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
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