Something to smile about

Victoria University’s think-tank, the Australian Health Policy Collaboration, has won an international award for media coverage for their world first report, Australia’s Oral Health Tracker.

Launched on World Oral Health Day in March — and in partnership with the Australian Dental Association — the tracker highlights the link between oral health and preventable chronic diseases, conditions and their risk factors.

Each year, the international main representative body for dentists, FDI World Dental Federation gives out World Oral Health Day Awards to recognise Media teams who organised the most outstanding campaigns.

At the World Dental Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina (5-8 September), AHPC’s Australia’s Oral Health Tracker won Best Media Campaign for generating “significant buzz in traditional or online media, highlighting oral health messages across a range of platforms such as newspaper, television, radio, blogs and social media.”

The Oral Heath Tracker report was enthusiastically picked up by national and international media, including BBC World Service radio, and reached a total audience of over five and a half million.

Rosemary Calder, Director of the AHPC said:

“We are delighted to win this award and be recognised by a global organisation that has ties with the World Health Organization and other international bodies.

I would like to thank those directly involved with the success of Australia’s Oral Health Tracker including Ben Harris (Manager National Strategy), Hazel Fetherston (Chronic Disease Program Coordinator), Lynne Miller (Senior Research Fellow), Tyler Nichols (Policy Research Analysist) and Frances Atkinson (External Media).”