Lions Outback Vision was announced by the Minister for Medical Research, the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, as the winner of the Challenge and recipient of the $5 million prize at a special event in Karratha on 10 October 2024. It wrapped up 12 months of planning, consultation and program delivery in the Pilbara, where the finalists team worked to prove their concept on the ground. This was followed by a rigorous 3-stage judging process where an expert panel had the difficult tasking of selecting the winner.
Professor Angus Turner, the lead of Lion Outback Vision’s Eye screening powered by artificial intelligence to transform primary care project, accepted the award alongside fellow team members Christine Stott and Alex Ramirez. The AI scanner plans to target remote and isolated Indigenous communities to improve accessibility to eye checks, and Professor Turner also hoped eye checks using AI would become a standard procedure in primary care, as they can detect other diseases that may be occurring around the body.
The Lyfe Languages project, delivered through the Women and Infants Research Foundation, was recognised with an honourable mention for their work during the Challenge as they demonstrated the profound impact of language on health and wellbeing, showing the importance of enabling access to health care and improving health literacy.
The event was a unique opportunity to celebrate the Challenge program, but also to bring a diverse group of innovators and disruptors together in the region alongside professionals from healthcare, industry, local government, technology and community sectors.
Congratulations to Lions Outback Vision and each of the Challenge finalist teams.
