BREAKING SILOS TO TRANSFORM WOMEN’S HEALTH THROUGH MEDTECH Inaugural Summit discusses new evidence in inequities affecting diagnosis, treatment and innovation
With
Jasjit Baveja PhD,
Director of Regulatory and Industry Policy,
Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | July 2026
In an interview with Australian Health Journal, Jasjit Baveja, Director of Regulatory and Industry Policy at the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA), highlighted the growing importance of medical technology in addressing longstanding inequities in women’s health.
Drawing on the outcomes of the inaugural MTAA Women’s Health MedTech Summit, she explained how the event brought together clinicians, researchers, industry leaders, regulators, investors, government representatives and patient advocates to tackle complex challenges through a collaborative approach.
Baveja said the summit was intentionally designed to break down traditional barriers between stakeholders, noting that, “it doesn’t matter who it was, they were all describing different parts of the same problem.” Discussions extended well beyond reproductive and sexual health to examine conditions that affect women exclusively, differently or disproportionately across every stage of life.
The summit identified several key barriers, including delayed diagnosis, gaps in clinical evidence, medical device design that often fails to account for women’s needs, and regulatory and reimbursement challenges. Baveja also highlighted compelling statistics that demonstrate persistent gender disparities in research and healthcare, reinforcing the need for greater investment in women’s health across the entire medical technology lifecycle.
Importantly, she said the discussions reinforced that women’s health is no longer a niche issue, but one with significant health, workforce, economic and innovation implications.
Looking ahead, Baveja said there was “strong support to move from conversation to action,” with MTAA committing to establish a Women’s Health Policy Group and develop a white paper outlining barriers, opportunities and policy recommendations to improve health outcomes for Australian women.
Source: Adapted from transcript
Media access credit: Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
-
Sense of service and pride in uniform
This ANZAC Day 2023, Australian Health Journal releases an interview with Group Captain Kath Stein MACN, Director of Defence Force Nursing with the Royal Australian Air Force.
She talks about many masks, aside from PPE, that leadership and all nurses need to wear. Currently there is work underway on a new capability description on what a nurse brings to every level in the nursing defence structure. The advice Group Captain Stein, imparts for new recruits and those interested in joining Defence Force Nursing is to take every opportunity that arises. This is evident in her progression through her career.
-
Health Minister’s Awards for Nursing Trailblazers
An ACT nurse dedicated to giving people more dignity and choice in their final days was earlier this week night named the inaugural Health Minister’s Nursing Trailblazer at an awards ceremony in Sydney.
Lord Nigel Crisp, Co-Chair Nursing Now and Australian College of Nursing President, Professor Christine Duffield FACN presented the inaugural Health Minister’s Nursing Trailblazer Award to Nikki Johnston MACN, a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner based in Canberra at Calvary Health Care’s Clare Holland House.
-
Rapid trend shift in radiology technology and accessibility
Dr Mansoor Parker obtained his medical degree from the University of Tasmania. He then completed his specialist radiology training at Nepean Hospital, Sydney with subspecialty interests in Interventional Radiology and Pain Management, Musculoskeletal, Cardiac and Abdominal Imaging. Dr Parker is a qualified specialist since 2005 and is a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and the exclusive Australasian Musculoskeletal Imaging Group (AMSIG) as well as the Interventional Radiology Society of Australasia (IRSA).
