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• HEARING HEALTH ROADMAP

  Australia’s first Hearing Health Roadmap has been created to improve the lives of the millions of Australians affected by hearing loss. 

  The Roadmap was reviewed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Health Council on Friday 8th of March, to spearhead a coordinated effort to improve hearing health.

  The Roadmap can be accessed here :

  https://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/CDFD1B86FA5F437CCA2583B7000465DB/$File/Roadmap%20for%20Hearing%20Health.pdf

• World Head and Neck Cancer Day

  The International Federation of Head & Neck Oncologic Societies invites you to observeJuly 27th World Head & Neck Cancer Day.

  Together with 55 Head and Neck Societies, 51 Countries, several Government Agencies and UICC.

• 2023 NAIDOC Person of the Year Award

  Congratulations to Professor Kelvin Kong on receiving this award. Professor Kelvin Kong is a Worimi man who grew up on Country in Port Stephens, on the New South Wales mid-north-coast. Kelvin graduated from the University of New South Wales to become Australia's first Indigenous surgeon. He credits his mother, Grace Kinsella, a pioneering Indigenous registered nurse, for inspiring him and his older sisters, twins Marlene and Marilyn, to become doctors. Their father, Kong Cheok Seng, a Malaysian Chinese man, is also a doctor. 

  Professor Kong, now works on Awabakal and Worimi Country, and is associated with the University of Newcastle's School of Medicine and Public Health. He is an Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). Kelvin works at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital and John Hunter Children’s Hospital, and he explains that hearing loss, often caused by Otitis Media (middle ear disease), significantly contributes to poor educational outcomes for children and can lead to higher unemployment rates in adults as a result. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children experience the highest levels of chronic otitis media in the world, affecting up to 70% of children in remote communities. 

  Determined to change the statistics, Dr Kong has dedicated his career to early intervention. Dr Kong says “If we can reduce the risk of hearing loss, we can have a direct impact on a child's ability to learn and develop. The change that we see is remarkable - we can take them from limited hearing and language skills to fully functioning teenagers with real employment prospects”. 

  Dr Kong is passionate about addressing the disparity in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Each year, he spends a portion of his time working in, and for, remote Indigenous communities providing access to quality healthcare that would otherwise be limited or completely unavailable. This includes visiting the Kimberley’s each year to perform specialist consultations and surgery.  

  He is also passionate about improving pathways into specialist medical training and improving Indigenous workforce across the health and research sector. Dr Kong mentors high school students to encourage more Indigenous people to consider careers in medicine and surgery. 

  In 2011, Dr Kong joined other medical practitioners in the Care for Kids' Ears campaign to address the ongoing issues experienced by remote communities. The campaign was designed to encourage communities to be empowered with resources and information about ear health to reduce the risk of ear disease and hearing loss. Dr Kong is passionate in his advocacy in which he centres the importance of working together as a community - "When we work together with a community, we can address all the issues that arise from ear disease. Our job is to improve kids' health so they can get the education they need." 

  Some of Dr Kong's many roles include:  

  • First ever identified Indigenous Fellow, and current Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ (RACS). 
  • Examiner, Royal Australasian College Surgeons 
  • Mentor Surgical Pathways for Indigenous Australians 
  • Public and Private practice in Newcastle, at Hunter ENT Surgery 
  • Professor and mentor at the University of Newcastle 
  • Honorary Professor Macquarie University 
  • Associate Professor UNSW 
  • Clinical lead, ENT Outreach services HNELHD 
  • Indigenous Lead, Australian Society Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery 
  • Researcher; Successful in numerous NHMRC grants, awards and collaboration 
  • Chair, Advisory Group for reporting on the Ear and Hearing Health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 
  • Member, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ear and Hearing Health Partnership Committee 
  • Served on multiple advisory boards and committee’s including the Indigenous Health and Fellowship Services Committee 
  • Previous Board member for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) 
  • Previous Board member Cancer Australia’s Advisory Board 
  • Previous Board Member Hearing Australia 
  • Previous secretary of Australia and New Zealand Society Paediatric Otolaryngology (ANZSPO) 
  • Recently, Dr Kong received an Honour Roll mention for Australian of the Year 

  Many of our young Mob are labelled as problems, too difficult, described as having learning difficulties, or as not wanting to learn. The truth is that due to the complex legacy of colonisation, under-funded communities, and racism, many of our young people are living with undiagnosed and treatable medical issues that create barriers to learning, education, employment and healthy living.  

  It is Dr Kong’s goal to ensure that these barriers are eradicated and that our Mob have equal access to quality health care to enable them to have every opportunity in life. 

  From https://www.naidoc.org.au/award-finalist/professor-kelvin-kong

• ASOHNS 2019 INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

  We would like to announce that Dr Tika Ram Adhikari from Bhutan is the 2019 recipient of the International scholarship from the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery (ASOHNS), to attend surgical training courses and to observe Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeons in Australia.

  After a competitive process the committee selected Dr Adhikari from a strong and worthy field of candidates. 

  The Royal Government of Bhutan provides its population of 0.7 million free health care through a three-tier system. There are no private hospitals or clinics in Bhutan. Any advanced and complicated diseased that cannot be treated in Bhutan are referred outside the country at government expense.

  Dr Adhikari is one of five ENT surgeons who serve the needs of the whole nation and they don't have a trained Otologist in the country to work with the treatment of the approximate 18,000 ear cases they see. The annual health bulletin shows ear disease as among the top diseases across all districts in the country. Dr Adhikari is also a faculty member in the Khesar Gyelpo University of Medical Science of Bhutan actively involved in teaching ENT technicians, nurses, interns and residents. 

  While in Australia in November Dr Adhikari will attend a Temporal Bone course in Perth and spend observation time with Professor Peter Friedland. With limited opportunity to upgrade his skill and knowledge at home Dr Adhikari is very pleased to be this year's scholarship recipient. 

• Will you be joining us in Sydney for the ASOHNS ASM 2025?

  PRE-MEETING WORKSHOPS

  Endoscopic Orbital & Skullbase Workshop (Limited Spaces Available) Wednesday 26 – Thursday 27 March 2025 University of Technology (UTS), Sydney Convener: Catherine Banks   Endoscopic & Microscopic Ear Surgery Dissection Course (Currently full - waitlist available only) Wednesday 26 – Thursday 27 March 2025 Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Conveners: Alexander Saxby & Jonathan Kong

  Indigenous Health Workshop Thursday 27 March 2025 ICC Sydney  Conveners: Kelvin Kong & Allen Stanley   Facial Reconstruction and Facial Rejuvenation Dissection Course Sydney Eye Hospital Thursday 27 March 2025 Convener: Catherine Meller

  Stroboscopy Course Thursday 27 March 2025 ICC Sydney Convener: Georgina Harris Note, some workshops now have limited availability For more information about the pre-meeting workshops, please view the workshop page by clicking the button below.

• Living Guidelines for Adult Cochlear Implantation

  The Australia and New Zealand living guidelines for adult CI were launched on 30 September 2025.

  https://hhc.anz.adulthearing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ANZ-HHC-Living-Guidelines-for-Adults-V1.pdf