Rare but rarely recognised: Accelerating diagnosis, access, & innovation for rare diseases in Australia & APAC

Two million Australians are living with a rare disease, yet diagnosis can take five-to-seven years. Across APAC, fragmented systems, limited awareness, and uneven access to therapies create both challenges and opportunities for pharma, biotech, and medtech innovators. This Rare Disease Day, it’s time to move from awareness to action, shortening diagnostic journeys, improving access, and…

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Shaping your brand in an AI-driven world

AI shapes perception – ensure it shapes yours In 2026, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) AI is increasingly shaping your brand before anyone sees it. Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming the first stop for patients, clinicians, policymakers, and journalists. In healthcare, this means your story is summarised, interpreted, and presented…

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From campaigns to change: why strategic communications is health system infrastructure

By Kirsten Bruce, Founder & Owner, VIVA! Communications Awareness does not equate to access. Visibility does not equal system reform. And without strategy, storytelling alone fails to improve health outcomes. In eating disorders – one of Australia’s most complex and high-risk mental health conditions – we’ve reached a pivotal moment. Public understanding is improving. Research…

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APAC’s expanding tropical disease risk: Are pharma leaders passing the test?

Across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, tropical diseases – neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE), chikungunya, and Zika virus – are spreading faster than ever, driven by climate change, urbanisation, and unprecedented population mobility. Yet even as outbreaks intensify, attention, preparedness, and sustained communication investment often peak during…

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