Life-saving work of Venom Unit highlighted in NHMRC Case Study

A new NHMRC Impact Case Study highlights the life-saving work of the University of Melbourne's Australian Venom Research Unit (AVRU).

For the past 26 years, researchers at the Australian Venom Research Unit (AVRU) have worked to study venomous snakes, spiders and other creatures from across Australasia and educate Australians on how to prevent and treat venomous injuries.

Supported by the Department of Health and the NHMRC, the AVRU team has produced award winning education campaigns and garnered international support for the recognition of snakebite as a Neglected Tropical Disease by the World Health Organization to tackle the almost 7,400 people bitten by snakes around the world every day. The AVRU team has also developed and delivered a life-saving antivenom distribution program across Papua New Guinea in partnership with CSL/Seqirus.

This work and more is now featured in Australian antivenom saving lives: Case Study, an NHMRC Impact Case Study aimed at demonstrated the outcomes and impact that can arise over many years of collaborative work.

The Impact Case Study features work from the University of Melbourne's Associate Professor Christine Wright, Dr Ken Winkel, Dr Andrew Watt, Dr Timothy Jackson, and Dr Ronelle Welton.