Collaboration activities between WHO and Charles Sturt University (2025-2026)
Views of children and young people with disabilities about health and the health system
The Children's Voices Centre staff and affiliates have had a number of meetings this week. We are so proud of our achievements from 2025 and look foward to finalising the work during 2026.
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| CVC-WHO team meeting - 10 Feb 2026 |
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| Scoping review team - lead by Dr Kate Freire - 9 Feb 2026 |
Objective of the collaboration (2025-2026)
• “The collaboration between WHO and Charles Sturt University will contribute to WHO’s efforts in supporting Member States to implement the actions and recommendations from the [WHO Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities]. More specifically, the collaboration activities will help to collect the latest evidence to support Member States promote engagement of communities and other stakeholders (particularly with children and young people with disabilities).”
• “The overarching aim of these activities will be to provide guidance to WHO on how they could support Member States better understand the views of children and young people with disabilities, and integrate them in health system planning.”
Research team
• World Health Organization Disability Programme (Switzerland): Dr Mélanie Gréaux
• Charles Sturt University, Children’s Voices Centre (Australia): Prof Sharynne McLeod, A/Prof Kathryn Crowe, A/Prof Suzanne C. Hopf, Prof Sarah Verdon, Prof Julian Grant, Dr Lysa Dealtry, Dr Belinda Downey, Dr Kate Freire, Dr Helen L. Blake, Dr Carolyn Gregoric, and Holly McAlister, A/Prof Kathy Cologon
Research activities
During 2025 research activities were undertaken “to build evidence on the experiences and perspectives of children and young people with disabilities on health and access to healthcare services”.
Monthly progress meetings were held with WHO and CSU were held (typically Thursday 7pm-8pm Australian time).
Two main research activities were planned over the 2-year period (2025-2026)
Activity #1: A world-wide online qualitative study to explore children and young people with disabilities’ views about health and their experiences in health services.
Activity #2: A scoping or systematic review on the experiences of children with disabilities in the health sector.
Presentations (World Health Organization/United Nations)
• 76th Session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (RCM76) | Nadi, Fiji | October 2025 | Prof Sharynne McLeod, Dr Helen L. Blake, Holly McAlister https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2025/10/76th-session-of-world-health.html
• Launch WHO Disability Health Equity Network Meeting | Geneva, Switzerland | 12-13 November, 2025 | Dr Mélanie Gréaux, Prof Sharynne McLeod https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2025/11/world-health-organization-disability.html
• World Children's Day event at Charles Sturt University with David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, United Nations Foundation https://unfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-people/david-ohana/ | 20th November, 2025| A/Prof Kathy Cologon, A/Prof Tamara Cumming https://alumni.csu.edu.au/news-and-events/events/industry/from-regional-roots-to-global-impact-kids-interview-un-changemaker-david-ohana
Outputs
Report
• Children draw health to advance health equity: Insights from children with disabilities (lay-person’s report) https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4506148/CVC-Children-draw-health-2025-Fiji-submission.pdf
Art exhibitions
• Children Draw Health Global Online Gallery https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-health
• Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) exhibition (November 2025-January 2026) https://bathurstart.com.au/exhibitions-events/cvc-children-draw-health/ (Opening Night Event: Friday 21 November – A/Prof Tamara Cumming guest speaker)
Research outputs
Journal article (submitted)
• McLeod, S., Gregoric, C., Downey, B., Cumming, T., Cologon, K. & Gréaux, M. (2025, submitted October). Children’s perspectives about health and healthcare: A global arts-based study focusing on children with disabilities [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Charles Sturt University.
