Mitochondrial donation

Mitochondrial donation has the potential to prevent mitochondrial disease - and in 2023, Australia made history with the launch of the nation’s first mitochondrial donation pilot program.

This significant milestone was made possible after the Australian Parliament passed legislation to legalise donation in 2022.

About 1 in 200 Australians is born with a potentially fatal genetic defect that robs the body of its energy - there is no cure, only hope for prevention for the next generation through a technique called mitochondrial donation.

The UK legalised donation years ago, and in Australia there was extensive public debate across 2020 and 2021 before the legislation passed through the Senate on a conscience vote 37 to 17 in March 2022.

H/Advisors APA was engaged by the Mito Foundation to help support the drive for legislative change in Australia to legalise mitochondrial donation, and to support the Mito Foundation on the announcement of the first pilot program.

We provided stakeholder and public profiling communications in support of a government relations campaign, through a process of issues raising, Senate Committee hearings, public consultation and legislative drafting.