Rural health conference tackling many issues

  • 15th National Rural Health Conference speakers

Better Together! is the theme of the 15th National Rural Health Conference being held in Hobart on 24 - 27 March 2019. The Conference will focus on how we can work better together to improve the health and wellbeing of the seven million people who live and work in rural, regional and remote Australia.

The social, economic, and ecological determinants of health – all of which are essential foundations for a healthy society and the future of rural health – will be addressed throughout the plenary and concurrent sessions. The Conference will also focus on the current state of the health workforce and access to health services in regional, remote and rural Australia, showcasing innovative solutions to address these complex issues.

National Rural Health Alliance CEO, Mark Diamond, said the conference will be an in-depth examination of a myriad rural health issues such as delivery of and access to health services in rural and remote areas, the social, economic, and ecological determinants of health, a properly trained and retained rural health workforce and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

“We won’t just be highlighting health issues in the bush, we will also be providing for discussion of a range of innovative solutions to address these complex issues”, Mark said.

The four-day event provides learning and networking opportunities to public and private healthcare professionals, health consumer advocates and carers, students and researchers, and to interested people from health-related sectors such as education, transport and housing in rural, regional and remote areas.

The Conference will feature a number of prominent Australian and international speakers presenting on a range of topics, including:
•    Isabelle Skinner, CEO of the International Council of Nurses, on the UN’s Sustainable Development goals;
•    James Buchan, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, on a global view of rural health workforce;
•    Sir Harry Burns, Professor of Global Public Health at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, on social determinants of health and anticipatory care approach;
•    Paul Worley, National Rural Health Commissioner, on the next 25 years for the rural health sector;
•    Dr Kelvin Kong, Australia’s first Aboriginal Fellow of the Australasian College of Surgeons, on hearing loss and poor educational outcomes for rural children;
•    Saul Eslake, economist and Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, University of Tasmania, on a Tasmanian case study for education, employment participation and health outcomes;
•    Lorimer Moseley, Professor of Neuroscience, University of SA, on managing pain in rural and remote areas; and
•    James Ward, Head Infectious Diseases Research Program - Aboriginal Health, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, on infectious disease and Aboriginal health in remote communities.

The full list of keynote presenters and the Conference program can be found on the Conference website.

Online registration is also available via the Conference website.   

For further information contact Leanne Coleman, Manager, Programs and Events, National Rural Health Alliance (02) 6285 4660 or email [email protected].

 

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