All media enquiries:
Allan Yates, Director of Communications and Media Liaison
0421 150 229
allan@ruralhealth.org.au
@NRHAlliance
2013 has become a memorable year for the Australian Journal of Rural Health (AJRH). As well as celebrating its 21st year of publication, the AJRH has just achieved a Thomson ISI Impact Factor of 1.545.
This is a significant increase from its previous ranking of 1.00.
The AJRH publishes original, peer-reviewed research articles with a focus on rural and remote health and in... read more
One in three Australians is at increased risk of developing kidney disease and one in nine adults has some sign of kidney disease. It kills more people than breast or prostate cancer and more than twice as many as die on our roads every year. And its incidence is rising.
People living in remote and very remote areas of Australia have much higher rates of end-stage kidney disease than... read more
A report has been published this week on some of the key issues that will enable Medicare Locals to deal with the particular challenges they face in rural and remote areas.
The report is from a Rural Policy Forum held on 7 April in conjunction with the 12th National Rural Health Conference in Adelaide. The Forum was jointly managed by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association... read more
Palliative Care ensures that people are comfortable and, as far as possible, pain-free towards the end of their life. None of us knows when our end will be – or that of those we love. Life is unpredictable and Palliative Care Week (19-25 May) is a time to reflect on this.
Australia has a good reputation for high quality end-of-life care. But that high quality tends to be concentrated... read more
‘Thanks a million’ is the theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week, 13-19 May. More than six million Australians volunteer, contributing to their communities in myriad ways. A substantial proportion of that number is volunteering in rural and remote communities.
Rural populations have higher rates of ageing and ill health, and many families in rural and remote areas face the... read more
Tonight's Budget has kept faith with four major initiatives which, over time, will help transform Australian society and contribute to good health, including in rural and remote areas. As expected, there are some significant new investments in cancer care and treatment, but little else to excite those in the health sector. And disappointingly, no improvements yet to rural health workforce... read more
National purse strings may be tight but people in rural and remote areas are holding out for things they have been promised that they trust they will not lose, and for some modest new spending to improve access and equity for rural people.
Non-negotiable promises include funding according to need for rural schools as part of the Gonski reforms; funding for DisabilityCare Australia;... read more
In Heart Week (5-11 May), why not send a message to someone you know who lives in a rural or remote area to ask how they’re doing and whether they are managing to clock up half an hour of walking each day?
Evidence tells us that walking for at least 30 minutes a day can cut your heart disease risk by 50 per cent.
People in rural communities are three times more likely to suffer... read more
Those who attended this week's Roundtable on the rural and remote challenges facing DisabilityCare Australia (formerly NDIS) will welcome the decision to secure the scheme through an addition to the Medicare levy.
There is support for the new scheme but not, as yet, generalised understanding of how it will work. The information and communication challenges relating to DisabilityCare... read more
Aboriginal people are affected by blindness six times more than other Australians. This is despite the fact that the majority of eye conditions can be treated if a person’s eyes are examined in time. There was a special Colloquium on this critical issue at the 12th National Rural Health Conference.
And now the latest issue of Australian Journal of Rural Health, available to... read more