2011-10-21 Help agricultural workers and farming families live longer

Help agricultural workers and farming families live longer [PDF 312kb]

 Agricultural Health and Medicine HMF701 unit details [PDF 264kb]

Farmers are less healthy than their city cousins.

And they always will be unless rural and regional areas take major and immediate steps to overcome their alarming health track record.

You will be well aware of the diverse range of health issues in rural and agricultural communities – so it is not surprising our farmers experience poor health outcomes.  Compounding the challenge for farming families is the well-documented, and worsening, shortage of medical and health professionals in rural Australia.  

However there is good news!!!

Deakin University, School of Medicine, in partnership with the National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH), will present an essential training opportunity to address the health, well-being and safety issues faced by farmers, their families and workers. This training will help to address the drought of agricultural health knowledge and improve service delivery and professional understanding for farming communities – your communities. 

In February 2012, the Agricultural Health and Medicine unit will be offered as a five-day intensive curriculum  in both Toowoomba, Queensland (February 15- 19 inclusive)  with support from Queensland Rural Medical Education (QRME)  and in Hamilton, Victoria  (February 27 - March 2) and will accommodate both health and agricultural professionals. The unit is offered at a postgraduate level and provides continuing education points. 

It is the goal of the NCFH and QRME to cultivate the next generation of rural and agricultural health leaders including nurses, doctors, veterinarians, agribusiness, farmers and other agricultural professionals - all of whom are encouraged to attend this course, as are postgraduate students.

We would value your participation in this cutting edge unit and encourage you to secure a place in the course as a matter of urgency.

For further information on the Agricultural Health and Medicine unit being held in Hamilton, Western Victoria, please contact the National Centre for Farmer Health on (03) 5551 8533 or ncfh@wdhs.net

For further information the Agricultural Health and Medicine unit being held in Toowoomba, Queensland, please contact QRME on (07) 4638 7999 or info@qrme.org.au 

Kind regards, 

Clinical Associate Professor  

Susan Brumby