The theme of the 14th National Rural Health Conference is A World of Rural Health in Australia...
This reflects the diversity of health care settings and challenges in rural, regional and remote Australia. There is a world of variation:
"If you've seen one rural community you have seen just one community!"
Over 1,200 people concerned with the health of communities in rural and remote areas will be in Cairns for the Conference. They will come from the disparate and widespread places of rural and remote Australia and from other countries. The Australian delegates will be representative of the 7 million people who live and work in rural and remote Australia.
All delegates-domestic and international-will have a strong shared interest in the future of rural and remote centres and regions, and a concern for the wellbeing and happiness of people who live in small, scattered communities. Delegates' considerations will include the social, economic, cultural and ecological future of non-metropolitan areas.
The Conference will provide a welcome to people from all sectors engaged with health and wellbeing: education, transport and housing, economic development, the environment, and community services.
The Conference and its organisers will never forget that, in effect, the 'rural health community' includes many people who live and work in the major cities and who are involved in one way or another with the health of people from country areas.
For people of the rural and remote health sector, the 14th National Rural Health Conference aims to:
- inspire and inform;
- showcase developments on the ground;
- help build interdisciplinary health teamwork - including between Australia and other countries;
- engage health consumers with others in the sector;
- provide an opportunity for research reports to be delivered by both experienced and beginning researchers;
- anticipate developments and issues and help set the sector’s agenda;
- produce a set of priority recommendations to governments; and
- promote a stronger awareness of rural and remote health issues in the wider community and among policy makers.
There's a world of rural health themes out there in rural Australia and we would like to hear your view!
