Health

or almost two decades, chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnosis rates in remote Indigenous communities have been up to 30 times higher than for non-Indigenous Australians. The high levels of population movement known to occur between remote communities may contribute to these high rates. High population mobility is likely to contribute to the high lev ....

In the Hunter area, the population is ageing faster than the total NSW population. The Positive Ageing Strategy Hunter (PASH) has been developed by the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (Hunter Region) in conjunction with a multi-disciplinary advisory committee. PASH is based on a philosophy of early intervention a ....

Background: Diabetes in pregnancy carries an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for both the mother and foetus, but it also provides an excellent early opportunity for intervention in the life course for both mother and baby. In the context of the escalating epidemic of chronic diseases among Indigenous Australians, it is vital that thi ....

Although a large pastoral industry exists in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, there is no previously published information about the prevalence of immune markers for Q fever exposure in this region's population. This paper identifies the prevalence of, and factors associated with, positive immune markers of Q fever, and r ....

The chronic diseases associated with overweight and obesity are major contributors to the excess disease burden of Aboriginal Australians. Surveillance of overweight and obesity is required to monitor these conditions, and to develop and evaluate interventions to improve health and wellbeing. Remote Aboriginal communities in Austra ....

High rates of alcohol consumption are common in rural and remote areas of Australia, and there is a lack of support services to reduce alcohol-related harm in these areas. This paper describes some of the issues facing rural and remote communities in Victoria in relation to alcohol-related harms, and explores the range of practical ....

Despite many rural and remote initiatives over recent years, the health needs of many Australian communities are still not adequately met. Residents of rural and remote communities continue to show poorer health outcomes than residents in metropolitan centres, while the health of Indigenous communities remains unacceptable. Many rural and remote ....

Issue addressed: The Suicide Prevention in Country SA (SPICSA) initiative was funded by the South Australian Social Inclusion Initiative in response to concerns about the higher rates of self-harm and suicidal behaviour in regional areas across the State, particularly for young people and Aboriginal people. Methods: A variety of st ....

The Gold Coast Regional Plan 2013 attempts to address the challenges and opportunities facing the Gold Coast region. The Gold Coast RDA has been working with a variety of business, government, community and environmental groups to identify the Gold Coast regional priorities. These priorities form the basis of the 2013-2016 Regional Plan. The fr ....

The Goldfields Esperance Regional Plan sets out the strategic framework for RDA Goldfields Esperance to contribute to the regional vision. Its priorities are: Attracting and retaining population Increasing access to affordable, adaptable and secure housing Enhancing industry resilience and innovation Ensuring a healthy and valued environme ....

The RDA Riverina Regional Plan is a road map for the future development of the Riverina region. Through discussions and consultations with various stakeholders across the region and the review of existing planning documents a footprint for action has been developed. The key emerging priorities and issues are:  Infrastructure development- ....

The RDA Tasmania Regional Plan is reviewed annually to update profiling information and revise RDA Tasmania's strategic direction and regional priorities. Draft priorities are shared with a wide range of stakeholders to invite input and this feedback is incorporated throughout the drafting process. Five broad priorities have been identified by R ....

North Queensland has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Local Government Authorities (LGAs) are ideally placed to provide recreational facilities that protect the population from ultraviolet radiation. In 2005, consistent with outcomes proposed within the Queensland Skin Cancer Prevention Strategic Plan 2001-2005, the N ....

The Conference's 18 priority recommendations are presented. Two of the issues have been included in each of the nine biannual conferences. This Conference agrees that Indigenous life expectancy is still unacceptably low, and that there is still insufficient focus in national health research efforts on rural and remote communities. ....