Immediate Past President, Adrian Nelson opened proceedings as Master of Ceremonies. A highly relevant reflection was delivered by Chair of the Day Tony Battaini and the transcript is included later in this Bulletin.
After the usual formalities of welcoming guests and the loyal toast, President Chris warmly highlighted Malcolm Simpson’s 50th anniversary as a Rotary Melbourne member. Congratulations Malcolm. We look forward to many more years with you.
Past President Robert Fisher then stepped up to provide to lead an update on the Afri Aus Care partnership which has been in place over the 5 years since his presidency. Robert introduced Selba-Gondoza Luka, AfriAus Care CEO & Founder, who gave us a vivid description of her early experience as a newly arrived migrant in Australia. She strongly commended “Uncles” Robert, Bernie and Jim for their marvellous work every month in mentoring young African men striving to make their way in work and life in general.
Tony Battaini the returned to the podium to give us an overview of Rotary Melbourne’s contribution to strengthen snake bight treatment in Papua New Guinea (PNG). He then introduced guest speaker Dr Andrew Watt, co-head of the Australian Venom Research Unit, at The University of Melbourne, who delivered a fascinating and informative address on the work of the PNG Snakebite Partnership. This joint venture by the Australian and PNG governments, includes CSL/Seqirus, PNG Department of Health, St John Emergency Services PNG, universities and hospitals. Since 2018, it has saved over 2,000 lives. The partnership has:
Andrew became Project Lead of the PNG Snakebite Partnership in 2019. His focus is the application of epidemiological data to drive clinical improvements for snakebite patients. Using this data, Andrew ensures hospitals and health centres have adequate volumes and types of life-saving anti-venom in all locations across PNG.
Andrew introduced the PNG’s lethal snakes, all of which arrived from Australia when a land bridge connected our countries. The Papuan or coastal taipan is responsible for most lethal bites. It is endemic along the south coast of Central Province.
Papuan taipan
WHO rates snakebite as the most under-treated tropical disease, with PNG having the highest per capita death rate from snakebite globally. WHO’s Dr David Williams estimates PNG has over 3,000 deaths per annum from snakebite, more deaths than malaria and TB combined. That’s equivalent to Melbourne having 1,500 snakebite deaths a year.
Australia has few deaths from snakebite, due to the availability of the best antivenom in the world, produced in Melbourne by CSL/Seqirus. Seqirus makes 1,000’s of vials of antivenom a year, most remaining in hospital refrigerators for its entire three-year shelf life. Consequently, a proportion could safely be donated to PNG without compromising local requirements. Seqirus has subsequently donated 600 vials a year since 2018.
Andrew explained that for the program to be fully effective, and save more lives, antivenom needs to be located in regional or hub locations, closer to where bites occur. Trained Health Workers must be available to provide correct snakebite first aid and injection of antivenom. Victims transferred to Port Moresby General Hospital, by St John ambulances, need intubation with mobile ventilators.
Rotary Melbourne’s donation will fund a Zoll mobile ventilator
Andrew was passionate in his commitment to the PNG Snakebite Partnership. He praised the decision of Rotary Club of Melbourne to support the partnership, initially by funding purchase of a Zoll mobile ventilator for use in ambulances operating from Kwikila District Hospital. He’d love to see Rotary’s involvement increase, for example by provision of solar-powered fridges to extend the cold-chain, training more Health Workers and providing additional mobile ventilators.
The meeting closed with a reminder that next week’s evening meeting will be themed “audacious” and will focus on new members and strengthening the relevance and attractiveness of Rotary Melbourne’s membership offer. See details above in this Bulletin.
Meeting links … to view the full meeting recording Click here The Speaker Series video, featuring Dr Andrew Watt can be viewed by Clicking here
