Sir Ray Avery, Auckland, GNZM
For services to philanthropy. Sir Ray is a scientist, inventor and humanitarian who has used his skills to help improve the lives of the world’s poorest people. He was named New Zealander of the Year in 2010, and is a strong advocate for the inventiveness of New Zealanders. He established the independent development agency, Medicine Mondiale, which creates innovative affordable products to improve access to quality healthcare. As the Technical Director of the Fred Hollows Foundation, he developed inexpensive intra-ocular lenses to combat cataract blindness and worked to establish factories to make them in Nepal and Eritrea. Sir Ray has been instrumental in the invention and development of a range of healthcare innovations, including the Acuset IV Flow Controller, which aids in administering medications. He invented Proteinforte, a nutritious food product for the treatment of malnutrition in children that use protein from kiwifruit and dairy industry byproducts. Mr Avery has also invented a low-cost incubator, specifically for use in the developing world.