Janet
Michelmore uses a mining analogy to explain the sometimes frustrating aspect of
promoting preventative solutions for women’s health.
“It is
like an investment in a mine. There is always a long lead time before you get a
reward.’’
That the
executive director of the not-for-profit Jean Hailes for Women’s Health
organisation uses a mining analogy is no surprise. Her husband, Andrew, is
chief executive of MMG, the fast-growing Melbourne-based and Chinese-controlled
global miner.
Andrew is
also chairman of Jean Hailes, co-founded in 1992 by Janet in honour of her late
mother, a pioneering doctor whose core tenet was that women’s health could be
improved by the provision of practical information based on the best available
evidence. “Everyone needs a trusted authority. And that’s where Jean Hailes
wants to be,’’ Janet tells The Australian.
Andrew
got involved with the organisation by initially helping out as a proofreader of
its publications and documentation.
“In 1996,
the first chair resigned and I agreed to fill in for six months. And here I
still am,’’ he says. “What I see at the board level is these world-renowned
clinicians and researchers handling the technical side of it, which I have no
input into. But I can bring the commercial side to things, things like
administration, human resources, legal advice, and so on.’’
He
identifies a big issue faced by all not-for-profits and the role corporates can
play in the funding mix. “A corporate looks at a not-for-profit, confuses it
with a charity, and then says the services should be provided for nothing.
“They
want to take all that information and everything else but don’t want to pay.
They should be thinking that a not-for-profit is run on a not-for-loss basis
and that it relies on funding to be able to put together the information that
is passed on.”
Janet
adds it not just about the money. “We certainly need financial support. But we
also need skill support, which is one of the things that MMG has provided to
Jean Hailes.’’
Andrew
says while he is free to mention Jean Hailes and the work it does within the
company and his broader mining world interactions, it is something that can’t
be pushed. “I see myself as a network orchestrator for Jean Hailes,’’ he says.
Janet is
in no doubt corporate Australia stands to benefit from striking effective
partnerships with not-for-profits operating in the general health space, and
women’s health in particular.
“The
reality is that corporates employ people. And to have people in tiptop shape
is good for productivity.
“If you
are able to support people in the workplace with their mental health and their
physical health, it seems to me that you are raising the bar,’’ she says. “That
requires good evidence-based information being available to the corporates and
their employees. And while the internet has been a wonderful thing, the reality
is that anything can be put up on it.
“But to
actually support people on how to evaluate evidence, and what to look for on a
website, is one of our key platforms.
“It is
also about ensuring that information is readily accessible to a wide range of
literacy and educational levels. It must also understand that people have
different learning styles. I think organisations like ours are ideally placed
to support workplaces and workplace health.’’
As it is,
Jean Hailes — apart from running two women’s clinics in Melbourne — has a
workplace (free) portal to which about 200 corporates are signed up.
“We are
in constant touch with them to find out what the current emerging issues in
women’s health are, then tailor our information for that portal,’’ Janet says.
An
example that crosses over into the mining industry is mental health. “It is a
big issue in the mining industry and we developed, after 10 years of research,
an app and a blog dealing specifically at reducing anxiety in young mums. And
one of the opportunities was to come into MMG with the lead researcher and talk
about the issue,’’ Janet says.
Dissemination
of information to individuals, the broader community and workplace health professionals
also crosses international borders. Each year for the past four years, it has
received delegations from China looking to overcome what health professionals
term the “valley of death” between research findings and improving patient
outcomes.
“China
has access to all the research in the world. But what they didn’t know was how
to disseminate the information by translating it into usable programs,’’ Janet
says.
MMG
operates mines in Australia, Africa, and Laos and recently led the investment
of $US10 billion ($13bn) in the building of a copper mine Peru.
Andrew
says women’s health — and health and education in general — are a critical part
of the company’s dealings with local communities.
“Health
and education, and the role women play in driving them at the local level, are
key to our interactions in remote locations. Being able to access an enormous
amount of information online and in various languages goes to awareness of
women’s health issues,’’ he says.
His
shared championing of women’s health with Janet has found a practical response
in Laos where MMG has a copper mine.
It
recently committed an additional $US1.39 million in funding for the second
stage of the “1000 Day Project’’ in conjunction with the government and UNICEF.
The project recognises the first 1000 days of life are critical in
intellectual and physical development. It aims to reduce stunting and
iron-deficiency anaemia in children through community outreach programs and
from the distribution of Superkid branded zinc micronutrient powder
supplements.
“In
co-operation with our partners — the Ministry of Health, Lao Women’s Union, and
UNICEF — we are well-equipped with cultural knowledge and qualified personnel
to make this significant intervention a success,’’ Andrew said when announcing
the new commitment. “This is what we mean when we say, MMG mines for progress.”
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