The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is investing $10.5 million in Australian health and medical research to strengthen health systems and improve equitable health outcomes globally. The funding, delivered through the 2025 NHMRC and Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (GACD) call, will support five research teams focused on implementation science to improve access to high-quality care and reduce the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries and among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia.
One of the funded projects, SISTACARE, led by Professor Gillian Gould from Southern Cross University, aims to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies. The initiative focuses on integrating culturally safe smoking and vaping cessation support into routine healthcare services, in collaboration with Aboriginal leaders, health experts, hospitals, and community health services.
Another major project, STRIDES, led by Dr Tilahun Nigatu Haregu of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, will strengthen chronic disease care in South Africa and Uganda. The program will train local health workers, use digital health tools, and involve communities to make care more accessible, affordable, and effective, with the potential for expansion across other low- and middle-income countries.
The Global Alliance for Chronic Disease is an international network of research funding agencies that supports collaborative research on chronic diseases in underserved populations, both in low- and middle-income countries and in disadvantaged communities within high-income nations. The initiative aims to generate scalable solutions to reduce global health inequalities.
NHMRC leadership highlighted that the partnership with GACD enables Australia to contribute to global efforts addressing chronic disease burdens. It also underscores the international recognition of Australian health research and its role in developing innovative solutions that improve care for people facing long-term health conditions and systemic inequities.
