Fearless Conversations
INVESTIGATOR LECTURE
Conflict and Crisis:
A global health emergency
Conflict and Crisis: A global health emergency
We are an interconnected and interdependent world. A crisis in one country can quickly impact the health, cultures and economies of societies around the globe.
The war in Ukraine. The conflict in Syria. The COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these crises has resulted in significant localised and immediate emergency situations, which have later spread to cause vast and wide-reaching global impacts upon business, trade, political landscapes, and societal health and wellbeing, just to name a few.
So, what is the fallout of these global emergencies and how well equipped are we to respond to and combat future crises?
The 2022 Investigator Lecture commenced with a special keynote from Reverend Tim Costello - one of Australia’s most respected community leaders and a sought-after voice on social justice issues, leadership and ethics. Following the keynote Reverend Costello was joined by our panel of experts who delved into current conflicts that are exacerbating already difficult challenges, from the impact of climate change on public health to the inequality and distribution of resources.
Panel members include:
Keynote - Reverend Tim Costello AO
Reverend Tim Costello AO is one of Australia’s most respected community leaders, renowned for ensuring the challenges of global poverty are firmly and consistently on the national agenda.
The director of Ethical Voice, and Executive Director of Micah Australia, Tim was Chief Executive of World Vision Australia (WVA) for 13 years until October 2016, after which he became WVA’s Chief Advocate for two years. Other positions Tim holds are Senior Advisor for the Centre for Public Christianity, Chair of the Community Council of Australia; Chief Advocate of the Thriving Communities Partnership. Tim is a spokesperson for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, which advocates for law reform to prevent harm from poker machine gambling.
Tim Costello is a sought after voice on social justice issues, leadership and ethics. Every year he addresses tens of thousands of people from the public and private sector, and the wider community.
Professor Paul Arbon AM, PhD FACN, FAAN
Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor, Director of the Torrens Resilience Initiative
Professor Arbon is a Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor and Director of the Torrens Resilience Initiative at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. The Torrens Resilience Initiative was established in 2009 to improve the capacity of organisations and societies to respond to disruptive challenges that have the potential to overwhelm disaster and crisis management capabilities and plans.
A Past President of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, and former Chief Commissioner, St John Ambulance Australia, his research focusses on global health and health security in the context of disaster and crisis events. He is a Member of the International Health Regulations Roster of Experts, and the World Health Organisation, Health Security Interface, Technical Advisory Group, and Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing and the American Academy of Nursing.
Professor Leonard Notaras AO
Executive Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC)
Professor Leonard (Len) Notaras AO has had an extraordinary impact on Australian healthcare, particularly within the Northern Territory, as well as supporting Australia’s neighbours in times of critical need.
Professor Notaras is the Executive Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC). He was a strategic founder of the centre in 2002 and was appointed to the position in 2009. The centre has strong links with the Northern Territory Department of Health, Queensland Health, Charles Darwin University and Flinders University.
Professor Notaras was previously Chief Executive of the NT Department of Health. Prior to this, Professor Notaras spent 15 years at Royal Darwin Hospital, first as Medical Superintendent and then as General Manager. During this time, the hospital dealt with a number of crises, including the evacuation of East Timor in 1999, the Bali bombings in 2002 and 2005, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Ashmore Reef incident in 2009 and the retrieval and treatment of then President of Timor- Leste Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, following the assassination attempt in 2008.
In October 2002, Royal Darwin Hospital received nearly 100 victims of the Bali bombings, 70 of whom were critically injured. For his service in jointly coordinating the medical assistance provided by the Royal Darwin Hospital to the victims of the bombings, Professor Notaras was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003.
A very learned man, Professor Notaras holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Law and Arts, Bachelor of Commerce, Masters in History and Masters in Hospital Management.
In 2005, Professor Notaras was presented with the Best Individual Contribution to Healthcare in Australia Award during the AMA National Conference.
In 2010 Professor Notaras negotiated and coordinated, through the NCCTRC, the deployment of the AUSMAT (Australian Medical Assistance Team) to Pakistan following devastating floods. The group treated more than 11,000 people during the 10-week combined civil-military deployment. Professor Notaras led the NCCTRC through the AUSMAT response to Typhoon Haiyan which devastated part of the Philippines in November 2013, deploying for the first time, Australia's surgical field hospital and treating more than 2,700 patients.
In 2008 Professor Notaras received an honorary doctorate in Science from Charles Darwin University in recognition of his contribution to the medical field in the NT and in 2015, our own Flinders University honoured him with the title of professorial fellow in the then faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, now the College of Medicine and Public Health..
Eric Tlozek
Video Journalist and ABC News reporter
Eric Tlozek is an ABC News reporter based in Adelaide. He was formerly the ABC's Middle East correspondent (from 2018-21) and Papua New Guinea correspondent (from 2015-18). He is a video journalist who has covered major stories across Australia and the world, including the 2019 Sri Lanka terrorist attacks, Turkey's incursion into northern Syria and the 2018 PNG highlands earthquake. Eric was nominated as a finalist in the Lowy Institute's Media Award for best Foreign Affairs reporting in 2016 and 2017. Eric has been a journalist since 2003 and has worked for the ABC since 2007.
MC and Facilitator: Jessica Adamson
Jess Adamson is an award winning journalist, an event host/facilitator and speaker.
In her 24 years at the Seven Network she covered some of the world’s biggest news stories including the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami in Banda Aceh, the Bali bombings, drug trials of Michelle Leslie and the Bali 9, the Beaconsfield Mine disaster, the Sydney and Beijing Olympic Games and the 2008 Tour de France.
Jess was Seven’s top rating Weekend News Presenter from 2014-2020.
She is a passionate ambassador for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and CanTeen, the Australian organisation for young people living with cancer, as well as a Board Member of the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation and Sids and Kids SA.
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