Telstra Health announced as a finalist in Government of Western Australia Department of Health’s global challenge

Telstra Health has been announced as a finalist and will progress to the Proof-of-Concept stage in the Government of Western Australia Department of Health’s $5 million competition The Challenge.

The Challenge is a global initiative launched by the Government of Western Australia Department of Health in October 2022. The Challenge tasked organisations to develop and propose world-leading medical research and innovation solutions to resolve a pressing problem of health service delivery in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

In responding to The Challenge, Telstra Health joined forces with parent company Telstra and Google Fitbit to create the Pilbara Digital Twin, Australia’s first synthetic chronic disease registry.

Pilbara Digital Twin

The Pilbara Digital Twin creates a virtual replica of the complex Pilbara environment and the people who live there, focusing on multimorbidity associated with chronic diseases and specifically targets the burden of disease in Aboriginal Australian populations. While most Pilbara residents face high levels of chronic disease and risks associated with these, chronic diseases are greater for Aboriginal Australian residents in the Pilbara region.

The Pilbara Digital Twin combines the strengths of Telstra’s digital twin technology, Fitbit’s wearable technology, and Telstra Health’s data-rich primary and community care footprint, to create a secure platform for simulating and visualising the impact of interventions footprint.

The digital health solution enables researchers and policymakers alike to test new healthcare strategies and interventions and view the virtual impacts in real time.

Finalists in The Challenge

Telstra Health’s submission was one of 10 high-tech digital solutions shortlisted by the Government of Western Australia from almost 100 global submissions. The Pilbara Digital Twin will now progress to the Proof-of-Concept stage – a 12-month period in which finalists validate their ideas with a $200,000 grant to imbed their concept in the Pilbara region.

Finalists will also partner with key health stakeholders in the region, to help them understand the unique landscape, population, and local health needs, and develop culturally appropriate applications.

At the end of the 12-month period, an expert panel will assess each Proof-of-Concept and determine the winning solution which will receive a $5 million grant from October 2024. The winning solution will be implemented to help improve the health outcomes for people living in the Pilbara region.