THE stark health inequalities between Australians living in regional and metro areas have been highlighted in a new report from The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).
The Best for the Bush: Rural and Remote Health Baseline 2023 report launch aligns with the National Rural Health Alliance's urgent plea for improved nationwide health equity.
Susi Tegen (pictured), the Alliance's Chief Executive, pointed out that rural areas suffer from significant underinvestment in health, leading to lower outcomes for preventable diseases and a reduced life expectancy.
"The government needs to step up in its funding for rural health in a sustainable and flexible manner, without having ad hoc projects on the ground that only become band-aids," Tegen said.
The Alliance's research indicates a $6.55 billion annual healthcare deficit for rural Australians, amounting to $850 per person.
Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and pharmacist Emma McBride in her speech at the report's launch agreed that there is a "stark discrepancy" of health outcomes for those living in the country's rural areas.
"Their life expectancy is 14.3 years shorter than a city counterpart," said McBride.
"And they're almost three times as likely to die from an avoidable or preventable condition, whether that's diabetes or heart disease."
The Alliance promotes the Primary care Rural Integrated Multidisciplinary Health Services model tailored to the unique health needs of each rural community, as recommended in the RFDS report.
It is also pushing for a National Rural Health Strategy and a National Compact on Rural and Remote Health to unify and streamline efforts to elevate health outcomes in underserved regions.
The Best for the Bush report also stressed the need for annual benchmarks to hold policymakers accountable. JG
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