Role
The expert panel will focus on conditions and system challenges where women experience poorer outcomes, with particular emphasis on inequities in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research and care delivery.
Applying a gender-sensitive and intersectional lens, the expert panel will identify priority actions across early intervention and awareness, research and data, and treatment and clinical guidelines. Through its work, the expert panel will generate practical, actionable findings for government consideration, informed by lived experience, existing evidence and national policy frameworks.
Cardiovascular focus
Women’s cardiovascular health will be the focus of the first expert panel, recognising cardiovascular disease as a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for women and the persistent gaps in awareness, diagnosis, treatment and research.
The expert panel will work closely with clinicians, researchers, peak bodies and organisations with expertise in women’s cardiovascular health to identify system level and practice-based actions that can improve outcomes across the life course. This will include consideration of priority populations, sex-specific risk factors, and opportunities to strengthen prevention, early intervention, care pathways, workforce capability and guideline development and implementation.
The work of the expert panel will aim to empower women, girls and gender diverse people to recognise symptoms, understand their cardiovascular risk, and seek timely, appropriate care for their heart and vascular health at all stages of life.
Term and meetings
The expert panel’s term will run for up to 12 months, unless extended by the Chair.
The expert panel will meet every 4-8 weeks throughout its term, face-to-face or virtually.
Members
| Name | Organisation |
|---|---|
| The Hon Rebecca White MP (Chair) | Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, Assistant Minister for Women |
| Professor Sanjyot Vagholkar | General Practitioner, MQ Health General Practice, Discipline lead of Primary Care in the Doctor of Medicine Program, Macquarie University |
| Cindy McCall | Consumer Advocate |
| Professor Kate Denton | Head, Cardiovascular Disease Program, Monash Biomedical Discovery Institute |
| Associate Professor Aunty Vicki Wade | First Nations Principal Research Fellow, Menzies School of Health Research |
| Senior representatives | Her Heart |
| Senior representatives | The Heart Foundation, Stroke Foundation and The George Institute for Global Health |
Communiques
Ministerial Expert Panel on Women’s Health – Meeting communiqué
Contact
