$23.9m for a new Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health

The University of Melbourne is one of nine organisations engaged in the new Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health.

Professor Anne Kavanagh from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and Chair in Disability and Health will lead the University’s academic involvement in the $23.9 million Centre.

The Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health (CoEIDH) includes collaborators in research and support and is a priority action under the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability. The success of the roadmap depends on establishing the Centre to support delivery and house essential resources.

Celebrating the launch of the National Centre of Excellence for Intellectual Disability Health.

The Centre aims to be a leader in intellectual disability health, helping patients and their families to find the right health services and access information. People with intellectual disabilities will also be directly involved in creating and running the Centre. They will be given roles on the Centre’s board and be the Centre’s co-chair, be active in other governance bodies and be employed at the Centre.

The CoEIDH was opened by Assistant Minister Ged Kearny on 13 October with many academic leads in attendance. Ms Kearney spoke of the desire to have an “excellent, tailored and empathetic health care” system that fits the individual needs of each person with an intellectual disability. “The lived experience and skills of people with a disability will be central to the success of this Centre.”

Professor Anne Kavanagh’s research focuses on social and health inequality for those with intellectual disabilities and the impact on carer’s lives. Her research has contributed to policy developments in Australia and she consults on multiple advisory committees including the Commonwealth Disability and Health Sector Consultative Committee.