The Asia Oceania Otorhinolaryngological Head and Neck Surgery Congress 2023
The Asia Oceania Otorhinolaryngological Head and Neck Surgery Congress (AO ORL HNS) is held every four years within the Asia Oceania Region. This year it was the 15th Congress of the Asia Oceania Association, held in Brisbane on March 10 – 12.
The 2023 theme is “Reaching Out Maximising regional cooperation and resources to advance patient care”.
The congress attracted over 1,200 delegates, predominantly from across the Asia-Oceania region.
The Indigenous Health workshop (Proudly supported by Passe & Williams Foundation supporting excellence in ENT) in conjunction with the AO ORL HNS was held on March 9, 2023, with conveners Professor Kelvin Kong and Professor Stephen O’Leary.
There were plenty of speakers across Asia Oceania who spoke on initiatives in ear health; Amanda Wingett, NACCHO Aboriginal Health Australia representative, was informative from an ACCHO level.
A summary of her topics:
• Ear and Hearing Health in the Community Controlled Sector
• October 2021 NAACHO, the Department of Health and Hearing Australia agreed to work towards a formal partnership, in keeping with the National Agreement
• Established – Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Ear and Hearing Health Partnership Committee
• Priority Reforms – Close the Gap
• National Ear and Hearing Health Strategy and implementation plan
• ASOHNS Surgical Pathway Project – NACCHO/AMSANT continuing to work with Prof Kelvin Kong and ASOHNS to identify the challenges and levers to improving Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children with ear disease.
• Evaluation of health promotion resources
• Funding ACCHOs for AHW/AHP generalist elective training, embedding Hearing ACCHOs place based.
Pictured Featured: Mafi Kailahi Ear & Eye Health Programs Officer AH&MRC, Amanda Wingett Policy and Programs Officer NACCHO, Associate Professor Kelvin Kong ENT Surgeon.
