AUSMAT spotlight: Adjunct Professor Annie Whybourne’s lifelong commitment to compassionate care
11 Dec 2024
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Dr Annie Whybourne, a paediatrician and medical coordinator of Darwin’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), and an adjunct professor at Charles Darwin University Menzies Medical Program, has dedicated over 30 years delivering care that has touched countless families' lives and left a lasting impression across both local and international communities. From nurturing the tiniest premature newborns to supporting children and their families through illness and recovery, Annie is recognised for her adaptability and compassionate approach—whether treating children in remote Australian hospitals and clinics, in health facilities in humanitarian settings or supporting survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones. Her unwavering dedication to paediatrics and humanitarian care has made her a trusted and inspiring figure in both medical and emergency response settings.
Originally trained with a Science degree in biochemistry, Annie’s aspiration was to study medicine and work in remote communities. Her career path took a pivotal turn when she discovered her passion for paediatrics. “I had a wonderful mentor at RDH, fell in love with paediatrics and spent the next three decades working in a broad range of paediatric and neonatology roles,” she recalls. Her work spans from hospitals in Darwin and remote NT clinics to international medical missions with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), health emergency responses with AUSMAT and primary health care paediatrics in Tanzania.
Vanuatu was an incredible experience, where I witnessed the resilience and warmth of the local community. It was inspiring to see how quickly the people came together to support one another demonstrating remarkable flexibility and resilience in the face of adversity.
Since joining AUSMAT in 2012, Annie has been deployed to challenging settings, including Vanuatu following the devastation of Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam in 2015. During this deployment, an AUSMAT team collaborated with local health officials to support critical medical services at the Vila Central Hospital (VCH). “Vanuatu was an incredible experience, where I witnessed the resilience and warmth of the local community. It was inspiring to see how quickly the people came together to support one another demonstrating remarkable flexibility and resilience in the face of adversity. It was also humbling to see AUSMAT members working alongside local staff, doing what they could to support a swift and adaptable response, always with humility,” she notes. Her role involved working in the emergency department, paediatric wards and paediatric outpatients, treating injuries, infectious diseases and skin infections and providing support to local medical and nursing staff.
Annie’s next deployment with AUSMAT took her to Samoa during the devastating 2019 measles outbreak – an unprecedented epidemic that overwhelmed the nation’s healthcare system and claimed the lives of 83 infants and young children. Over three months, AUSMAT deployed 112 personnel, making it the largest and longest international deployment to date.
AUSMAT provided a wide range of medical and nursing care, including door-to-door vaccination services, maintaining essential healthcare services, and delivering clinical care to severely and often critically unwell infants and children. AUSMAT members worked very closely with staff at Tupua Tamasese Meaole (TTM) Hospital in Apia and Public Health Response teams. “The vicarious trauma was intense, as we lost many children to this vicious disease. The work was physically and emotionally taxing, but the collaboration with local staff, international teams, and the solidarity we shared with one another greatly helped to sustain morale,” she recalls.
In addition to her deployments, Annie contributes her expertise to NCCTRC’s Technical Working Groups, including the AUSMAT Paediatric and Maternity Working Groups. These groups ensure that deployable medical resources are clinically appropriate, adhere to best practices, and continuously enhance care during deployments by providing expert advice to the NCCTRC Clinical Governance Committee.
Annie’s humanitarian work extends beyond AUSMAT, including significant missions with MSF. She worked in Sierra Leone following its’ 11 year civil war and during the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak, as well as in Yemen amidst the ongoing civil conflict. The MSF deployments immersed her in severe health crises where medical infrastructure was nearly non-existent, requiring innovative approaches and unwavering dedication to deliver healthcare in the most challenging conditions. Within the MSF model, Annie worked with and supervised many dedicated and talented national medical and nursing staff.
“What is truly challenging in these environments is the devastation of the healthcare system,” she shares. “In Sierra Leone and Yemen, hospitals were destroyed, and many healthcare workers had died or fled, leaving behind broken systems and significant acute and chronic health needs.” Reflecting on her experience in Yemen, Annie adds, “We worked in a hotel building adapted into a makeshift hospital, providing essential services to pregnant women, infants and children, cut off from any other health care.”
In some countries, sexual violence is not seen as a crime. Women may not even realise they have the right to seek medical or legal help.
In these environments, the challenge wasn’t only in providing medical care but also in addressing the compounded trauma experienced by both patients and healthcare staff. Cultural differences were often pronounced, particularly in her work addressing sexual violence in these regions. “In some countries, sexual violence is not seen as a crime. Women may not even realise they have the right to seek medical or legal help,” she explains. Over the years, Annie has developed a deeply sensitive approach to these complex situations, prioritising respect, empathy, compassion and a trauma-informed model of care. Her experiences have reinforced the importance of listening to everyone’s needs and offering as much support as is possible in a manner that respects their dignity and honours their personal experiences.
Annie has recently brought her extensive expertise in sexual violence care to AUSMAT, contributing to the development of policies for paediatric and gender-based violence care. “Sexual violence is an incredibly difficult issue for any survivor to address, especially in low-resource settings,” she explains. Her work focuses on providing a compassionate, patient-centred approach, respecting the survivor's wishes, and empowering them to make decisions about their care. Annie joined the AUSMAT faculty during this year’s AUSMAT Team Member courses and the AUSMAT Team Member Refresher course. During the courses, she led sessions on responding to sexual violence in health emergencies. "It's essential to create an environment where survivors can feel safe and are given time to discuss their trauma,” she says. The training included practical discussions on how to set up safe spaces within emergency settings and the importance of providing medical, forensic, and psychological support.
For Annie, the work continues — both locally and internationally. “Being involved in such diverse and complex environments has shaped how I approach patient care back in Australia. It has deepened my understanding of the long-term effects of trauma and the barriers survivors may face in seeking help,” she reflects. Whether working at SARC in Darwin or during humanitarian missions with AUSMAT or MSF, her focus remains on providing care with dignity and respect for those who need it most. Annie’s career is a testament to the profound impact that compassionate, well-trained medical professionals can have, particularly in the most challenging and often traumatic environments. Her work continues to inspire and highlight the vital role of empathy and expertise in healthcare.
