Alcoa Garvan community health partnership

On 7 August, Minister for Science and Medical Research, the Hon. Verity Firth, officially launched an innovative partnership between Garvan and local aluminium recycler and manufacturer Alcoa.

A Garvan representative visited Alcoa's Yennora plant to deliver customised interactive presentations to workers about diseases such as prostate cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Alcoa machine operator and Fairfield resident George Wetton said the presentations were very popular. "Most employees are male and middle aged so the information was very relevant.  Men often aren't keen to talk about their health or ask questions.  The presentations have given them valuable information and practical suggestions on prevention that they can take home and share with their families," he said.

Garvan Institute of Medical Research Executive Director Professor John Shine welcomes the new initiative. "Garvan is all about breakthrough medical research and delivering positive health outcomes to the community. The Alcoa employee seminars have allowed us to extend our community outreach program off site and into the corporate sector."

An additional Alcoa Foundation grant supports the free 2007 Public Seminar Series held at Garvan in Darlinghurst.  For more information, or to book your place, phone 9295 8110 or email foundation@garvan.org.au.

ABOUT GARVAN

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research was founded in 1963.  Initially a research department of St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, it is now one of Australia's largest medical research institutions with approximately 400 scientists, students and support staff. Garvan’s main research programs are: Cancer, Diabetes & Obesity, Arthritis & Immunology, Osteoporosis, and Neuroscience. The Garvan’s mission is to make significant contributions to medical science that will change the directions of science and medicine and have major impacts on human health. The outcome of Garvan’s discoveries is the development of better methods of diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately, prevention of disease.

Public seminars to be held at Garvan in 2007 include Healthy Ageing, Breast & Ovarian Cancer, Auto-Immune Diseases, Osteoporosis, the Ageing Brain and Mental Health Disorders. 

ABOUT ALCOA
The Alcoa Foundation is a global resource that actively invests in the quality of life in Alcoa communities worldwide. With more than $410 million invested since our inception in 1952, Alcoa Foundation has positioned itself as a source of positive community change and enhancement. Out of that legacy has emerged a set of strengths and competencies that reflect community aspirations and needs around the world.

Alcoa ARP at Yennora is Australia's largest recycler of aluminium products, recycling over 70,000 tonnes per year, including 550 million cans. Recycling aluminium plays a critical role in addressing the global greenhouse gas challenge – it takes five percent of the energy required to recycle aluminium as it does to produce it.  As a product, aluminium is also part of the solution for the greenhouse challenge.  Alcoa researchers have forecasted that with global projections for the use of aluminium in cars and trucks and the numbers of vehicles in use, aluminium will increasingly become part of the global climate change solution with the industry reaching a climate neutral state by 2017.   This means the global warming impacts of aluminium production will be fully offset by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions saved by the use of aluminium in the transportation industry.  Today’s motor vehicles use aluminium in engine parts, panels, electronic systems and wheels.  An average aluminium part is 40-50 per cent lighter than a steel part and every 10 per cent reduction in weight leads to a 6-8 percent improvement in fuel economy.  Less fuel means less emissions and every kilogram of aluminium used in a car can reduce CO2 emissions by 20 kilograms over the life of the vehicle. 

All media enquiries should be directed to:

Josephine Parrett, Community Relations, Alcoa Australia Rolled Products. Phone 02 9681 9554 or 0404 800 542
Carole Renouf, CEO Garvan Research Foundation, Phone 02 9295 8114 or 0414 524 500