More families in Ballarat and around regional Victoria are joining Australia’s largest-ever child and parent research project, helping drive better health outcomes for the next generation of young Victorians.

Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford today welcomed the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s Generation Victoria (GenV) project to Ballarat.

Ballarat Health Services and St John of God Hospital have joined 27 other regional hospitals across the state taking part in the study, which will track the wellbeing of 150,000 Victorians throughout their lives in a pioneering bid to map the health of an entire generation of young people.

Expanding the project to regional areas will drive better health outcomes for children across the state, helping doctors and researchers identify if there are health issues that are specific or unique to certain areas.

Participating families will receive regular communication to ensure they are fully aware of the project’s progression and how data will be used. Families can opt out of the study at any time.

So far, more than 5,000 newborns have become involved in the study, with a fifth of those born regionally. Data from the trial show a 99.1 per cent of parents feel positive about taking part in the voluntary initiative.

GenV is leading the world in studying the first post COVID-19 generation and will be able to measure the physical, economic and policy impacts of the virus across the population.

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute is leading the project and working with the Royal Children’s Hospital, the University of Melbourne and the Paul Ramsay Foundation, backed by a $30 million investment from the Victorian Government.

Quote attributable to Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford

“This groundbreaking project is helping paint a complete health and wellbeing map of the state and speeding up answers to some of the major issues facing children around regional Victoria.”

Quote attributable to Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison

“As one of the largest studies ever done on pregnancies and children, GenV reinforces Victoria’s position as a world leader in medical research and will give great insight into health issues in the region.”

Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle

“Our brilliant Gen-V researchers are making discoveries that will improve the quality of life for children and parents in Ballarat for decades to come.”

Quote attributable to GenV regional manager Rachael Cooper

“Through this this once-in-a-generation initiative we are addressing the inequities that face so many children and families across Victoria and we hope it will be particularly useful for the most vulnerable communities in our state.”