“People living in rural and remote Australia have lower incomes and net household wealth in comparison to those living in metropolitan areas. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, of whom 65 per cent live outside the major cities, are disproportionately affected by poverty." (National Rural Health Alliance Fact Sheet, Nov 2017, Poverty in Rural and Remote Australia)
The effect of poverty on health outcomes has been clearly established. Socio-economic factors have the biggest influence – 40 per cent - ahead of all other factors influencing health. Added to this are the barriers to healthcare for people in rural areas – shortage of services and the costs of travel and accommodation to access health care.
People who are concerned about the health of people in rural areas see this every day and Anti-Poverty Week provides the perfect opportunity for people concerned about rural health and poverty in rural areas to increase awareness about these issues and advocate action.
Anti-Poverty Week is being held this year on 14-20 October, coinciding as always with the UN International Day for the Eradication of poverty on 17 October.
At least a million Australians live in poverty or severe hardship. The causes and symptoms include inadequate access to work and income, education, housing and health care services. People experiencing poverty cannot afford essential goods and services which most Australians take for granted.
The aim of Anti-Poverty Week is to:
- strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia; and
- encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.
We encourage you to organise an activity during Anti-Poverty Week this year, highlighting the impact of rural disadvantage and health outcomes. Our calendar of events for Anti-Poverty Week 2018 is growing so tell us about your activity by visiting our website. And we encourage you to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to receive notifications on upcoming events and related news stories this year.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antipovertyweek/
Twitter: @AntiPovertyWeek
Website: https://www.antipovertyweek.org.au/
Use the hashtags #APW2018 and #AntiPoverty so we can follow your events.
If you need any promotional materials for this year, please visit our website or email [email protected] for more information.
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