Our CVC team met this morning to update our progress on the CVC and WHO collaborative projects exploring children's perspectives of health. Most projects have completed the data collection phase and are currently being written up. There will be a lot of publications submitted in the next half of the year.
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| Tamara, Sharynne, Belinda, Kathy, Carolyn, Helen, Kate F |
Children Draw Health analysis planning was led by Dr Helen L. Blake and Dr Carolyn Gregoric today. We will be analysing the children's drawings using the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) and the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
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| Sharynne, Tamara, Helen, Lysa, Belinda, Carolyn, Kathy |
This afternoon Carolyn, Helen and I continued making plans for the analysis of the Children Draw Health data based on our discussion at the WHO meeting last week to focus on the World Report on Disability (factors contributing to health inequities). We have 10 CVC affiliates with ethics approval to undertake the analysis with us when we are ready.
What a fantastically rich brainstorm we had today thinking about the best way to analyse the Children Draw Health artworks. Thanks team!
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| Sharynne, Carolyn, Holly, Helen, Suzanne, Kathy, Kate F |
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 forward 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 |
FEEDBACK FROM WHO 14 February 2026
Thank you very much - this is wonderful!! Congratulations again to the whole team for the impressive work achieved in just one year. It is truly inspiring and we couldn’t be more pleased with the breadth of your activities and the quality of your inputs bringing the voices of children with disabilities in this space.
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.
Our Children Draw Health Global Online Gallery is currently on display at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery. What a great way to profile our children's voices!
Here is the whole gallery: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-health
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| Sharynne McLeod, Mél Gréaux, Kathy Cologon, Tamara Cumming, Lysa Dealtry |
Our Children Draw Health global online gallery is now an exhibit at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
https://bathurstart.com.au/exhibitions-events/cvc-children-draw-health/
A/Prof Tamara Cumming spoke about our artwork at the BRAG launch last night
Here is the information from BRAG about the exhibition
BRAG presents Children Draw Health by the Children's Voices Centre on the OUT THERE Digital Platforms | Forecourt Projector.
The Children’s Voices Centre is a Charles Sturt University Research Centre that conducts world-leading, transformative interdisciplinary research with, for and about children. It creates opportunities for all children to express their perspectives, share their knowledge, and be listened to with respect and action.
The Children Draw Health project invited children from across the world to draw or create a picture of their perspectives about health and healthcare, then answer a few quick questions to describe their creation. 126 drawings by children from 18 countries (Australia, Botswana, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Kenya, Malta, Netherlands, Rwanda, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States) were received in response to the prompts: What makes you healthy? Who helps you be healthy? Where do you go to get healthier? What would your ideal hospital or health service look like?
In 2025 the Children’s Voices Centre presented this research at the 76th Session of the World Health Organization Regional Committee for the Western Pacific (RCM76) in Nadi, Fiji.
At BRAG, Children Draw Health will be visible after dark in the Gallery/Library Forecourt, showcasing the incredible drawings and responses by children from Bathurst and the world until 25 January 2026.
Dear Sáve, Ella, Eirik, Roarke, Knox, Jocelyn, Greta, and Nayantara
WOW! You have made such a difference to the world with your ideas about children’s health.
We summarized your insights into this document: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4506148/CVC-Children-draw-health-2025-Fiji-submission.pdf
Here is the Children Draw Health Global Online Gallery:
https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-health
WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting, Fiji
Two weeks ago (20-24 October 2025) I was honoured to share your recommendations to everyone at the World Health Organization meeting in Fiji. The Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting represented 2.2 billion people since it includes the world’s largest country (China) and smallest country (Niue with 2000 people).
https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2025/10/76th-session-of-world-health.html
WHO Disability Health Equity Network Meeting, Geneva, Switzerland
This week (12-13 November, 2025) I have been so honoured to read your recommendations to everyone at the World Health Organization in Geneva
https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2025/11/world-health-organization-disability.html There were so many people who came up to me afterwards to thank you for your wise ideas about children’s health.
I also got to pop into the United Nations in Geneva and have a look around as well! https://speakingmylanguages.blogspot.com/2025/11/visiting-united-nations.html
World Children's Day
We are also sharing information about this project at the World Children's Day event (20th November, 2025) where some of you are interviewing CSU alumnus David Ohana, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, United Nations Foundation as a guest speaker https://unfoundation.org/who-we-are/our-people/david-ohana/
https://alumni.csu.edu.au/news-and-events/events/industry/from-regional-roots-to-global-impact-kids-interview-un-changemaker-david-ohana
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst, Australia
Next week we are sharing your work at the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery as an official exhibition that will last until January 2026 https://bathurstart.com.au/exhibitions-events/cvc-children-draw-health/
Congratulations and thank you.
Regards
Sharynne
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| WHO in Fiji |
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| Sharing the Children Draw Health research insights at WHO in Fiji |
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| Speaking at the WHO in Geneva |
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| United Nations in Geneva |
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| WHO in Geneva |
This morning I met with Dr Mélanie Gréaux to discuss the WHO meeting over the past two days, our current research to listen to children with disabilities about equitable health care, and future plans. It is always a joy to spend time with Mél. We made some great future plans.
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/about/governance/regional-committee/session-76
The Western Pacific Region includes 2.2 billion people - a quarter of the world's population - and includes the world's largest and smallest nations.
Dr Helen L. Blake, Holly McAlister and I attended as representatives of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP). We submitted three statements addressing the agenda items (oral health, mental health, and tobacco control) and one was selected for presentation on the floor.
Here is the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6i73fyQwJc&list=PLA7dYQkD0BtpjiTRsWUlClwRshNqFDEFD&index=2 (16:24 – 19:27)
Children across the world were invited to create and describe an artwork to present their perspectives about health and healthcare by considering the following prompts: What makes you healthy? Who helps you be healthy? Where do you go to get healthier? What would your ideal hospital or health service look like? A children’s advisory group considered 126 drawings by children from 18 countries to create this summary document. The views of children with disability are featured. The brochure is available here: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/home
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| Dr Helen L. Blake, Holly McAlister, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala (WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific), Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod |
Our statement to the floor included the following:
"I am speaking as the representative of the International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders (IALP, https://ialpglobal.org/about-us/), a worldwide organization of over 300,000 professionals and scientists from 55 affiliated societies in 35 countries. My name is Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod, speaking with Dr Helen L. Blake and Holly McAlister from the Children’s Voices Centre at Charles Sturt University in Australia. We are speech-language pathologists...
Communication specialists, including speech-language pathologists, have significant evidence-based strategies to support swallowing and communication...Members of IALP stand with the World Health Organization ... – particularly for those with swallowing and communication disability to support and enhance their participation in society. We encourage the WHO to work on disability and rehabilitation initiatives that include communication specialists such as speech-language pathologists and we encourage WPRO to consider holding a side event at RCM77 focused on advancing health equity for people with disability."
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| Holly McAlister, Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod, Dr Helen L. Blake ready to make a statement to the floor of the 76th Regional Committee Meeting |
The meeting was opened by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Director-General, World Health Organization
Regional Director: Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala is the Regional Director for the Western Pacific. His theme is “Weaving health for all” focusing on equity and health resilience.
Here are some quotes from the Regional Director’s speeches
HealthSome countries were celebrated for eliminating trachoma (preventable blindness), measles and rubella. 25 years ago Western Pacific was polio free.
“Health remains the thread that defines dignity and hope”
“Health is not a luxury, but a right”
Teamwork
“Weaving health is not about perfect threads – it’s about the strength of the weave. Let us continue this journey together”
“If you want to go fast – go alone. If you want to go far – go together”
Leadership
“Leadership is not about being in charge, but taking care of those in your charge”
“Thank you to our chair for steering us through our acronyms…”
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| Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod (CSU), Dr Mark Jacobs WHO Representative to the South Pacific, Dr Helen L. Blake (CSU), Honourable Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown, Chairperson at the 75th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Holly McAlister (CSU) |
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| Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod (CSU), Dr Helen L. Blake, Holly McAlister |
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| Regional Director's dinner |
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| Regional Director's dinner |
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| Regional Director's dinner |
Many important topics have been discussed this week including climate change, tobacco and alcohol consumption. “Harm falls primarily on – youth, women, Indigenous, economically disadvantaged… Progress is too slow and uneven… We require collaboration across sectors to ensure our younger generation is safeguarded... We require collective action to create a healthier society for all.”
The Children Draw Health Global Online Galleries are now on Charles Sturt University's YouTube channel
They are also available on the Children's Voices Centre website: https://www.csu.edu.au/research/childrens-voices-centre/research/childrens-health
Here is our summary document: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/4506148/CVC-Children-draw-health-2025-Fiji-submission.pdf
Thanks to the children from 18 countries who submitted 126 drawings to be included, the CVC Children's Advisory Groups, Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Dr Belinda Downey, Patrick McKenzie and the CSU Brand and webteams for their work to put this together.
Today A/Prof Tamara Cumming, Dr Carolyn Gregoric and I met with Lilium Burrow and team from the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
Here are the plans so far:
BRAG Forecourt Summer Exhibition - Presentation of the Children Draw Health Global Online Galleries.
Dr Carolyn Gregoric, Dr Belinda Downey and I have been doing a lot of work to prepare for presenting the Children Draw Health research at the World Health Organization meeting next week. Here are the finalised pull-up banners:
