Brighter Beginnings First 2000 Days Summit
Professor Sharon Goldfeld
Professor Sharon Goldfeld is a paediatrician and Director at the Royal Children’s Hospital’s Centre for Community Child Health and Theme Director for Population Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research institute. She has a decade of experience in state government as senior policymaker in health and education, including holding the role of Principal Medical Advisor in the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Her unique career has seamlessly straddled research, policy and practice with her cross-sectoral approach ensuring her research is robust and of high policy and practice utility for greater translation success. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof Goldfeld has led the public advocacy effort at MCRI leveraging existing and new studies to provide a unique understanding on the experiences of children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring we can inform its aftermath. Sharon was recently awarded the inaugural Marles Medal for excellence in original research that led to outstanding achievement in research impact.
Abstract
Reflections from the Pandemic on the delivery of universal healthcare services for children and families and learnings for the future.
Children in Australia have faced a "generation-defining disruption" with public health restrictions to mitigate COVID-19 infection such as virtual learning, social distancing, increased screen time, reduced access to healthcare, no structured sport and less outside play, to have both immediate and longer-term impacts on children and their parents. The public health measures have resulted in positive benefits for some, while others have been adversely and inequitably impacted. Children experiencing adversity before the pandemic have been disproportionately affected, potentially leading to a widening of disparities in child health, wellbeing, and developmental outcomes. But as with previous global crises and pandemics, this can provide an opportune moment for creative change to reduce inequity and optimise opportunities.
NSW Health acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land across NSW, whose cultures and customs have nurtured and continue to nurture this land.
We would like to pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the state.