre
Mr. Stephen Fan, Director, Global Partnerships and Protocol, Macquarie University
Ms. Louise Dodd, Manager, Australian Hearing Hub
Ms. Zirui Peng, Project Assistant, Macquarie University
