Deserving of national award
YOU can dispense with the cumbersome, flawed and costly process to determine the next Australian of the Year.
The only question is whether the recipient of the honour should be the entire team at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute or just the team leader, Professor Sally Dunwoodie.
There is precedent for a group getting the award, with pop group The Seekers winning it in 1967.
Every Australian should be brimming with joy and pride at the outstanding work of this group of scientists, which will have a lasting impact on humanity.
Their 12-year study has not only resulted in a world-first breakthrough on the cause of many miscarriages and birth defects, but they have also found a solution that will ultimately change the way pregnant women are cared for around the world.
It is research that could save many people from the unimaginable grief that comes from losing a child.
The researchers discovered that a molecular deficiency in a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) stops a baby’s organs forming normally in the womb and, just as importantly, they found a simMillions ple way to address the problem: by boosting the expectant mother’s intake of vitamin B3, or niacin, particularly in the first trimester.
It has been labelled one of the “country’s greatest medical discoveries” which is no small feat for a nation that bats above its average when it comes to medical breakthroughs.
From the cochlear implant to the cervical cancer vaccine, Australia’s brightest minds have given the world significant advances in medicine.
The team at the Victor Chang Institute is on the edge of similar greatness with a discovery that could save a multitude of lives every year and reduce the incidence of dreadful birth defects.
Losing a child through miscarriage is a devastating loss that affects millions of families around the world.
more are affected by birth defects ranging from cleft palate problems to serious spinal and heart abnormalities.
The figures are astounding: every year, 7.9 million children are born suffering serious birth defects, and 3.3 million children under the age of five die from birth defects.
First-world countries with the best available healthcare are not immune to such tragedies, with up to one in four pregnancies in Australia ending in miscarriage.
Every year, thousands of Australian children are born with birth defects, with heart disease the most common issue with more than 2000 cases annually.
The wonderful news is that the NAD deficiency and B3 breakthrough could significantly reduce the number of miscarriages and birth defects.
“The ramifications are likely to be huge,” said Prof Dunwoodie. “Now, after 12 years of research, our team has also discovered that this (NAD) deficiency can be cured and miscarriages and birth defects prevented by taking a common vitamin.”
The executive director of the Victor Chang Institute, Professor Robert Graham, is similarly upbeat about the likely impact of the research team’s findings.
“We believe that this breakthrough will be one of our country’s greatest-ever medical discoveries,” he said.
It’s extremely rare to discover the problem and provide a preventive solution at the same time. It’s actually a double breakthrough.
“Just like we now use folate to prevent spina bifida, Prof Dunwoodie’s research suggests that it is probably best for women to start taking vitamin B3 very early on, even before they become pregnant. This will change the way pregnant women are cared for around the world.”
The work is not over yet, with the next step involving the development of a diagnostic test for mothers-to-be.
This discovery is not going to save every woman from the heartbreak of miscarriage, particularly given the fact that more than 50 per cent are caused by chromosomal abnormalities, but it is a significant development that will ultimately affect millions around the globe.
The very least we could do for the brilliant men and women behind this breakthrough is to bestow upon them the honour of Australian of the Year.
EVERY AUSTRALIAN SHOULD BE BRIMMING WITH JOY AND PRIDE AT THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF THIS GROUP OF SCIENTISTS, WHICH WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON HUMANITY